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Here are a few card tricks I've learned from the michael ammar DVD. Please tell me what you think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC5vN0PFAHg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7umKtWPWDaA

8 Card Brainwave

First and foremost - NEVER say "We'll cut where you chose the card". Why would you do this? There's no reason to announce it, and there's also no explanation for it (nor should there be). I've mentioned natural movements and the like in past comments on your videos. If this was a movement - it would be unnatural. Don't tell them what you're doing. Just do it.

In it's original form, I don't think this effect should ever be repeated. Two times is REALLY pushing it (and ruining it, in my opinion), but 3? Overkill. The effect is so powerful, repeats only dilute it.

If you're interested in repeating it - I highly recommend checking out Daryl's 8 Card Brainwave 2000 (I believe it's only available on his Millenium World Tour Lecture). In this, he offers a way to add some phases to the original concept in a manner that can actually enhance the overall effect. Check it out - you might like it.

Red Hot Mama

You need some work on your Hindu shuffle. It's very tight and deliberate. It looks like you're doing something BESIDES shuffling the deck.

Tabling the red card and then picking it up again doesn't make sense here. Again - jump into the mind of your audience for a moment and watch that. Why do you need to put it back on the deck? Why not just turn it over on the table?

Your turnover needs quite a bit of work. You take a while on your get ready (which can be overcome in a number of ways - pm me if you like), and your display of the card looks forced. I wouldn't recommend showing the card in the way you did. Turning it over onto the deck is perfectly fine here, and it doesn't invite suspicion in the way your handling does.

Also, think about presentation. I know this is only a video for us to watch and comment on - but even in this forum, you should be concentrating on performance as well as technique. These videos don't engage me from a presentational standpoint. This is mostly due to the impression that you're not having fun. You don't seem excited or interested. As a result, why should I? Ramp up your presentation a bit, show some more life and spark and trust me, your reactions will be 1000 times stronger.

Excellent start. Keep up the practice!

I agree with Demitri's comments and have the following to add.

You should really be able to do all of these without looking at the deck. This way, you can keep your spek's eyes on your face when you come to do the turnover, which needs a little work.

The fact of the matter is, you've done some effects which almost nobody you randomly encounter will have a clue about how you did them. You should be proud and perform with confidence.

As you practice with the camera, so you'll improve your skill, your patter will flow and the whole trick will take on a magical dimension. Use the camera as your spek. Watch your own video and see how many times you take your eyes off the camera. See how many times your patter stutteres whilst you do something tricky. When they are gone, you've cracked it, and by all accounts, that's not going to be very long.

most of the points have been covered above. Really work on that hindu shuffle, it just looks wrong, make it smoother and relax. The same with your patter, just relax and try to sound more natural. I like to script all my routines and run through them again and again, eventually the script with become so natural it'll just flow off.

Keeping eye contact is very important something that you tend to keep loosing. I've got a nice poster of michelle marsh that I practise to, the reason for this is that I can work on keeping eye contact while I perform (which is tricky with Michelle's added distractions ) . Try it and see how you get on.

Dirty Davey wrote:most of the points have been covered above. Really work on that hindu shuffle, it just looks wrong, make it smoother and relax. The same with your patter, just relax and try to sound more natural. I like to script all my routines and run through them again and again, eventually the script with become so natural it'll just flow off.

Keeping eye contact is very important something that you tend to keep loosing. I've got a nice poster of michelle marsh that I practise to, the reason for this is that I can work on keeping eye contact while I perform (which is tricky with Michelle's added distractions ) . Try it and see how you get on.

Thanks for the comments everyone it's appreciated. What part is the turnover? And, how do I make the hindu shuffle smoother? I Can't seem to do it well.

SpongeBallSlight-of-hand wrote:What part is the turnover?

This bit that occurs between seconds 52 and 57 of the video. You really need to prepare that before you even invite the spek to look at the cards (by looking at them yourself).

You can probably make adequate preparation when you put the red on on the top.

You're making too much out of the shuffle in my opinion. You should perform the hindu at same way you would any ordinary shuffle, keep the hands lower, don't make a point of showing it the the spec and most importantly keep eye contact and chat while you're doing it.

Video yourself just shuffling a deck and watch how you do it. Try for the same look when you do the hindu shuffle.

I removed my response as it is very similar to Soren Riis's excellent response below

that's a very good point about making the hindu the 'way' you shuffle cards. I like to mix my ordinary shuffles up, sometimes I'll do a hindu, sometimes an overhand and sometimes a riffle. The spec gets used to seeing all of them so is less likely to spot you doing something different.

Also get used to just flicking the end of th deck when chatting to the spec, that way they're not going to notice you getting ready for a DL.

hope this helps

I noticed the "Michael Ammar" effect on you:
-One card, and one card only

Sorry for the silly comment but I had to add it

For this effect to be truly magical it require that the spectator (unconsciously) is convinced that:

The chosen card could be any card (this should be easy to achieve in this effect, however since the second choice is a force, you should try to find a method of selecting the first card, that help "mask" that the second choice is a force).

Your way of putting the card back in the pack looks weird! Certainly, since you are to tense and look at the cards. The way to place back the card in the pack should be without suspicion. From the clips it appears you somehow pay attention to the pack and "are doing something". I suggest that you first "establish" the Hindu shuffle as the way you shuffle the cards. By some practice you should be able to do this relaxed and on the off beat.

Your D/L is a disaster! Sorry, to say this. It is crucial for this effect to be genuinely magical that the D/L is very clean. I am not claiming that I have the perfect D/L (I do not), the way you display the two cards are not natural. I suggest you find a way to prepare for the D/L while looking at the spectator! Again on the offbeat. It is OK they are "burning" your hands but not while fumbling to find the two cards.

I suggest you also use one of a number of subtleties of displaying the spectators card in a way that the lay person (unconsciously) are convinced that there is only one card! Of course you are only holding one card , but a lay person might get the absurd idea that you in fact are holding two or more cards. Of course magicians would never do such an unfair thing, but how can the layperson know that???

The giveaway is very bad for a number of reasons!

If the spectator get the impression that you might be displaying two cards as one the magic goes down the drain!

Anyway red-hot mamma is a really nice effect even though some magicians might argue that its boils down to a very elaborate colour change that get obscured by the 51 other cards!!

With the shuffling and right card handling I think the effect - for the layperson - might become MORE magical than a colour change of a single card!!


The first brain wave effect should only be performed ONCE! By repeating it you are essential giving away that the method somehow is related to “fishy display” of the cards. Of course, serious magicians would never do such a thing as not displaying the cards in a genuine fashion, but how would the layperson know this??

I just watched the red hot mama. A tip on the D/L (which really needs alot of work). Your taking the red card of the deck and then you put it back on before showing it. Why not get that get ready while you hold the red card in your right hand apart from the deck? Simply get that break under the top card before you put the red card back on top. And try to learn another turnover, I think that one you are using is horrible. How would you really show one card? Perhaps by just flipping it over...? Practice the D/L and the hindu shuffle.
The important thing is that you have to master the sleights so good that you can focus all your attention on the presentation (not on the cards as you would be manipulating them), then you are ready to perform the trick.

Your hindu shuffle needs a lot of work

Your DL needs work

If I wasa spec Idbe totally unconvinced that what I was witnessing was happening naturally. I would have tunred over that red card LONG before I was mean to.

The first vid was better but yeh,do not draw attention to the fact youcut at a particular point.