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I just wanted to chime in as someone who purchased Pot of Jam a few days ago. I consider myself a beginner, but since I've been in and out of it for 10 years and lurking in forums for most of that, I'm not a sucker for ad language. I've gotten pretty good at seeing through a demo/trailer and...

Yeah I also just learned about DelGaudio a few weeks ago, and I've been trying to figure out how to get to New York ever since. Unfortunately the show ends in May so we don't have much time...

And for the record, I completely agree with everything Maaz has been saying. We've all been through the place you're at right now. You've just learned a bunch of really cool miracles, watched every clip of David Blaine or Chris Ramsey or whomever, performed a few times for family and friends (to...

Street performing is easy. Just go do it! You may or may not be able to put out a hat or tip jar depending on the municipal laws on busking, but as far as just performing, it's as simple as standing on the sidewalk and doing your thing. If you have a very visual piece that doesn't require...

2 weeks is not a long time to practice. I wouldn't get discouraged yet. Also, you will never be able to "hide" the pass completely. Dai Vernon famously said that no one has ever invented an "invisible" pass. Misdirection is always involved. I don't have it, but you can't go wrong with Jason...

I promise you everyone here can relate haha. I was listening to a Richard Turner interview a couple days ago (best card mechanic in the world, look him up), and he was talking about how he will work on a single move for multiple years to master it. Obviously not all moves need that mileage, but...

Thought I would stir the pot a little bit ;) Listening to an interview with Jason England, and he says, "I understand that at it's core [mentalism] is magic. You know, it's just we're all doing impossible things." Just one man's opinion, but it goes to show if you think mentalism is...

I was listening to an interview with Richard Turner, and he was talking about Dai Vernon. He said that Vernon would never teach someone above their level. In other words, he would ask to see something from you, and then he would give you a little boost based on your current skill, but he...

Wow, it's funny he should post that video and ask this question at this time. Definitely gave me something to think about!

I'm also a beginner, but from what I understand, Expert at the Card Table is mostly focused on gaming sleights (false shuffles, cuts, deals, ways of positioning cards in the deck). Not sure how much material it has for the more "flashy" stuff you want to learn. Card College covers just about...

Using the Biddle grip is genius. That's my primary gripe with the glide is that you use a a grip and deal from the bottom of the deck that seems totally unnatural and unlike anything else you do. Using Biddle grip at least seems more natural and familiar. I'll give it a try! I'm miles away from...

I hope the mods don't mind me resurrecting this thread. I've been working out of RRTCM lately, and this is a really useful reference. A question for people more experienced than I: Now You See It and Design For Laughter seem to be very popular among RR fans, and yet they make extensive use of...

We live in a society where it's socially acceptable for grown men to spend hours (literally cumulative YEARS of their lives) watching other people chase inflated pieces of rubber. If you have an ounce of curiosity, intellect, or creativity, don't expect to be understood or gratified by most of...

As a neophyte amateur magician, I was delighted at the anecdotes and insights Alex Stone provides in his autobiographical account of magic culture. As someone who takes magic very seriously and takes secrecy as a real responsibility, I was horrified at just how much exposure there is in this...

As I already have so much material to learn from, I'm really trying to limit spending on shiny new things. BUT I did get a great deal on David's Cull over at Penguin, and unrelated to black friday, it looks like I may have found a used copy of Card College Vol. 1 for a discount. I find unicorns...

Hey Antonio, I purchased Angle Z soon after it released. Like you I understood the basic method, but there was one particular (auditory) detail I didn’t understand, and so I purchased anyway. Was it worth it? Hard to say. It was necessary for me—may not be necessary for you. I will say, I...

I'll try this next time! Thanks for the thought.

Back to the topic. I watched The Prestige at age 16, and I was so in love with the "behind the scenes" aspect of magic shown in that film; I blindly searched on Google "where to learn magic." Ellusionist.com was the first thing to come up, and it totally blew my mind. You mean all I have to do...

35 -- that's awesome! The challenge with magic is you really need to spend ridiculous amounts of time getting good at it, and the results aren't immediately apparent. You have to go out and perform for someone to get the full effect (pun intended). I'm wondering if there's something our local...

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm going to try and refine the same routine and really get it down pat for the next S.A.M. meeting on December 18. Obviously that's a different audience all together, but I'll let you know how it goes!