Hello people,

Which of these 3 do you think is the best for card magic?

I have card college 1-5, but when I looked at the chapters/contents for expert card technique, it seems like Expert Card Technique covers a LOT of materials for just one book compared to five books of card college.

RRTCM, though, it seems most of the chapters are covered in card college.

Which do you guys prefer and why? Or do you think I should still get expert card technique too?

But I read that there are very little pictures for ECT.

Though RRTCM and ECT are classics and therefore praised for that, stick with Card College 1-5. Better explanations, goes deeper into most subjects, nicer (more contemporary) effects. All in all better books.

There will still be the people who grew on ECT and RRTCM and say they are the best. My first magic book was ECT over 15 years ago, and I remember how amazed I was from that book. But trying to look objectively, there is really no comparison between Card College 1-5 and the others.

N.

But aren't some stuff in ECT not covered in Card College?

Hi,

IMHO, I recommend you "Expert Card Technique". It is a classic and a must have. Besides "Expert at the Card Table" covers all the card basis.

Best regards.

Is there someone out there who has BOTH Expert Card TEchnique and Card College series? Can you give your opinion on both books?

Expert Card Technique is about 60 years old I believe (my book says it came out in 1940), and Card College is much newer. I think that card college is a little easier to understand, as far as pictures and descriptions, but I feel that card college is a "hold my hand" kinda book. (I mean that in the nicest way possible.)

I sometimes get frustrated with Card College, because it covers a lot of what I know, and it covers it IN DEPTH whereas Expert Card Technique assumes you already know how to hold the cards, etc., which for me is really really great.

If you're newish to card magic, Card College is a MUST HAVE. If your a seasoned expert, (or if you already have a good deal of experience Expert Card Technique is better).

Expert Card Technique is a book for the initiated. Royal Road to Card Magic comparatively adopts a simpler approach.

Having said that ECT is a MUST for every serious magicians' bookshelf.

Card College any day!But the other books are still brilliant.

Andre

I do not believe it is a matter of "which is better" when it comes to classics such as these. I believe that they are all very high-quality texts. True, the Card College series may have clearer explanations (not necessarily clearer, actually...just written in more up-to-date English). There are ideas/effects/thoughts/words of wisdom in the Hugard and Braue books that you just can't get anywhere else.

Many say, "If cost doesn't matter to you get the Card College volumes." Well, I say, if cost doesn't matter to you, get the Card College series AND the other two books. They are both seminal works in the field of card magic that will be treasured forever.

I read through a bit of Royal Road to Card Magic. I find that the illustrations are not very clear and quite hard to understand, but maybe it's just me.

I agree. At first glance they are very difficult to follow. But I think the fact that you have to mull over the material for quite a while before understanding it is conducive to your final understanding. Just imagine when the light bulb in your head DOES finally go off, how well you will understand the technique because of how long you would have had to struggle with it.

The Card College series is the best set of reference books for card moves I am aware of. Expert Card Technique and Royal Road to Card Magic are texts that are of equal value, but in a different fashion.

The Card College series can be lauded for modern language and extreme detail. It also includes bits of theory which are important for creating a sensation of magic.

Royal Road to Card Magic and Expert Card Technique, I always considered companion books, with Expert Card Technique being the sequel. You will find good effects and some decent instruction in these books. I can think of an effect in Chapter 1 of Royal Road that will fool most magicians.

Now, for the actual usage of these texts, if someone gives you the name of a move, you can readily look it up in Card College, and find all the ins and outs of the move. This is not necessarily the case with Royal Road or Expert Card Technique. With these books, repeated readings will sometimes reveal a gem that you had passed over previously. I use a "Think of a Card" effect out of Expert Card Technique all the time (with slight variation). Much like Bobo's, people are surprised at the source when I reveal it.

Card College are excellent for reference and learning. Royal Road to Card Magic and Expert Card Technique are excellent for study.

It should be noted, none other than Giobbi, the author of the Card College Series, holds Expert Card Technique and Royal Road to Card Magic in the highest light.

If you can afford the Card College series, then buying ECT or Royal Road shouldn't be a problem. You can usually get them for less than $12 each.

Each has its advantages. I use Card College as more of an encyclopedic desk reference. ECT, a lot of the material was from Charlie Miller and Dai Vernon, and I shouldn't have to say more than that.

Royal Road is like the Gerbers baby food. It's great to start with. Paul Chosse has been rumored to have fried lots of people with the very first trick in the book.

I am currently working through Card College Volume 1 and Royal Road sort of simultaneously. The combination of different explanations, tips, and effects for the same sleights between the two books has often helped me gain a better understanding than either could alone. It is also interesting to see the relative importance of different techniques between the two books. They are both great on their own, but together I think that they are even better!

I agree with JordanB on the matter of cost. If you can drop upwards of $200 (US) for the five volumes of Card College, you can surely go to a bookstore (or barnesandnoble.com) and get the other two for $20 (US).

I've been performing close-up card sleights/tricks for more than 20 years, and my first good sleights came from ECT. That being said, never forget that the basics are the most important thing. I have refined my moves a great deal (and thus become a much better magician) from the exhaustive descriptions in Card College. Even a seasoned veteran could benefit from re-reading the basics.

Just my $0.02.

Wook

Get ECT. It's nice to read a different description of a move. Sometimes one source mentions the little key to a move that allows you to get it right. ECT is sort of the Bobo of card magic.

I heard a couple of years back that a companion video/DVD to RRTCM was in production, showing all the sleights and effects from the book. Did anything come of this?

Rxwookie, note that you can get the five volumes from Penguin Magic for $135, and can get a 10% discount from there if you've purchased other products from them. My total cost, as they don't charge shipping for ground, was $122.