Ambitious Card - 'what sleights do you use?'

[AverageJoe]

"What sleights do you use?"

As the question states, what sleights do YOU use? Or more in depth, what type of moves do you like to use (feel most comfortable) in a live performance? or by yourself, family and friends. As well, what are you currently working on to improve your style of your ACR?

I see throughout this thread talking about what is their favorite sleight for the ACR, or 'why NOT to use a double lift' and why they DO use the double lift ect. ect. So much Kaos! So I thought that I would make a kind of new approach to this entire ordeal which will probably never be solved but will be great for new comers in this beautiful art.

Anyways!, If you care to share your Ambitious Card routine or some of the moves you use and/or practicing to improve your ACR. Please fell free to share and allow others reflect on it as well as myself since I'm in the search of new material.

-Joey

Have a Good One!

 

[RODEN]

hi...im form hong kong.. plz forgive my bad english..

in my ACR....i'll use DL..COP...MARLO TILT....and a change...

"i dont know how to pass,so i just using DL....."

the DL that i use is called "snap DL"

it very easy to get a b@@@k....i recommend this to you guys! =]

last week i was thinking of how to do the "card to shoe" with out folding the card..... almost done...! =]

this my sharing...i hope you will like it =]

 

[Ampersan5340]

The best move I think to be created in card magic is probably the Diagonal palm shift by erdnase, it's the greatest slieght with so many applications.

 

[BadgerMajik12]

marlo tilt if done correctly
ummm false shuffles and cuts.. nothing too flourishy just a simple swivle cut will do a couple of changes like the snap change paint brush ect. i like to do a card to mouth sometime in it.... erdinase and all that... b/c of a lack of money i dont have the wallet or (i forget the name) the black card sleeve effect thingy.... i end mine with the x on the back in sharpie...i dont think but yea thats that

 

[LOSTMYMINDLETMEREADYOURS]

i used the jiggle pass a lot and i did card to mouth. obviously the double lift and marlo tilt. i ended it with a card to wallet (tripple threat wallet). let me tell you why. i did the card to wallet not because its cliche, but because its so suspenseful. with every fold you open, the audience yells "NO WAY!" thus, you get better and louder reactions

 

[D ICE R]

I don't really preform to ACR anymore. My belief though is that the card should 'magically' come to the top. So in my ACR when I preformed it there was no cutting or shuffling of the deck as that would give the audience something to hold onto. However these methods of controlling a card have their place but an ACR is not one of them. Back to the topic at hand the sleights that I used were LePaul Bluff Pass, DL, Top Change and Spread pass. Occasionally a Classic or Dribble pass. If I was working with someone who really wanted to burn my hands the TCC Pass was the way to go.

 

[LuseifHo]

I have experimented with the ACR quite a lot before and I used to use all these passes, cuts, flourishes, shifts, and there were like a hell load of phases, each a tiny bit better than the last. Now, I just use a simplistic 4 phase routine. It simple, easy to look at, hard hitting, and relates to the audience.
In my routine, I only use the easiest and most simple of moves: Double lift, triple lift, double undercut or any control I feel like doing at that moment, merlin tip over.

The routine is inspired by David Williamson, whos patter I practically stole.
Below is my routine:
1. Card is picked, is inserted into the deck, and cut a few times or whatever.
2. I ask them where it is, they look at me and say they dont know.
3. I explain that when they looked, it was misdirection and i did the secret move. I show their card on top.
4. Card is inserted back into the middle and I repeat this once again.
This whole misdirection secret move thing happens 3 times. Each time is a great chance for me to have fun with the audience with patter and trying to make them look up. "you got some... sauce on your shirt" "holy crap its chuck norris" etc. At this point they believe that if they look away, it really does happen. So they try to burn the deck as hard as possible. This sets me up for the perfect situation of the card to mouth. I take this part from Dan and Dave. I insert their card in a fan, they push it in, I square the deck up and just wait. Sooner or later, they will look up. I love this moment as it shows a few things. 1. They have failed to keep lookign at the deck. 2. They think I did the secret move when they looked up, thus the card in my mouth. 3. this one ups anything they expected.

Thats it. This is my routine I perform everytime someone asks for something cool. No shifts, palms, passes, etc and it works wonders for me. I dont bother to do the card bend, Its cool but i find that its just a small extra bit of visuality. The card to mouth although doesnt have a visual moment, is much more hard hitting and the amount of surprise you can get is just... its just euphoric.

 

[aJohnson]

The sleights I tend to use in my ACR are: Strike double lift, triple lift, Marlo Tilt, bluff Pass, sometimes top change, and a force which I don't know the name of.

EDIT: I sometimes use the part where you fold the card in half and it comes to the top, but not always.

 

[Sinful07]

Classic Pass> All.

 

[aJohnson]

Classic Pass> All.

Why would you use a pass when a simple DL could accomplish the same thing? It makes no sense, it's like asking to get caught.

 

[Sinful07]

Why, do you have a lot of DL's in your ACR?

Besides, the whole notion of double lifts is quite illogical really- Why would you Turn a card over, Turn it again, and place it in the middle of the deck? Wouldnt it be more logical to take a chosen card, stick it in the middle of the deck, and with a wave or any other magical gesture, make it jump back to the top?

Its not 'asking' to be caught, but you have to realise that for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. As long as your pass is solid and performed flawlessly with a bit of misdirection, You're all set. I'd rather do a pass than do a double lift when my hands are getting burned.

 

[Dima]

Why, do you have a lot of DL's in your ACR?

Besides, the whole notion of double lifts is quite illogical really- Why would you Turn a card over, Turn it again, and place it in the middle of the deck? Wouldnt it be more logical to take a chosen card, stick it in the middle of the deck, and with a wave or any other magical gesture, make it jump back to the top?

Its not 'asking' to be caught, but you have to realise that for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. As long as your pass is solid and performed flawlessly with a bit of misdirection, You're all set. I'd rather do a pass than do a double lift when my hands are getting burned.

Why not just combine different techniques rather than relying solely on one? If your pass is even slightly off or detected, would you use other techniques or do a different trick?

Plus your actions should dictate everything you do and make it natural. You turn the card over onto the deck to free your other hand, with this free hand you motion or gesture or pick up a pen or do something else...everything should have a motivation. Even a pass.

Also, why bother with misdirection when the beauty and point of the ACR is for the spec to actually SEE their card be inserted into the middle and without any other movements, arrive at the top.

 

[Sinful07]

Why not just combine different techniques rather than relying solely on one? If your pass is even slightly off or detected, would you use other techniques or do a different trick?

Of course i do this. Who said i solely use passess? my ACR uses different sleights for each phase. To be precise, it starts off with a Spin Doctor Double or a false cut.

Also, why bother with misdirection when the beauty and point of the ACR is for the spec to actually SEE their card be inserted into the middle and without any other movements, arrive at the top.

Are you kidding? Insert the card, hold a break.

Just to point out (and i find this deeply patronising on your sake) That creates the illusion that the card is lost into the deck.. Wooooww...

You now have a myriad of ways to misdirect your spectator. Move him/her, Ask them a question, continue patter, move your body.

The point of misdirection is to sub conciously avert their attention to somewhere in order to execute a move. Now if your misdirection is perfect, they shouldnt even know that a 'sleight' has been executed.

 

[VagueTheory]

Well, I hardly do ACR anymore.

But when I do, I hardly EVER make it longer than three phases.

Even though ACR is a rather neat little routine, it WILL get repetitive and boring.

So I do Spin Doctor Double, Velvet Turnover, and then Card To Mouth.

Short, sweet, and on point.

;D

 

[StP217]

top card cover pass is my favorite slight for an ACR
double lift
tilt move
vernon bend
card to anywhere
although i hate the move i use the side steal rarely
and any other shift (bluff shift, classic, ect)

 

[Ineski]

Why, do you have a lot of DL's in your ACR?

Besides, the whole notion of double lifts is quite illogical really- Why would you Turn a card over, Turn it again, and place it in the middle of the deck? Wouldnt it be more logical to take a chosen card, stick it in the middle of the deck, and with a wave or any other magical gesture, make it jump back to the top?

Its not 'asking' to be caught, but you have to realise that for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. As long as your pass is solid and performed flawlessly with a bit of misdirection, You're all set. I'd rather do a pass than do a double lift when my hands are getting burned.

The problem with this solution is that the method is going to take place at the exact moment when the spectators think the "secret move" is happening. Doing a double lift on the other hand gives you the advantage of being way ahead from the beginning. You've already completed the dirty work long before any magic has happened. Further cover can be applied by doing another double to show that the card hasn't risen yet. Now when you do the magical gesture and have the card appear on top it becomes something extraordinary. They saw their card go in the middle and just a moment ago they saw it wasn't on top - still it appears on the top.

A pass can be used, but it certainly is not the best way to go.

 

[Sinful07]

A pass can be used, but it certainly is not the best way to go.

I respect you and your magic, but i stand by what i said.

If a card is lost, and passed to the top with perfect misdirection, You can play it off like you're Demi Human. Place the deck on the other side of the room, get down on your knees, get a panda. Hell, go nuts. You've effectively controlled the top card without doing any 'Funny' moves.

 

[Dima]

I respect you and your magic, but i stand by what i said.

If a card is lost, and passed to the top with perfect misdirection, You can play it off like you're Demi Human. Place the deck on the other side of the room, get down on your knees, get a panda. Hell, go nuts. You've effectively controlled the top card without doing any 'Funny' moves.

But they miss the moment! That's my point!

With a dl, one of the important pictures you place in the spectator's mind is the image of their card being inserted into the deck and without any movements or time lapses, arriving back at the top. Not - card goes in middle, i was asked a question or the magician moved, card back on top.

 

[AverageJoe]

Hey guys,

I must say I'm pretty flabbergasted towards all the responses. Instead of concentrating on the double lift, you all went towards the pass which was very interesting. I never heard so much interesting ideas and theories towards the pass and its variations. Someone mention using the Jiggle Pass. I just wanted to know why you use it rather than the invisible Pass? or any other pass at that.

A lot of you guys said you didn't like having more than a 3 or 4 phase ACR. Now I do agree with you on this but I also don't.
When I do my ACR, I like to do about 2 or 3 phases then by judging on the spectators reactions I either choose to continue to do more or choose to finish it up with a bang! What I mean by this is that if the spectators just can't believe the card keeps coming to the top and are more than enjoying it, I will choose to do maybe 2 or 3 more moves then do my finale. And if they're on to the path of waiting for the big ending trick I will deliver.

About this card to wallet effect, I love this trick. I don't perform t nearly enough but I will usually settle with the card to pocket. Always goes well with an Ambitious card theme. I personally like to take the signed card and change it into another card and produce it to my pocket using any variation I'm comfortable in that performance setting. It's a faster reveal than the card to pocket effect but I really do love the slow reveal which is always fun to do in a live performance

I still want to know what you guys are currently working on, I want to do an Ambitious Card Routine battle with someone as soon as I get a cord for my computer. I really want to get some new material in my ACR, don't get me wrong, I love my ACR, I just feel like adding a little spice to my ingredient.

Thanks a lot guys!
-Joey

Have a Good One!

 

[Sinful07]

With a dl, one of the important pictures you place in the spectator's mind is the image of their card being inserted into the deck and without any movements or time lapses, arriving back at the top. Not - card goes in middle, i was asked a question or the magician moved, card back on top.

Then you're rushing it. What is this, david blaine street magic? Whatever happened to Emphasis, patter and building up the climax?

I still dont understand why a lot of you favor the 'safer' way to get a card on top.

if you weigh out the pros and cons, there are more Cons towards doing a classic pass, purely because of the difficulty of the sleight and risk. However, pay off is godly.

If we took that specific 'phase' out, stripped it down to bone and analysed it, we'd have:

Double lift:

Card is turned over, turned back again, inserted onto the middle, and appears on top.

Classic Pass:

Card is chosen, spectator can put it in the middle (or anywhere in the deck) And magically appears on top.

I dont see a legit reason (besides what Miika said) of why people would prefer using a double lift. Its not to say that i dont use the double lift, but when compared to a classic pass, its a no-brainer for me. Besides, with a double, you'd have the spectators burn your hands like they had heat vision or something.

Edit:

Also, i just realised, that first sentence was in no way shape or form a stab at David's magic. i think his magic speaks for itself, but its a bit rushed.