Out Of This World is one of the strongest routines in all of card magic. That’s true for several reasons, which we’ll explore—but the fact that it’s easy to do, can engage even large groups of spectators, and has a different flavor compared to most “pick a card” effects, all of this makes it truly special.
Paul Curry, the creator of the original effect, said that Winston Churchill was so amazed by a performance of OOTW (as we’ll call it from now on) that he asked to see it dozens of times in a row.
But what is OOTW? Here’s the effect: the spectator separates a deck of cards into two piles, trying to follow their “intuition” to divide the cards into reds and blacks without looking at them. In the end, the magician reveals that the spectator has succeeded: the cards are perfectly separated into red and black piles.
Many magicians ask: what’s the best version of OOTW ? There’s a common belief that the original version is already perfect and can’t be improved.
We don’t think that’s true. And to prove it, we’ve examined some of the versions performed by the world’s best magicians. We’ve focused on the most unique and innovative takes (did you know even Derren Brown has his own version?) and tried to analyze how this effect can be made nearly perfect.
We’ll talk about details, presentations, subtleties, and methods—to give you the most complete guide to this effect.
Why Is It So Strong?
One of the most celebrated thinkers in magic, Eugene Burger, recalled that in the 1950s, this was the most popular routine among magicians. Today, we’re used to seeing millions of “pick a card” routines—impossible location effects get a lot of attention from hobbyists. But if you look at the working pros' repertoires, OOTW remains a top choice.
One notable name with many excellent performances of this routine online is Nate Staniforth (a magician, writer, and collaborator of David Blaine). Watching him in action makes it clear how a simple card routine can become something more powerful—and in a sense, more complete.
Because, unlike many effects, OOTW is modular. It can be shortened or lengthened easily, and just as easily adapted to different styles and audiences, as we’ll see shortly.
