Advanced Level Card Moves

Jun 3, 2020
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Probably the most complete collection of sleights is the Card College series.

Other books to consider:

Principia - Harapan Ong
Secrets of So Sato
Pure Imagination - Scott Robinson
Bloomberg Laboratories
Revolutionary Card Technique - Marlo


I loved Principia and Pure Imagination and Bloomberg Laboratories are on my list. I think that means I'm going to add the Marlo book and the So Sato book to my list as well.
RealityOne, if you don't mind me asking, how do these books compare to Principia as far as technical standpoint? Are they more difficult or advanced or about the same?
 
Jun 3, 2020
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@RealityOne As a huge Principia fan, which of those books listed would you say is the closest thing to it?
Blomberg, Pure Imagination, Marlo, or So Sato?
 

RealityOne

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Nov 1, 2009
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@RealityOne As a huge Principia fan, which of those books listed would you say is the closest thing to it?
Blomberg, Pure Imagination, Marlo, or So Sato?

So, Marlo is the furthest from Principa. I've not read Revolutionary Card Technique (it just came back into print), but Marlo's other works are very thoughtful and he approaches problems from multiple perspectives and methods. I've always found Marlo to be more of concepts, techniques and variations related to routines. You have to know who Marlo is and appreciate Marlo to appreciate that book.

So Sato is an amazingly thought provoking book . The routines are a combination of methods and techniques. Many effects are complex from an intellectual standpoint and not a sleight of hand standpoint.

Bloomberg Laboratories has a very similar feel to Principia (in part because they are both Vanishing published books). Again, it is a variety of material from relatively easy to more difficult. It has a variety of material including non-card magic, new sleights (or variations) packet tricks, full deck tricks and a effects using a deck of instruction card or a die made from playing cards. I like it because it has a lot of card tricks that have an additional element other than cards.

I have Pure Imagination but haven't read it yet. I have seen @Scodischarge perform some effects from it and they look wonderful. Maybe he could provide you with some insight.

Another book that has wonderful thinking in it is The Aretology of Vanni Bossi. I just smiled the whole way through reading this book. There is some really good stuff in it. It has a good mix of cards and other magic too. And the book itself is beautiful.

So the answer is that any one of Bloomberg, Pure Imagination or Aretology of Vanni Bossi would be enjoyable if you enjoyed Principia.
 
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Apr 1, 2020
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Another book that has wonderful thinking in it is The Aretology of Vanni Bossi. I just smiled the whole way through reading this book. There is some really good stuff in it. It has a good mix of cards and other magic too. And the book itself is beautiful.
I've been wanting that one for a while now. And Penguin recently had it in their OpenBox deals. I got greedy watching the price go down and somebody else scooped it up on me.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
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New Jersey
I've been wanting that one for a while now.

The reason that I didn't list Aretology in my original list for you is that it isn't a lot of sleight of hand. A lot of the methods are more gimmicked than skill based and there are very few effects that you can do with just a deck of cards. The methods are amazingly creative and there are some great moves in there (the Golden Change where a color change happens as you toss a card to the table is one of them).
 
Apr 1, 2020
42
31
The reason that I didn't list Aretology in my original list for you is that it isn't a lot of sleight of hand. A lot of the methods are more gimmicked than skill based and there are very few effects that you can do with just a deck of cards. The methods are amazingly creative and there are some great moves in there (the Golden Change where a color change happens as you toss a card to the table is one of them).
Gotcha. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.
 
Apr 1, 2020
42
31
@RealityOne As a huge Principia fan, which of those books listed would you say is the closest thing to it?
Blomberg, Pure Imagination, Marlo, or So Sato?
Since you liked Principia so much, have you read Harapan Ong's other book, Close Culls? It's under 20 bucks at Penguin. And it's a pretty fast read. It has a lot of cool ideas in it. My only problem is, my cull sucks. I've been working on it forever and it's still choppy.

I like his version of Jenning's Collectors. The heat is off you mostly when you have to cull in that trick.
 
Jun 3, 2020
98
72
Since you liked Principia so much, have you read Harapan Ong's other book, Close Culls? It's under 20 bucks at Penguin. And it's a pretty fast read. It has a lot of cool ideas in it. My only problem is, my cull sucks. I've been working on it forever and it's still choppy.

I like his version of Jenning's Collectors. The heat is off you mostly when you have to cull in that trick.
@PGoutis01 not yet but it's on my Wishlist. I thought my culls were great but I was just filming myself and I have a lot of work that needs to be done! So I'm definitely interested in that book.
 
Nov 3, 2018
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I have Pure Imagination but haven't read it yet. I have seen @Scodischarge perform some effects from it and they look wonderful. Maybe he could provide you with some insight.
I don't own Principia, so I don't know how Pure Imagination compares to it. That said, a quick rundown of why I like the book:
1. I love the design. I absolutely do judge a book by it's cover (only in the literal, never in the metaphorical sense!), and this book is just beautiful.
2. There are tricks for all skill levels. Some are nearly self-working, requiring only a handful of basic sleights, but there are some effects I have barely even tried, because I'm nowhere near that skill level yet (one requires you to palm what feels like half the deck (alright, I might be exaggerating, I think it was 10 or 15 cards)). On the other hand, other effects are so easy that I'm even able to do two or three of the coin tricks (caveat: about a third of the book is coin stuff).
3. There are some original and versatile techniques in the book.
4. Scott Robinson places effect above technique, so if something can be done with a simple method, he'll use that.
5. Many effects are simply beautiful.

Alright, this got longer than I'd thought. Hope it helped, anyway :)
 
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Jun 3, 2020
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@PGoutis01 have you read David Regal's newest book? Probably not considered super advanced but some of the effects are so clever, I can't imagine anyone not loving it.
 
Apr 1, 2020
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have you read David Regal's newest book? Probably not considered super advanced but some of the effects are so clever, I can't imagine anyone not loving it.
I have not. I'll have to check it out. Thanks.
I was just told that my wife bought me 4 books for Father's Day...
Pure Imagination, Blomberg Laboratories, Aretology, & 52 Memories. Looks like I'm set! Just need to decide which one to read first now!
Dope. Looks like you married the right one!
 
Jun 18, 2019
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West Bengal, India
@Scodischarge , yes thank you.
I was just told that my wife bought me 4 books for Father's Day...
Pure Imagination, Blomberg Laboratories, Aretology, & 52 Memories. Looks like I'm set! Just need to decide which one to read first now!
Those books can keep you occupied for a lifetime ( nine lifetimes, if you're a cat).


I absolutely do judge a book by it's cover (only in the literal, never in the metaphorical sense!)
All I say is that a good book, deserves a good cover.

:cool:
 
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