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the svengalli deck is a great trick to makle even the earliest beginner look like a trained magician. it is ready to work right when you get it, and is very simple.

efffect- a card is chosen from a seemingly normal deck, then returned, then the deck yurnsd into that card,

i have fooled many people with this and gotten great reactions
i give it a 8 out of 10

does anyone else own one? i would love to hear any tricks you know with it

Well thanx for chosing Talk Magic. But it's clear that your new. I not trying to put you down or anything, but there have to be at least five or six threads already discussing the Svengali Deck. I'm glad you submitted, however, next time look to see if what you posted has already been tossed around.

yes, the svengali deck can be a fantastic tool.

When I first started magic, I was not a big fan of the effect you describe - the "classic" svengali trick - is, for me, a tad too compromising. As far as im concerned, the spectator can see the solution the very moment you riffle through the cards. And I wish i had a pound for every time someone cried, "Let me take a look at them cards!" after i finished that trick.

This is not to say that the trick itself is not very good - merely my own presentation. I have, once or twice, pulled off that trick with an elaborate "hypnosis" presentation, which when the effort is put in really does have a great effect!

My favourite effect with the svengali is the following one: Get the spectator to choose a card, remember it, and then place it on top of the pack. Cut the pack two or three times to bury the card. Now begin dealing the cards onto the table into two piles, alternate cards going into the separate piles. The spectator chooses one of the two piles, and from that you offer them 26 cards, fanned in front of them. Tell the spectator to touch any card and that, miraculously, is their card! It's a trick which, i think, is worthy of any magician, and from it you can get some truly wonderful reactions.

I too like the svengali but am not a big fan of being left with a gaff deck in my hands when done.......all too often people sense something is wrong with the deck. I love the previous post, it is a great way to use the deck, produces a great effect, yet does not show an entire deck of the same card.

For other tricks with the deck, I have seen books and videos dedicated entirely to the use of the deck!

One good way of getting rid of a gaff deck like the svengali is to use a trick that requires two decks. If that makes sense. One of the effects I use is Do As I Do, and its a perfect trick to use if you need to switch a deck later, i.e. Do a trick with a red deck, then one with a blue deck, then Do as I Do with both decks, then another with the blue... put the red in your pocket now and switch for the red svengali... you get the point. Theres so much switching that very strangely no one finds anything funny about it!

Although I admit the Svengali deck can be useful, I believe that a short card encompasses many of the same traits of usefulness without being as conspicuous. The short card does not allow one to put the card back any place you want in the deck for quick retrieval, though, unless cutting the deck counts. Then again, if you're going to use a short card, you may as well go without the gaff and hold breaks properly and discretely.

Gimmicks can be a useful tool to boost a beginner's experience with magic and midirection so that he or she can move on to more impromptu methods of magic. I'm wary of card gimmicks, as people seem to be sceptical about playing cards more than any other sort of magic.

Enjoy your deck!

i have purchased a svengali deck... the first couple times i performed the trick i though it was clever, but now that i've learned how to manipulate a regular deck of cards, i've lost a little respect for the svengali deck... It's great for beginners, but you're constantly switching decks to move on to another trick, not a good choice for "street magic"

when i was like 7 years old, i went to china and i got 2 decks of magic cards. i passed by them a couple days ago and i think one of them is a svengali deck, but its in horrible condition, i never knew a routine or what to do with the deck during that time, but its pretty cool, i remember i used to like it alot even though i had no idea what to do with it

A lot of people write off the Svengali deck because loads of non magi know how it works. The REAL trick is handling it in a way that doesn't seem like it's the S Deck. Therefore if I ever use one I use a Bicycle deck to match my regular and push the cards over in clumps (hiding the dups) rather than doing the riffle type display. Some great things can be got from it.

[color=red]I had a great trick With this deck! riffel thru the pack face down to make your spectaor chooses the forced card (which happens to be nine of hearts in my case)so when they have it tell them to put it back in the deck where they found it (i can't stress this enough My Friend did this trick and messed up because he didn't Put it back in the riht place )then make it all dramatic like say "i know what your card is" but before you do this show them that all the cards are different. tell them their card. and while they are going nuts. show them that all the cards became their card

this trick is very good it packs a good effect and a killer ending

When I perform the classic presentation, right before the deck turns, I ask wach spec to look into my eyes and i quickly 'hypnotise' them by snapping my fingers ' done, done done ' or whatever. After the reveal I 'de-hypnotise them' and I find I have more than enought misdirection to do a deck switch, as they all have to look into my eyes at that point..

not that anyone asks to inspect the cards, but if they do im ready... i mainly do it this way, so I can go immediately into another effect.. if I so wished.. or they requested.

well to stop people from inspecting it carry 2 decks in your pocket! like a sevgali and a stripper or even a regular so when they ask to see the deck you put it in your pocket and if they ask again just grab one of the others.
It awalys works i havent had a problem doing this yet. it's not they are going to search you!

[edited by mods to remove colour]

Why do people have so much trouble spelling Svengali ??