What is the best source for learning the knockout double lift. I would like both a book and a video. On another thread someone said that 'Ever So Sleightly' was the best book to learn it from but I have been unable to find the book anywhere. Does anyone know whereI can find it. Thank You

Knockout double lift is well taught on Greg Wilsons "Double Take" Video.

That two-card push-off on the KODL is a bugger for me. I'm trying to park the deck a bit higher in the palm, and it seems to go better. But it's not consistent. Is this just a matter of practice and getting the "knack"? Perhaps I just don't have the "touch" yet.

Ever learning,
Jim

My two card push-off is almost ready for prime-time. I've been working on it for a few months off and on.

I'm not sure I do it like everyone else. I actually sweep my thumb down and it draws two cards together. If it does not get them aligned perfectly, the outer tip of the 2 cards, I catch with my middle finger tip and it squares them perfectly as I spin out and pivot the inner corner against my thumb base.

I then flick/snap the double off my thumb base to make it sound like a single.

Does this sound like the knockout double? I've never seen it in action.

Yep. That sounds like it, at least according to G. Wilson's Double Take video. You didn't mention the direction of your turnover. Do you turn it over "book" style (laterally), or "stud" style (longitudinally)?

Also, he points out that it's not critical to have the cards perfectly aligned when pushing off for precisely the reason you point out: The middle finger aligns them almost imperceptibly. The "stud" turnover and the snap provide the "illusion of singularity." I get the impression that it's his primary/workhorse double, although he uses others on the video (for teaching purposes, of course).

Cheers,
:j

There is no question Double Take is an incredible video. I just got it, and it more than lives up to the hype as the best source for learning awesome lifts and replacements. For a novice like me, it's perfect. For someone more advanced it's still perfect, even better perhaps. G. Wilson teaches easy to difficult lifts, and he is a master! Some of the advanced lifts blew me away, and he makes them look so easy. This needs to make it onto a DVD format soon. He breaks everything down in great detail. This really is a video worth owning right away!

I have Mr Wilson's Double Take video and yes it is good. It has that polished look to it. Very nicely produced. In my opinion, his Card Stunts is not that great. He flubs the sleights he's doing on the explainations multiple times and he seems to ramble on in the explanations a lot.

Those I mentioned are the only two of Greg's tapes I have, so I can't comment on the other's. I have heard on the board's that his "On the Spot tape is good and his Off the Cuff tapes are very good.

Could you explain this a bit more?

- mip

I wouldn't get hung up on the two card push-off. The standard get ready and pinky break in conjunction with the Knock Out Double turn over works just fine. However, I find the standard book page type turnover looks more convincing.

All I have to say about doubles, is that if you turn one over a certain way, you better turn all of your cards over that way. At least a majority of the time. It kills me when a person turns a card over one way, (book style) then in the same routine turns the card over another (Knockout-double.) This does not make much sense and can create suspicion.

Corey B.

I turn the card over Stud style. Since the double pivots on my thumb base, it is always in contact with the base of my thumb at the bottom inner corner. At the last moment, when the double is turned face-up (and still touching the base of the thumb) I flick it away from my thumb base to make the sound.

It's not my double-lift, obviously. I'm just trying out what I've heard others talk about.

frank

Thanks a lot for all the help you've given me. Ironically it turns out that I have double take, but didn't realize it was on there. I haven't watched it in months. Once again, thanks a lot for all your help.

The knock out double lift's main advantage is that it does NOT require a get ready (something that most magicians fail to realize) and that it looks exactly like you are dealing the top card off of the deck into your hand to display, instead of handling the cards in a very weird position as most do when trying to do a double lift.

Holding the deck in a dealer's grip, the fleshy part of the thumb starts to push off the top card and as it does, it also comes in contact with the second card and continues to push off both. There should only be a milimeter or two between the top and second card. The other hands middle finger goes to the top (front end) of the card and it's thumb on the outside, bottom corner of the cards to square them and line them up, and they slowly move together along the sides, then with a little pressure, the thumb slides to the face of the cards, the fingers on the backs, you can display the card the same way as you would if it were a single card.

That is the main selling feature of this double lift. It does not look any different than anything else you would do so your audience does not look at you knowing that you did "something" even if they do not know what it was.

PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat
http://www.stores.ebay.ca/abstagecraft

You should also look into a move called the
"spooky altman trap". It is in an Allen Ackerman video series on cards. This move allows 2 cards to slide off the deck as one into a waiting hand. The cards stay in perfect alignment. It truly looks like only one card and is very natural.

Chad

When I frist started out I tried to learn the DL from Harry Loranyne's book "The Magic Book". Which was a thumb count and turn over.
Although I didn't like the get ready that was required. All DL requires a get ready but some aren't as obvious as others.

The best one for me has been the "Strike Double" as learned from Greg Wilson's
"Double Take" video. That was money well spent.
Russ

Er. no.

Strike double and the "knockout double lift" properly performed need no "get ready" at all...

I concur. As a bonus, a good no-get-ready knock out gives you a head start to a deceptive second deal.

And no, the second deal does not call for a get ready.

In order for me to do a strike double I always have to bevel the deck to the right just before the lift. But the get ready isn't as noticeable as in most DL.

Russ

is the bevel really a get ready?

Um, very slightly bevelling the deck doesn't seem like a "get ready" to me. After you do it for awhile, you don't really need much *or any* of a bevel anyways...

If you don't like that, then learn the
"knockout DL". No bevelling there.