http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhwr4AxtzDc


This is a video of me practicing my bottom deal. The point of this video is for me to critique myself by watching the technique, but also for others to point out anything that could be improved upon, or even anything they thought was done particularly well.

The bottom deal I use is straight up, classic Erdnase.

Recently, when I have been practicing this move, I've been focusing on rhythm and minimizing finger flash, particularly the left ring finger, which I've managed to keep in-check by using a technique I came up with while working on the deal. (for anyone interested in this little technique, please PM me) In this particular practice, I felt as though I was successful at minimizing flash and also keeping a rhythm, although I did go quite fast at some points. *I understand that rhythm is much more important for magic purposes, but I do feel it can never hurt to get down to the details, no matter your intention.

Also, I feel confident with the start of the deal, as all I am doing is picking up and dealing, with virtually no get ready or repositioning, which is usually a major flaw when people use this deal/grip.

After watching this myself, I can also see two thing, possibly three things that need improvement.

1- The noise when the bottom card is dealt. Although some of the noise is attributed to the snapping down of the card rather than sailing it, the light "swish" can still be heard as the bottom is taken, and is a tell.

2- The illusion. I need to work on the pushing over/pulling back of the top card as the bottom is dealt to aid in the illusion that the bottom card is coming from the top.

3- This one is debatable, and I'm posing this as a question that I would like answered. When I deal the bottom card, I tilt the right side of the deck downwards toward the table. Erdnase advocates this as a way to cover the move. Is the tilting acceptable, or do you believe it is a tell and that it should be removed?


Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy description, and also for taking time to watch my video.




All comments and criticisms are welcome.


Thank you, and enjoy.

Dan

That ain't no "straight up, classic Erdnase."

The biggest flaw I see is you're not moving the thumb when dealing bottoms.

That shaking effect you have going on with the video is pretty annoying, FYI.

What is different from this and the erdnase description?

As for the moving the thumb, is that the same thing that I mentioned in the description with not covering the bottom action by moving the top card over and back? Or do you mean that my thumb isn't lifting when I deal bottoms?


And the shaking effect is no fault of my own, the camera just automatically does it when my hands move. Like it tries to follow them. IDK.

SLOWWWW down...

And don't freeze your thumb.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzJY5pNPL_I Here are some of my bottom deals. This one is a Gene Maze kinda bottom deal, not exactly but close. It uses a modified Erdnase.

A steady rythm and slowing down is the key I think.

You also need to move your thumb when dealing the bottom.

I agree, I am still working on that. Thanks for noticing!

I think Steve Forte's variation on the Erdnase deal is better than the original and well if I liked the Erdnase grip then I would do it the Forte way I think.

Huh?

Steve Forte. He's a car salesman out of Kentucky or something like that.

I think the kid is doing great at this point. Maitre D's comments could be helpful. Bbluemchen's comments (yes, I know that's not his real tag, but it's infinitely amusing in German) are not.

My comments, as usual, must be taken in the spirit in which they are given.

By the way, where are the girls in this forum? I'm in the mood for girls!

And don't tell me I need more cowbell.

Wait! Bblumen is a girl, maybe....

Then all is saved.

What the hell is the point of this post?

The point is that I think you are full of sh!t.

I am full of **** because I point out that the deal is too fast and the thumb tells when a bottom is dealt?

The OP asked for honest criticism and I gave it.


What is your problem with that?

I think the OP has some decent chops. Lets not forget that this thread is about his bottoms, which I think are pretty good, but which you think ought to be slowed down.

Now, I've been telling Mr Z to slow down for years, but at the end of the day, he has both chops and experience and knowledge that I just don't have; so I am forced to say, "Z, you are the king."

But who in the blazes are you?

Do I have to post a resumé?

Who the hell are you?

Also, sounds to me like you got a fifth on the third to celebrate the fourth.

Decent chops?


Really?

In a gambling forum?

Bblumen-

I mean no disrespect by this post, but I have to say you're kind of bringing up irrelevant points. Yeah sure that video you linked was goofy and pretty much pointless, but that's not the video I posted "in a gambling forum". I posted a video of my bottom deal, for which I hoped to recieve criticism. Your first post was helpful, and it was definitely what I was looking for, so thank you for that. But why bring up videos I didn't post on here? That's comparable to me posting a video of a false shuffle done exceptionally well, then you claiming it not to be so exceptional because I posted a performance of the same move a year ago that was awful. It's irrelevant. The only things I post on this forum are those that relate to gambling, such as my "perfect shuffle stack" video. Sure, I post goofy and irrelevant magician crap on youtube, but I keep that far removed from this forum. So why bring it up?

Stoneunhinged- Thank you for your compliments, and also for "defending" me, if that is infact what you were doing. Either way, thank you.

Revisiting this forum has been a lot of fun.

Did I get a fifth on the third to celebrate the fourth?

Of course I did. I always start celebrating Independence Day on the 3rd, because that's the correct way to do it.

What I didn't appreciate at the time (because bblumen was a noob) is that bblumen is savvy.

So I would like to offer a formal apology to bblumen, these few years later, to say, "well done!"