Multiple Outs Explained: The Beginner's Path to Confinement
By Making Magicians Since 2001 | Published: 2026-10-14
Category: Product Reviews
Understand the multiple outs principle and how it powers the Confinement card effect, plus how to choose between learning the technique or the trick first.
Quick answer
If you want to perform a self-working miracle tonight, get Confinement. If you want to understand why it works and build your own routines, start with A Beginners Guide to Multiple Outs. Both are downloads, and the multiple outs principle is the engine behind effects like Confinement, so learning it first makes you a smarter performer.
What the multiple outs principle actually does
Multiple outs is a mentalism and card magic method where you prepare several possible endings and reveal only the one that matches what the spectator actually does. You are not predicting the future; you are covering every realistic outcome so the final reveal looks impossible. In a card routine, this might mean one envelope holds a duplicate, another holds a different prediction, and your handling decides which one you open. The audience sees a single, perfect hit.
Why Confinement is a strong introduction to multiple outs
Confinement takes the multiple outs principle and wraps it in a street-style card effect. A signed card is lost in the deck, the magician forfeits the contents of his pockets to the spectator, and the signed card ends up in an impossible location. The method uses multiple outs to make the final reveal feel clean and inevitable. Because the effect is visual and the props are ordinary, it teaches you how outs work in real performance conditions rather than in a theory exercise.
When to learn the principle before the trick
If you have never used multiple outs, learning the principle first prevents you from treating Confinement as a one-off secret. A Beginners Guide to Multiple Outs is designed for beginners and explains the concept so you can adapt it to your own routines. That makes it a better long-term investment if you plan to build a mentalism or card set. If you only want one strong trick for your next gig, Confinement alone will serve you well.
How to practice multiple outs without exposing the method
Rehearse the moment of the reveal, not just the moves. Decide in advance which out you will use for each spectator choice, and practice switching between them without hesitation. Film yourself from the spectator's angle to check that your handling looks like a single, confident prediction. Keep your props organized so you never fumble for the right envelope or pocket. The goal is to make every possible path look like the only path.
Decision rules for choosing your first multiple outs purchase
- If you have never performed a multiple outs effect: Start with A Beginners Guide to Multiple Outs. It is built for beginners and teaches the principle, not just one routine. You will understand why Confinement works before you buy it.
- If you need a single, strong trick for your next show: Choose Confinement. It is a complete signed-card-to-impossible-location routine with clear audience impact. You can perform it without learning a broader system first.
- If you want both theory and a ready-made effect: Buy A Beginners Guide to Multiple Outs first, then add Confinement once you understand the outs. The two reinforce each other. You will get more from Confinement after learning the principle.
Products that teach or use multiple outs
- A Beginners Guide to Multiple Outs: Peter Turner's 'A Beginners Guide to Multiple Outs' is a downloadable resource designed for those new to magic and mentalism, focusing on the multiple outs technique used to create seemingly impossible predictions and outcomes. Gives you the underlying principle so you can apply it beyond a single trick and build your own routines.
- Confinement: Phil DaCosta's 'Confinement' is a signed card to impossible location effect where the magician forfeits his pocket contents to the spectator, and the signed card appears in a sealed pack of gum. A complete, performance-ready routine that uses multiple outs in a street magic context, ideal if you want a strong effect without studying theory first.
Who should buy which
Best for
- Beginners who want to understand the multiple outs principle before performing it
- Magicians building a mentalism or card routine who need a flexible method
- Performers who want to create their own predictions and outcomes
Not for
- Magicians who only want a single trick and have no interest in theory
- Performers who already know multiple outs and want advanced new handlings
- Anyone looking for a physical prop rather than a downloadable resource
