This is what I think is the Crazy Hole by Mickael Chatelain secret of the penetration trick and how the card seems to slide by itself.
No, I do not own or have seen the actual gaffed card of Crazy Hole by Mickael Chatelain.
My take on this close up magic card trick is based on my assumption and observations from the video clips and the online ads.
I don’t buy any magic trick product and reveal its secret in YouTube to pass it off as a tutorial.
This Crazy Hole by Mickael Chatelain secret is among the treasury of conjuring trick tips and ideas languishing in my MAGIC MISCELLANY notebook since 2018.
MOTE: This is not the Super Hole by Mickael Chatelain; the so-called the black hole to the 4th dimension trick.
Super Hole By Mickael Chatelain Secret
I think there is an elastic thread-attached flap, which covers the hole in the deck case, as shown below.
At 0:19, Mickael Chatelain has to momentarily block the flipping flap on the deck case, under the pretext of showing the coin to the viewers.
*Read: Super Hole By Mickael Chatelain Revealed.
Updated: After I have written the above post about the Super Hole, I came across this video clip in YouTube.
Below is a scene from this video, where he shows you the gimmick flap with elastic threads.
HOLE By Mickael Chatelain
Similarly, this is also NOT the HOLE by Mickael Chatelain.
This closeup HOLE closeup trick is where a card appears to slip past or penetrate through a sticker between two cards.
Click on this link to find out the secret of the HOLE by Mickael Chatelain.
Now, let’s get back to the Crazy Hole card trick explained.
Effect:
Show a lengthwise V-shaped folded card with a hole in the middle on each side perfectly aligned.
Then get another card with a hole at the bottom.
Insert this card vertically between the V-shaped folded card, aligning the holes of both cards.
Hold the two cards together as you poke a short drinking straw through the aligned holes.
In other words, the straw locked the vertical card to the bottom V-shaped folded card.
But in the hand of a magician, he manages to slide the vertical card to both sides along the V-shaped folded card below.
In short, the vertical card seems to pass through the obstructing straw as it glides freely from side to side.
Remove the straw to show that the vertical card hole is no longer in the center, it has now shifted.
Magically, he can even command the vertical card as if to drift across the V-shaped card by itself.
Finally, withdraw the straw to show that everything is as it was at the beginning.
Watch Crazy Hole by Mickael Chatelain demo video below:
Back in 2018, one member of the Magic Cafe forum considered this Crazy Hole by Mickael Chatelain as a mechanical puzzle, rather than a magic trick.
With just a casual viewing of the demo video for the first time, I am sure many would suspect the moving vertical card is gimmicked.
Certainly every magic trick, there is a hidden secret to produce the mystifying effect.
It is just how one handles and presents the trick deftly and convincingly.
Whatever it is, this solid through solid magic trick Crazy Hole is a simple smart idea that conjures up an amazing visual illusion.
Besides exploring this self-working close up trick, I also include a similar penetration trick by Rob Bromley, and some free e-books about gaff cards below.
Crazy Hole By Mickael Chatelain Secret
When I first saw this card penetration effect, I reckoned there must be a concealed slot at the hidden bottom of the gaffed card.
But with both cards tightly gripped together, I knew it could not be just a horizontal slot hinged flap.
Furthermore, from David Jonathan’s video, I could see the vertical gimmicked card through the bottom card hole.
In the nutshell, the cut-out slot piece is still on top of the slot hole.
On top of that, the card sliding movement hinted to me, the gimmick uses elastic thread.
Then I watched the Mickael Chatelain’s demonstration clip again, I caught the very first brief sight of the gimmick, when he makes a quick turn of both cards at 0:32.
Note: To see it clearer, slow down the playback speed to 0.25.
No doubt, there is an advantage of multiple viewing of the video performance, and the closeup pictures of the gaffed card from the promotional ads.
But still, one must have an idea of its secret working, then only one can know where to seek for the camouflaged gimmick.
You can see this secret movable slot twice from David Jonathan of Magic Orthodoxy‘s review video clip when he turns the gimmicked card around and back, at 4:29.
Note: To see it clearer, slow down the playback speed to 0.25.
These are the two visuals captured from his video.
The same gimmick can also be clearly seen at the top of the card, when Craig Petty holds it up after the act in his video at 1:59.
This is another visual of the gimmicked card captured from Magic Manu video.
Now let’s take a closer look at this movable slot attached with elastic threads.
The close-up image below highlights the holes and the fine elastic thread which holds the movable slot-piece.
I presumed this is how the camouflaged slot looks like as highlighted in black color.
This is a simple illustration of the gimmick at the bottom of the card.
Self-Sliding Card Crazy Hole Trick
The elastic thread is doing the trick for the apparently self-sliding card effect, so to speak.
That’s why they keep gripping tightly onto both cards when performing this self-working trick.
This is what I think is the Crazy Hole by Mickael Chatelain secret working, as illustrated below.
By the way, recently I came across this online tutorial in Russian (True Magic Lessons) which shows you how to make this Crazy Hole gimmicked card.
I hope you like this Crazy Hole card trick explained article.
Similar Card Penetration Trick
This moving hole card trick by EvanEra TV is similar to Crazy Hole.
It also uses the same gimmick to achieve the penetration effect.
This is where the concealed slot covered with a flap attached with elastic threads.
At 0:07 he has to momentarily block the hole, when he opens the slot of the gimmick.
I think the elastic thread-attached flap is positioned behind the blue gimmick card, as seen below.
At the end of the act, at 0:55, when he folds down the bottom part of the red card, focus your attention at the hole.
You can see the gimmick flap flips back to its original position.
Rob Bromley Inteference Card Trick
Do you know there is an old close up trick which is similar Mickael Chatelain’s “Crazy Hole“?
It is called “Interference” by British magician Rob Bromley.
Purportedly there is a copied version called “Four Holes With A Shot” (“Vier Löcher mit einem Schuss“) selling in Germany.
RELATED: The effect of Mickael Chatelain’s 2017 “Card On Ribbon” is similar to Rob Bromley 1996 trick called “Loophole” or “Loop Hole Deck“.
I think this is the undetectable gimmick card of Rob Bromley Loophole or Loop Hope Deck with the rectangular white line as seen below.
To see it clearer, I have it highlighted it in orange dotted line.
It also uses two playing cards with holes on them.
One is folded lengthwise, and the other card is folded crosswise.
Slot them together and then insert a cigarette or a rolled up bill.
Now both cards should be firmly locked together.
But in the hand of a magician, the lengthwise card can move about freely.
Watch “Interference” or “Four Holes With A Shot” below:
From my observation, the folded lengthwise card is gimmicked.
Probably there are a few methods of doing this penetration effect.
One simple way is by having two parallel slits just outside the two holes, as shown below.
As you fold the two cards together, the two slits will open up, and there should be a hole in the middle of the card.
Now you can move the gimmicked card side to side, and you can even slide it all the way out of the folded crosswise card.
The method used in the video is different.
The gimmicked card has a camouflaged flap on its face side.
At 0:34, when he is folding up the cards, his right hand opens up the flap, then his left thumb helps to press it down
After the trick, you can see the flap as he flattens the gimmicked card at 1:13.
My guess is there is a cut-out hole and a concealed flap on the face of the gimmicked card.
Similarly to above method, the folding line of the hidden flap should be slightly off the center folding line of the card.
The height of the flap should be slightly shorter than the card.
This is what I think how “Inteference” by Rob Bromley works.
RELATED: Michael Close Dollar Bill Trick Secret
I found out my above first method of “Interference” has already being done by Michael Close for his 2001 trick “Dollar Bill” aka “Rubik’s Dollar Bill“.
If you want to know Dollar Bill or Rubik’s Dollar Bill trick secret, watch the master Michael Close demonstrating and explaining his creation here.
If you are into close-up magic and like to improve your the sleight of hand skills, get Michael Close’s “The Complete Workers” e-book.
Free Michael Close Books
By the way, here are some free stuff by Michael Close found online.
The Road To Riffsville By Michael Close
Click on this: Link
In Review: Michael Close’s MAGIC magazine review columns May 1995- December 2001
Click on this: Link
Lecture Notes: On The Road Again UK Tour 2006
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
Free Books On Gaffed Cards
If you think making gaff cards is just rubber cement, sprays, and glue sticks, then check out this 80 page e-book.
You would discover the wonders of dry mounting tissue a.k.a. DMT.
The Gaff Factory: A Comprehensive Dry-Mounting Tutorial By Craig Matsuoka
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
NOTE: This book is also available in Z-Library.
To get this book and all the other books and articles in Z-Library site, read “Z-Library Is Back 2023“.
The book below is a mixture of gimmicks and sleight-of-hand to produce perplexing and visual effects.
Don England’s Gaffed to the Hilt ! By Jon Racherbaumer And Richard Kaufman
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
This book by Bob Farmer is a a collection of gaffed decks, which you can make at home, and strong effects that go along with them. Requires little to no sleight-of-hand.
Bammo Gaffus Maximus By Bob Farmer
Click on this: Link
You can learn card peeling and making double-faced cards in Part 5: Miscellany of this book by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue.
Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic By Jean Hugard & Frederick Braue
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
From this 1889 book card conjuring by Professor Hoffmann, you can learn about card splitting, biseauté or tapering cards, “cornered” cards, etc.
Tricks With Cards: A Complete Manual Of Card Conjuring By Professor Hoffmann
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
Read about the mechanical cards like the flap card, moving pip card, diminishing card, and others from this 1897 book by August Roterberg.
New Era Card Tricks By August Roterberg
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
Check out the construction of double-faced cards and splitting from this 1928 book by London magician Eric F. Impey.
Original Card Mysteries By Eric F. Impey
Click on this: Link
You can also find more tips on how to split cards and make double facers or backers from another Eric F. Impey book (1931) below.
Try This One By Eric F. Impey
Click on this: Link
Read about the history and basic information, more sticky than rough-smooth card from this 1936/7 book by Jean Hugard.
The Encyclopedia Of Card Tricks Edited By Jean Hugard & John J. Crimmins Jr.
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 3, Link 5, Link 6, Link 7
DISCLAIMER: I do not own or upload any of the books here. They are copyrighted to their respective owners. All content cited is derived from their respective sources.