Do I need Card College?

Jan 27, 2018
10
5
I purchased Royal Road to Card Magic and Expert Card Technique so I could get into the habit of learning from books rather than online videos. After I go through those, I plan to purchase Expert at the Card Table and Card Control by Arthur Buckley (I think I'm more interested in sleights than actual tricks). Do I still need Card College assuming I learn all the material from the books I listed above? Maybe I'll purchase Volumes 3, 4, and 5, but will I need volumes 1 and 2?
 
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RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
I think that. Card College is easier to learn from and has more updated handling of slights than RRTCM and ECT. Those books make the transition from videos to a book much easier.

The first two volumes are important because many of the grips, spreads and shuffles are designed so that you are doing them in a manner required for later sleights. For example, how you spread cards is essential to doing a cull and how you hold the deck in mechanics grip (floating) is essential for later sleights. I find myself referring back to the first two volumes when I'l learning something from Volumes 3 to 5.

Giobbi provides detailed descriptions as well as checkpoints to make sure you are doing the sleight correctly. This is the difference sometimes between a sleight looking clean or looking like you just did something.

If money is not an issue, I'd put down RRTCM and ECT and start over from Card College. If you are committed to learning sleight of hand with cards, you will eventually get volumes 1 and 2. Better to get them now and learn correctly (and more easily) from the start.
 
Jun 18, 2017
104
77
Look, years ago I did the same as you.

I bought RRTCM and flicked through it, took some pointers, then lost interest in magic for years.

I came back to it through Oz Pearlmans video, then went and bought Expert at the Card Table, Card Control and Expert Card Technique.

I’m 34 and an English teacher - and I gave up on Expert at the Card Table. It’s like reading Shakespearean instructions on how to build ikea furniture.

Card control was and still is way too advanced for where I am - it’s a collection of random sleights that I’m sure are really useful options to have once you have the basic ones down, but it’s like trying to learn to run before you can walk.

Expert Card Technique i see as more of a sequel to Royal Road. A must-have, but like card control (albeit to a lesser extent) it requires the basics from at least Royal Road masterEd to really get the most out of it.

Which brings me to Card College, that I finally picked up on @RealityOne ’s advice a year or so ago and despite costing about as much as all the other books combined, is what I should’ve bought 20 years ago when I started and I might have become a great magician because of it! All the important info, non of the filler, clear and simple to follow.

I now have the first three volumes and they’re a joy to learn from. I occasionally dip into Expert Card Technique for alternative thoughts on similar topics, but if I had to do it all again I’d pick up all five volumes of card college and leave it at that until I had a sufficient base to need to explore the others.

I’m sure many will say to get them all, and they’re great to have, but if you want to learn then CC is the best way to start.
 
Aug 23, 2018
10
4
27
Ireland
I would say that if you get the chance to get all the Card College books its well worth it. The sleights are updated and better explained than royal road, and it has some top notch tricks even in the first two books. I've been doing magic for like 6 years and i still regularly dip into the first and second book for refreshers on various sleights and tricks.
 
Jun 18, 2019
540
293
20
West Bengal, India
I’m 34 and an English teacher - and I gave up on Expert at the Card Table. It’s like reading Shakespearean instructions on how to build ikea furniture.
I just love to look at EATCT and fawn over the entire history of the book (or 'lack of history' thereof).

When I saw it,
I fell in love;
And Erdnase smiled,
Because he knew.

( :D )

I think that. Card College is easier to learn from and has more updated handling of slights than RRTCM and ECT. Those books make the transition from videos to a book much easier.
This is just so true. I have read the Card College books, I prefer RRTCM, ECT and other books by Hugard and Braue for some reason. But I do admit that learning from Card College is so much easier than learning from those books. The book seems to read my mind and provides the exact kinds of pictures from the exact angles I'm looking for.
 
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Apr 1, 2020
42
31
Card College > RRTCM and Expert Card Technique.

Though everybody should read Expert at the Card Table. I don't even know how many times I've read it. I'm slightly obsessed with the history of that one.
 
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Mar 15, 2018
247
97
boardgamegeek.com
I heartily endorse the recommendations and advice given by RealityOne earlier in this thread.

The fundamentals of card handling taught in Card College 1 & 2 are really foundational, and is the best modern treatment on the subject. Aside from giving instruction that is more clear, Giobbi improves on some out-dated points as well (a good example being his handling of the Glide).

I realize the original poster was leaning towards books rather than videos. But for Card College I highly recommend getting the companion video course which complements the books. They're good to use in tandem, because it helps visualize the moves taught in the book. It's available directly from Giobbi here.

If you want to know more about the video course, here's a detailed article I wrote about it.

Review: Card College 1 & 2 - Personal Instruction: The Complete Course (Roberto Giobbi)

fzLGGdA.jpg
 
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