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I've got a few tips for you. 1. Don't square the cards and then do the pass afterwards. Do those two things simultaneously. In the context that you're doing the pass here (after closing a spread), the pass is supposed to blend into the squaring action. 2. Keep your top hand still. At the...

I would say that the essentials for a magician's card cheating library are these: Foundations (all volumes) by Jason England Gambling Protection Series by Steve Forte The Cheat (all volumes) by Richard Turner The Expert at the Card Table by S W Erdnase Casino Game Protection by Steve Forte...

Red: King of Spades White: 5 of Clubs Blue: 2 of Hearts Red: 10 of Hearts White: 8 of Spades Blue: 5 of Diamonds

There have been a few threads on here recently about fooling or impressing other magicians. So, I thought I'd share my ideas on the subject. First, it's important to have a clear understanding of what exactly is happening when someone is fooled or amazed by a magic effect. Here's the basic...

I think it's important that we don't let what Greed had to say pass unchallenged. It's unthinking, uninformed, badly spelt attitudes like that which lead to discrimination against the most vulnerable and hinder the progress of society. To claim "its the truth" might shore up Greed's own fragile...

Following on from what RealityOne said, I actually think it can make a magician's choice procedure stronger if you introduce it by saying something like, "I'm going to get you to make a series of choices. Just to be clear, though, once you've made your choice it's set in stone, I'm not going to...

I think the man you're looking for is Kainoa Harbottle.

I agree that the principles of the top change are best learned in print BUT when you've got the fundamentals down, then you can't do better than get hold of Gary Kurtz's International Magic lecture DVDs. In terms of getting a real sense of how to approach the timing and dynamics of the move, I...

1. Do you think Tyler Wilson's discovery of The 52 Wonders manuscript could lead to a definitive identification of Erdnase? 2. Have you ever met anyone who can hit a perfect estimation centre deal every time? 3. Do you know any published routines that use card counting (either real or...

I think there are two things at play here. First, it has to be accepted that not everyone is a good audience for magic. That's fine. I'm not a good audience for most heavy metal music or romantic comedy movies. A few unreceptive audiences who are just out to bust you or simply can't get their...

A mentalist is a general term for a type of performer who uses real or pretended skills to demonstrate some kind of mental ability beyond the realm of what's usually considered possible. So, a mentalist might demonstrate an extraordinary memory, the ability to move objects with their mind, a...

I know that it can feel like time is slipping away and that opportunities are going past unexploited. At fourteen years old, though, you're in a great position. Your youth is an opportunity for trying out as much as possible, and really finding who you are. If you spent the next two years...

I'm not deep into cardistry, but I know the basics, and that looks to me like a combination of moves including work from Dan & Dave Buck and Daniel Madison. It's all pretty standard stuff, so if you spend a few months getting some basic flourishing techniques down, then revisit this video, then...

My recommendation would be to pick up the deck, "accidentally" leaving one card on the table. Give it a moment then notice the mistake and casually pick up the card and replace it on top. If all this is done with a nonchalant attitude, and while talking to the audience, it will seem to have...

As I can't pick a favourite, I'll tell you about one that I've been working on recently. It's Dai Vernon's "Twisting the Aces". I've fallen in love with this trick because of the challenges it presents if you're trying to turn it from a puzzling curiosity into something personal and powerful...

Based on this post and your "Knuckle-Busting Card Magic" thread, I think you might have slightly confused the definitions of the terms "move" and "effect". A pass is not an effect, it's a move that you would use to achieve an effect. So, for example, in the context of an Ambitious Card Routine...

1. The Theory of Everything 2. Michael Keaton 3. Marion Cotillard 4. How to Train Your Dragon 2 5. Richard Linklater 1. Birdman 2. Eddie Redmayne 3. Julianne Moore 4. The Boxtrolls 5. Morten Tyldum

My advice would be to separate out "Practice" time and "Research" time. So, feel free to read a load of magic books, watch DVDs, find out about all the latest tricks, and even play with some moves or effects you find interesting, but be clear with yourself that this isn't Practice, this is...

In my opinion Greg Wilson's Double Take is one of the best resources available for beginner magicians. I say "beginner", but I've been studying magic for about fifteen years and I just watched it again the other day because there was something I wanted to get from it. There's so much to learn...

It sounds like it could be a great routine! Of course, I haven't seen you perform it, but I have a few suggestions of things to think about which you may find useful. You say you're presenting your magic as skill. Does this mean that you're inviting your audience to try and catch you out? If...