Desert Island Tricks
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Desert Island Tricks
Stranded with a Stranger: Sean Andrechak
Welcome to the island this weeks guest, Sean Andrechak, a seasoned magic hobbyist and pit boss from Oklahoma, who shares an inspiring journey from being enthralled by Doug Henning's legendary performances to working amidst the glamour of Las Vegas casinos. Sean's unique experiences in the casino industry have woven fascinating themes of cheating and gambling into his magic presentations. With stories from his visits to iconic UK magic shops like International Magic and Alakazam Magic, Sean discusses his top magic tricks, including the universally adored sponge balls, and the impressive "Kolossal Killer" by Kenton Knepper. His passion for magic shines brilliantly, as he emphasises the irreplaceable value of personal interactions and experiences in fostering camaraderie among magicians.
Beyond the tricks themselves, Sean unravels the rich tapestry of creativity and skill that characterises the art of magic. From the charming narratives of ancient gambling games to modern marvels like Liam Montier's "What Happens in Vegas?,” featuring unique decks from various casinos. He delves into the utility of crimped cards in card magic and shares his own cleverly crafted card trick that left fellow magicians astounded. This episode is a celebration of the joy magic brings to audiences of all ages and promises to enrich your magical journey with Sean's captivating stories and expert insights.
Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
Thank you for watching. Hello and welcome to an episode of Stranded with a Stranger. We have a new stranger stranded on our island, so let's get straight into it. He's given us a little bio. He says my name is Sean Ondrejak and I've been a professional magic hobbyist for almost 50 years now. While I've done some paid gigs in the past, I mostly perform for friends and family. I live in the United States and currently reside in Oklahoma.
Speaker 1:I got fascinated by magic as a child after seeing Doug Henning on TV. My father then took me to a magic shop and brought me a small magic kit, and I was hooked. When I was 24 years old, I had to put my magic interests on hold when I moved to Las Vegas and I started a career as a blackjack dealer. It turns out that casinos do not like to have people who know sleight of hand handle their cards and chips, so I had to go underground. Now I am a pit boss working behind the tables so I can put my knowledge towards spotting cheaters. Because of my life in a casino, it has influenced my magic choices and presentations.
Speaker 1:The reasons that I believe that magic is the best hobby ever is the community I've been lucky enough to meet many of my magic heroes. I got to sit down and have coffee with Johnny Thompson, eugene Berger, bill Malone, and that's only a few. You have encouraged listeners to visit brick and mortar magic shops. Earlier this year I took my first trip to London. While there, I visited International Magic. It was an hour walk from my hotel, but well worth it. I also took the train out to visit Alakazam Magic and got to meet Harry, andy and, of course, buddy. The chance to talk magic, exchange ideas and get to actually see and hold new props just can't be duplicated online, and hold new props just can't be duplicated online. The experience of being in a shop dedicated to magic is something I fear many new magicians will miss out on. Well, that's great. How cool is it that you're now a pit boss? So I'm guessing, because you said that it's informed your choices. I'm guessing that the presentations are going to lean towards cheating and gambling presentations. But who knows? But that's great. Thank you so much for that little introduction.
Speaker 1:Now Sean has actually given us some honorable mentions, so let's see if we can work out what his list is going to be based on his honorable mentions. So he says his first honorable mention is the dancing cane. I've never performed this for people, but it is such a stress reliever I can almost get into a meditative state and just relax, and my cats love it. His second honorable mention is a charming Chinese challenge, a wonderful visual piece of magic, and you can get to practice. Some coin slides too. And his last honorable mention is the color changing knives.
Speaker 1:First, it's practical for me. I have to open dozens of packs of cards every day. The cards we use in our casino have a no tear seal on them, so having a knife to cut them open is very handy then. Then, as a bonus, I can show them a pretty darn impressive bit of magic. You know what? I've never, ever thought about non-tear seals. Maybe there's a trick in that, maybe there's the tear, no tear seals. But those are three great tricks and maybe ones that we weren't expecting. Certainly not the dancing cane. I can't imagine a casino based presentation for that, but nonetheless it makes me excited to see what Sean's list exists of. So let's dive straight in.
Speaker 1:So in his first position Sean's put sponge balls. He says. I know many magicians have a love hate relationship with sponge balls, but for me sponge balls are a lifesaver. If I go to a party and I don't know who's going to be there, I always bring along sponge balls. I was at a Christmas party and there were children, elderly and some who didn't speak English, but anyone can understand a ball disappearing from my hand and appearing in theirs. Absolutely great choice there, sean. And it always brings to mind the David Blaine documentary Well, not really documentary special, I should say in which he is on an island with some natives and he does a Spongebob routine with some leaves and he, you know, puts one in their hand, puts one in his hand, then it disappears from his hand and appears in theirs. And even though no one spoke English on the island, or very little English, it really does lend itself to all different kinds of people and all different circumstances. So, absolutely great choice.
Speaker 1:And that brings us to number two, which is Free Will by Deddy Cabuzio. An easy to carry miracle in my mind. My only touch on this is, if I can, I like to write out the prediction on the spot and tell the person that I'm making this prediction just for them. That way, when they have to read the prediction, I can reiterate that the prediction is theirs and they should read it A great, great choice. Free Will seems to be a really, really popular plot and there's so many different versions of it around now. In fact, today, earlier on today, I recorded another episode where a version of the Free Will plot was mentioned. So absolutely a great choice. And the idea of just writing it down on the spot great makes it feel so much more organic. So a great.
Speaker 1:Second choice, which leads us to number three, which is Colossal Killer by Kenta Nepa. Having this in my wallet has gotten me the biggest reactions and more free drinks at a bar than any other trick. Being able to produce any named card out of my wallet just freaks people out. Absolutely great choice. Yep, I think a lot of people that have either used Colossal Killer or have used a single card prediction know the strength. And again, another episode which will be coming up you'll hear that there is another version of Col colossal killer that one of the guests uses and we discuss on it that it's almost like having a card trick without having the deck of cards. So if you're someone that doesn't like approaching tables, for example, with the deck of cards, it's a great way to go straight into a really interesting, intriguing selection process and then reveal that one card, just absolutely unfathomable in anyone's mind. So a great, great choice there. And of course we've got number four next, which is the Phil deck by Trevor Duffy and Phil Goldstein.
Speaker 1:I love the plot of telling people the name of their card. I know that there are a few versions of this effect, but this seems to be the easiest version and no less impressive. After having the pre-printed version for a long time, I went and bought the blank version of the deck. I know it's tedious and time consuming, but I like the look of having handwritten names on the back of the cards. To really mess people up, get a second deck and have a different force name on it. I had a show that name trick to my wife moment at a bar and switched to the other deck. The wife was amazed, but the husband who saw it first was absolutely floored. It's as if I could really read minds and I knew the name of every card in the deck. So Phil, or in my case Bill and Mary, is my choice for number four, absolutely. I remember first seeing the Phil deck many years ago now and I think when you discover the method for the first time, it's just as amazing as being presented the trick the first time, it's one of those where you see the trick, you're like how on earth did that just work? And then you see the method and you realize just how incredibly clever it is. Now, of course, there are other makers of this style of deck nowadays, but it used to be a certain kind of deck when I was younger, but it's nonetheless. It's just a phenomenal trick and the idea of having two decks ready to go yeah, I guarantee that really throws people off. So a great, great choice. And that brings us to number five, which is hopping halves.
Speaker 1:I do not like challenge. Having a spectator be proven wrong over and over again just isn't my style. So I've made up a story that in my studies I found the oldest gambling game known. All it involves is betting on which coin the silver or copper is placed in the pocket. In the process of demonstrating the rules how to cheat, what to look for I keep having to start over, which of course means both coins return again into my hand. When it's time to actually play, I ask the spectator to make their wager as to which coin I just put in my pocket. I interrupt them, throwing my hands open and say it's a silly game, we should just play something else, showing both coins have vanished. It is so, so strong, absolutely. I know that Pete carries this as one of his everyday carries, and for good reason. It's so direct, it's really easy to follow and, like you said, it's the fact that it's just something silly and fun and easy for, you know, younger people, older people, all to follow. They don't necessarily have to know where the coins are from. So, absolutely a great, great choice, sean. And that leads us to number six, which is what happens in vegas by liam montier and alakazam magic.
Speaker 1:Hard to get more of a casino theme trick than this one, but the props are intriguing a deck of cards made up of cards from different casinos and a casino chip as a revelation. Having lived and worked in Las Vegas for so long, I've either been in, driven past or sometimes even worked at almost every casino in that deck, so I can usually tell stories about any of those casinos. I recently picked up Jokers and CasinoCon on my trip to Alakazam, but I can't put them on my list until I've had a chance to work on them to some real people. They seem to be very promising, though. One last note for people who haven't been to Vegas One of the cards featured in the deck is Hooters Casino. Yes, this was a real place. In the early 2000s, hooters operated a hotel and casino just off the strip in Las Vegas. The casino featured a Hooters pit where the card games were dealt by Hooters girls. The hotel was sold to OYO in 2019, but the restaurant still remains in style.
Speaker 1:What happens in Vegas is such a great routine and has to be on my island with me. There you go. So not only was that his reasons for the tricks, but we had two honorable mentions and a little bit of history there as well, which is really, really cool. Absolutely, this is one of my favorite alakazam releases and liam is just such a wonderful thinker. We've spoken about another version of this on the pod before and it's just a wonderful trick. You're right. That rainbow deck and the fact that this rainbow deck is actual casinos and casino names really does just make it so organic and so interesting. So I'm really glad you put this on your list because it's a great, great choice.
Speaker 1:But it does bring us to the tail end of Sean's tricks, with number seven being a deck of cards with a crimped card. Almost every time I crack open a new pack of cards, I put a breather crimp in the jack of clubs. The crimp is such a great tool because I hear you are the devil's advocate. I will tell you the routine I will use Multiple card select. If there is one routine that shows that you are an expert at card magic, this has to be considered one of them. After doing all my tricks with a regular deck of cards at a party, if called to do one more, this is the trick I go to. I use Aldo Colombini's Firework Control and the Crimped card makes this so easy. I then jazz the Revelations. To me, this has to be the last trick I do. It cannot be followed. The trick is almost perfect. You get multiple spectators involved. You reveal the cards in more and more impossible ways. So I love the multiple card selection Great choice.
Speaker 1:I always wonder how performers choose the card that they crimp. I know that some people have stacked decks and there's a particular card that falls at a certain position which allows for, you know, x, y, z to happen. But for those that aren't using it, I wonder why they choose the cards that they chose. Why did you choose the Jack of Clubs, sean. Maybe this is something we'll never, ever know, but yeah, absolutely, that's a great, great choice. Maybe this is something we'll never, ever know, but yeah, absolutely, that's a great, great choice. And that leads us to number eight, which is my own creation.
Speaker 1:I don't have a name for it. I will describe the effect. I asked a spectator to name any card, and they can name any card except the Joker. I say I have a card in my pocket and ask would it be a miracle if the card you name was printed on the card in my pocket? Of course they say yes. I pull the card out of my pocket and it has a 52 on one card gag. I then get the laugh. Or if it's magicians, they groan. I then explain that the card they named was not in my front pocket but in my back pocket. I start searching my back pocket and pat down my side pocket again, not finding the card. When I look back in my hand, the 52 on one card has changed into the name card.
Speaker 1:This one seems to be a magician's trick, for when I perform it for them, they seem to freak out. Muggles seem to like it too, and it scored me a free bottle of wine at the hotel I was staying at once. I got to show this to Harry and Andy on my visit to Alakazam. Even though I messed it up a bit, they seemed to really like the plot and encouraged me to continue working on it. It's not an easy trick and requires practice, and some quality time on an island would help me perfect this.
Speaker 1:Wow, what a great trick. That sounds really nice. I love those moments where you present something. They look away and when they look back it has changed in some way and it's nice that you've put one of your effects in there. And it does bring us to your two curveball items Now. Obviously, we've given Sean the opportunity to have eight tricks, but now he's only allowed one. Each of the last two items a book and a non-magic item.
Speaker 1:Sean's given us some honorable mentions, so let's look at his book honorable mentions. He's put in there the Buena Vista Shuffle Club by Matt Baker. He says I love Memorize Deck and this book has some really good ideas. Since the tricks in this book are not stack dependent, it's a good addition to anyone using a Memorize Deck. Great Number two is Scripting Magic by Pete McCabe. I love how the author shows classic, well-known tricks and shows how, changing the presentations, you can get some amazing results. The presentations, you can get some amazing results oh interesting.
Speaker 1:So where do we think his book is going to go to then? Because we've got a presentation based one there and then we've got a stack deck trick book there. Do we think it's going to be presentation? Do we think it's going to be tricks? Where do we think? Let's have a look. Scrolling down, my choice for book to bring with me would be Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz. No tricks here, just theory on how to make your presentation stronger. I believe my reactions have gone up tenfold after reading this book. I try to reread it every year or so. Great choice, one that we've had before and no doubt we'll have many times again.
Speaker 1:And that brings us onto Sean's curveball curveball item. This is his non-magic item. He says I would take my friend John. I do have a specific magic reason too. We have learned a coding system that we can use anywhere. I would recommend teaching a friend a coding system, even if your friend isn't a magician. They usually find it fun on being able to see behind the curtain, john and I have learned the N rapport by anaman dan harlan has put out some work on coding systems and, of course, morgan and wes check them out for their work on the subject.
Speaker 1:It is quite fun being at a bar or being able to shout across the room john tell me what card susan is holding and he shouts back the Great. I love that. Yeah, that's really cool. We've not had someone yet. Take someone with them a person, because they will assist with a method which I think is really really smart. That's great.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, sean. What a wonderful list. So, going back over your list, we had Spongeballs, free Will, colossal Killer Fill Deck, hopping Halves what Happens in Vegas. A Deck of Cards with a Crimped Card and your own creation, which we've called Andra Chak crimped card and your own creation, which we've called Andra Chak. Your book was Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz and your item was your friend John for your coding system. That's a great, great list.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, sean, for writing in to us. Now. Of course, sean is a stranger no more, because we know everything we need to know about him. Now, if you want one of these read out, then please send in your list of eight tricks, one book and one non-magic item that you use for magic to sales at alakazamcouk In the subject line. Please put my desert island list. That way it comes through to me and I can record one of these for you. Please do include a bio about you at the very beginning so we can get to know you, of course, put any honorable mentions you would like and then just the list of tricks and the reasons that you chose them. So we're going to be back, of course, this friday with an episode of the main podcast, but for now, have a great week hello guys.
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