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tcutler New user 3 Posts |
A long time ago I saw a magician handling cards in a manner that looked entirely ordinary to the audience but concealed the fact that he was manipulating the cards in extraordinary ways. In other words, only the magician was aware of the trickery at hand. Could anyone point me to a video or book, or does this type of card routine have a name?
Thanks very much! |
Terrible Wizard Inner circle 1973 Posts |
I'm a little bit confused. Are you asking where one can learn deceptive sleight of hand with cards?
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Terrible Wizard Inner circle 1973 Posts |
If you are looking for how best to learn sleight of hand card magic then you may find a couple of locked threads at the top of this forum useful, or this previous post of mine might help somewhat:
The various routes seem to be: A) RRTCM (Royal Road to Card Magic) plus ECT (Expert Card Technique), and probably the Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, maybe with either Wilson's 5 disc RR DVD set or Hunter's 4 disc set B) Harry Lorayne's The Magic Book plus Close Up Card Magic (or Classic Collection vol1) C) Giobbi's Card College vol 1 and 2 (and possibly 3-5), with the Card College 1&2 DVD set D) Gerry Griffin's Complete Card Magic (either 4 or 7 disc DVD set) E) Wilson's Complete Magic Course F) Ammar's ETMCM (Easy to master card miracles) DVD series Each route has its advocates and it's own peculiarities, style and strengths. Having not worked through them all I cannot say much in terms of a comparison, but my non-expert impressions on those I do own: Card college is easy to read, precise, modern and thorough. The DVD set is expensive, doesn't exactly match the books, and I'm not a big fan of Giobbi's performing style. But it does add a visual teaching element to the books. He doesn't really cover trick decks, gaffs, or much 'standing' stuff. I didn't like many of the tricks as written. Gerry Griffin's DVD set is cheap for the amount of content. The teaching is clear, but Gerry's style is very corny and the crediting is terrible. There is a superb range of tricks, IMHO - many classic gems of a range of beginner to intermediate ability ranges. No book companion. Royal Road etc - I have only the books, not the DVDs, so I cant comment on the video side. The books are classic, but are written in a dated style. Loads of good stuff, ranging from beginning stuff to hard stuff, and covering some gaffs as well as SOH. But not, Imho, particularly organised (in comparison to CC, say). I found these hard to work from because of the style, but many people have no trouble with it. Very cheap and easy to get hold of. Something I found useful with these was to use them as 'secondary reading' with CC - following the CC 'syllabus' and double checking the descriptions, tips and tricks in the RR, ECT etc to try and get the best of both worlds. Wilson's big tome is a general magic book covering a lot more than card magic. Easy to read, and covers various gaffs as well as some SOH. Mostly very simple stuff, though some great tricks all the same. Nice to have as a reference, but you'll want to go beyond this stuff if you want to become an intermediate or advanced card worker, IMHO. Well, that's my limited perspective, and I'm afraid it's not worth a great deal, so take it as it is. |
Terrible Wizard Inner circle 1973 Posts |
I forgot another possible route, for those who prefer everything off DVD:
G) Big Blind Media's Learn Card Magic Projects series: available separtely, or in a variety of bundles, there are DVDs covering False Shuffles and Cuts, Forces, Controls, DLs, Counts, Self-Working and Impromptu tricks, and even Culls and False Deals. I don't have these sets, so I can't say much about them, other than they have recieved high praise and BBM stuff is usually very well produced. This is another visual option for the beginner to intermediate card worker. |
tcutler New user 3 Posts |
Sorry, let me try to make this clearer:
Imagine I show you the ace of spades and then place it face down on the top of a deck. A moment later I pick up the top card and it is still the ace of spades. To you it looks like nothing happened. What you don't realize is that I've manipulated the cards in some way that the ace of spades was moved to the middle or bottom of the deck, then back up to the top in a highly technical and difficult manner. In other words, there is no magical effect for the audience--only the magician knows that card manipulation occurred. That isn't quite the specific trick I saw, but the effect is the same. Does that make sense? |
Joe McIntyre New user North myrtle beach S.C. 61 Posts |
Do you mean Ambitious card?
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Terrible Wizard Inner circle 1973 Posts |
A trick without any effect?
Can't say I know much about such things. What's the point? I'm so confused that I'm wondering if this is even legit. |
pmarzionna New user Washington, DC 81 Posts |
Tcutler, it seems to me that you haven't began your journey into card magic yet. If you're willing to do it, I recommend you to carefully look at Terrible Wizard's post above. If you're just willing to figure it out how an specific trick is done, I think this is not the best place for you to find your answer. The Café is not a place for exposure, and I can guarantee you that there are easier ways for you to find out what you want, by simply using google. But the most important thing is: why do it? What pleasure will you have by just finding out how this specific trick is done?
But if this curiosity is what will make you start your wonderful journey into magic, all I can say is: welcome to the Café! |
Doug Trouten Elite user Minnesota 471 Posts |
Tcutler, it's possible you're describing a routine I've never seen, but have read about in Alex Stone's book "Fooling Houdini." Magician Rafael Benatar does a routine in which nothing magical seems to happen. The routine is actually a series of sleights that cancel each other out. (For instance, he might do a DL, followed by a second deal.) It's a parody routine called "The Unambitious Magician," and it's on Rafael's "More Elegant Magic" DVD. It's really designed to be performed for other magicians. As you noted, there's no real effect for the audience.
It's still magic even if you know how it's done.
Terry Pratchett |
Doug Trouten Elite user Minnesota 471 Posts |
Tcutler, your post reminds me of something else from Stone's book. When he had been studying card sleights seriously for a while, he found himself wanting to know if his "work" was good enough to go undetected in an actual card came. To find out without actually cheating his friends, he started using sleights during poker games, but without any knowledge of which cards he was manipulating. In other words, he made sure that he wasn't giving himself any advantage, while still seeing if his finger flinging could go undetected. That sounds a bit like what you're talking about.
There's not much in putting together a routine where the audience doesn't see anything unusual happen, unless that audience is magicians (as in Denatar's routine described earlier). I think the name most people would use for this is just "practice."
It's still magic even if you know how it's done.
Terry Pratchett |
Terrible Wizard Inner circle 1973 Posts |
That's some great knowledge djrouten, good posts
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tcutler New user 3 Posts |
Thank you djtrouten!
The "Unambitious Magician" is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. Much appreciated! |
Doug Trouten Elite user Minnesota 471 Posts |
Here's a post on the Genii forum where Rafael talks about the routine:
http://forums.geniimagazine.com/viewtopic.php?t=2180
It's still magic even if you know how it's done.
Terry Pratchett |
Professor Marvel New user 51 Posts |
Speaking of tricks that magicians like to do for other magicians, what is your favorite effect in that vein? I find a trick like ACAAN is much more impressive to magicians than to a lay audience, speaking generally.
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MagieFraudster New user 95 Posts |
Performing for other magicians is almost not even the same art as performing for non-magicians. That's one of the reason I find "Fool Us" so fascinating... those performers are doing both simultaneously!
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Rafael Benatar V.I.P. Spain 165 Posts |
Obviously there was something missing in tcutler's original post, which he later clarified.
Regarding my trick, if you can call it that, The Unambitious Magician, the premise/purpose is not easy to explain. "The Unambitious Magician" routine is indeed meant to be performed for other magicians but without trying to fool them, maybe even without trying to cover the moves, to make sure they are following what you are doing (if they are knowledgeable enough on standard card technique). Your "performance" is an explanation. You re explaining how to do it but it's a parody of how far-fetched a method can get without any result. So, it's an inside parody of an explanation for magician and it only makes sense if you can convey it as such.Done at the right time and oment it's great for a laugh among magicians. That's what it is. I'll give a concise example (a brief version of the same sort of thing): Always in parody mood for magicians: Do a double turnover and name the card that comes into view, say: The Queen of Clubs. Turn the double face down and deal the top card to the table. Do another double turnover and name the card: the Six of Hearts. Tutn he doube face down and take the top card in your right hand (the QC believed to be the 6H). Now say. "Remember, the QC on the table and the 6H in my hand." Suiting actions to words use the card in the right hand to flip over the card on the table, actually switching them through a Mexican Turnover to show the QC on the table. Follow immediately with a top change and show the 6H in your hand. |
Doug Trouten Elite user Minnesota 471 Posts |
Thank you for the explanation, Rafael. After making my earlier post in this thread,I purchased your DVD to see that routine. Very entertaining, and there's plenty of other good material as well.
It's still magic even if you know how it's done.
Terry Pratchett |
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