I would like to ask you about your favorite series between these:

Ackerman's Advanced Card Control

or Daryl's Encyclopedia of card sleights


PS. If you've seen both, which would you prefer over the other?

The Ackerman stuff is very good. He is an excellent card worker. I've only seen a couple of the Daryl things and they are also OK, but my personal opinion is I like Allan's sutff better.

Jim Molinari

I do believe that allan ackerman takes his time explaining which is much more beneficial to all of us. Daryl is great, but he is so darn fast!

You might also want to try the search function since I think I remember that this topic (Daryl <-> Ackerman) was discussed before!

Denis (cannot say anything to this topic... havn't seen both sets)

Ackerman tapes are far superior over Daryl tapes. Daryl teaches so much garbage and so fast that it is hard to stay awake while watching his tapes.

The Ackerman tapes are great.

Well, Ackerman's tapes are definitely more technically demanding than Daryl's series. The Daryl series reaches across a broad range of sleights from simple to not so simple. The Ackerman series is more heavy on the advanced material (hence "advanced card control series"). I find Daryl sleightly (excuse the pun) more entertaining than Ackerman, although Ackerman is IMO technically better than Daryl.

Hope this helps...

Middle question: Do you think you should see them in order or just after personal choice?

Jonathan,

The whole series cost some money. Hence, I would eventually get them all, but concentrate on what interests you most first and just get those now.

Jim Molinari

This is just me, but I didn't find Daryl's teaching at all to be too fast. I thought it was pretty easy to follow and I appreciated the fact that he didn't dwell too long on any one sleight or effect. That way, you get more bang for your buck in terms of sheer volume of principles being demonstrated.

The whole Ackerman vs. Daryl thing is just silly. Any serious card magician would investigate and borrow from both sources. Anyone without political leanings or motivations would admit that both guys are some of the top card magicians in the world. You like Daryl? Great. Ackerman's more to your taste? More power to you. You think one's better than the other? Well, you know what they say, opinions are like....exactly.

Apples and Oranges their both excellent cardicians.
vinny

I love daryl he is a very good teacher...

My advice is get Daryl but its up 2 you have a look at other reviews on them...

I'd just like to add that it also depends whether you are watching these guys on tape or DVD. Learning from a video tape is a real pain when compared to the ease of access that DVD allows. I used to hate the constant rewinding of tapes to look at moves etc over and over. But with the DVD format things are very much easier. ie you can set the player to loop a specific segment making practice a little easier..

First, I bought Daryl's videos. Very good series. He teachs the card technique well. But, now I am just going to study the advanced techniques from Ackerman's one.

I tell you both series are excellent!

Koji

Both are great, I am studying Daryl right now, and have just recently reviewed some material from other "Cardicians". So far, I havent found one that hasnt taught me something!

I prefer Daryl's style which leads to a casual way to reach an effect and is more "engaging".
I'm not saying that I don't like Alan Ackerman but I find it more self centered and demonstrating skill which in my view isn't magic (if skill is the explanation of the effect it means that magic was not the cause of it). Also Alan has a more challenging attitude which reflects in his taste for gambling effects.

For once I disagree with the Great Scott: Daryl is teaching and Alan is showing (almost showing off).

This however is not defining a TRUTH but a personal feeling or an opinion.

Furthermore both authors cover sleights not detailed by the other one. There is no hierarchy or advance levels. There are advanced sleights in Daryl's DVDs as well which are not covered by Alan Ackerman. Maybe it could be said that Daryl is more practically oriented.

I'm glad to have them both (and R Paul Wilson's Royal Road to Card Magic).