Ambitious Card Routine is my favourite routine by far. Firstly, card magic has always been my favourite genre of magic, and it is the first routine I learnt and where I started magic. The sleights were quite easy to learn, and through learning the ACR I internalised many of the backbone sleights used in card magic. The ACR is my favourite and im sure for others for a myriad of reasons:
- Very versatile as it can be applied to the situation with good flow, one can easily branch into the ACR and out of it to another routine
- You can always variate the length of the routine to your liking
- There are alot of options and leeway for patter presentations
- Best impromptu routine, no hassle, no setup, gimmicks etc. someone can hand you a deck of cards and away you go
- Every performer has their personalised version, giving a true opportunity to express their unique performing personality
- Suited for purists and non-purists alike, themewise and gimmickwise
- Every stage of the routine is really hard hitting and better than the last, a strongly ascending climax
- Theres always room to alter and develop your routine as you grow into a better performer
- Ive never failed to get astounding reactions with the ACR from any age anywhere
- Hugely entertaining to the spectators and entertaining to perform
My complete ACR is quite lengthy so i adjust and rearrange the routine depending on the situation. My Ambitious Card Routine is constantly being updated and developed, here is my current complete ACR:
1. Pre-Routine
Deck is examined and shuffled by spectator. A folded and paper clipped card is put aside with a drinking glass placed over it, or placed in a spectator’s wallet and put away for the moment. Disarm audience. The Spectator selects and signs a card.
5. Card Jumps to the Top
Card is placed into the centre by spectator and left out jogged. The top card is shown. The signed card is pushed flush to the deck and with absolutely no funny moves the top card is turned over. It is their signed card.
6. Card Visually Jumps to the Top
The signed card is yet again placed into the middle and slowly pushed in. The top card is turned over; it is not the signed card but an indifferent card. With a simple wave over the indifferent card, and it visually changes into their signed card.
7. Card Transposition to Deck Half Held by Spectator
The signed card is placed into the bottom half of the deck and left out jogged. The top half of the deck is handed to the spectator for clarity. The signed card is slowly but surely pushed flush. The magician snaps his fingers and reveals the top card. It is not the signed card. The magician instructs the spectator to turn the top card of the packet they are holding. It is the signed card. The signed card has jumped from the middle of the packet the magician is holding to the top of the packet the spectator is holding.
8. Top Indifferent Card Transposes to Signed Card
The signed card is yet again returned to the deck, although clearly shown in the centre and left out jogged. The magician claims he wants to be fair and uses the top indifferent card to push in the signed selection as to not touch it at all. The Indifferent card is held away from the deck. With a magical “move” the indifferent card has changed to the signed card, as it was the top card moments before.
9. Card to Mouth
The spectator places the signed card in the middle of the deck and the card is left out jogged. The magician takes it one step further and instructs that the spectator can push the signed card flush into the deck. The spectator complies. The signed card has miraculously jumped to the magician’s mouth.
10. Braue Pop-up
This time the signed card is given a big bend across the middle so it cannot be mistaken. It is placed into the centre of the deck. With a snap of the fingers, the top card magically bends itself and pops up with a little jump. The bent signed card has visibly jumped to the top.
11. Paperclipped
The folded and paperclipped card has been sitting there all along. The glass is removed, or taken out of the spectator’s wallet. The magician explains that he has been able to make the audience see something that has not been there all along. The magician hands the folded card to the spectator to unfold. It is the signed selection.
12. Signature Transposition + Torn and Restored
The magician attempts to straighten the folds and accidently rips the card. The rip card is put away into the magician’s pocket. The spectator selects another card and signs it again. To make it even fairer this time, the back of the card is also signed, preferably by another spectator. The card signed on both sides is placed into the middle. The card jumps back on top on the magicians command, although the signature on the back of the card seems to be missing. The deck is spread to locate a card with a signature on its back. It is turned over and revealed to be the original signed selection! The signature on the back of the secondary selection has transferred to the back of the first selection, which was originally torn and in the magician’s pocket: a double hit reveal. The secondary signed selection is put away into the box to be handed out as a souvenir later.
13. Battery Powered
The primary selection, which now has a signature on both sides, is lost one last time into the middle of the deck. The deck is rubber banded this time to make things as fair as possible. The deck is turned face up and the magician attempts to make the card visually jump to the top while the deck is rubber banded. After several unsuccessful attempts, the magician takes the deck and pops out a triple A battery, joking that the deck is battery powered and that it has ran out of battery.
14. Card to Ceiling
The magician claims that the he cannot perform now the battery is flat and wants to get rid of the deck. The deck is tossed up to the ceiling high above and the signed card has stuck to the ceiling. The deck falls back down still rubber banded. The rubber bands are removed and the deck spread to show that all the cards have changed to blank faces, as the battery has been removed.
15. Post-Routine
The secondary signed card is handed out as a souvenir.
I would love it if you could share your ACR!
- Very versatile as it can be applied to the situation with good flow, one can easily branch into the ACR and out of it to another routine
- You can always variate the length of the routine to your liking
- There are alot of options and leeway for patter presentations
- Best impromptu routine, no hassle, no setup, gimmicks etc. someone can hand you a deck of cards and away you go
- Every performer has their personalised version, giving a true opportunity to express their unique performing personality
- Suited for purists and non-purists alike, themewise and gimmickwise
- Every stage of the routine is really hard hitting and better than the last, a strongly ascending climax
- Theres always room to alter and develop your routine as you grow into a better performer
- Ive never failed to get astounding reactions with the ACR from any age anywhere
- Hugely entertaining to the spectators and entertaining to perform
My complete ACR is quite lengthy so i adjust and rearrange the routine depending on the situation. My Ambitious Card Routine is constantly being updated and developed, here is my current complete ACR:
1. Pre-Routine
Deck is examined and shuffled by spectator. A folded and paper clipped card is put aside with a drinking glass placed over it, or placed in a spectator’s wallet and put away for the moment. Disarm audience. The Spectator selects and signs a card.
5. Card Jumps to the Top
Card is placed into the centre by spectator and left out jogged. The top card is shown. The signed card is pushed flush to the deck and with absolutely no funny moves the top card is turned over. It is their signed card.
6. Card Visually Jumps to the Top
The signed card is yet again placed into the middle and slowly pushed in. The top card is turned over; it is not the signed card but an indifferent card. With a simple wave over the indifferent card, and it visually changes into their signed card.
7. Card Transposition to Deck Half Held by Spectator
The signed card is placed into the bottom half of the deck and left out jogged. The top half of the deck is handed to the spectator for clarity. The signed card is slowly but surely pushed flush. The magician snaps his fingers and reveals the top card. It is not the signed card. The magician instructs the spectator to turn the top card of the packet they are holding. It is the signed card. The signed card has jumped from the middle of the packet the magician is holding to the top of the packet the spectator is holding.
8. Top Indifferent Card Transposes to Signed Card
The signed card is yet again returned to the deck, although clearly shown in the centre and left out jogged. The magician claims he wants to be fair and uses the top indifferent card to push in the signed selection as to not touch it at all. The Indifferent card is held away from the deck. With a magical “move” the indifferent card has changed to the signed card, as it was the top card moments before.
9. Card to Mouth
The spectator places the signed card in the middle of the deck and the card is left out jogged. The magician takes it one step further and instructs that the spectator can push the signed card flush into the deck. The spectator complies. The signed card has miraculously jumped to the magician’s mouth.
10. Braue Pop-up
This time the signed card is given a big bend across the middle so it cannot be mistaken. It is placed into the centre of the deck. With a snap of the fingers, the top card magically bends itself and pops up with a little jump. The bent signed card has visibly jumped to the top.
11. Paperclipped
The folded and paperclipped card has been sitting there all along. The glass is removed, or taken out of the spectator’s wallet. The magician explains that he has been able to make the audience see something that has not been there all along. The magician hands the folded card to the spectator to unfold. It is the signed selection.
12. Signature Transposition + Torn and Restored
The magician attempts to straighten the folds and accidently rips the card. The rip card is put away into the magician’s pocket. The spectator selects another card and signs it again. To make it even fairer this time, the back of the card is also signed, preferably by another spectator. The card signed on both sides is placed into the middle. The card jumps back on top on the magicians command, although the signature on the back of the card seems to be missing. The deck is spread to locate a card with a signature on its back. It is turned over and revealed to be the original signed selection! The signature on the back of the secondary selection has transferred to the back of the first selection, which was originally torn and in the magician’s pocket: a double hit reveal. The secondary signed selection is put away into the box to be handed out as a souvenir later.
13. Battery Powered
The primary selection, which now has a signature on both sides, is lost one last time into the middle of the deck. The deck is rubber banded this time to make things as fair as possible. The deck is turned face up and the magician attempts to make the card visually jump to the top while the deck is rubber banded. After several unsuccessful attempts, the magician takes the deck and pops out a triple A battery, joking that the deck is battery powered and that it has ran out of battery.
14. Card to Ceiling
The magician claims that the he cannot perform now the battery is flat and wants to get rid of the deck. The deck is tossed up to the ceiling high above and the signed card has stuck to the ceiling. The deck falls back down still rubber banded. The rubber bands are removed and the deck spread to show that all the cards have changed to blank faces, as the battery has been removed.
15. Post-Routine
The secondary signed card is handed out as a souvenir.
I would love it if you could share your ACR!
