Best Card Reveal

Sep 1, 2014
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0
I am looking for a card reveal to go with a powerful force (and no, its not the classic force) any ideas???
 
Sep 2, 2007
1,186
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42
London
It depends what the effect is. A force and revelation can be interpreted in many different ways. It could be a prediction, a transposition, mind reading, a display of card control or many other things. When you know what the story is that you want to tell, then the best choice of revelation will become easier to determine. It'll be the one that most clearly and succinctly communicates the effect.
 
Sep 1, 2014
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What I was looking for was a mind reading or a transposition, I already tried the prediction and it wasn't very powerful. I just need a VERY powerful reveal.
 
Dec 5, 2013
146
2
Boston
the more the better

More is not better. You only need a couple for the right situations (stage, close up, parlor etc.) You don't really want more than one "look I have a prediction, pick a card, my prediction was right!" in your set. I would suggest looking into inferno by Joshua Jay (or if your up for more of a mental challenge, Anate by Dee Christopher). I'm sure ChristopherT will have some good recommendation too.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
First - a caveat. I don't do much card magic any more. I haven't for a couple years now. I still practice the few tricks I really like, along with some random sleights that I just enjoy doing for the pure physical skill of it, but I don't use any of it currently in my professional work.

The power of a reveal comes from the performer's ability to pull the audience into it. It's not the reveal itself. Some of my most powerful moments of reveal have come from simply glancing down at a card that's laying on the table and waiting for the audience to turn it over.

I'll be honest - I've never been big on a lot of reveals. Most of them just come across as trying too hard for my tastes.

When I do a mind-reading bit I do it like this. I have the card peaked by the spectator, then I toss the deck aside casually (almost carelessly). I then have them paint a picture of the card to focus on different aspects of it, and reveal it piece by piece (This is not something I do often any more, but at one time it was my go-to bit).

For transpositions .. well, I don't do any. The closest thing I do to a transposition - I just have the spectator turn over the card to show it's moved.

The key here is not the exact method of revealing the card. It's building the suspense and drawing the spectator in so that when the reveal is made it creates a release of tension.
 
Sep 1, 2014
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Thanks to all of you, I can't do inferno because it requires fire (and me and fire don't mix very well XD), ChristopherT your way amazed people bored by magic, it was awesome.
 
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i would check out daryls card revelations (there are five volumes i think, tons and tons of ways to reveal a card)

One of my personal favorites is one of the first i ever learned. Do a DL (or any switch) to show in indifferent card, have them hold it face down and place it in the deck as you riffle saying their gonna find it. After 2 or 3 fails say the only way this wouldn't work is if your card wasn't in the deck... pretty much just wait till they turn the card over. it kills.

And i disagree. More is better! at least for me, (although i am somewhat of a move monkey) i'm always trying new stuff out, how else can you know what you like? Hell, even once or twice i've just said "okay, where do you want your card to go?" and gone of stuff like that. some of my favorite tricks were just messing around and making it up as i go along

Tl;DR- books and dvd's will teach you things.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
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There's a difference between being familiar with a ton of methods of revealing, and actually being any good at them. Here's the thing, and this percolates all the way through magic: If you don't focus, you'll never get any good. Corollary: Every way of revealing a card is the same trick to the audience for the most part. The method being different is irrelevant, the trick is - "He had me pick a card, lost it, and then it appeared at X".

Nothing I do is nearly as powerful as the things I have focused on for years. I've been doing a mind-read of a card for years. It was one of the first things I ever learned and I honed that presentation for a long time. Usually if I do that, I end up not doing anything else because I don't need to. That one trick is powerful enough that I don't have to do anything else and they'll still be talking about me when they leave.

Focus on powerful presentations, not just a thousand ways to reveal a card.
 
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Sep 1, 2014
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There's a difference between being familiar with a ton of methods of revealing, and actually being any good at them. Here's the thing, and this percolates all the way through magic: If you don't focus, you'll never get any good. Corollary: Every way of revealing a card is the same trick to the audience for the most part. The method being different is irrelevant, the trick is - "He had me pick a card, lost it, and then it appeared at X".

Nothing I do is nearly as powerful as the things I have focused on for years. I've been doing a mind-read of a card for years. It was one of the first things I ever learned and I honed that presentation for a long time. Usually if I do that, I end up not doing anything else because I don't need to. That one trick is powerful enough that I don't have to do anything else and they'll still be talking about me when they leave.

Focus on powerful presentations, not just a thousand ways to reveal a card.

I understand your point of view, though I wanted a great reveal instead of a good one because, even if not a lot, it does change how powerful the effect is to the spectator ever so slightly, and by the way your presentation RULES.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
I understand your point of view, though I wanted a great reveal instead of a good one because, even if not a lot, it does change how powerful the effect is to the spectator ever so slightly, and by the way your presentation RULES.

In that case - what in your mind is the criteria for a "Great" reveal?
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
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Something either highly visual or something un their hands.

Dee Christopher's Modulate is an extremely visual transpo. You could also re-work most transpos so you just put the card into their hands before the reveal of them having transposed.
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
The thing about trying to learn a ton of different reveals is that has you get older and look closer at most of them. They are all essentially the same thing in the spectators eyes. It's not the reveal that makes the magic, it's how the performer treats it. Do you treat it like some big joke? Or do you allow the reveal to breath and act like a bell just rang? Watch how guys like Pop Haydn or Eugene Burger perform. Yes, they are two completely different performers and style. But they both allow the reveals to breath and register with people.

As for the whole gimmick or no gimmick thing. That is entirely up to you. If I find something that I really like and KNOW that I can enjoy doing. Then I am all for doing it. Some of the best performers out there will use gimmicks when performing. David Roth, John Carney, Hell even Vernon back in the day has used them a few times and I know that Tamariz has done so too.
 
Sep 9, 2014
1
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How do you do the card trick where you leave the room, get the spectator to choose a card, place it back into the deck, place the deck back within its box, walk into the room and somehow know the card in which they picked? My mate who is a pretty good magician and florisher had performed this trick to me, I have just started out in magic and need/would love to know how its done. Please... Its killing me!
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
How do you do the card trick where you leave the room, get the spectator to choose a card, place it back into the deck, place the deck back within its box, walk into the room and somehow know the card in which they picked? My mate who is a pretty good magician and florisher had performed this trick to me, I have just started out in magic and need/would love to know how its done. Please... Its killing me!

You're new to magic. Let this be an inspiration for you.

Here's the thing. It gets increasingly difficult to be truly baffled and mystified by magic when you study it. The longer you go, the more you know, the less fools you. But here's the thing - those things that fool us are what got us into this (almost universally). So hang on to that mystery.

The secret is never as satisfying as the mystery. Hang on to this one for a while.
 
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