Bluff Pass vs Marlo's Tilt

[Maaz Hasan]

Just curious to see which 2nd (or x) from top control you guys prefer and why.

Personally, I prefer the bluff pass. I feel like I can create a much more powerful illusion using a few subtleties, and make it more convincing. I also feel like I have more control on where the card goes, while the spectator thinks the same thing because they put the card back themselves. Not to mention it is significantly easier and thus has a lesser chance for error.

 

[010rusty]

I chose other.
I just prefer a basic, pass and do a overhand shuffle to put one card on top. I use that method pretty frequently.

 

[kolebear]

COVER PASS! Its invisible from almost all angles. If done right, your hands seem to be barely moving .

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

As a go-to control for getting a selection 2d (or x) from the top, I hold the deck in my right hand (I am right-handed) about 4-5 inches above my left hand, which is held at just above waist level. I then ask the spectator to call out stop whenever they like as I riffle the cards letting them trickle down into my left hand. ("LH") When they say stop, I thumb over the top card of the pile of cards in my LH and raise my LH hand up so they can see that card, and they are asked to remember that card. I then thumb it back over square with the other cards in my LH, as I drop the LH back down to just above waist level. The remainder of the cards in my right hand are then riffled on top of the cards in LH, but the first few cards are out jogged in the process and the rest of the cards then casually and carelessly riffled on top of all. From this position, I do one of two things: (1) Get a break as I square up and double undercut the selection to the top, then go into an overhand shuffle, running one card on top of the selection, out jogging the next and shuffle off. I then give the cards a cut at the break and the selection is 2d from top; or (2) Get a break as I square up, but cut at the break and immediately go into a riffle shuffle, contriving to have the selection end up 2d from top, and then false cut.

Although I have done controls of a selected card many, many ways throughout a lifetime of being a magician, I have found, through my experience, that the above method(s) work best (for me) for several reasons. This is already kind of a long post, but if anyone wants to know the specific reasons why I have settled on the above method(s), then I will be happy to explain them.

 

[Maaz Hasan]

COVER PASS! Its invisible from almost all angles. If done right, your hands seem to be barely moving .

Didn't even think of that! The cover pass is a very powerful move, and I should've put it up there.

 

[Maaz Hasan]

@010rusty and @Al e Cat Dabra,
My only personal issue with that is that I hate shuffling the cards right after having them return a card, or In the middle of an effect without a reason other than to mix them up because we just lost there card. I've found that if I were to say (or my actions were to visually say) "ok let me just shuffle up the deck", the spectators are much more suspicious of me, and will then want to shuffle themselves, where as if I simply go on with the trick, they never have that opportunity. It's probably because from the spectators Point of View, the card was already lost when you put it in the deck.

@010rusty, A variation of your method which I actually do use a lot and may actually be cleaner (at least, in my opinion). Do a pass, then use the top card (their card) to gesture to the deck (with the back of the card facing them of course) saying something about their card being lost in this deck (usually, I would ribbon spread the cards if I have a table, or fan them out, and use their card to gesture, eliminating any chance of them seeing there card), and then do a top change, cleanly dropping the new card on top of the old one afterwards. This provides me both a reason for doing what I did, as well as the off beat to do the switch. Plus I don't have to shuffle the cards If you absolutely must shuffle the cards, do a false shuffle, or one that maintains the top stock, here, because now your excuse is "I have seen the cards, so I must shuffle", but don't say anything about shuffling.

@Al e Cat Dabra Why not get a break under the bottom card in the stock in your right hand, drop the one first, then jog out all the cards after that, allowing your double undercut to directly control the card to the second position? Or why not do a pass after dropping the one card?

Again, this is just my personal view point, if it feels like I'm criticizing you (which I hope it doesn't, because I'm trying not to), just take it as constructive criticism

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

Good points, thanks!

 

[010rusty]

@010rusty and @Al e Cat Dabra,
My only personal issue with that is that I hate shuffling the cards right after having them return a card, or In the middle of an effect without a reason other than to mix them up because we just lost there card. I've found that if I were to say (or my actions were to visually say) "ok let me just shuffle up the deck", the spectators are much more suspicious of me, and will then want to shuffle themselves, where as if I simply go on with the trick, they never have that opportunity. It's probably because from the spectators Point of View, the card was already lost when you put it in the deck.

@010rusty, A variation of your method which I actually do use a lot and may actually be cleaner (at least, in my opinion). Do a pass, then use the top card (their card) to gesture to the deck (with the back of the card facing them of course) saying something about their card being lost in this deck (usually, I would ribbon spread the cards if I have a table, or fan them out, and use their card to gesture, eliminating any chance of them seeing there card), and then do a top change, cleanly dropping the new card on top of the old one afterwards. This provides me both a reason for doing what I did, as well as the off beat to do the switch. Plus I don't have to shuffle the cards If you absolutely must shuffle the cards, do a false shuffle, or one that maintains the top stock, here, because now your excuse is "I have seen the cards, so I must shuffle", but don't say anything about shuffling.

@Al e Cat Dabra Why not get a break under the bottom card in the stock in your right hand, drop the one first, then jog out all the cards after that, allowing your double undercut to directly control the card to the second position? Or why not do a pass after dropping the one card?

Again, this is just my personal view point, if it feels like I'm criticizing you (which I hope it doesn't, because I'm trying not to), just take it as constructive criticism

Yeah that makes sense. Thanks for the tip!