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This is a four coin, 2 card coin assembly/matrix style routine from Paul Harris' "Art of Astonishment Book 1". I am wondering if anyone has come up with a satisfying handling for this routine that DOES NOT end with the Jumbo Coin. The routine makes a ton of sense if it ends with the Jumbo, but...

So I got lucky today. Really lucky. I'm a teacher, and I usually perform a brief magic effect for the students that are there before the bell. This is what happened today. I was doing a really simple one. One student shuffled the cards, then I ribbon spread them on the table. I let...

These two terms seem to be more or less interchangeable. I imagine this is because I am missing some subtlety? Any insight on what separates a shift from a pass?

Hi All, So to head some concerns off at the pass... I am not racing a deadline to resolve this before a performance I understand that presentation is highly dependent on personality/style I am not thinking in terms of methods right now Now that that is out of the way...

So I really love the Stuart Gordon DL and turnover. I think it is an incredibly natural way to show a card and it reinforces the idea of only having one card very effectively. Once the cards are face up in your hand, though, what do you do? Obviously this is in some ways dependent on...

This is the next frontier for me with regards to my card magic. I was wondering if people had any useful thoughts as to where to begin working with this type of magic. I am aware of a few stacks and their primary principles, but I was wondering where to begin trying to add this whole category...

So right before my indoor soccer game kicked off yesterday, one of my teammates mentioned that she had heard that I was a magician. We didn't have anything (I am very rarely without a deck of cards, but no pockets and a small cleat pouch leave little room). Someone tracked down a quarter and I...

So I have been reading a lot of theory lately (Designing Miracles by Darwin Ortiz & essays by Ascanio) and I have been putting much more time into the particular nuances and subtleties of a few individual effects to try to maximize their magical impact. To do this, I have been doing VERY...

Am I missing it?

So I have a dilemma. As magicians, we seek to present illusions that come nearer and nearer to reflecting impossible events. Effects that are highly visual, have only a brief procedure, and involve no unnatural movements are among the most sought after. In all that we do, we are attempting to...

Hi All, So I have been thinking a lot about the Top Change. To me, the essence of the move is not the mechanical component (though fluidity with that aspect is of course critical). Instead, it is finding a way to motivate the movement of the hands so that bringing them together is not...

Hi all, Just wondering what strategies people use for building their skills. I am working with Eric Jone's Metal DVD, which has an excellent compilation of sleights and moves, but I am trying to think about the best way to develop the essentials. Most of the time that people talk about...

Don't know if this is hidden out there somewhere, but these definitely deserve a review. First, a few key features that I find extremely important in any deck of cards. 1.) Matching jokers: While the design is somewhere between a mullet outline and a vulture, matching jokers are...

Hi all, Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on putting together decks with multiple gimmicked cards (ie. crimps, narrow/short cards, torn cards, etc.). Do you use cards from the same suit? Low cards? Obviously a lot of this depends on the routines. A narrow card in the same deck as...

So I am a middle school teacher, and I primarily perform my magic for my students. As a result, most of my "performances" are a single trick during my advisory period, if we have time. I am starting to move past simply doing "tricks" and trying to create more meaningful "effects", and I am...

So I have been working on the Strike Second Deal from Jason England's very fine Foundations DVDs, and it is clear to get anywhere near deceptive with this sleight will require a tremendous amount of time and effort. While I am excited about that prospect, I also like to have a sense of the end...