Seth Kramer came up with the idea of doing an Ambitious Card routine with a deck of cards blank on both faces and backs. A card signed by a spectator becomes the “ambitious card” that rises time after time to the top. See “Blank Ambition” in Ruminations, Vol. 1 No. 5, Nov. 1986, p. 4.

Precursor: Jon Racherbaumer used a blank-faced deck as a surprise finish and convincer to an Ambitious Card routine. This effect was mentioned in a 1974 Ring report as performed by Earle Christenberry; see The Linking Ring, Vol. 54 No. 10, Oct. 1974, p. 108. Jon Racherbaumer recalls this about his idea: “I did an Ambitious Card routine, but the ambitious card was a printed card and the blank deck was shown at the end to cancel out the suspicion that duplicates were in play. I did not begin by showing a blank deck and having one signed to be the designated as the 'ambitious card,' which is what Seth did.”