On Mar 22, 2018, Rachmaninov wrote:
Guys you are tough ! I would like to see your bottom deal or indicate us some links of good ones. Finger small movements are impossible to remove : the card have to pass over them one way or another !

On Aug 22, 2018, Michael Basic wrote:
What I don't understand is...why do magicians always think we should do things like laymen? If we handle cards professionally, it shouldn't seem odd that the way we hold them, deal them, count them, move them, etc. is different than someone who doesn't. If my grip as a magician is different than the grip of a laymen, it should be chalked up to the fact that my handling of cards is on a whole other level than that of my spectators. My goal when performing card magic is to have my spectator not see the sleights so that they cannot fathom how the effect happened...however I handle the cards to make that happen is how I handle the cards. The only spectators who are worried about our dealing grips are other magicians.

On Aug 22, 2018, Michael Basic wrote:
What I don't understand is...why do magicians always think we should do things like laymen? If we handle cards professionally, it shouldn't seem odd that the way we hold them, deal them, count them, move them, etc. is different than someone who doesn't. If my grip as a magician is different than the grip of a laymen, it should be chalked up to the fact that my handling of cards is on a whole other level than that of my spectators. My goal when performing card magic is to have my spectator not see the sleights so that they cannot fathom how the effect happened...however I handle the cards to make that happen is how I handle the cards. The only spectators who are worried about our dealing grips are other magicians.

On Aug 22, 2018, AaronSterling wrote:
A very small number of American magicians pay 100% of their bills by performing for lay audiences. That small group doesn't publish much -- publishing events like The Magic of Johnny Thompson are a big deal. The vast majority of magicians -- even if they are good -- need to supplement their income by selling products to the amateur magic community. This means either creating, publishing, or teaching. If you want amateurs to spend money on you, it's better to be seen as having an advanced skill level, beyond the reach of Joe Averageperson. Among other things, that usually means, "Don't hold the deck in a weird way."

On Aug 23, 2018, Taylor Haws wrote:
the mechanics grip and full grip bottom deal were not invented by magicians. in fact, it was magicians who popularized the erdnase method of bottom dealing.

On Aug 17, 2018, Taylor Haws wrote:
in Jason England's 1-on-1, he grabs air a couple of times.(although this was probably because he was trying to talk and deal at the same time)

On Aug 23, 2018, AaronSterling wrote:

Quote:

On Aug 23, 2018, Taylor Haws wrote:
the mechanics grip and full grip bottom deal were not invented by magicians. in fact, it was magicians who popularized the erdnase method of bottom dealing.

Are you claiming that Expert at the Card Table is something other than a book of legerdemain?

On Aug 23, 2018, JasonEngland wrote:

Quote:

On Aug 17, 2018, Taylor Haws wrote:
in Jason England's 1-on-1, he grabs air a couple of times.(although this was probably because he was trying to talk and deal at the same time)

It's not because of trying to talk and deal at the same time. It's because I was trying to do the best possible bottom deal I could for the camera. To do that requires relaxing and trying to maintain a near-perfect rhythm while holding the deck as softly as possible. If you achieve all of that, your bottom deal will look great. The problem is that your likelihood of missing goes up. If I was performing a trick or routine where I had to nail the bottom, I'd probably tighten up a bit and make sure that I got it. It wouldn't be the prettiest bottom I'm capable of, but it would be more surefire.


Jason

PS: A similar thing happens when you're riffle stacking. The best riffle stacking techniques involve reducing the hesitation before/during the holdbacks to as little as possible and also not looking at your hands. Unfortunately, while those are the techniques that look the best, they also increase your miss frequency since they're so hard to do.

most experts will tell you that Erdnase was not a serious card cheat, but simply a magician who was interested in card cheating. besides, that was over a hundred years ago. what was good back then may not still hold up.

On Aug 23, 2018, rnaviaux wrote:
Mr. England - I am working on the BD using your video as my main resource. I think that all the grips that use the diagonal pressure points don't work for me due to the particular shape/contours of my hand. The second half of your video has been very helpful in this regard as you give alternatives to the "standard" grips. Thanks!