Hello everyone. I was just wondering if this Slydini routine can be found anywhere. If it is published, could you please let me know the resource in which it can be found in? The video below shows the performance of it, and calls it "Slydini's Cigarette Fantasy." After some searching, I wasn't able to find a routine by this name anywhere.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YcgmFWEnrYI

Also, for those that do cigarette manipulation, could you please give me advice as to what brand of cigarettes to use for a manipulation act. I am looking for something that is sturdy (by sturdy, I mean that the cigarette is pretty flexible and won't break in half; I want it to be able to stand some punishment and not have the tobacco flying everywhere). If you could give me a brand name and type of cigarette that has worked well for you, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

Thanks for the link, Jaybs. I haven't seen Slydini performing this routine before.

There is no particular brand for cigarette manipulation. The trick lies in using dummy cigarettes. We use only 1 or 2 real cigarettes and the rest are dummies.

Are they going to be lite? Howard

That's odd. I know that I posted a lengthy reply to this, offering multiple sources for the routine in print, on DVD, and long lost TV performances, and it has now magically disappeared. What gives?!

Yes, those dummy cigarettes appear to be lit. For each one that appears I puff them and exhale smoke out of it.

Shimada is great at cigarette manipulation

magicially yours,


Nedim Guzel

Yes, Shimada is a great magician who can do great and wonderful performances.

Check your user posts, you may have posted on another forum.

The use of dummies always comes up. They can be usefull. However , plastic and wood etc. make it very difficult(to me impossible) to utilize the numerous pinches avilable ( See "Encyclopedia of Cigarette Tricks"by Keith Clark).
They are also difficult to keep lit and taste fouler than the real thing.
I so far have used only real cigs I roll myself with an extra paper to make it a little more durable and or Lucky Strikes or Camels,also wrapped with an extra paper, both are non filter. I tried a generic brand but they were much longer . I roll with a machine both filtered and unfiltered cigs.They suit my purposes well.

Table magic! Great stuff!

What dp you mean by table magic? You mean table crab?


magicially yours,


Nedim Guzel

I've never used dummies. Camel cigarettes will easily last through a routine as long as your relaxed when performing. I like manal's idea of wrapping a paper around the cig to make it last longer if you're having a problem. Seems like it would work very well.

I believe this was published in Slydini's 2nd book, Slydini Encore. It is available on cd pdf format as well. The book has been out of print for over 20 years, buy he lives on in other dvd's that are available as well.

What do you think about using cigarette on stage I mean in a manipulation act? Is it visual?


magicially yours,

Nedim Guzel

If it is a huge and gigantic auditorium with a very big stage, then cigarette manipulation would not be ideal.

If the audience goes back far enough that they can't tell that you are holding cigarettes, then it would be a bad idea to use them, unless you have a large screen showing you close-up. In anything larger then a "parlor show" I would worry that cigarettes would be to small of a prop, especially if that is the main item in your manipulation act.

Agreed. From a distance the cigarette may not be visible at all.

That is why I use a coin ladder with my coins.

Wooden Cigars will be better view for longer distances. http://www.woodencigars.com/giant.html

The coin ladder is a wonderful piece of equipment for coin work.

Yes. I like coin ladders too. But also cigarette magic or manipulation is great fun on stage. You can get another item easily. You can do cigarette act and than you can take a piece of flash paper and do what ever you want.


magicially yours,

Nedim Guzel