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Hi, Im quite new to card magic but have practiced and learnt lots of different tricks and effects. The problem is that it seems Ive overloaded and find it hard to remember the different ones without having to go back and basically re-learn them or at least refresh. I guess my question is how many tricks do you in general know off the top of your head and can perform without trouble? I feel like its almost I learn a trick I forget an old one until I see it again. Is this just me? I want to progress but find my memory for these is holding me back.

I used to be a little like you but now I've probabaly only got about 6 or 7 routines that I perform. The best thing to do is to pick a small number of tricks and really concentrate on those. You're never goingto remember everything so just do a few and do those well.

I don't know a lot of card tricks of the top of my head but I do know a lot of sleights.
So usually I string some sleights / moves / switches / ... together and make a trick of my own.

What you have to do is learn three or four really good card tricks, try getting some good patter for it (this will help you remember the trick) and that should be it.

Besides that learn some different sleights that are used alot in card tricks and you can easily make your own ACR routine, triumph, and what not.

Preface to Royal Road goes SOMETHING like this

A young magician approaches Robert Houdin and says proudly "Mr Houdin, I know about 100 tricks with cards. How many do you know". RH replied "About 6".

Point being, the difference between knowing how a trick might work and being able to perform it fluently and entertainingly.

I realised a while ago that one only needs a handful of tricks and buying more is almost a waste of time. the only problem I have, is working out which tricks I need.

DON'T just learn many card tricks else you will become of those magicians who perform A trick at the drop of a hat. This can lead to boredom-- one of the Great ways to putting people off Magic , for life!

So, choose say, for the sake of argument, 12 card tricks, varying the effects. You do not want 12 Take A Card trick and then all you do is reveal the cards.

Sort them into 4 lots. Put each lot into a SET 'ACT'. giving you 4 Acts if there are 3 tricks in each one, or 3 Acts if there is 4 tricks in each one.

Double check you have a good opening and a good closing for each set.

NOW Just use 1 of these 'Acts' and show it and show it till you really know it.
Then go onto Act 2. Again show it and show it etc.

Then use Act 1 and Act 2..at differening times in the evening.
This will keep Act 1 fresh in your mind.

Later add Act 3. Again when known you can now extend your performance to 3 lots in an evening if you wish BUT not one after the other.
Finally 4.

Like actors repeating words till they stick. Repeating card tricks in set sequences will do the same.

List on separate cards what you do in each trick. Not FULL details but just enough to act as a memory prompt as:
1. Shuffle the deck & fan out.
2. Let them choose a card.
3. They sign it.
4. They hold it in their hands.
5. Whatever you do as the dirty deed
6. The next move. etc etc

Summarise it.

Don't be a magician who ONLY just shows off an odd trick here and there.

Remember what a great author once wrote (think it was Somerset Maughan):
'He asked me if I liked card Tricks. I said no!.
He showed me 5'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Allen Tipton

Groovebird wrote:I don't know a lot of card tricks of the top of my head but I do know a lot of sleights.
So usually I string some sleights / moves / switches / ... together and make a trick of my own.

What you have to do is learn three or four really good card tricks, try getting some good patter for it (this will help you remember the trick) and that should be it.

Besides that learn some different sleights that are used alot in card tricks and you can easily make your own ACR routine, triumph, and what not.

What was it,,,, Royal road to card magic.

Somehting like....sire I know 200 card tricks.........he replies alas I know but 6 tricks but many things I can do with them....(Something like that)


As long as you know your slights you will have something to do to amaze...

MagicalSmithy wrote:What was it,,,, Royal road to card magic.

Somehting like....sire I know 200 card tricks.........he replies alas I know but 6 tricks but many things I can do with them....(Something like that)


As long as you know your slights you will have something to do to amaze...

Read the whole thread Darn'IT !!

Hello so regardless of how many tricks you decide to learn.

I would listen to these people actually however to your point.

there is a memory system called the memory palace.

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Memory-Palace

I have a room just for my magic. Mostly to keep track of the marks on my various decks

--Infy

If you can't remember how it goes that's probably a good indicator that it hasn't been practised enough. Fairly sure I could still do Derren Brown's Out of this World if I were in a coma, because that was the first trick I really really worked on a lot.

Try routining your tricks, that might help. It's alot easier to remember a routine which might have 4 tricks in a sequence rather than trying to scrabble around in youjr brain for 4 individual tricks.

That's a good feature of Giobbi's Card College Light -- the tricks are already arranged into sets that flow nicely from one to another. You can pick out a trick here and there to learn if you prefer, but the option is there to learn a coherent set.

Which also reinforces the idea of sets and how you can put tricks together to flow and play off each other. Something so many trick compilation books don't bother with.

Thanks alot for all your advice and help, I'll work on putting a good routine together

yeah, stick to 3 or 4 effects tops...learn then, wittle 'em down til they feel like "you", that should keep you going for months and months and months...perform them for strangers - thats the most important thing...

memorised trick can be good to help you gain confidence.

but when you have the confidence try and concentrate of the principles raher than a specific trick. If you are asking someone to pick a genuine free choice card from a pack then try using a force anyway. If they luckily pick the forced card you have a much better trick. If not continue with the free choice effect.

If you happen to accidentally glimpse a spectators card then use that fact.

there's lots of impromtu stuff you can do with techniques such as double lifts, double undercuts etc.

Impromtu stuff can appear more personal and more magical than a prepared script and a prepared trick.

I usually open and close with a well prepared trick (for confidence) but like to have time for some impromtu stuff in between.