Washington is Burning by Ty Gallenbeck

Introducing Washington is Burning

The perfect trick for any smoke device! Battle tested over the course of 20 years in every environment imaginable. An absolutely killer routine that leaves your spectator with an incredibly memorable impossible souvenir.

“This trick gets insane reactions. Unlike most magic effects that go from concept to production to market, I’ve personally watched Ty refine this piece for over a decade. He’s performed it everywhere: on the street, in formal shows, and in countless impromptu settings. Every beat, every move, every line has been shaped through thousands of real-world performances.
What you’re getting here isn’t theory. It’s a routine that’s been battle-tested and perfected in front of live audiences time and time again. Ty teaches with the kind of clarity and depth that only comes from experience. This is the real deal, a worker’s piece that consistently destroys.”
– Danny Ray

“I’ve known Ty for many years, and I must say that Washington is Burning is one of the most commercial and powerful card routines I’ve seen in a long time. This is definitely going into my act! Thanks Ty. Love your work!”
– Dan Fleshman

“Ty has saved you hours of experimentation and dollars to deliver not only a complete routine, but a tool that can be adapted to countless other presentations.
Direct effect? Check
Audience engagement? Check.
Multiple applications? Check.
Impossible souvenir? Check.
Road tested? Check.
This is an absolute worker!”
– Greg Devereaux

“What a killer concept. Such a brilliant way to reveal a card. What makes me almost as happy, is that the “key move” is so perfectly justified in Ty’s presentation, that it felt invisible.”
– Bryan Saint

The Effect – A spectator’s selected playing card appears burned into a borrowed dollar bill.

The magician BORROWS two one-dollar bills from the audience. A playing card is chosen. One of the borrowed bills is folded up and placed in a spectator’s hand, or under a wine glass. Then the spectator writes down their selected playing card on the other borrowed bill, the number or letter and the shape of the suit. After lighting a match & having the spectator visualize their card in the flame on the match, it is extinguished. The smoke from the match is applied to the bill inside the spectator’s hand or in the wine glass.

When the bill is opened – BURNED into the bill is selected playing card.

Can be performed in any setting, walk-around, parlor, or stage.
Perfect routine for any smoke device.
Creates a memorable, impossible souvenir.
Who is Ty Gallenbeck?

Ty Gallenbeck is a professional magician and mentalist based in Colorado, best known as the creator and star of Mind Blown Telluride, an acclaimed live magic experience performed in the iconic mountain town of Telluride. Ty’s work blends close-up magic, mentalism, and psychological illusion, offering audiences an immersive and deeply personal experience that consistently lives up to its name.

With a reputation for stunning even the most discerning viewers, Ty has performed for global brands like Disney, ESPN, and YPO, and has quietly become a favorite performer among high-profile clients, celebrities, and some of the most influential individuals in the country. Despite his growing acclaim, Ty remains one of magic’s best-kept secrets – captivating audiences not with flashy gimmicks, but with authenticity, skill, and mystery that feels real.