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J-L Sparrow Regular user 167 Posts |
Greetings,
Once I was talking to a (non-magician) friend of mine when the topic turned to trick decks. Although he had heard the term "trick decks" before, he was unfamiliar with them, and asked me how they worked. Like talking to a naive person who knows nothing about the facts of life, I didn't want to tell him everything about trick decks, but at the same time I didn't want to tell him nothing at all about them, either. So I told him that there were many trick decks out there (including ones I'm unfamiliar with), and educated him about two trick/gaffed decks I knew about: The first trick deck I told him about was a marked deck. I figured it was safe to tell him about marked decks since many laypeople already know about their existence (or suspect that they exist). I told my friend that magicians tend not to use them as they require sharp eyes to correctly (and covertly) determine what a card is. The other trick deck I told him about was a deck that had fifty-two of the exact same card. I first saw one in a kids' cartoon used as a simple gag; years later I asked a magician at a magic shop about it, and he showed me a real one. I figured that of all the trick decks out there, it wouldn't hurt much to tell my friend about this deck, as it's almost always followed up with some sort of misdirection (which I didn't tell him about) to throw the spectator off track. I was very tempted to tell him about Svengali decks (given how prolific they've been in the past), but I thought that revealing that secret would take away too much "magic" the next time he saw one in action. So I just stopped at the above two, with my magician's conscience clear that I didn't reveal anything that would ruin a card magician. So I'm curious about your responses. What would you tell a friend who sincerely asks you how trick decks work? |
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edh Inner circle 4698 Posts |
I would have stopped at the "marked deck". I then would have told him that their are others out and about but that I didn't know how they worked as I don't use them.
Magic is a vanishing art.
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mlippo Inner circle Trieste (Italy) 1227 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-05-15 21:58, edh wrote: I 100% agree with edh. Whenever I do a card trick, almost anyone would come out with the fact I'm using ***** cards (where '*****' may be replaced by 'trick', 'marked', 'special', 'magician's' ans so on...). So what do I do to shake off this thought? Here in no particular order (and not used all at the same time): 1. I always use a 52 cards ordinary pack and then give it out for examination and tell them that if they find something 'tricky' they may keep it 2. I point out that having marked cards wouldn't help doing what I've just done 3. I point out that the pack I'm using (Bikes) can be seen in USA films or shows whenever the actors on screen are playing cards (but I'm Italian so Bikes & Tally-Ho's are unknown to the public here of course). Anyway, I really try to use just ordinary cards throwing in an occasional gaff only after the same people have seen me perform more than once with normal packs. And I tend to perform only packet tricks that leave you clean at the end. There are so many good effects out there that don't use 'special' cards, so why get into trouble??? mlippo |
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MagicJuggler Inner circle Anchorage, AK 1161 Posts |
I usually tell the person that there a few kinds of trick decks, but they're limited to one trick each, and are mainly for beginners anyway so I haven't used one in years. (Which is true.)
Matthew Olsen
I heard from a friend that anecdotal evidence is actually quite reliable. |
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Paul Jester Special user UK 759 Posts |
I tell them they're just for kids who want to do a magic trick. Real magicians use real cards. That's what I tell them anyway!
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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts |
There is a lovely effect in Simon Lovell's Simon Says that uses a Svengali deck. If a person does ask about "trick decks" I too tell them they are great tools for beginners to ease into the art. Then later in the set I do Lovell's effect. It IS worth a look because Lovell's approach will delight you!
Ahimsa, Vlad |
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pepka Inner circle Uh, I'm the one on the right. 5041 Posts |
"Trick deck you say? Hmmm, never hoid of'em." 99% of my work uses no gaffs anyway. When someone asks to handle my deck, they often check for marks, or check if it's a Svengali. I just giggle and ask "What are you looking for?" I love to have someone think they know what's going on. My other favorite line after I perform a miracle with a straight deck is...."Oh, I'm sorry, did you think it was amateur night here?"
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Steven Keyl Inner circle Washington, D.C. 2630 Posts |
When asked about trick decks I always say the same thing. "You're right. Trick decks do exist but they are prohibitively expensive. The cards we're using I bought at Costco for less than $1." Then go into a card warp effect or some other effect where you destroy one or more cards, which subtly reinforces the idea that these cards don't hold much intrinsic value.
Whether or not I'm using gimmicked cards, no one has ever questioned this explanation. I also do NOT explain different types of gimmicked cards/decks as I like to seem nearly as ignorant on the subject as the spectator, which further reinforces the idea that I don't ever use them.
Steven Keyl - The Human Whisperer!
B2B Magazine Test! Best impromptu progressive Ace Assembly ever! "If you ever find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause, and reflect." --Mark Twain |
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Stanyon Inner circle Landrum, S.C. by way of Chicago 3433 Posts |
"Yessir, this is a trick deck. Watch it sit up (stand the card box on it's end), roll over (turn the card box over sideways), stay (just point at the box and say "Stay") and play dead (okay that's the same as stay)!" Always works for me.
Cheers!
Stanyon
aka Steve Taylor "Every move a move!" "If you've enjoyed my performance half as much as I've enjoyed performing for you, then you've enjoyed it twice as much as me!" |
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Daryl Easton 1955 - 2017 174 Posts |
Personally, I think J-L Sparrow handled the situation very well. Jolly well done and thank you for not exposing any "real" trick decks! As a side note, I occasionally like to imply the comparison of how real magicians don't use trick decks in the same way that real pianists don't use player pianos.
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Cosmo Solano Elite user Colorado 410 Posts |
Ditto Daryl! (How are ya!)
I always use just the one example of 52 of the same cards and leave it at that. I also do exactly as Paul Jester does blowing it off as "kids" stuff. I've done the same thing when someone seems to know about the T.T., saying oh that thing, it's a silly old kids thing, and then I'll use it right in front of them and blow them away. |
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seerunder New user 41 Posts |
I TELL them I am using a trick deck! That is because I am. However, when I have finished it is no longer a trick deck. When they examine it they will find it to be quite ordinary and they will be in a state of great confusion over the matter.
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Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
It seems that the only time I'm accused of using a trick deck is when I don't use one. When they handle the deck, they're out of answers.
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DelMagic Special user 721 Posts |
How about this:
"Give me a deck. I can do a trick with it. Therefore, it is a "trick" deck. Thus, all decks are trick decks because they can all be used for tricks. There are some "special" decks out there that magicians can use to perform some wonderful entertainment. Naturally, I can't divulge the workings of these out of respect for the magicians' code and other performers. If you knew how these worked, you wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much should you ever be fortunate to see one in use. The mystery is what makes magic special. Try watching a "behind the scenes documentary" of a movie before you watch the movie and your enjoyment of the movie won't be the same." |
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Er1tro Regular user Italy 124 Posts |
I think that the 'marked deck' isn't a secret because everyone had knows about marked decks.
I explain also that I've used trick decks when I was a beginner but I've seen that you can l do the same things without one by practicing a lot and they are too expensive, especially when you have to change them after few months. I've seen in the years that really a lot of people knows about the Svengali deck. A friend of them has one and after the trick he explains proudly how it's done. P.s. I love the ID so it's not true that I'm not using trick decks |
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Er1tro Regular user Italy 124 Posts |
Sometimes I say that I have a trick deck with me and after let them choose a card (by F***e) I explain that I know the card because the deck is made of 52 card that are all the same and I show it to them with some DL or TL and indian shuffles. It's a lot of fun when you show them that the card are all different!
(Sorry for the double post, I hope it's not a problem) |
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AlexB New user 58 Posts |
I would get out my CardToon deck, which I almost always have on me. It is absolutely obviously a trick deck, and it still fries people. After that, they don't feel that using trick decks is somehow "cheating", because the magician openly admits to it, and still performs miracles.
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Steve Landavazo Special user Northern California 654 Posts |
A friend of mine has fun with it and jokingly implies these are not TV Magic Cards, and leaves it at that! The spectator gets a kick out of it because just about everyone has seen Marshall Brodien's TV Magic Cards, or have heard of them....
Courage is the willingness to be afraid and act anyway!
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SilvaAce Regular user Fargo, ND 156 Posts |
Every deck is a trick deck in my hands!
All you have to do to change your life, is to change your daily habits!
Carlos Silva |
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Zebaztian Special user The Netherlands 655 Posts |
I love trick decks, and I always say that what I do is a trick. But is the trick in the deck? Or is it me doing a trick? That's a question I never answer.
My mind reading routines: http://www.basjongenelen.nl/goocheltrucs/. Scroll a bit down to the English routines.
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