Can't believe no one mentioned Ricky Jay. Glen I agree with you 100%. Some say if you show skill, they won't believe it's real magic. Who are we kidding. Spectators realize magic can only be done through dexterity or gimmicks. I never want it to be a question in their minds.

Great points Kingry

I agree and also feel Ricky Jay is tops.

Sorry to get off topic but regarding the old question of whether or not to show skill :
In all the discussions , books , and essays on this old topic - I've never seen anyone mention that a certain level of (supernatural ) skill can be presented ( and regarded ) as an effect of magic in it's own right .

That is a great point Dowser,

In the far east and the martial arts, skill can have a spiritual, magical, effect - on humans involved. Why not in magicians magic?

Dowser and Bish,
Right on!! I have never accepted the idea that when an audience believes the magician is skillful, it lessens their sense of wonder. Take the Jazz Aces. If the audience believes that the magician is so skillful that he can exchange cards three times in a row without apparently going near them, this is in itself mind-boggling. The perception of super-human skill creates just as emotional an aesthetic response as complete bewilderment.

Great points Tony. I agree 100%!

My favorite dealer is Simon Lovell, he is amazing to watch. Hell even when he shows you what he is doing it's hard to catch.

It has been awhile, but as I recall Persi Diaconis dealt cards with no difference ini the look, sound, etc. regardless of where the card came from, top, second or?

I've never seen or met a "real" cheat or anything, yet to answer the question with basically the criteria of having seen an individual perform false deals in whatever situation, I can't remember how long it took me to unfreeze my "seen-a-ghost"-ized face after seeing Steve Forte on the World's Greatest Magic special. When they busted out the slo-mo cameras and zoomed in on his hands, hoochimama! The cyborg hooked me into this field with them deals...

Take care
Bobby

right on mr biro.
so to put it this way , from the false dealers I have seen I consider richard turner to be the best.

-Matt

Pete:

Didn't Diaconis, when he was a kid, learn to deal seconds from Carlyle?

Have you seen Erdnase dealing seconds?

He lives in my basement along with Mr. Presley. He shows me his deals all the time.

Lchemist that's right Persi learned it first from Francis Carlyle.
Persi`s false deals looks great, even in 2006 when he hadnt practised in a long time. When he borrowed my Tally hoo he said it feels good to hold a real deck of cards again. He learned his second from Carlyle and his bottom from Artanis, both looks real good.

There are two kinds of false dealer: Then that are the best and them that get caught. They say there are two kinds of people: Them that think there two kinds of people and them that think it’s more complex than that.