Jim Krenz has taken ideas from Aldo Colombini and Paul Curry, and added an extra secret weapon to the mix -- the result is his three-phase routine called Coincidencia.   It is an extremely baffling effect, for both lay audiences and magicians alike.

The magician shows a half deck of cards -- that is, 18 cards that have been cut in half, making a "deck" of 36 "half-cards".  (The cards are oversized, so each "half card" is about the size of a full poker sized card, making for easy handling).    The magi cuts this deck into two piles and then genuinely riffle shuffles the piles together.  The spectator cuts to any half-card, (and after being given the option to change her mind) this freely selected half-card is set aside without looking at it.    The cards are fanned out, and she touches another half-card.    When this half-card is compared to the one set aside, they are two halves of the same card.  The cards are again (genuinely) shuffled, and the spectator freely chooses another half-card.  She stabs it into the squared deck, and when the card directly below the stabbed spot is shown, it is the other half of her second choice.   Once more, the deck is genuinely shuffled, divided into two piles, and the spectator turns one half-card faceup in the middle of one pile.  Half-cards are then turned faceup simultaneously from both piles, until the faceup selection is reached -- none of the dealt cards match each other.  But (you guessed it!) the half-card dealt along with the faceup selection is the other half of that card.   Finishing the deal, none of the other cards match.   Only the selected card and its half from the other pile.

 The audience start applauding wildly, but the magi stops them for one final miracle.   He snaps his fingers over both piles, and the two piles are again dealt simultaneously.  This time, every card is a perfect match for the one dealt from the other pile.  Somehow, now every card matches.

The effect does require a few sleights, but nothing difficult, and nothing that looks sneaky or suspicious.  The cards are gimmicked but in such a way that you never need to worry about "hiding" anything.    Because the cards are genuinely and obviously shuffled multiple times throughout the routine, the finale where all the card halves suddenly match is a jaw-drop moment.

The deck includes 36 oversized half-cards (18 different cards) but the routine can be done with as few as 20 half-cards if you want to streamline the effect.   

Also included in the online instructions is a bonus Poker routine, that can be used as an encore, or stand alone.

 Brand new and unused, with online instructions.  

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