this is not intended to glorify smoking. that said, looks simple, doesn't it? but when you're dealing with a master of sleight of hand like my partner teller, even the simplest activity may be a complex deception. let's watch that routine again. is he really crushing out his cigarette? is he really adjusting his hat? is he really pulling out a fresh cigarette? is he really bothered by that itch in hisleft eye?
is he really just lighting a cigarette? to understand the complexity of teller's life, you need to know the seven basic principles of magic. one: palm - to hold an object inan apparently empty hand. two: ditch - to secretly dispose of an unneeded object. three: steal - the opposite of ditch. to secretly obtain a needed object. four: load - to secretlymove the needed object to where it's needed. five: simulation - to give the impressionthat something that hasn't happened has. six: misdirection - to lead attention away from the secret move.
and seven: switch - to secretly exchange one object for another. teller needs nothing but a pencil, one lit cigarette and a flashlight. let's watch that original routineagain, but this time, from the other side. he palms the cigarette. he simulates crushing it out. he steals the palmed lit cigarette and ditches the lit cigarette in his ear. he exhales smoke to misdirect from the smoke coming out from around his hat. he steals the pencil. he simulates taking the pencil, which is simulating a cigarette
from the non-existent cigarette pack and puts the simulated cigarette in his mouth. he rubs his eye to misdirect as he loads the burning cigarette from his ear. he simulates a lighter with a flashlightand switches the lit cigarette for the unlit pencil under cover of misdirection from the flashlight. palm. simulation. steal. ditch. misdirection.
load. switch. looks simple, doesn't it?