Armando charges $1000 to teach this routine during a 4 days workshop! It’s the first time I come across of a video performance of it. It’s a truly beautiful effect that holds to the hype that has been surrounding it IMO.

Here is what Paul Vigil has to say about this routine on Lucero’s website:

For the first time, Armando will be sharing his think-of-any-card effect, the Empanada. Below, is an excerpt from the notes on the Empanada written by the excellent Paul Vigil.

The eye bewraieth the thought.
Reginald Scot
The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584)
Tricks dependent on thought foretold
or divined
are unquestionably the most striking
in the whole range of conjuring.
In truth, how is it possible to explain
(unless indeed you know the secret)
how anyone can know
what you have chosen to think of,
or even what
you are going to think presently?
Robert-Houdin
Les Secrets de la Prestidigitation
et de la Magie (186
There is probably no doubt
in the mind of any performing magician
that think-of-a-card effects are
among the strongest things one can do
with playing cards.
Roberto Giobbi
Card College, Volume 5 (2003)

Being among the oldest of recorded effects, the revelation of a thought-of card can be found as far back as the sixteenth century, in such works as Giochi di carte bellissimi direola, e di memoria (Galasso, 1593). Other approaches to this plot can be found in many classic texts including Greater Magic (Hilliard, 1938, “The Three of Clubs,” pp. 327-29) and Dai Vernon’s More Inner Secrets of Card Magic (Ganson, 1960, “Out of Sight–Out of Mind,” pp. 14-15). The routine you are now reading is essentially Armando’s handling of “The Three of Clubs,” an effect attributed to Ralph W. Hull (1). In this coup de grâce of card pieces, the thinking behind the effect has been brought up to date, both methodologically and theatrically. What Armando has done is to add the progressive sandwich plot (2) to “The Three of Clubs,” allowing the . . . used to be subtler, thereby making the effect even stronger and harder to reconstruct. The effect unfolds slowly, building tension along the way, until it reaches its unbelievable climax. A showpiece of Armando’s professional act for many years, it has been honed through hundreds of performances and will be taught exactly as he performs it. This routine has been one of Armando’s best-kept secrets. In fact, as far as I know, he has taught it to only one person – me. Believe me when I tell you that I hesitated to write any of it down. I have personally seen him fry the best of the best with this one. I have also seen the sad faces of those magicians who have asked how it was done, only to be cast an impish and innocent smile that only Armando can give. Many have been willing to trade anything and everything they had for this one effect, yet he has always resisted. While he never hesitates to talk about effect, he hardly ever wishes to talk about method.

Armando has finally decided to share this routine with those of you who have chosen to participate in his exclusive worrkshop with the hope that you will give it the attention it deserves. I believe that after you have performed it, and experienced its power firsthand, you too will jealously guard the secret.

EFFECT
The performer sets aside the two Jokers and asks a spectator to think of any one of the remaining fifty-two cards. Placing the Jokers face up at the top and bottom of the deck, the performer causes them to magically melt through the deck so that they slowly come together. They continue to do so until they trap a single card: the thought-of selection. Amazingly, the Jokers locate the selection before the spectator reveals his thought-of card. All of this transpires with such economy of motion that no chicanery is suspected.

The Empanada
An effect by Armando Lucero
Routined & Written by Paul Vigil