talkmagic.co.uk

Hello Everybody

Hope everyone is well. I'm new to magic and currently working through the RRTCM which I bought several months ago to start card magic. A brilliant book as I'm sure you'll all know.

However one thing that I could do with some help with is leading from one trick to another where certain cards have to be stacked in the pack. For example, in RRTCM the riffle shuffle tricks involve having all the cards of one suit together. If you wish to attempt one of these tricks in the middle of a routine it seems impossible to do without letting everyone see you sort through the cards. Any ideas or suggestions?

Many thanks for advice in advance....

Kippy

The easy answer is, don't do those tricks in the middle of a routine! Seriously, there are plenty of non-stacked tricks, so why worry about using one of the stacked ones?

Kati

It's not impossible. You could cull these cards to the top or something on the offbeat. For example, if I want all 4 aces on the top, I just cull them with some patter. I generally like looking at my cards anyhow so my spectators are used to it. Injog the cards when spreading the cards and square up the deck with the cards injogged and pass them to the top.

Another way could be to use another deck! Have another deck prepared in you pocket or in your bag! Say you done, then put the deck into your bag, and do something like "Actually, let's try one more trick!". Then you've secretly stolen the other deck!

StEvEbO!

Another way could be to use another deck! Have another deck prepared in you pocket or in your bag! Say you done, then put the deck into your bag, and do something like "Actually, let's try one more trick!". Then you've secretly stolen the other deck!

I can fully back up that recommendation! A so-called "deck switch" is very powerful, indeed. Also useful if you want to insert an effect with a trick deck and you have fully established among the audience that you are using regular non-gimmicked cards.

Some further suggestions can be found in Annemanns "202 Methods of Forcing". They require some practice, but it's well worth it.

If you are sitting at a table a simple "change of hands" under the table (actually, also a "change of decks") might already do the trick. A card holder will make this easier.

Also change bags and even (at intermediate to large distance) a sufficiently large mirror glass work great.

Kippy..

I too struggled with this as a beginner as there are plenty of books and DVDs etc.. for tricks and techniques but nothing to show you how to put a routine together (If there is I'm sure someone will tell us both !).

In the end I decided to do two things.

1: Deck switches (like has already been mentioned.. "Oh you want another" etc..). This has the advantage of allowing people to see an ungaffed/stacked deck which the assume is used throughout).
or
2: I sometimes vary what I do with a quick rope/ring trick (or something other than cards) and then go back to the cards (obviously switching decks).

As a beginner who struggles with this myself, I recommend you sit down and work through a simple routine where tricks are not only ordered by their effect but also on how they use the deck as I found this really helped. For instance.. have the 4 aces on top for something like twisting the aces.. then have the bottom of the deck stacked and cut these to the top etc.. Then when the deck is completely used (ie. Out of order) then switch it.

If anyone has any other ideas I'd (like you) be most pleased to hear them.

Slippery

use 2 decks and switch or do your stacked deck trick at the start of the performance and get them mixed up ready for the next trick in case a spectator wants to view them. but remeber when doing a routine it doesn't have to be BAM BAM BAM FULL ON ALL THE TIME use the gaps in between tricks to build the anticipation (PATTER) and make the final Trick a BLAST, work out which is your best trick and think on the situation do you do it first or last?

Thanks for all your advice everybody.

I'm already putting your tips into practice. I quite like the idea of doing things in the open. After setting up the deck in front of people, the following sleights should be enough to convince them the deck is no longer stacked in anyway. The more I think about this the more it makes sense.

Once again thank you

Kippy