The Magician’s Insurance Policy has become a classic effect. Many magicians shun performing this because they think it is too well known.
It is “too well known” because it is an old effect. It is well-known to magicians, but it is not too well-known to laymen.
It is an interesting premise for a magician to purchase an insurance policy against failing to find the correct chosen card! It is a sure laughter generator the moment the performer brings out his Magician’s Insurance Policy. The audience has not seen or heard about such an insurance scheme for magicians.
Here is the actual effect: the performer explains that he is about to perform the world’s most difficult card trick. Therefore he has purchased a Magician’s Insurance Policy to guard him against failing to find the selected card. He brings out the Policy and places it on the table. He has a card chosen and then lose it back into the deck. He claims he can cut to the chosen card. He cuts the deck but the card cut at turns out to be the wrong selected card. He asks to have another chance. He fails again on the second trial. It is time to turn to his Insurance Policy. He opens the policy and reads out the 8 conditions of the policy. They all contain comical terms. The last and 8th condition refers to enacting the “big finish”. The performer unfolds the policy and reveals a giant sized image of the chosen card!
You receive 2 policies in 2 sizes: one for parlour or stage performance and the other for close-up show. When opened fully, the stage sized policy reveals a giant-sized King of Hearts measuring 18” X 24”. When folded, the policy measures 4” X 9”. The close-up policy reveals a 7” X 9” Queen of Diamonds, and folds down to a 1.5” X 3.5” document. Both policies are well designed and produced in thick paper that will last through dozens of performances.
There is a printed instruction on how to perform the criss-cross force of a card. Video performance is given via a link, but this link no longer works. Instead, a search in the internet produces this link to the video performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27CdA8iGnd0
Since you receive 2 policies with different reveals, you can actually use either one for repeat performance. The close-up policy is small when folded (1.5” X 3.5”), but it is large enough for parlour performance when it is opened to a 7” X 9” Queen of Diamonds reveal. The parlour sized policy can be used for close-up. With the final reveal of a 18” X 24” King of Hearts, it is quite large for close-up performance, but this large reveal gives you the comical element especially when it is used as a climax to the close-up performance.
There are various ways of presenting the effect too. Instead of bringing out the policy at the beginning of the effect, take it out only when you apparently “fail” to find the chosen card.
If you have not owned a Magician’s Insurance Policy, and hesitate to purchase one, I trust this will encourage you to buy this effect and perform it. You will not regret it.
Highly recommended!
