PASSAGE is an updated take on Mickael Chatelain’s PRISONER (2021), in which a signed playing card, acting as the “prisoner,” visibly escapes from an impossibly locked configuration.
Although the overall effect is similar, I believe the methods behind the two tricks are fundamentally different.
PASSAGE also differs from Chatelain’s PRISON (2020).
In fact, its visual effect more closely resembles IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE by Patricio Teran, which I previously explained.
In Teran’s version, the card appears to slip past one leg of the brass fastener (see the picture above).
PASSAGE By Mickael Chatelain Using Duplicate Card
My speculation is that PASSAGE achieves the illusion by secretly using a concealed duplicate Jack of Clubs hidden on the back of the bottom card (the Ace of Diamonds).
The apparent “escaped” card is not the original center card at all—it is this concealed duplicate.
I will explain this in more detail shortly.
By the way, there are several props on the market that create a similar penetration effect, including the classic VIZ ESCAPE and HOUDINI BOLT ESCAPE.
These inexpensive pocket tricks may seem less sophisticated.
But a well-executed performance can make them just as visually astonishing and magical.
The explanations below is based solely on careful observation of publicly available performance footage and established principles of magical illusion.
It represents informed speculation and should not be interpreted as a claim of knowledge of the creator’s proprietary methods or trade secrets.
This article is part of the Info Ruckus Magic Trick Secrets Revealed series.
PASSAGE By Mickael Chatelain Effect
Supposely three playing cards are fastened together with a paper fastener, creating what appears to be a securely locked stack.
To the audience, the magician visually pulls the middle card completely free without damaging the cards or removing the fastener, creating an impossible penetration effect.
Watch the PASSAGE demo video below:
PASSAGE By Mickael Chatelain Explained
Before I explain how I arrived at my theory of how PASSAGE works, here’s the complete card arrangement.
This is the same arrangement viewed as a stacked packet.
Altogether, there are four cards involved in the trick, including two Jacks of Clubs.
The first Jack of Clubs is the duplicate card that Mickael secretly pulls out from the stack.
Although it appears to be the middle card, it is actually the concealed duplicate.
By the end of the trick, the second Jack of Clubs—the genuine middle card—remains magnetically attached to the Two of Diamonds, hidden from view.
Watch Mickael’s index and middle fingers closely from 0:41.
You’ll notice that he is actually sliding out the bottom card of the stack.
When I first watched Mickael’s demo video, I noticed he appeared to struggle slightly while pulling out the supposed middle card with the round cut-out.
The other two performance videos showed similar moments where the fastener-bound cards required extra handling to open.
These repeated visual cues became one of the clues that led me to investigate the possible mechanics behind the illusion.
That observation led me to suspect that PASSAGE might once again rely on concealed magnets.
PASSAGE By Mickael Chatelain Penetration Trick With Magnets
Watch carefully, you would notice they casually flips them or slaps these two cards under the guise of proving they’re ordinary.
Actually they are avoiding the concealed magnets inside the cards from attracting each other.
At 4:11 mark from Les avis d’Alexis’ video, when he accidentally touches both cards (Ace of Hearts and Two of Hearts), and they move together.
This is a principle frequently used in many of Mickael Chatelain’s previous creations.
That include HOLE, HOLE 2.0, CARD ON RIBBON, ESCAPE, CRACK, BERMUDES, LINKHOLE, AMBIHOLE 2.0, IMPOSSIBLE, and TRISECTION.
I also noticed a faint die-cut outline on the back of the Ace of Diamonds.
The visual below shows what this circular die-cut outline on the bottom card looks like.
This became another key visual clue.
As I explained earlier, the bottom card is actually a Jack of Clubs duplicate with a circular cut-out attached to the Ace of Diamonds.
The die-cut outline is the opening in the Jack of Clubs.
The area visible through the opening is actually the back of the Ace of Diamonds.
Here is another visual captured from Alexis’ video.
Card Back Design Visual Clue
Another visual clue lies in the white center dots of the flower motifs on the backs of the cards.
For example, the original middle Jack of Clubs displays four flower center dots at the start.
However, the card that is apparently pulled out later shows only one dot.
In short, it means there are TWO different middle cards.
The same pattern appears with the other two gimmicked cards.
The Two of Diamonds begins with three center dots but ends with four.
While the Ace of Diamonds starts with one dot and later displays three.
My theory is that the apparent change occurs because the back of the Two of Diamonds is actually the original middle card (with four dots) now attached to it.
PASSAGE Gimmicked Card
You can see the round die-cut outline, and that’s the hole of the original middle card.
Likewise, the Ace of Diamonds ultimately reveals its original back design.
At the beginning, most of this back is concealed by the duplicate middle card (the one that is pulled out).
In reality, the center section containing the hole and fastener is already exposed from the start, but it is effectively camouflaged by the duplicate card resting on top.
This is the duplicate Jack of Clubs that is not secured by the brass fastener, allowing it to be pulled out freely.
The entire back of Ace of Diamonds becomes visible, only after Mickael removes the duplicate middle card at 0:56.
When Mickael rotates the cards together with the fastener, you’ll notice they appear unusually thick for what is supposedly just two cards.
That’s because there are actually three cards.
The Ace of Diamonds is a single card, while the Two of Diamonds is permanently affixed to the Jack of Clubs, which contains the die-cut hole.
You can see this at the end of the trick at 1:05.
Ultimately, the pulled-out Jack of Clubs card and the Ace of Diamonds can be examined by the spectators, but not the Two of Diamonds.
Putting The PASSAGE Trick Clues Together
Several independent observations began pointing toward the same explanation.
None of them proves the method on its own, but together they paint a remarkably consistent picture.
- Handling clue: The cards appear to resist opening in all three performances.
- Construction clue: A die-cut outline briefly becomes visible.
- Pattern clue: The flower center dots change between the beginning and the end.
- Design clue: Mickael has frequently incorporated concealed magnets into his previous creations.
Taken together, these clues led me to my own conclusion.
Plus after reviewing the other two YouTube performances, I formed my own theory on how PASSAGE by Mickael Chatelain trick works.
The Psychology Behind PASSAGE by Mickael Chatelain
Like many great magic tricks, PASSAGE succeeds not because we fail to see, but because our brain naturally fills in the gaps. Several well-known psychological principles help explain why the illusion looks so impossible.
Expectation
From the very beginning, we assume there are only three ordinary cards held together by a brass fastener. Once that expectation is established, we rarely question whether another card could be secretly involved. Our brain prefers to stick with its first impression unless given a reason to think otherwise.
Selective Attention
Our attention is drawn to the apparent challenge of pulling the center card free from the impossible-looking arrangement. Because we focus so closely on that single action, we are less likely to notice subtle details elsewhere, such as tiny changes in the surrounding cards.
Continuity Illusion
The cards appear to remain together throughout the routine, so our brain assumes they are the same cards from start to finish. This expectation makes it surprisingly easy to overlook small visual inconsistencies that might otherwise reveal something has changed.
Confirmation Bias
Once the “escape” has happened, our brain quickly settles on the obvious explanation—that the original center card has somehow passed through the fastener. We seldom stop to question whether the card being removed is actually the same one we saw at the beginning.
Putting It All Together
These psychological principles work together to strengthen the illusion. By guiding our attention, reinforcing our expectations, and encouraging us to accept what seems most obvious, PASSAGE creates an effect that appears impossible long before we begin to question how it was accomplished.