talkmagic.co.uk

Hey guys,

As some of you know I've been seriously into card magic for about 5 months and I'm looking for a card trick that is just something a little special! I worked through the RRTCM ages ago and find most of the tricks in there are less than exciting! My favourites at the moment are the Biddle Trick (simple but brilliant!) and also the Zingone Spread from Braue and Hugard's Expert Card Technique.
I keep wading through the mass of card stuff that Ellusionist and Penguin Magic have to offer, but haven't found that 'special trick' that everyone has. So, has anyone got any suggestions? Whats everyones favourite un-gimmiked card trick that I can look into and purchase....
Thanks guys!


P.S. Anyone who knows the Zingone Spread and has performed it, can you suggest a better ending? Having the cards produced from the pocket instantly is good, but there is a lot of potential for having the cards so quickly located in your pocket. There could be more build up, using the rest of the cards, just to create a longer beat between the shuffles and the revelation. Any ideas? Thanks again.

Wow, talk about a tough question. Favorite ungimmicked card trick....

My current favorites are from the John Guastaferro DVD's

Lost and Found - A signed card is vanished from a clear plastic wallet. As there is some turbulence on your flight, the bags are lost, only to suddenly reappear inside the plastic wallet!

Club Sandwich/Double Monte - REALLY strong effects. Impossible card transpositions. This is my absolute favorite, right now.

Some other standards-

Your Signed Card - killer
Play it Straight - requires a small setup but is COMPLETELY worth it

Jumping Gemini - one of the best 4 card packet effects ever, no gimmicks, either.

Twisting the Aces
Spelling Collins' Aces

Ambitious Card Routine - always a great choice to expand upon. The possibilities for an ACR are limitless. There are so many different ways/places to make that card appear. If you don't know the basic routine, yet - learn it and start experimenting. ACR is ALWAYS a killer.

There's a few. Hope these give you some ideas.

Club Sandwich - now that's a great but simple card effect and thanks for the reminder Demitri. I'll have to rummage through the box at the weekend and dig this one out again.

Funnily enough, what gets the greatest effect from my spectators isn't a card trick at all.

With the cards facing me I fan them and slip the aces to the top. Then I ask them how many different shuffles they know. I then go on to show various versions of the overhand shuffle, hindu and faro. I then ask them how many different types of cuts they know and then proceed to show them approx 20 different cuts and drop the cards to the table.

I then ask them how many shuffles I did and its amasing how different the answers are. I then ask them how many different cuts I did, and again their answers differ considerably. At this stage people think you have been showing them your ability at handling cards.

I then say, 'So I did about 10 different shuffles and 20 or so cuts' and they all agree. I then get someone to turn over the top 4 cards, which are the aces. It really knocks folk for six, more so than anything else I do with a straight deck.

Of course, I leve the deck on the table cos somebody always fans through the cards and then I say, 'Was there any more aces' and their shake of the head strengthens it even more.

Other than that, the Classic Force is always very strong.

All the above are good suggestions.

For a quick, visual effect, then Shapeshifter is pretty good, especially at the end of an ACR routine.

Also, for the end of an ACR, or as an individual effect, then Torn is excellent, and very visual. To take someone's pre-signed card, rip it up and visually restore it is always good. Plus, at the end, the spec gets a souvenir.

Check out the preview of Torn here:

http://www.ellusionist.com/order/Torn-Daniel-Garcia.htm

and download the preview.

Hope this helps.

How about a few Classics of Magic like vernons "Triumph" or one of the many variations of the theme. Also learn an ambitious card routine. (SEE DARYLS AMBITIOUS CARD DVD for this it is excellant and he perorms his F.I.S.M winning Version on it).

Thanks guys, these are all great suggestions! Im going to start looking into them all straight away. I agree the Ambitious Card routine is a classic card trick, and I already have a strong AC routine done.
Although an issue I have with a lot of card tricks, such as AC or Oil and Water etc, is that they are examples of the cards doing something, rather than the performer being someone (a point very well expressed in Devil's Picturebook).
But I do also like a good card manipulation trick. A trick with a capital 'T'!
Thanks again for all the suggestions so far!

Mark..

What about out of this world. Like Derren sayes.. the spectator does most of the trick (and not just the cards) and the effect is stunning (well I think so).

Personally I like simple tricks (I don't mean simple to perform.. but using small numbers of cards) like Twisting the Aces, Jazz Aces (which I've just learnt), NFW (although this is perhaps not what you're after given the method). Basically things where I can just pick up a deck.. take a few cards.. and I'm off, but then that's just me.

SlipperyPenguin wrote:Mark..

What about out of this world. Like Derren sayes.. the spectator does most of the trick (and not just the cards) and the effect is stunning (well I think so).

Personally I like simple tricks (I don't mean simple to perform.. but using small numbers of cards) like Twisting the Aces, Jazz Aces (which I've just learnt), NFW (although this is perhaps not what you're after given the method). Basically things where I can just pick up a deck.. take a few cards.. and I'm off, but then that's just me.

Which one was Out of this World? There's so many great tricks on there I lose track! Jazz Aces is a nice, flashy effect - but I still cant get the hang of the final revelation *flicks wrist and cards fly everywhere*. NFW is another brilliant trick, but the method isn't of any use to me because I like to be able to perform on demand, with a borrowed deck. I rediscovered 'Triumph' today which I think is quite a fun trick, although not a hugely startling effect - but a good one to perform for drunk students because its so visual!
Anyway, thanks again for the suggestions - any more would be great!