Ahh.. I KNEW you'd click on this title if Erdnase was mentioned.

Anyways, do many of you card guys own the Expert at the Card table? I have a feeling many own it, but little actaully take the time to study the methods.

All of the shifts in that book (except the Charlier Pass) are unbelievable. I figure if you mastered this stuff, you'd be able to fool many magicicans who think the Riffle / Classic pass is the only one really worth watching out for.

Any opinions?

Thanks

Well, I haven't mastered all of the shifts, but this is still one of the best books on card technique ever published. I recommend Darwin Ortiz's "Annotated Erdnase" as the best version to learn from.

And this might be an irrelevant comment, but I think The Annotated Erdnase is one of the best books of magic history ever written.

--Christopher Carter

Hi Scott,

You serioulsy mastered all the shifts? How long did that take? Even the one-handed erdnase shift? It would be great if you could obtain a webcam from a friend or something and start to record this stuff. I'd love to see it.

The one handed erdnase shift I think should be executed in a split second.

PS: I own the Annotated Erdnase, 2nd edition

No, that was a typo--it should have read "haven't" as opposed to "have." I have since corrected it.

I haven't mastered all of the shifts, because i don't need to for the type of work I do. But that in no way devalues the book.

Not only have I not mastered any of the shifts, but in simply attempting I have made them slightly harder for other magicians.

Ross Bertram said: "You know, the diagonal palm shift is a beautiful thing"

I love that move. It can be done while burned. Ditto for the bottom palm. The Legerdemain section houses much of the classic revelations.

Getting the Annotated Erdnase is a natural progression. Darwin Ortiz gives a balanced view on EATCT, identifying strong and weak points.

As for the shifts, I have not mastered them all because I would much rather entertain than work the shifts. As Ortiz points out, there are better, more recent methods out there nowadays.

Darwin also stresses that although some of the techniques may be dated, the psychology, motivations and the attention to detail are as valid today as they were in Erdnase's time.

I highly recommend "the Annotated Erdnase" for some great additions to this book. Searching for some of the sources that Darwin lists is half of the fun.

Except the Charlier pass ? mmmmmm.....master this as did Marlo and you will eat those words. I too disregarded this move until Marlo baffled me with it. Check out his vid "Private Studies" or his work on this in Hierophant before you are badly fooled by it too.