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Ok. I have said many times that I am going to direct myself in to the gambling theme of magic. I don't like cheesey magic etc and I like various gambling games, so I felt this was a sensible choice.

Moving on, I'm dedicating this summer to getting wasted, partying and getting my magic skills up a peg or two. I need some help in structuring my routines around the gambling theme. I'm basically scared of it being boring.

Let me explain...

I need advice on structuring my routines so they flow quite pleasently (sp?), they are based around gambling, or cons, or street games etc. and so they are not boring. I don't want people saying "Oh, another gambling trick" However, I don't wish to go from a Monte Routine to a silk routine or anything like that. I don't perform silks, ropes, sponges etc.

I am a naturally funny guy when performing magic. However, I just need a little help in structuring a few routines together which are lively and still tie in with my theme as a magician.

Cheers
Mike

Involve money?

But seriously, you could make it interesting by teaching someone how a gambling or street game works. You almost give them a tutorial on how a normal game works and bet a pound at most. Then you raise the stakes but then throw in the magic angle until their down fifty quid and everyone else is laughing their @$$es off. Of course, in the end you would decline to take any of their money because you're just too nice of a guy.

Funnily enough I was just watching The Real Hustle where they played a game of Nims or something with that name.

Basically you throw a load of matches on the table and the first person picks out 1,2 or 3 matches and places them infront of themselves. Then the next person picks out 1,2 or 3 matches. After this, the first person has to pick out the matches consecutively, so if they picked out 2 matches to begin with, they need to pick out three the next time. I think that was what they are saying

Basically, you win everytime. Until you let them know the secret of how you keep winning and you let them understand the con. Then you play again, and still win.

You talking about something like that? Or things like the rubbish Vegas Card Cheat where you reveal how to do the pass

If you're working on a gambling-themed routine, look no further than Heirloom:

http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic2607.p ... t=heirloom

..and then check out the downloadable 'Legacy' pack, from the Underground Collective here: http://www.underground-collective.com/e ... duct_id=15

If you're looking for a phenomenal gambling effect, look no further than the Professor.

Dai Vernon's Poker Deal is an incredible effect. While demonstrating how gamblers cheat at cards, you show how a cheat can deal himself four aces. You then discuss how in order to really make money, you need the other hands to be strong hands. You then proceed to deal out the cards again - with an incredible climax. Even showing the "methods" in the beginning will not prepare the audience for the finale.

It has all the makings of classic magic. The best part is, while you look like a master sleight of hand artist - it involves almost none.

If you want a routine that is powerful, has a great focus on story and presentation, is easy to learn from a mechanical standpoint, and is easily 5-10 minutes of incredible magic - this is what you need.

shall be keeping a keen eye on this thread as i too am toying with this idea at the mo!!
maybe throw in a few fancy cuts to cut to the aces to demo how you could cheat at cards, also i have found the perfect royal flush plays a treat and can be find on an early michael ammar tape, and also the ultimate 3 card monte is lovely.
how about 2 card monte, or there is an effect in royal road called lucky card, but whatever you do make sure it has variety and pace. but if your using cards then stick the act to card based as then you will have people convinced you are an expert in the field of cheating!! hope that help mate.
andy

You could always look at the work of Ricky Jay. This is on my CUPS list, perhaps it might inspire you.

http://rickyjay.com/poker.html

Darwin Ortiz is a good source of gambling oriented routines. They do require a degree of skill in second and bottom dealing though.

I do a simple gambling routine where I tell them I'm going to demonstrate how some of my skills could be used to manipulate card games. I display the Royal Flush, stack a five-card hand of poker by shuffling, and reveal that I have the high hand. I tell them you do it by "counting cards" and I demonstrate by "dead-cutting" 20 cards from the deck. In Derren Brown Trick of the Mind Croupier style, I tell them that it's harder with odd numbers and that it's important to be able to read people and how they're going to react. I set a block of cards on the table and ask them to name an odd number. They count the cards on the table and it matches. I then do a silly "cut the deck into five piles and mix them up, then show that you shuffled the royal flush" in order to "demonstrate" how I shuffle the deck.

There's very little sleight of hand involved apart from the stacked deck, but if you were to pre-stack the deck or stack by dealing, you'd have an entirely self-working routine. PM me if you want the full routine and instructions, since there's very little "magic" (in a conventional sense) involved and it's very easy to do.

Ciao,
Rob

As far as routining a gambling themed act I would suggest that you start with a premise such as the story of a famous gambler who cheated vegas and then the show is you 'showing' the audience how he did it.
This gives you plenty of scope for patter
A great DVD set which contains gambling themed effects is the Sal Piacente Lecture notes vol.1 + 2. Also a lovely and easy routine based compleltey on gambling is Aunt Marys terrible secret which is a 3 phase routine in which two spectaors get the chance to win cash (or in my case IOU's) but even when the odds are clearly stacked in their favour thay go home empty handed.

thanks for the info on this guys, shall check them out for sure!!

Luke Jermay does a rather nice 10 card poker deal in which you can easily change the geist you use (i.e. you could do it as though you are psycologically forcing them to choose the cards, or say, you're a card sharp and are using sleights to obtain the best hand etc).

See a video of it here: http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=1598

I've used this on a number of occasions with friends and they all think that it's amazing.

Thanks for the advice people. I will be putting it to use.

Sorry to bump an old thread. I was curious how your summer of kegs, cons and cards went?? Did you establish a routine that worked for you?

If you can get a copy, I recommend checking out Andrew Wimhurst's video: The Card Artistry of Andrew Wimhurst. He has a great and polished gambling routine where each trick flows nicely into the next. I like the fact that in the middle of his act, he does a great card to pocket routine that, rather than taking away from his performance (which is gambling oriented), enhances it. Also, he shows some impressive tricks centering on gambling in bridge, as opposed to poker. I learned from him not only valuable sleights, but also the concept that I can theme things to fit my performance. Normally, I think of gambling routines focusing on poker or blackjack (at least where cards are concerned), but I like the idea of having other tricks you can perform within the same set that add some variety and other gambling possibilities.