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Hi. Forgive me for probably going over old ground, but I'm struggling with Triumph off Ammars CM DVD Vol 1.

I've got everything quite well in order apart from one tiny bit...
Without revealing anything, I'm struggling with the 'move' immediately after the riffle once the cards are in position - it just doesn't look natural...

Could anyone PM me with any tips please??

I've just searched on here and read from others that a version of Triumph is in Mark Wilsons CC Book?? But I've left it at home and I'm away for the weekend!!!! Doh!!!!

Anyway, if anyone could help I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks
Dom

I will go out on a ledge, it has been eons since I've seen the dvd's and I don't do the effect the same way. But if you are talking about the move where you go to 'ahem' square the cards then you are correct. It does not look natural at all. However if you just relax and not worry to much about it, amazingly the audience does not pick up on it. I know, hard to believe on such a move. But I remember having to force myself not to cringe every time I attempted it.

If we are talking about a whole different move, then ignore this post.

Now then, I'm also going to go out on a ledge and assume that Ammar's Triumph is very similar to the Vernon original. If not, then the following advice is still very sensible...

Do the move for 'for real' a few times first.

In other words, genuinely shuffle and square the cards once or twice first, emulating the real 'move' exactly. The standard Triumph patter will allow this.

When it comes to doing 'the move', do exactly as Bmat says and go straight into it, naturally & smoothly, and it'll fly by.

Of course the audience will not be expecting a 'move' out of something you've already done a few times first, and it won't look out of place.

I hope this makes sense, I'm trying my best to avoid exposure.

Mark.

bmat wrote:...if you are talking about the move where you go to 'ahem' square the cards then you are correct. It does not look natural at all. However if you just relax and not worry to much about it, amazingly the audience does not pick up on it. I know, hard to believe on such a move. But I remember having to force myself not to cringe every time I attempted it...

I think that is the move he's referring to. And I agree with you. It reminds me of the move in Blizzard; you think there is no way the audience is going to miss it, but with the appropriate misdirection it just goes over their heads every time. Going back to Triumph, I find the move works best when using a new or new-ish deck. Works better for me, anyway - smoother.

Bicycle808 wrote:. And I agree with you. It reminds me of the move in Blizzard; you think there is no way the audience is going to miss it, but with the appropriate misdirection it just goes over their heads every time. Going back to Triumph, I find the move works best when using a new or new-ish deck. Works better for me, anyway - smoother.

I think 'appropriate misdirection' is key. I always look up at the spectator(s) once the cards are squared and I'm cutting them. I would say it always works but have to say it almost always works as I have been caught out once. That was by someone who was obsessed with working tricks out and having failed on my first couple just burned my hands obsessively, refusing to look up even for a moment, curse her.

I should have thought of doing the process for real once (without reversing half the deck of course, or you screw the trick up) before doing it with the move, that might well have helped.

Of course, had I been more experienced at the time, I wouldn't have done something requiring any sleights for someone burning my hands. Live and learn!

The trick is to make it look like you casually cutting the card. So if you do as ammar say and left more cards drop on one side at first, when you execute the "twisted cut", you should end up with 1 half on table and 1 half in your hand just like a normal cut...

Make sure your hand is flat on table ahead of the deck while you "push" the cards in so no one can see what they should not see.

Else just execute the cut, it will look like you took a portion from middle of the deck to the top. Then when you show all the cards are trully mixed togheter everyone should believe nothing has happen yet.

Believe it yourself and everyone should follow you.

Cheers everyone, and for the PM's too. Your all presuming correctly, it is exactly this area of the trick that I'm struggling to perfect as at the moment I really feel as if I'm tugging at the cut.

Anyway, I will certainly take on board all your advice and no doubt it will help improve my style.

Many thanks
Dom