I love this post! And Up The Ante is great!!

I'd like to ad another big "Thank You" for this comprehensive and profound post! I only recently discovered that so many really good self-working card tricks are out there by diving into Mr. Bannon's excellent "Move Zero" series. I really appreciate to learn that there are many more self-working tricks from other magicians to discover.

I strongly suggest "Super Strong Super Simple" by Ryan Schlutz.

"Forget to Remember" by Ryan Schlutz
"Emotional Reaction" by Dai Vernon
"Borrowed OOTW" by Various
"Pulse Detection" by Ryan Schlutz
"Prior Commitment" by Simon Aronson
"Bath Towel Mentalism" by So Sato
"It Cuts Deep" by Ryan Schlutz
"All Expenses Paid" by Jim Krenz
"Upside Down Deck" by Francis Carlyle
“The Absent Player” by Dani DaOrtiz
"Gemini Location" by Liam Montier
"Poker Players Picnic Redux" by Ed Oschmann and Tom Dobrowolski
"4 Sided Gemini" by John Bannon
"Shuffle-Bored" by Simon Aronson
"Silent Tansmission" by Eddie Fields
"Six Covers Six" by Ryan Schlutz

Yes, Ryan's "Super Strong Super Simple" video is terrific; I also highly recommend it.

Brilliant info here thanks

Nice thread Ender!

I'll second the kudos for Ryan's "Super Strong Super Simple." I got it on sale awhile back and was my intro to Ryan's magic. A fan thereafter.

Also, I highly recommend Card College Light -- which I just purchased this month at our magic fellowship. I had previously "resisted" buying it as I already had a pretty decent library of self-workers -- many that Ender has listed. But I was immediately pleased with the first routine. It is the construction of the routines that is the high light of the book. (so far I've digested the first two routines).

The first routine starts with a nice startling effect where you find the cards selected by two spectators in a well scripted and entertaining sequence of actions that make the location of the cards increasingly impossible! After revealing the two cards, you are in position to immediately perform an effortless and squeaky clean two person version of "OOTW!" To use an overused phrase, this duet of two effects is close to worth the price of the book. Looking forward to digesting the rest of the book!

Phil

Good comments Phil - thanks for sharing.

I'm glad you're enjoying Giobbi's Card College Light. The way he constructs routines with a strong set is really valuable.

A truly exceptional thread!
thanks for sharing

The extended series of shuffles makes the outcome seem thoroughly impossible, especially because it involves the spectator doing the shuffling

There are some wnderful suggestions here. I would also recommend "Stealth" by John Carey.

I'll second that! Bought Stealth as soon as it was released. It's a fooler.
Phil

Some of these have made me want to put a couple of self workers in my repertoire! nice list!

What a great collection! Thanks for posting! I will be working on these tried and true classics
all day today. What else am I gonna do on Sunday?

I pulled out my copy of Liam Montier's "Essential Card Magic Toolbox" DVD set yesterday to check some forces on the "Forces Project" DVD and remembered that there are effects on each DVD! From that "re-discovery" I'll add Maurice Fogel's "Triple Prediction" to the list. I'm pretty sure I knew this trick in my youth and forgot all about it. It is an excellent self working trick that can be performed impromptu when someone asks you to do a trick on a moments notice and hands you their shuffled deck. Only needs one deck and is thus more versatile than the venerable two deck "Do as I Do." I showed it to the Mrs. It elicited a "That's impossible!" She said add it to her list of fav's !

Phil

I would say the best self working tricks in no particular order would be

various hands off psychological acaans by peter, fraser, etc
OOTW
lazy mans card trick
hands off by richard osterlind
i love you by ryan schlutz
advantagous by patrick redford
miracle thought projection
mnemonicosis
breakthrough card system effects from richard osterlind. card calling, test condition card divination, etc.
diplopia paul vigil
high 5 paul vigil
ramjallock ben earl
red herring ben earl
shuffle board

and of course there is plenty more

Thanks for compiling this

Great list of self working tricks.

I'll add my thanks to the chorus, EndersGame. One of the best threads I've seen on the Café. I especially liked your "What's good about it" descriptions, which made your OP so much more useful than it would have been if you'd just listed tricks or given brief descriptions.

One of my favorites is EZ Oil and Water by Nathan Kranzo from his Easy Card Magic. I present it as a magic lesson for the spectator, despite the fact that the result was shown to be impossible to achieve. It gets some nice reactions and can be performed with regular cards or jumbos. I usually lead into it using the same cards with Small Triumph by Nobuyuki Nojima, from Steve Marshall's Asian Astonishments. To make Small Triumph handle well, soap the cards.

Anyone familiar with a self working card trick called "The Ring".

Best

Steve