DARWIN ORTIZ - CARDSHARK
Kaufman & Greenberg, 1995. 1st Edition
Hardcover, A4 size, 189 pages.
225 line drawings
Currently out of print
Introduction
Cardshark is the second card magic book from American performer/ creator/ theorist Darwin Ortiz. His first book on card magic ’At The Card Table’ was reviewed by my good self last year (see: ftopic39680.php" target="_blank)
Cardshark is divided into three sections: Impromptu Miracles, Presentational Showpieces, and Gambling Presentations. The material in this book is of intermediate to advanced level. Although there is one (almost) self-working effect, the reader is expected to have gained at least a couple of years proficiency in card technique. Having said that, explanations are given in the book of any non-core techniques that are required for performance. The illustrations in the book are all line-drawn by Ton Onosaka. Personally, I prefer line drawings to photographs for the same reasons highlighted by Roberto Giobbi in Card College.
Again, as with Darwin’s first book, most effects are followed by a ‘Performance Tips’ section. Even if you never perform the associated effect, these sections are always worth reading, for it is in these sections that Darwin imparts his many years’ experience as a performer and creator of card magic.
All of the effects in ‘Cardshark’ are highly practical, in that they are either impromptu, or can be inserted into any point of an act, and all effects can be performed with the performer almost surrounded (there is no angle-palming or lapping). All of the pieces allow you to end clean, something that comes in very handy when using the routines to construct an act. Most of the routines require a table or other such horizontal surface.
Overall, the effects presented in this book are more rounded than those in ‘At The Card Table’ (ATCT). Less use is made of brute-force methods, and more use is made of intelligent routining. Also, more use is made of non-card props such as wallets, a pocket watch, and other spectators pockets!
I shall now briefly outline the effects in the book. I shall describe the effect, followed by personal opinions and a difficulty rating using the TM standard (1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used, 4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only). Items not marked ‘DVD’ appear in the book only.
IMPROMPTU MIRACLES
The first section deals with effects that can be done anywhere, any time (as long as you have at least a pack of cards and a horizontal surface). The effects and short presentations make many of them ideal as opening material.
The Psychotronic Card (DVD)
EFFECT: An extremely convincing vanish of a blue-backed spectators (signed) card from amongst a red-backed 4-of-a-kind, followed by the re-appearance of the signed card faced down in the middle of a deck held in the hands by a spectator.
Techniques taught: James/ Ellis loading move
The contrasting back of the spectators card is what really sets this apart from other vanishes involving a 4-of-a-kind. Strong as this effect it is, it is superseded by the reveal in the spectators hands at the end. Because the effect requires two decks with contrasting back designs, I find it a good way to segue from one deck to another, when the first deck is getting a bit thin due to the fact cards have been signed etc. (at least that’s what I tell the spectators
)Difficulty: 3/5
Against All Ods
EFFECT: From a face-down pack in new-deck order a spectator selects a card. The deck is cut a couple of times, and the spectator replaces their card back into the deck wherever they wish. It is then revealed that the spectator replaced their card at exactly the correct numerical position (e.g. of the spec selects the 4C, it is found between the 3C and 5C).
Techniques taught: Bill Simon’s "Business Card Prophecy" move
A short, punchy routine that would make a great opener. Would nicely compliment a closing routine that finishes with a spectator-shuffled deck returning to new deck order.
Difficulty: 2/5
Signature Effect (DVD)
EFFECT: A spectator selects a face-down card and signs it on the back, sight unseen. The unknown signed card is then lost in the deck. The spectator then names any card in the deck. This proves to be the same card that the spectator signed on the back. This signed card is then placed under the spectators hand. The spectator then selects another card from the deck (both the face and back of the card are shown). The performer then causes the spectators signature to jump from the card under their hand to the newly selected card.
Techniques taught: Kurtz's pivot DL, L.J. move, MC spread DL, Krenzel's drag DL, K.M. move
A strong visual routine with great spectator involvement.
Difficulty: 3/5
Four To One (DVD)
EFFECT: An ace is placed on the table, and a 4 of a kind is placed under the spectators hand. The ace and the 4 of a kind then change places (literally, the 4 of a kind changes into an ace whilst under the spectators hand, and the ace changes into a four of a kind whilst in full view on the table).
Techniques taught: Erdnase top palm
A fairly unique plot, the results of which are quite shocking to the spectators. Would make a very strong opener.
Difficulty: 4/5
The Unholy Three (DVD)
EFFECT: Three cards are selected from a red deck and signed on the backs. They are returned to the deck which is then placed under a spectators hand . The performer then picks up a blue-backed deck and proceeds to cut to the three cards that match the ones selected from the red-backed deck. These cards are then shown to be the actual three signed red-backed cards
Techniques taught: Underspread control, Vernon transfer
One of the centrepieces of the whole book, the final revelation comes as a real surprise to the audience. Would make a great closer.
Difficulty: 4/5
Beyond Sleight of Hand (DVD)
EFFECT: After selecting a card, a spectator buries the card in the deck and shuffles the cards. The performer then buries the two red jacks face-up together in the deck. Without touching the deck, the performer causes the selected card to materialise between the jacks.
Techniques taught: Jennings' open control, ribbonspread hideout
Not the strongest effect in the book, it has to be said (YMMV), but the ‘hands-off’ conditions do redeem it somewhat.
Difficulty: 3/5
Blockbuster (DVD)
EFFECT: A spectator freely selects a card which is then buried and lost in the deck. The performer then causes every card of the same (red/ black) colour to turn face up in the deck, with once exception: the spectators selected card.
Techniques taught: Half-pass, Ortiz biased pressure fan
Again, not as strong as some of the other material. You may find the Ortiz biased pressure fan a little tricky if you are not left-handed (fortunately, I am).
Difficulty: 4/5
Nulda's Revenge
EFFECT: The performer causes a spectator-signed card that lies on the table to instantaneously change places with another spectator-signed card previously placed in the performers pocket.
Techniques taught: Erdnase palm change, Houghton pocket load
A very strong piece (the deck is discarded at the outset, only the two cards are used), despite it’s brevity.
Difficulty: 4/5
New Hitchcock Aces
EFFECT: A one-at-a-time ace assembly. Finishes with a transposition of the 4 aces under a spectators hand, with the other cards changing into a 4 of a kind.
Techniques taught: Carney's versa switch
This routine is an evolved version of ‘Hitchcock Aces’ from ATCT. Must admit I’m not a fan of ace-assemblies, as I find it difficult to make the audience care about the plot. I do however appreciate the fact that Mr Ortiz is not scared to improve on previous effects and publish the results.
Difficulty: 3/5
Kartenkunste (DVD)
EFFECT: The performer uses a 4 of a kind to identify a spectators previously selected card (which is placed under their hand). One of the 4 of a kind turns face-down, the face down card matching the suit of the selected card. The final revelation shows that the face down card changes places with the selected card under the spectators hand.
Based on a plot originally developed by Hofzinser, this a short piece suitable for opening. The final transposition always surprises!
Difficulty: 2/5
PRESENTATIONAL SHOWPIECES
The second section presents effects that, while not exactly impromptu, can be inserted into just about any part of an act. They are also slightly more involved (more spectator involvement), making them ideally suited to slotting into the middle section of an act.
Pickup On South Street (DVD)
EFFECT: A signed, selected card dissapears from one spectators wallet whilst it is in their pocket and appears in the performers wallet whilst the wallet is in another spectators pocket.
The first of three routines in the book that require a loading (in this case Mullica) wallet. What I like about this (and Darwin’s other wallet routines) is that it more than just simply ‘pick a card, card is lost, card appears in wallet apropos of nothing’. Extremely deceptive.
Difficulty: 3/5
The Marker (DVD)
EFFECT: A signed selected card is torn into small pieces, then restored to its original condition.
Techniques taught: Underspread force, Elliot change
Darwin’s approach to the torn and restored card plot. Whilst maybe not as visual as some other TnR routines (e.g. Hollingworth’s Reformation), the presented script gives good justifications for having the card signed, torn, then restored.
Difficulty: 4/5
Time And Again (DVD)
EFFECT: The performer opens a brand-new, sealed deck of cards, showing them to be in new deck order. A spectator is asked to write the current time on the back of the joker, which is then placed under their hand. Next, the performer shuffles the deck. Finally, the performer shows the top card of the deck and buries it in the middle. One by one, each of the effects is reversed: the card that was buried in the middle of the deck is shown to have returned to the top, the deck resets itself to new deck order, the written time disappears from the back of the joker. Finally the (now empty!) card case is shown to have completely re-sealed itself, with the seal and wrapper completely unbroken.
Techniques taught: Ortiz tabled reverse double undercut
A great routine with an engaging plot of the deck being sent back in time. Requires a good Zarrow or pull/ push through shuffle. Does not require you to spend tens/ hundreds of pounds on a deck re-sealer!
Difficulty: 4/5
Blind Aces (DVD - Performance only)
EFFECT: From a spectator shuffled deck the performer succeeds in cutting to the four aces whilst blindfolded by a spectator.
Techniques taught: Gamblers' cop, Hartman's uppercut move
A very powerful routine. Spectator involvement is increased by having one of them cover the performers eyes with their hands. With the right handling this is a real reputation-maker (an accolade often levelled, but seldom deserved).
Difficulty: 4/5
Museum Piece (DVD)
EFFECT: A printing effect with four blank faced/ backed cards. A notable feature of this piece is that the cards can be examined by the spectators both at the beginning and the end.
Techniques taught: Zarrow addition move, Stuart Gordon double turnover, Marlo's visual retention switch.
Quite a sleight-heavy packet routine, this will take some work on the part of the reader to perform smoothly. The feature of having the cards inspected both at the beginning and at the end precludes any suspicion of gaffs.
Difficulty: 4/5
Harry In Your Pocket (DVD)
EFFECT: A spectator selects a card and returns it to the deck, which he then shuffles and places in the card case. The case is sealed shut with a sticker, and the sticker initialled by the spectator. The sealed deck is the placed in the spectators jacket pocket. The performer proceeds to plunge his obviously empty hand into the spectators pocket, and removes the selected card. The remaining 51 cards are found still sealed in the case.
A variation on the card to impossible location plot, this routine makes a nice change to card to wallet, with all the action occurring in the spectators hands/ pocket.
Difficulty: 4/5
Time Piece
EFFECT: The performer introduces a pocket watch, replete with spooky back-story. On the back of the watch are engraved the words “Time is an illusion”. The watch then: finds a lost card previously selected by a spectator and correctly predicts a time merely thought of by a spectator. For a climax, the engraving on the back of the watch is shown to have changed to the name of the previously selected card.
Techniques taught: Tamariz's crossing-the-gaze switch
Despite the fact that Darwin notes that this will probably turn out to be one of the least performed effects in the book, it is one of my personal favourites and my current closing piece. The impact of this routine is inversely proportional to the amount of effort spent in performing it. The watch is completely examinable at the end. Requires some expenditure for materials, but is still way cheaper than any of the currently available watches that only do a fraction of what the pocketwatch does in this piece. Finally, this is a masterclass in the application of the shuttle pass/ Tamariz's crossing-the-gaze switch.
Difficulty: 2/5
The Phantom Card (DVD)
EFFECT: A card selected and signed by a spectator disappears from the performers wallet and turns out to be the one card the spectator freely selects from the deck. The signed card disappears again, only to re-appear back in the performers wallet.
Difficulty: 4/5
This is the second variation of card to wallet in the book. Again good presentation (revolving around the idea of mass-hypnosis) justifies all the action. Performed with the right character, your audience will be left wondering whether you really can do mass-hypnosis!
Difficulty: 4/5
The Showdown (DVD)
EFFECT: The performer has spectators sign the four queens, which are then buried in the deck. The performer then proceeds to cut to the first three of the signed queens. On the last attempt a 2 is cut to instead. The other three queens then change in to 2’s, and the four signed queens are produced from four impossible locations: two from the performers’ pockets, and two from within different items that have been in the hands of spectators since the beginning.
Techniques taught: Scarne card fold, Ken Beale's double-cut substitute, Art Altman's double undercut palm
From a technical standpoint this is one of the most challenging pieces in the book. Will take considerable time and effort to master. As with a lot of Darwin’s material however, the time and effort invested pay off dividends with a routine that is fit to close just about any act.
Difficulty: 5/5
Bold Fusion
EFFECT: Two spectators each select a card and sign it on the face. The two cards are placed back to back and fused together to produce one card with a signed face on each side.
Techniques taught: Lorayne force
One of the few effects in the book that I don’t perform. I plumped instead for the vastly improved handling provided in Darwin’s later book Scams & Fantasies with Cards.
Difficulty: 4/5
GAMBLING PRESENTATIONS
The effects in this section differ from the previous section in that they are more gambling orientated with regard to theme. As with most of Darwin’s gambling routines in this book and others, no knowledge of card gambling is required by the spectators for them to enjoy the pieces presented. Many of the effects in this final section would make great closing pieces.
Beat The Dealer (DVD)
EFFECT: The performer snatches victory from the jaws of defeat in a pseudo-blackjack game with the mysterious appearance of a helping card.
Techniques taught: Gamblers' double deal
I think that this is probably the weakest effect in the book. Considering the outstanding quality of the rest of the material presented, I can overlook this one duffer.
Difficulty: 3/5
The One Handed Poker Deal (DVD)
EFFECT: Using only one hand, the performer shuffles, cuts, and deals a game of poker. He succeeds in giving himself a royal flush.
Techniques taught: Ortiz corner crimp handling, Neal Eliass one-handed cut, one-handed riffle shuffle, Chinese deal.
A short, flashy piece. If a de Courcy-style one-handed faro is not in your skillset, you may have to pass this one by. Too much work for the effect (IMHO, YMMV etc..)
Difficulty: 5/5
Face-Up Centers (DVD)
EFFECT: The performer shuffles the four aces face-up, into a face-down deck. He shows that the aces are distributed throughout the deck and, particularly, that there are no aces among the top seven or eight cards or among the bottom seven or eight cards. He then deals out four hands of poker, dealing the aces to himself from the centre. The spectators can see the face-up aces materialising out of the deck.
A pretty convincing centre deal demo. Must admit, I’m not too familiar on the genre, so I can’t really judge how powerful it is in comparison to other available methods out there.
Difficulty: 4/5
Darwin's Poker Deal (DVD)
EFFECT: The performer removes the four aces from a red-backed deck and has four spectators sign each on the back. These red-backed aces are now inserted into a blue-backed deck. When the performer shuffles the blue-backed deck and deals, he receives the four red-backed aces and his cheating opponent receives a straight flush. However, when the performer turns over his hand at the climax it has transformed into a royal flush to win the game; The signed, red-backed cards are now royal flush cards.
Techniques taught: Braue reversal variation, stripper switch, Ose's false cut
As with ‘The Psychotronic Card’, the impact of this routine is strengthened by the use of cards with contrasting backs. Pretty much non-stop technique, this piece will require time and effort to perform well.
Difficulty: 4/5
Mr Lucky (DVD)
EFFECT: The performer plays a game of poker with a spectator in which he allows his opponent to choose all of the cards for both of them and even exchange hands with the performer. Regardless of the decisions made by the spectator, the performer ends up with the four aces.
A surprisingly straight forward piece to perform, despite the impossibility of the effect. Moreover, the routine can be appreciated by people with no poker knowledge.
Difficulty: 3/5
Pick-A-Card Poker
EFFECT: Five people select a card. These cards are then buried in five different parts of the deck. The performer shuffles and deals out a round of poker. As he deals, he shows that each of the five selected cards falls to his poker hand. A moment later he turns his poker hand over to show the selected cards have changed to a royal flush.
Similar in plot to some of the other gambling routines, I think this one doesn’t go over that well with UK audiences, mainly due to cultural differences in how gambling games are perceived.
From The Cellar (DVD)
EFFECT: The performer demonstrates his ‘undetectable’ bottom deal, which is painfully obvious to spectators. The surprise comes when the four aces are not in the poker hand that the audience saw the aces being bottom dealt to, but in a completely different hand.
A bit of a ‘sucker’ routine that requires both a goddamn awful bottom deal and a rock-solid bottom deal technique.
Difficulty: 5/5
Darwin's Bottom Runup System
Not an effect per se, the author describes his system for running up poker hands by means of a riffle shuffle.
Difficulty: 4/5
The Cross (DVD)
EFFECT: The performer offers to show how a card cheat can stack the four (face-up) kings to fall to himself in a poker game. A moment later the kings are shown to be in another players’ hand, with the performers hand having changed to the four aces.
An engaging script allows even people with little/ no experience of poker to enjoy this routine.
Difficulty: 4/5
The Sting (DVD - Performance only)
EFFECT: The performer first demonstrates how he can deal himself four aces in a poker game. Going further, he then deamonstrates how he can deal four queens to one player, four kings to another, and the four aces to himself. This is all done with a deck that was shuffled by a spectator at the outset.
Techniques taught: Slip triple cut.
The third and final ‘powerhouse’ routine. As with the other two, considerable time will have to be put into practice and rehearsal.
Difficulty: 5/5
Conclusion
It is in this book that we see the development of Darwin’s ‘Designing Miracles’ approach to effect construction. There is also a greater variety of effects in this book when compared to ATCT. I also feel that the presentations for the effects in this book are a lot better when compared to ATCT. One problem that a large amount of modern card magic suffers from is the fact that the presentations of the effects (and sometimes the effects themselves) speak to nothing but themselves, they are entirely self-referential. As Jay Leno said to one performer who he saw produce a multitude of spongeballs: ”..and the practical application of this is..?”. The benefit of Darwin’s presentations is to make the spectators care about what’s happening, leading to greater emotional investment, and ultimately a bigger payoff when the climax of the piece is achieved. This, coupled with the solid practicability of the material means that I hereby award the book:
9/10
