talkmagic.co.uk

I recently purchased Michael Ammar's Easy to Master Card Miracles volume 1.
One of my favourite effects on the DVD is the Triumph but I'm having a bit of trouble with one of the steps, I was hoping someone would be able to help me out;

I can do the false shuffle bit, but after the cards have been stripped out and placed on top, Ammar makes 2 cuts, showing the cards are all mixed up, then a third one exactly where the 2 halves (upside-down and regular) meet.

He says something like "rely on the natural break" or "cut at the natural break" but when practiing this, I never quite manage to cut the right place, and have to pick up or drop a few extra cards.

Am I just supposed to guess at where the 'natural' break is? Or am I missing something?

Thanks,
Kiran

Am I just supposed to guess at where the 'natural' break is? Or am I missing something?

The natural break refers to the natural bend in the cards which creates a break when some cards are facing the wrong way in a deck. For example, try giving the cards a spring and then turn half of the upside down and square the deck. You'll see a definate gap appear. This is the natural break. A brand new deck has hardly no natural break, where as a worn in deck will have more of a break. I hope that helps.

I learned this from watching Vernon Revelations. For what it's worth, try holding a break with the thumb when placing the packet on top

Hope this helps

Shawn

Shawn74 wrote:

For what it's worth, try holding a break with the thumb when placing the packet on top

If you follow what GoldFish has said then there is no need for a thumb break. The cards naturally keep a break in themselves. What GoldFish has said is EXACTLY what needs to be done, but it appears that Mr. Ammar has not made this clear to our friend Kiran on the DVD. I can't comment on it, I haven't seen it but I am familiar with this concept from other versions of triumph I've learnt elsewhere.

Thanks for the tips.

I wasnt really sure exactly what the 'natural' break was, but after having a closer look I can now see what I'm looking (or feeling) for.

I'll be much easier to practice the trick all the way through now,

Thanks again,
Kiran

I don't like the shuffle that Ammar does, it's unnatural and 'fishy' - I much prefer the slop shuffle, it looks so random to specs.

Try John G's DVD's or Sankey's 'Back in Time' for great versions of Triumph.

Thanks for the advice TheMightyNubbin

Do those DVDs you mentioned show how to perform the slop shuffle?

If not, could you tell me of any books that do?

Kiran, Just an extra tip. Try to perform this using a breather crimp. Do a false shuffle keeping the breather on the bottom of the deck.You ask the spectator to pick a card. cut the deck in half and complete the cut. Place the deck on the table. Patter a bit. then proceed with the routine. By doing a fair cut then placing the deck on the table it looks completely fair and the specs think there is no way that you can find their card. Also when you cut the cards to shuffle face up to face down the breather makes it easier to locate where you should cut the cards. Hope this makes sense.

Moderators if this is too much exposure please delete this post.

edh

edh, consider what you've just said; you're suggesting a breather crimp to a magician who was unaware what a natural break is. No offense to Kiran intended, but rather edh, you should be explaining what a Breather Crimp is.

Personally, I think adding a crimp to this situation is just over complicating matters, as the natural break in the cards does the job perfectly.

GoldFish wrote:

Personally, I think adding a crimp to this situation is just over complicating matters, as the natural break in the cards does the job perfectly.

I gotta agree with that. Somehow I can't shake the thought that some people are focusing to much on making this trick entertaining to perform and not enough on making it entertaining to observe. What's next? Will someone add a Cybil cut into the method as a necessity? There are loads of professionals on here who live by the words "keep it simple". Whilst I enjoy a learning to do "knuckle busters", I only try and perform them for people if the impact on my spectators is as hard hitting as the test on my patience to learn it.

Anyway, has anyone got a video of Vernon's Triumph? I know quite a few versions of it but alot of them I don't know the origin.

If you don't wanna bend the cards you could always use the Sankey method of finding the break in the cards. As he's cutting into the deck to show the audience face-up and face down cards he says "and for you sir, I bet I can even find some cards face to face..." and then proceeds to openly riffle up the back of the pack and find the break in the two halves of the deck. I've used this method a few times and no-one ever suspects anything. It saves having to bend your cards.

Kiran wrote:Thanks for the advice TheMightyNubbin

Do those DVDs you mentioned show how to perform the slop shuffle?

If not, could you tell me of any books that do?

Yes - both vids show the slop shuffle - and the actual mechanics of the slop shuffle couldn't be easier - again, as ever, presentation of the slop to look random is the key part.

And def. no need for crimps! If anything just concave the whole deck a bit more. It's just practice to cut to those natural breaks.

This effect is so simple and strong - the actual mechanics are quite easy. As Vernon said the key thing is you really have to 'sell' the setup.

edh, consider what you've just said; you're suggesting a breather crimp to a magician who was unaware what a natural break is. No offense to Kiran intended, but rather edh, you should be explaining what a Breather Crimp is.

Personally, I think adding a crimp to this situation is just over complicating matters, as the natural break in the cards does the job perfectly.

Your right I would explain to the magi what a breather is. If it is not exposing to much. That is why I asked the mods. to delete the post if it was exposing to much.

How could adding a breather over complicate matters? Doing the effect involves adding the selection to the deck and then controlling the card to the top. However you do this is adding an extra step to the routine. In adding a breather all the magi has to do is cut the cards have spec. put his/her card onto the cut cards complete the cut and put the deck onto the table. Patter a bit and then cut to the breather. Then follow up with the routine.
Please explain how this complicates the routine. I think this makes the routine simpler and with no extra cuts/controls.

looking forward to your suggestions.
edh

Please explain how this complicates the routine. I think this makes the routine simpler and with no extra cuts/controls.

Firstly, I didn't say it overcomplicates the routine. That suggests that I thought the spectator would be confused by the inclusion of a breatehr crimp. Seeing as the spectator shouldn't know about a crimp, that would have been naive. What I was actually saying is that a breather crimp is an unneccessary technical addition to how the effect works. From the magician's point of view it is easier to use a natural break than to use a crimp. Why over complicate things for your self when it isn't neccessary.

My advice is to use the Triumph found in John Bannon's Impossibilia. Set up is easy, one or two false cuts to start out and the rest is completely automatic. Did it last night to great effect.

As for the 'Keep it simple'-rule: No need to control selected car to top or bottom. Just hold a pinky at the place in the spread where the spectator puts back his card and just cut there to split the deck in the face-up and face-down parts.
This is the way Dai vernon himself explained it on his Revelation-dvd.

Grz. Rob