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Hi, I got one question what are best books to read next.
I only got:
Expert at the card table
Royal road to card magic
Expert card technique
I want to expand my library(although it is not very big)and learn more.
I am mostly interested in everything gambling related...
Thanks

EDIT: I forgot to mention I also have Cardshark.

How much are you looking to spend?
Are you wanting a little single book like EATCT or would you look at a few volume set?

Edit: Also, you say "everything gambling related", have you looked at the mathematical side of gambling as well?

I am looking to pay less then 50€ per volume, but more for single books because they are worth more.
I am looking for anything, books or volumes it's pretty much the same, only the prices are different.
I don't know about mathematical gambling, maybe I heard of it, but I would like to hear more about it...

I'd recommend Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz. Not for learning any tricks or sleights, but for some good insight into using the tricks and sleights to make your magic better.

I don't have any of his other books, but they may also be of interest if you are going for gambling-based routines.

Ian

Ok, I will check it out...
Thanks

One book I have just read is called How to cheat at everything by Simon Lovell

It is more about scams and hustles rather than card magic (although there are is a chapter on slight of hand) but I found it a really useful read.

There are also some great card hustles in there that would fit perfectly within a gambling routine.

Standard 2 places to start with a bit of interesting gambling math knowledge

1) The Monty Hall problem - perceptions of conditional probabilities
2) The Martingale System - a gambling system that guarentees a return and is independant of the probability involved

Those can be picked up with minimal maths knowledge.
If you want to go further read some books on probability and statistics

Card College (Roberto Giobbi) will give you the best foundation in card technique possible.

Do not buy more than one volume at a time. Start with Vol. 1 and take your time to work your way through it. After that, you won't need to be told to buy the rest (again, just buy one at a time).

Going sideways a little, "Impro" by Keith Johnstone is a good book for performance skills.

Anything by Martin Nash, aka The Charming Cheat.

Thanks for all replies...I have another question is Darwin Ortiz at the card table really worth that much or it's only because its OOP...
Thanks

Why do you need more books at the moment ? You can obviously spend your money how you wish but in the context of your posts I don't understand why you'd NEED more books.

You said in a post about 2 weeks ago that you'd been practicing for 2 months, so its now about 2 and a half months, let's say 3. In those 3 months you've been through Expert Card Technique, Expert at the Card Table, Royal Road to Card Magic, and Cardshark, books that would give any serious student years of study. The material in any one of those could be used in a gambling themed routine or expose. Studying all of them there would be no end to what you could achieve.

Unless you're planning on actually cheating at a game there is no need to learn half the "gambling sleights" you'd think. We are magicians and we cheat, and usually when we are demonstrating how we cheat, it is a lie. A magician can demonstrate many of the classic gambling ideas like false deals, stacking hands while shuffling, tracking and controling the aces etc, without ever learning how to do the real sleights - we cheat. Using the sleights and false shuffles from those books, you could do a very convincing gambling expose routine. You don't have to actually be able to do what you are claiming, it only has to appear that you can.

If you're hell bent on more material anyway then I suggest you look into Steve Forte. I haven't heard much of him for a few years and don't know if he has any books out. If he has though, I think it will be your cup of tea.


Jim

Well Jim, I just wanted to take a couple of more books to get more info about false dealing...Do you think I should wait a couple of years until I could do everything that I like in those books or should I buy at least 1 volume of Card College?
I don't know why, but I would like to have at least a couple of more books that I could use for more information...
Thanks

I agree with Jim, you have more than enough to keep you going - that is if you actually go through and read that information. Here's the problem though, reading is hard! Getting the information from those books into your brain and then into performance is difficult. I've learnt absolutely zero from Erdnase. I can see why it's a classic, but the information is not in an easily accessible format, in my opinion.

Books are great for learning routines but I feel for learning moves and mechanics then a visual format is better for getting a feel for how to moves should look.

Lastly, more information! There's that great quote 'knowledge is power' but it's wrong, it should say - 'the application of knowledge is power' - To sum this up in terms of magic, getting more books / dvds / whatever won't make you a better magician. Doing more magic will make you a better magician.

Aarghhh - that's like all the secrets of magic in that post there (mods feel free to edit / delete! )

CardManipulator wrote:Thanks for all replies...I have another question is Darwin Ortiz at the card table really worth that much or it's only because its OOP...
Thanks

Well, there's always the DVD's...

If you're into gambling routines, Darwin Ortiz is just about the best there is (as is demonstrated by his scholarly work: The Annotated Erdnase)