Jim Karol - Psychic Madman

To my wife and children, who mean EVERYTHING to me.

Jim Karol

My constant gratitude and continued love goes to my husband Mike and my five sonsCarl, Tommy, Chan, Kent, and Zacharybut this ones dedicated to Bob, Sue, and Don, who taught me early on to find my own super mind and how to use it. Thanks for putting up with your pesky little sister.

Lu Ann Brobst Staheli

I have been a professional sports handicapper for Razor Sharp Sports for over fifteen years. I met Jim Karol in 2005 at a celebrity charity poker tournament at the Morongo Casino in California. Because of our mutual love of sports, Jim and I hit it off right away. Over the next couple months, Jim told me his predictions for several big games and how he made them. Because Im a handicapper who breaks down games by the numbers, I blew off Jims predictions because of his reasoning. But more often than not, I found myself having to say, You were right!

Jims predictions were so good, I mentioned him to the director of Freeplays.com, the website where I post my handicapping selections. Jim said, How about if I give out a free pick or two each week, and see how it goes?

Starting with the 2006 football season, Jim picked a college and pro game each week. In sports wagering, if you win 60% of the time, youre considered successful. That season, Jim won over 70% of his predictions against the Las Vegas point spread. He went on to correctly predict basketballs Final Four the day the brackets were announced, saying all four #1 seeds would make it to the finals. This may not sound like a bold prediction, but in NCAA Basketball history, all four #1 seeds had never made it to the finals. Sure enough, Jim was right again.

In 2007, he said, Tom, dont be surprised when the Giants pull off the upset and win the Super Bowl! Amazingly they beat the Patriots 17 to 14, spoiling New Englands undefeated season. Right before the All-Star game in June 2008, Jim said, The Philadelphia Phillies will win the World Series. At the time, they were a little over .500 and were playing in the same division as the red-hot New York Mets. Sure enough, the Mets fell apart; and the Phillies picked things up, won the division, and swept through the playoffs to win the World Series.

When I handicap a game, I look at all the factors for who is most likely to win the gameinjury reports, weather, statistics, trends, match-up, and many others. I often wonder how Jim comes up with his predictions without studying the same information. But I have seen the outcomes. Hes right too often to ever doubt him.

Tom Hatfield, Professional Sports Handicapper

J im has been doing shows at Philadelphia University long before I started to work there. Over the years, Jim and I have built a great professional and personal relationship. He has been entertaining our students for close to twenty years. Literally thousands of students from Philadelphia University have seen him perform his show. It seems that no matter how many times they see it, they are still amazed and confused as to how he does the tricks he does.

Jim works hard to fill the seats and loves spending time with his audience before and after the show. Ive always been impressed with Jims energy and passion. He is a consummate professional and brings something different to the business. His show is entertaining, funny but also edgy, and different from others who are in the same business. This is why we have had Jim back over and over again. He doesnt get old.

Enough of my Jim Karol plug!

Jim might tell you that I have seen his show more than anyone, and thats likely. After all, I have known him for almost fifteen years. Fifteen years... four or five shows per year... you can do the math. I can honestly say that after all this time I am still impressed and amazed.

Most people might think of Jim as a magician or a mentalist. They see Jim as someone who does amazing tricks. Well, he is all that and more! Jim Karol is a phenomenal and innovative entertainer. What most people dont realize or appreciate is this guys brain. The amount of information Jim Karol has memorized is staggering. It includes entire books, dictionaries, zip codes, names, sports teams, stats, dates... the list never ends.

Who memorizes pi ? Jim does, to hundreds of digits. If that doesnt impress you, watch when he quickly flips through a deck of cards and almost instantly has it memorized. Give him an entire sheet of numbers, namesanything. Hes got it memorized overnight. Both the amount of information and the speed at which he memorizes things set Jim apart.

Not only is his mental capacity incredible, but he has also developed memorization techniques to help him recall all this information. I would love to have a brain like his because I cant even remember names of people I see all the time!

Jim often jokes about how he has no life, so he just memorizes stuff. But its so much more. Memorizing is his life, and his business.

Tim Butler, Director of Student Activities

Philadelphia University

M y experiences with tricks of the mind began in the summer of 1960 when I was seven years old. I lived in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and attend ed Sheridan Elementary School. I was a shy kid, always in a world of my own.

I spent a lot of my time listening to the Phillies games on the radio and collecting baseball cards. I couldnt wait to stop at the store on the way home from school to buy a pack of cards. I can still remember opening the packthe waxy feel of the wrapper, the fruity smell of the gum, and the taste of the sugary powder that coated each pieceand the anticipation of seeing if I got the card for a player I needed in my collection.

Those memories associated with our senses seem to last foreverthe sounds at the ballpark from your first baseball game, the texture of Jell-O against your tongue after an upset stomach, or the aroma of popcorn from your first movie. Its amazing how memories can make us feel like were right back in that moment of time. As a kid, I didnt realize how using associations could help build my memory, but now I do.