Messing up

Aug 6, 2017
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158
Today I was doing magic and I was doing a version of hand sandwich and they could see the cards underneath due to the angle I was at. Then I did a different trick (btw my hands were extremely shaky and sweaty) and I was doing a double lift and completely messed up. It was extremely obvious it was a DL and they called me out on it. I'm not sure how to come back from that and second the double lift I use is blaines DL but without a pinky count. I don't find it very reliable. What is a good DL to use?
 
Apr 26, 2016
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Well, for cleanup on a DL, I recommend a KM Move. It turns a double lift into a single card stealthily. As for a good DL with credibility and quality, I recommend learning a pinky count, and using a Vernon pushoff. It's the most convincing of all the double lifts.
 
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Aug 6, 2017
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Well, for cleanup on a DL, I recommend a KM Move. It turns a double lift into a single card stealthily. As for a good DL with credibility and quality, I recommend learning a pinky count, and using a Vernon pushoff. It's the most convincing of all the double lifts.

I know what a km is. Never thought to do that. Good idea! I have been working on my pinky count but I'm not that good at it
 
Apr 26, 2016
65
26
I know what a km is. Never thought to do that. Good idea! I have been working on my pinky count but I'm not that good at it
Xavier Spade had some good advice on developing your count. To start, focus on just developing strength. Just riffle down the deck with your pinky. When you can do it a good distance smoothly, then try for your precision.
 
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Aug 6, 2017
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Xavier Spade had some good advice on developing your count. To start, focus on just developing strength. Just riffle down the deck with your pinky. When you can do it a good distance smoothly, then try for your precision.
Thx! One more thing. When you pinky count does the deck need to be square?
 
Sep 9, 2017
76
27
Xavier Spade had some good advice on developing your count. To start, focus on just developing strength. Just riffle down the deck with your pinky. When you can do it a good distance smoothly, then try for your precision.

Thanks! I actually also heard him say that but had forgotten it. I've been able to learn so much in a relatively short time since I practice 8 hours a day, but the pinky count! for crying out loud it's so annoying at first :p And yeah I just focussed on precision. By now its starting to come along but I'm definitely going to focus on developing more strength now first. Also a good tip for me :p
 
Oct 12, 2016
114
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Utah
Well, for cleanup on a DL, I recommend a KM Move. It turns a double lift into a single card stealthily. As for a good DL with credibility and quality, I recommend learning a pinky count, and using a Vernon pushoff. It's the most convincing of all the double lifts.
I'll second the KM move, that's saved my butt before. Someone who knew a bit about magic pointed out that there were two cards during an ACR, and I did a KM move, showed the single card while setting up to replace the double. I proceeded with the trick using a double as I'd planned, and no one was the wiser since their theory had just been shattered as far as they were concerned.
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
Today I was doing magic and I was doing a version of hand sandwich and they could see the cards underneath due to the angle I was at. Then I did a different trick (btw my hands were extremely shaky and sweaty) and I was doing a double lift and completely messed up. It was extremely obvious it was a DL and they called me out on it. I'm not sure how to come back from that and second the double lift I use is blaines DL but without a pinky count. I don't find it very reliable. What is a good DL to use?
Your hands shake too? High five!

Although the difference is that mine shake most of the times while yours was THIS ONE TIME THAT THE SPIRITS OF MAGIC WERE AGAINST YOU! Lol...
I have never used a KM as a saver before, partly because my DL is pretty fool-proof after practice. I guess I will PM it to you.
And know what? For situations like this, you can just prepare on what your hunch says. If you feel that the audience will notice a sleight, try to modify it or keep practising it. There's is not really a way to avoid such situations COMPLETELY. We can just tip-toe our way around such difficulties. Remember Murphy's Law?
If something can go wrong, it probably will. I add 'at the worst possible time', but that is irrelevant.
Treat this as an oppurtunity to learn. Now you know what angle that effect looks bad from, right? This is mostly an experience thing. No way to avoid it completely.
But don't worry, such things happen, like, once a year! And if you practice a lot, once a decade! Anyways, am not a big fan of Blaine's DL, which is not even Blaine's, he popularised it. The DL looks great on Blaine but it leaves so much too factors you can't control, like the sweatiness of your hands, angle at which you have held the deck, etc.

And something a little off-topic, but I wonder if this happens to some others as well.
Sometimes (very rarely, and only when I am practising) everything I do fails! I try a DL, it looks jerky. I try a flourish, cards fall. I try hot shot, I can't catch the card. I try a muscle pass, the coin does not jump properly. Do the gods have a particular liking for me or do these weird things happen to others too? They last for just a few minutes and after a break, prob resolved. But it is so irritating.
 
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Aug 6, 2017
253
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Your hands shake too? High five!

Although the difference is that mine shake most of the times while yours was THIS ONE TIME THAT THE SPIRITS OF MAGIC WERE AGAINST YOU! Lol...
I have never used a KM as a saver before, partly because my DL is pretty fool-proof after practice. I guess I will PM it to you.
And know what? For situations like this, you can just prepare on what your hunch says. If you feel that the audience will notice a sleight, try to modify it or keep practising it. There's is not really a way to avoid such situations COMPLETELY. We can just tip-toe our way around such difficulties. Remember Murphy's Law?
If something can go wrong, it probably will. I add 'at the worst possible time', but that is irrelevant.
Treat this as an oppurtunity to learn. Now you know what angle that effect looks bad from, right? This is mostly an experience thing. No way to avoid it completely.
But don't worry, such things happen, like, once a year! And if you practice a lot, once a decade! Anyways, am not a big fan of Blaine's DL, which is not even Blaine's, he popularised it. The DL looks great on Blaine but it leaves so much too factors you can't control, like the sweatiness of your hands, angle at which you have held the deck, etc.

And something a little off-topic, but I wonder if this happens to some others as well.
Sometimes (very rarely, and only when I am practising) everything I do fails! I try a DL, it looks jerky. I try a flourish, cards fall. I try hot shot, I can't catch the card. I try a muscle pass, the coin does not jump properly. Do the gods have a particular liking for me or do these weird things happen to others too? They last for just a few minutes and after a break, prob resolved. But it is so irritating.
Thank you so much! I agree I do not think the double lift is reliable but I can't find any other. I also have times were I can't do anything. My hands just sfop working. My hands usually only shake when I do magic for someone the first time... which it was like you said it comes with experience. Thanks. I'll look at your DM
 
Jul 26, 2016
571
795
I think the downfall of many double lifts is the obvious "get-ready," that is done by so many magicians (even many well-known ones). It is unnatural and telegraphs to the spectators that a "move" is about to happen, and it arouses both their suspicion and scrutiny of the hands just at the moment you don't want that to happen (if ever). One day a few years back, I decided I was going to lean how to do a double lift with no get=ready at all - just take my first finger on the side of the deck and learn to "feel" two cards and flip them over casually (beveling the deck slightly helps a lot; it's almost as if you are quickly riffling up to the two cards from a point a few cards below them, and like I said, you can feel it). My success rate wasn't very high at first. But I just kept at it over and over - while watching TV, as a passenger in a car or plane - whenever and wherever. Trying not to look down at the cards. And one day something just clicked. Now it's in my muscle memory and well worth it. It's just not something that can happen overnight - but it will happen.
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
I think the downfall of many double lifts is the obvious "get-ready," that is done by so many magicians (even many well-known ones). It is unnatural and telegraphs to the spectators that a "move" is about to happen, and it arouses both their suspicion and scrutiny of the hands just at the moment you don't want that to happen (if ever). One day a few years back, I decided I was going to lean how to do a double lift with no get=ready at all - just take my first finger on the side of the deck and learn to "feel" two cards and flip them over casually (beveling the deck slightly helps a lot; it's almost as if you are quickly riffling up to the two cards from a point a few cards below them, and like I said, you can feel it). My success rate wasn't very high at first. But I just kept at it over and over - while watching TV, as a passenger in a car or plane - whenever and wherever. Trying not to look down at the cards. And one day something just clicked. Now it's in my muscle memory and well worth it. It's just not something that can happen overnight - but it will happen.
you are talking about the strike double?
 
Jul 26, 2016
571
795
@Lord Magic: "you are talking about the strike double?"

Well, yes. But I avoided using that name because in most of the descriptions and demonstrations of it that I have come across (both written and video) the magician contacts the cards at the lower bottom of the deck - in many cases even at or on the lower corner. This strikes me (if you will forgive the pun) as kind of awkward and suspicious looking, not like someone who was just casually flipping a card over. I try to pick up the two cards relatively close to the center point, almost equidistant from the top and bottom corners - but a bit more toward the bottom than the top. Of course what looks and feels natural will vary from individual to individual.
 
Aug 6, 2017
253
158
I think the downfall of many double lifts is the obvious "get-ready," that is done by so many magicians (even many well-known ones). It is unnatural and telegraphs to the spectators that a "move" is about to happen, and it arouses both their suspicion and scrutiny of the hands just at the moment you don't want that to happen (if ever). One day a few years back, I decided I was going to lean how to do a double lift with no get=ready at all - just take my first finger on the side of the deck and learn to "feel" two cards and flip them over casually (beveling the deck slightly helps a lot; it's almost as if you are quickly riffling up to the two cards from a point a few cards below them, and like I said, you can feel it). My success rate wasn't very high at first. But I just kept at it over and over - while watching TV, as a passenger in a car or plane - whenever and wherever. Trying not to look down at the cards. And one day something just clicked. Now it's in my muscle memory and well worth it. It's just not something that can happen overnight - but it will happen.

I used to do that double lift for a little. I was not as good as you. I had to look and sometimes got an extra card. The reason I stopped doing it was because I had to do it twice. When you flip the cards over do you get a pinky break so you don't have to do it again?
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
The reason I never actually liked a strike double even though it qualifies to be on of the best DLs because of the 'no-get-ready' part, the thing that does not go well with me is the fact that very rarely does anyone turn a single card like that. Almost everyone pushes off the card first. And that's a reason why I like push-off DLs better, but of course, opinions vary.
The way we (what's the word?) extract the card from the deck in a strike double looks strikingly noticable and doubles as a kinda suspicious move (yup, your pun is forgiven).
But a good strike double over a jerky push-off DL any day!:)
 
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Aug 6, 2017
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The reason I never actually liked a strike double even though it qualifies to be on of the best DLs because of the 'no-get-ready' part, the thing that does not go well with me is the fact that very rarely does anyone turn a single card like that. Almost everyone pushes off the card first. And that's a reason why I like push-off DLs better, but of course, opinions vary.
The way we (what's the word?) extract the card from the deck in a strike double looks strikingly noticable and doubles as a kinda suspicious move (yup, your pun is forgiven).
But a good strike double over a jerky push-off DL any day!:)
I agree it looks odd compared to normal. I think I am going to practice pinky count and push off that 52Kards teaches
 
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Jul 26, 2016
571
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@ Lord Magic: "I used to do that double lift for a little. I was not as good as you. I had to look and sometimes got an extra card. The reason I stopped doing it was because I had to do it twice. When you flip the cards over do you get a pinky break so you don't have to do it again?"

I think it comes down to different strokes for different blokes. Sometimes moves that seem to come really easy to other magicians seem impossible for me. As far as what I do when I flip the cards over face up with the strike move, I don't have my little finger under there ready to catch a break, cuz that also looks suspicious and unnatural. Instead, I let the cards just fall on top of the deck, but jogged just a bit inward (maybe 1/4 inch) towards my body. They will stay aligned with practice. Then, I push the cards forward with my thumb and square up, catching my pinky break in the process. And then, yes, it's easy to flip them back over face down. In other words, the strike double is only done once, in the original double turnover, when the cards are turned face up, but not subsequently in flipping the cards back over face down.

I would add that regardless of the double lift or turnover one does, he should not actually grip or squeeze the cards between the fingers as if holding on to a piece of wood, as I have seen so many do. That's a dead giveaway to a layman.
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
@ Lord Magic: "I used to do that double lift for a little. I was not as good as you. I had to look and sometimes got an extra card. The reason I stopped doing it was because I had to do it twice. When you flip the cards over do you get a pinky break so you don't have to do it again?"

I think it comes down to different strokes for different blokes. Sometimes moves that seem to come really easy to other magicians seem impossible for me. As far as what I do when I flip the cards over face up with the strike move, I don't have my little finger under there ready to catch a break, cuz that also looks suspicious and unnatural. Instead, I let the cards just fall on top of the deck, but jogged just a bit inward (maybe 1/4 inch) towards my body. They will stay aligned with practice. Then, I push the cards forward with my thumb and square up, catching my pinky break in the process. And then, yes, it's easy to flip them back over face down. In other words, the strike double is only done once, in the original double turnover, when the cards are turned face up, but not subsequently in flipping the cards back over face down.

I would add that regardless of the double lift or turnover one does, he should not actually grip or squeeze the cards between the fingers as if holding on to a piece of wood, as I have seen so many do. That's a dead giveaway to a layman.
Lol...did you not mention and quote the wrong person?
:)
 
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