I guess I could have posted this in 'The Workers', but tend to think it applies to all magic.
I recently purchased Ammar ETMCM Vol 1 (I already have Vol 2). 8 Card Brainwave (attributed to Nick Trost) is a simple, but effective trick. I thought the trick would be easily seen through, but never has been.

It demonstrates, to me at least, that magic is not as much in the skills of sleight of hand and other techniques we use, more the strength of the performance and character of the magician.

I will keep working mastering sleight of hand, cards are my preferred medium, but I now have a stronger vision of what the real secret is, at least IMO.

cheers to all

Joker

As good of an example of "its all in the presentation" as I've ever read.

But remember, presentation is only part of it.

The stronger your skill level, experience and knowledge become, your presentation will automatically become better!

Good luck!

Ah yes, the "Marlo Yteltbus"!

Have fun.

Cheers!

I guess that's the magic of Nick Trost.. (been desperate to buy his stuffs)

Dear Stanyon:

That's very funny. Really.

When I first started on ETMCM I was Like.." No way that would fool anyone." then I remembered that when I first saw the effect...it fooled me. I have learned that if you perform with confidence then when you act as though you are doing something with confidence, the spectator assumes you did what you acted like what you were doing.

I love performing Jazz Aces. It includes the Olram, and the Elmsley. When I would first perform them I was concerned that " They have to notice the discrepancies."
And yet, in the 7 years that I have performed that effect not once has anyone said.." wait a sec, that looked fishy."

One Time I was doing "Twisting the Aces" and right in the middle of my Elmsley, I could have sworn I flashed half a card... It looked like that to me... Anyway, the girl I was performing for had her face literally a foot or less from my hands to "Catch " me... and saw nothing...later she asked.." Are those magic cards?"

If you perform with confidence pause to give an effect time to build... and misdirect it's amazing whjat you can do... As Darwin once said about a particular misdirection.." At this point you can sneak an elephant into your pocket, and not be noticed."

Presentation is a big part of this stuff. But another bit is that this stuff, both the Subtlety and Twisting the Aces, came from master cardmen. Basically, their stuff is the kind that once you get it down after much practicing, it's a guaranteed fooler for laymen

Yeah I absolutely agree, I don't think the audience would notice if you do it casually

I have had similar experience when doing twisting the aces. I flashed the face up AS when turning the aces face down (the last phase). The spectator said something like "I saw one card is face up!", but I keep going on and said "Hum? It's impossible! look, all these cards are face down.." while doing elmsley count. She can't believe her eyes!
So in the end the effect got more reaction than usual..

Daryl does a really nice convincer for the 8 card brainwave on his ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CARD SLEIGHTS DVDS.cant remember off hand which volume though.

I have discovered that when I can fool Myself, half the job of fooling the lay public is done. The better I get at the mechanics of a sleight, the more I can put conviction into what I am trying to convince the layperson. If I can ignore what my hands tell me they are doing, and convince my eyes and brain that I did what I said I was doing, my body language carries the conviction as well.

When you are " guilty" of a sleight, your body gives off certain signals, when you are " clean" it gives off other signals, and lay people can read this signals subconsciously. So the better you are at convincing yourself you put a certain thing in a certain place, the better the audience will believe you as well. At least that has been my experience.

Someone once asked me what it takes to be a good magician. I was about to say.." being able to do a few things at the same time. " and thought better. I told him.." being able to do a few things at the same time, all while acting like you are doing a few other things... and saying you are doing other things as well."

I think it takes a touch of insanity to be a good magician. Or maybe I'm just nuts.