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When I perform my special decks are usually in various pockets divided by a piece of cardboard. The cards are without a box, since I prefer to do the deck switch when the cards are unboxed. The special deck I use is my own modification of highly guarded secret deck that is not for sale!! I know a fultime magician who spend 3000$ on visiting various magic conventions and workshops. When he came accross this deck this whole trip had payed for itself!!!

Sorry I am not saying more, but with the handeling I invented the effect is absolutely killing! Sorry but the effect is not for sale and I am not willing to say more one the public pages of this forum

But, to answer your question: I usually write intinals on the box to help load my pockets more easily.

Take the cards out and put the box on an old book. Stick a bit of paper inside the box and push down on it with a biro. Now you will have a raised bump on the deck that you can feel with your thumb before you take the box out your pocket. The patten on the back will disguise the mark.

Put the bump in a different place to signal different decks.

I'm astounded at the level that people seem to go to in order to resolve a probolem that I don't even think exists.

I can only think that some of you must carry around a number of bricks of gimmicked decks in order to need to remember which is which, through an elaborate marking system.

I'm confused as to how someone can memorise a sequence of 40 to 50 precision moves that make up a magic routine but can't remember where three or four decks of cards are scattered around their body.

Now where did I put that old card box and the spot welding kit?

Tomo wrote:

D_Sharp wrote:On my label I write a single tiny letter.
I=ID
B=Brainwave
A=Aces ontop etc...

How do you know to pull the correct one out of your pocket during a performance, though?

I order them in my pockets and just use the letters for visual confirmation to avoid cockups!

Here's a handy one:
I put an 'E' on my ID to show which side is evens.

???

You guys must carry round bucketloads of decks for this to be an issue!

For storage purposes, the cleanest method which I adopt is to use a stainless steel card guard with a sticker on. Yeah, card guards cost £££sss, but they do keep a deck in good nick while in storage. Plus, because you're marking the guard, not the deck, you can put it back in afterwards. A bit like taking a DVD out of it's case.

As for 'which deck is in my pocket' being a problem, simply have a different deck in a different pocket, and make a little rule.

Oh, and by the way, why bother writing 'E' on the ID box when the box itself has two different sides?

Sorry, but I do think this thread is trying to solve a problem which possibly doesn't exist

When performing, I only ever carry around two decks: and I keep them in the same pocket so that I can give the impression of only one. The way I tell the difference is in the way that I originally opened the pack.

For one pack, I rip open the seal, and on the other I cut it. I can then immediately feel which deck I am about to take out, so I can take out a stacked deck if needs be.

I don't use gimmicked decks (well, at least at the moment) so I do not have the further problem of identifying the type of deck.

Most of my routines only need one deck switch at most, usually I'm very open about it and carry two decks around, a blue and a red one. When I need to switch I'll usually make up some reason to do so, either do a trick which needs two decks and then carry on using the other one (the cleanest method). Or make up an excuse, the one I normally use is 'I'm going to need you to sign a card now, that blue deck's already got some cards missing so I'll use it for this' never had a problem for this either.

There's only one routine where I do a secret switch (because I haven't found a way to do an open one). In that one I do a book test, they page is derived from 3 cards the spec chooses. I pop the deck in my pocket while doing the test and then get the other deck out afterwards.

Lady of Mystery wrote:
There's only one routine where I do a secret switch (because I haven't found a way to do an open one). In that one I do a book test, they page is derived from 3 cards the spec chooses. I pop the deck in my pocket while doing the test and then get the other deck out afterwards.

I usually just but a small piece of cardboard in my pocket and have the deck to be switched lying loose on one side of the divide together with a pen. When I look for something to write with I just pick up the pen while swithing the deck [from my experience no non-magician and hardly any magicians would read this so how this little hint is not viewed as exposure].

Of course there are better deck switches (for example by Arenson, see his book "bound to please") that technically are better, however I have NEVER been cought doing it the "blatant way". Occationally, an analytically minded spectator will ask if I used more than one deck of cards in my performance (and this usually after I used at least 3 different decks, which I hardly ever does).

I would not switch between a red and blue deck, but stick to the same colour.

It's very interesting how much magicians worry about deck switching. I usually give the spectator a free choice of the deck I'm going to use and then with a little magicians choice perform with the correct one.

The thing I like about using different coloured decks is that even though the switch is obvious, as long as there's a reason for it no one will suspect a thing. Even more so because you let them choose the deck at the start so there's no way you can be going anything dodgey.

Lady of Mystery wrote:It's very interesting how much magicians worry about deck switching. I usually give the spectator a free choice of the deck I'm going to use and then with a little magicians choice perform with the correct one.

The thing I like about using different coloured decks is that even though the switch is obvious, as long as there's a reason for it no one will suspect a thing. Even more so because you let them choose the deck at the start so there's no way you can be going anything dodgey.

I see where you are comming from and for many situations I agree. I think it depends on what happened before and after the deckswitch. If you have 5 spectators shuffle the deck (in magic jargon to "anchor" the fact that the deck was shuffled), it is not good to just do an off beat deck switch or the deckswitch I suggested above. Then I recommed Arensons deckswitch (women not wearing a belt, might need another method).
I usually do a deckswitch is situations where it is important that the spectator takes for granted that only one deck of cards is being used. Not always crucial, but it enhance the effect.

Anyway, it really depends of the situation.

Totally agree Soren, it all depends on the situation.

I plan my routines so the deck switches make sense. The one routine where I do need a secret switch, obviously the two decks are the same colour.

I think that it might be interesting to use two decks in this way: if you have a red deck and a blue deck and switch between them (possibly after a twin deck effect, or maybe with some other explanation), you might more easily be able to get away with a secret deck switch.

Perhaps the focus on the fact that there are two decks will suggest that there are no more.

Well here what I do two decks set up the same way one in my left pocket one in my right, once one deck gets a bit worn or mixed up and re set will take too long out comes another one.

For your force Lady of Mystery why dont you just cull the cards? I think we are over complicating a problem here!

Simple:


Triology left trouser pocket
i.d right jacket pocket
normal deck left jacket pocket

if you do this every time you do a job its just natural to remember which ones where and to switch a deck just do a coin or sponge ball effect in between couldnt be simpler. Also some suit jackets have 3 compartments in one pocket, i have been told these compartment were for the old watches people used to carry around. Seeing as people dont use them watches anymore ats quite strange while there still there. I call it my little change pocket.