Hi everyone. I'm quite new to all this and I'm trying to work out some good patter for a self working card trick called Fantastic Five, it's in Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. If you don't know it, basically you stack the deck, the spectator picks a card, and all that is left is to fan out the deck, one card will be upside down and do the reveal. The trick seems like it is over a bit too fast. It almost seems too magical if that is possible. I had an idea for patter so that it would draw the trick out and make it look like I have actually done some magic.

I wondered if once the spectator returned their card, I could whisper to the deck, and pretend like it is talking back to me. Then I can fan the deck out and say something like, "ah the deck told me that it would put this card face up for me, it's indicating how many to count after it." What are your opinions on my suggestion and in general, can tricks be too good to be true?

That works.

Yes, a trick can be "too good to be true"---called the Too Impossible Theory.

Yes, a trick can be too strong. Bro. Hamman mentions this.

Welcome to the Café!

Hi. If you're interested in fanastic five, there is a really simple way to deliver an excellent kicker ending. The best that I've seen in print is called Voila, Aces and is in Giobbi's card college lighter book. It also mitigates the too perfect ending IMO. A version is also in print in Josh Jay's Card Magic book and on Matthew Dowden's Strike 6 DVD. I recommend that you check these out...cheers Justin

Old thread... I just saw it though.
"The Fantastic Five" is one of my favorite card effects. Easy to set up, even with a borrowed deck. Sometimes, I use a 6 and have a royal flush (or whatever cards I need) instead of the aces.

This is how I typically like to perform it. Of course, there are many ways to put the card where it needs to be. I just happen to use this method the most.
Then, I have the spectator hold the cards in their fingers while I slide their card out invisibly and place it back in. I love the moment where I pause when I ask them if they can see the card. Often, it gets a chuckle. If they say yes they can see it, I reply, "I'll have what he's having". I like that it's almost as if the magic moment is happening in their hand, while they are holding the cards. Then the moment of magician in trouble, or as Gerald Deutsch calls it, Perverse Magic. Then finally, the reveal.

Tom

Watch from 6:56 to about 7:08.
https://youtu.be/QWKXVhFaNb0?t=296

Good job Tom! What is the last "gun" trick in the video? I liked that one.