theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards
Deck-switch
- Thread starter MyReality
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Color Changing Deck, is one of the simplest applications of a deck switch. Switching in a normal deck for a gimmicked or stacked deck is one of the holy grails of card magic; whether its for an invisible deck, mnemonica, Sam the Bellhop stack, a run of poker hands, really anything you can think of.
And I don't know if you already have a deck switch you can perform well, but if you're looking for one I would highly recommend Cold Case by Gregory Wilson, it's available from Murphy's and Penguin. He gives great instruction, teaches you different switches for every scenario, even teaches you some pretty epic tricks. It's the easiest and cleanest deck switching device I've come across.
And I don't know if you already have a deck switch you can perform well, but if you're looking for one I would highly recommend Cold Case by Gregory Wilson, it's available from Murphy's and Penguin. He gives great instruction, teaches you different switches for every scenario, even teaches you some pretty epic tricks. It's the easiest and cleanest deck switching device I've come across.
You can switch in a gimmicked deck (Invisible, Brainwave, Cheek to Cheek, One Way Force, Svengali, etc.) or a stacked deck (Mnemonica, Aronson, etc.). I was fooled very badly by Cristian Engblom using his Cooler gimmick to switch in a Cheek to Cheek deck to perform aTriumph routine.
Also, check out Roberto Giobbi's The Art of Switching Decks.
Also, check out Roberto Giobbi's The Art of Switching Decks.
My routine "The Chicago Opener" uses a fun deck switch gimmick that you can create yourself using objects you already have in your home. The routine itself is quite strong as provides some motivation that you can use in your own routines.
Check it out here:
https://www.theory11.com/marketplace/michael-obrien/chicago-closer
Check it out here:
https://www.theory11.com/marketplace/michael-obrien/chicago-closer
Every time I perform a deck switch with the Cooler I worry that I'm going to get caught. Amazingly, it's so fast that no one notices the discrepancy of where the deck should be as I'm quickly pocketing away the box. It's a great effect and I've gotten some pretty good color changing back surprises out of it.
This is my favourite, also where I originally learned the deck switch:
http://www.palmermagic.com/shop/shawn-farquhar-ultimate-invisible-deck/
http://www.palmermagic.com/shop/shawn-farquhar-ultimate-invisible-deck/
Shin Lim has his deck switch called the Flash Deck Switch.
http://www.ellusionist.com/flash-deck-switch-by-shin-lim.html
http://www.ellusionist.com/flash-deck-switch-by-shin-lim.html
I have a hard time motivating the cooler. Why is the card case on the table? It makes sense if you take the deck out of he box, but it feels awkward having the cards out then setting it down onto the table only to pick it up and put it in my pocket later... Any advice? Am I missing something maybe?
I get what you are saying, and I put it like this: you have someone shuffle and then you place the cards back on the box, you recap saying they shuffled and this is under there control. while talking you use the cooler and act like this is the most natural thing in the world.
Yeah inget the motivation behind exciting the switch. The question I have is what is the motivation behind having the box on the table. Because you cannot remove the cards from the case. You have to start off with the cards out of the case. So it makes little sense to me why I would pull the deck (inboxed) out of my pocket, then remove the case out of my other pocket and place it onto the table, only to then later pick up the "empty case" and place it back into my pocket. Maybe I am reading too much into it, but it feels like so much more work thank just performing a gimmickless switch under misdirection.
Surely the whole point of the cooler is that the card box is an 'uninteresting' item. Therefore, there is no need to justify it's presence, as no one cares it's there. You have cards in your hand so why wouldn't there be a card box on the table? If people notice it, they know why it is there and then quickly dismiss it as you should be doing something more interesting anyway. Chances are most people won't even notice it.
I don't own a Cooler, but I do know what it is so understand your point about not being able to remove the cards from the box. But here's an idea: How much attention do people really pay when you remove the cards from the box? Have the cooler, loaded with your 'cold deck', in your pocket and you regular 'warm' deck just behind it. Whilst chatting, reach into you pocket and remove all of it in the one hand. Slide the 'warm' deck out from behind the box and then place the box, with the cold deck inside, on the table without paying any attention to it. I must stress that you don't in anyway need to pretend to remove the deck from the box, but given people aren't really paying any attention at this point anyway that is what they will remember.
And if they do notice the deck came from behind the the box? Well, maybe that's just because when you left the last group you were performing for you just chucked the deck in your pocket next to the box instead of putting it away properly, and maybe you just pulled everything out because it is easier than fumbling trying to just get the deck. This justifies bringing it out for no reason (as you only brought it out because you 'had to' to find the deck) and also justifies you putting it away, as the implication is it shouldn't have ever been out in the first place.
I'm not sure if any of the above make sense, but hopefully you can decipher it!
Rev
Just another thought thought: why would anyone want to spend money on some sort of 'gizmo' to do a deck switch when doing one using misdirection is just so much easier? My personal favourite is Tommy Wonder's deck switch. It's basically self working and, provided you can mask it with a bit of misdirection, should fly past anyone.
Failing that: pocket the deck, do Crazyman's Handcuffs, then remove the other deck. Works for me!
Rev
Failing that: pocket the deck, do Crazyman's Handcuffs, then remove the other deck. Works for me!
Rev
At least from my experiences, gimmicked deck switches are usually only necessary when performing gambling demonstrations or story routines. In these kind of scenarios, it is expected that your hands and the cards should be in full view the entire time, this makes it much harder to do an ungimmicked deck switch. There are some ungimmicked switches in which the cards are in full view the entire time, but these are typically very challenging and are more just to impress other magicians (if you are interested in ungimmicked, full-view deck switches, Daniel Madison has some interesting material).
Hope this helps.
The cards don't need to be in view the entire time, your audience only has to think they were in full view the entire time. A good (non deck switch) example of this kind of thing is the classic 'card to mouth' phase of an Ambitious Card. If you do it well, the audience will be convinced your hand didn't go anywhere near your mouth, even though it did. Another good example is the top change. Again, do it well and, the audience will be convinced the card never went anywhere near the deck. Perception does not need to equal reality because, hey, we're magicians!
A switch should happen on an offbeat and certainly shouldn't be done 'in full view'. In fact, most full view deck switches look like...well...deck switches! Which kind of defeats the purpose. Even the Cooler isn't a full view deck switch. If an audience was to burn your hands whilst you did it, they would see the switch. In needs to happen when no one is watching closely.
Finally, not all ungimmicked deck switches need be difficult. The Tommy Wonder switch is basically self working, and in a round-about way the deck never leaves the audience's sight. It's bold and you need misdirection to do it, but it does work. In case your curious I learned it from a Tommy Wonder lecture Tape which I believe you may still be able to get on DVD.
As for DM's material...nah... I'll pass thanks...just not my style.
Peace
Rev