theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards
What are some of your favourite card controls?
- Thread starter Jun.Hwang
- Start date
My favorite is just to put the card where I want it when no one is looking. That probably has a name, but I don't know it.
Otherwise I like PPP by Allan Rorrison, Death to the Double Undercut by Joel Pascall, and the Squeeze Shift by Daniel Madison. The Cherry Control is fun to do as well.
Otherwise I like PPP by Allan Rorrison, Death to the Double Undercut by Joel Pascall, and the Squeeze Shift by Daniel Madison. The Cherry Control is fun to do as well.
I love the Spread Cull, Classic pass, and the Bluff pass. I also enjoy using a cop or palm as a control.
1. Clipshift Both as a colour change and a control
2. Alllerton control
3. Spreadcull, as a force, control and cull
4. Mahatma shuffle / milk shuffles
5. Turn over pass and variations.
Love the clipshift so much, doing all sorts of little routines with it and people love it.
Turn over pass in combination with a mark card to get their card to top or bottom is great too.
The allerton control is awesome fun and flys by people easily. Mahatma shuffle / milk shuffle is great too.
2. Alllerton control
3. Spreadcull, as a force, control and cull
4. Mahatma shuffle / milk shuffles
5. Turn over pass and variations.
Love the clipshift so much, doing all sorts of little routines with it and people love it.
Turn over pass in combination with a mark card to get their card to top or bottom is great too.
The allerton control is awesome fun and flys by people easily. Mahatma shuffle / milk shuffle is great too.
Spread past is so suave looking AND feeling. Like the spread pass on you tube. Check out Disturb Reality!
But for day to day purposes, I guess sometimes I just do the double undercut. Simple but does the job and audience don't mind. I usually shuffle it TWICE after double undercutting too. As long as it you don't make it look like the whole functioning of the world depends on you doing the double undercut, it should work fine.
But if you know a pass, why not keep it clean?
But one thing I keep in mind that an audience won't appreciate your controls. And you don't want them too, they are supposed to be invisible. So whether we do the pass and then cut the deck and shuffle it or the undercut and then shuffle it, if you practised enough on making it look relaxed and not be too tensed up (keep the patter flowing) both should be equally great.
Overhand Shuffle Control
Riffle Shuffle Control
Losing Control
Convincing Control
Multiple Shift
Vernon Depth Illusion / Marlo Tilt
Reality Palm
Riffle Shuffle Control
Losing Control
Convincing Control
Multiple Shift
Vernon Depth Illusion / Marlo Tilt
Reality Palm
Depends on context. Where I need the card, what feels natural given whatever else I'm doing with the deck in that effect, and whether the situation calls for shuffling and cutting, for example, or just cleanly sticking it in without seeming to do any funny moves. Right now, I most often use overhand shuffle, Marlo tilt, cull underspread, and Daniel Madison's squeeze shift.
I know that the answer I am about to give is not a direct response to the question regarding "favorite card controls,' but I decided to post it anyway, just to give my thinking on the issue of tricks where a card is selected by a spectator.
First of all, I do very few effects where a card is chosen because most card tricks people have seen begin with, "Pick a card" - usually performed by a friend, family member or social acquaintance, and usually poorly. So you already have to overcome their bias or pre-conceived notions, and the fact that it is a worn-out cliche.
Second, when we have them pick a card, it automatically sets up a challenge situation. They have chosen "their" card, and now the magician must prove he can find it while they watch, in many cases, very closely, to analyze or catch how the magician is going to do so. Even if we succeed (which hopefully is the case), and even if the revelation is really good, the fact that we found their card really doesn't have much meaning to, or instill much excitement in, a layman. It is absolutely expected, and there is somewhat of a "so what" factor.
Third, I remember reading long ago in The Royal Road to Card Magic, that the greatest card location or revelation in the world will not make much impact on the spectators unless they are absolutely convinced the selected card is hopelessly lost in the deck. Maybe it is because I have performed so often in bars/pubs, where people have been drinking and are at their boldest and most skeptical and challenging, but I have found this to be true and have learned that the only way to truly ensure such conviction in them is to let them shuffle the deck after they have selected or peeked at a card. So, the next logical step for me was to pretty much forget about controls, and instead do a force (especially since no matter how smooth the pass, double undercut, overhand jog shuffle, or whatever the control may be) they KNOW we are somehow controlling their card. They may not know how we are controlling it, but they still know that we are. Furthermore, there is a good chance that they will see something that looks suspicious if they are intent on burning our hands - as some spectators are.
However, with a force, as long as it is done well and it is convincing, you are home free, because they can shuffle to their heart's content and they will know you could not know where the card is or have controlled it to any particular position. I have found that this greatly strengthens the ultimate revelation.
First of all, I do very few effects where a card is chosen because most card tricks people have seen begin with, "Pick a card" - usually performed by a friend, family member or social acquaintance, and usually poorly. So you already have to overcome their bias or pre-conceived notions, and the fact that it is a worn-out cliche.
Second, when we have them pick a card, it automatically sets up a challenge situation. They have chosen "their" card, and now the magician must prove he can find it while they watch, in many cases, very closely, to analyze or catch how the magician is going to do so. Even if we succeed (which hopefully is the case), and even if the revelation is really good, the fact that we found their card really doesn't have much meaning to, or instill much excitement in, a layman. It is absolutely expected, and there is somewhat of a "so what" factor.
Third, I remember reading long ago in The Royal Road to Card Magic, that the greatest card location or revelation in the world will not make much impact on the spectators unless they are absolutely convinced the selected card is hopelessly lost in the deck. Maybe it is because I have performed so often in bars/pubs, where people have been drinking and are at their boldest and most skeptical and challenging, but I have found this to be true and have learned that the only way to truly ensure such conviction in them is to let them shuffle the deck after they have selected or peeked at a card. So, the next logical step for me was to pretty much forget about controls, and instead do a force (especially since no matter how smooth the pass, double undercut, overhand jog shuffle, or whatever the control may be) they KNOW we are somehow controlling their card. They may not know how we are controlling it, but they still know that we are. Furthermore, there is a good chance that they will see something that looks suspicious if they are intent on burning our hands - as some spectators are.
However, with a force, as long as it is done well and it is convincing, you are home free, because they can shuffle to their heart's content and they will know you could not know where the card is or have controlled it to any particular position. I have found that this greatly strengthens the ultimate revelation.
Just to build off of this, I like to use up the control asap whenever I use one. What I mean by this is that if I am using the control to get the card in a position where I can further use it, I want to do that second move as soon as possible, and not have anything in the way. This way, I can actually have the spectator do what they want because I am so far ahead. (Here's an example: I do a trick where I have the card immediately controlled to the bottom and peek it, setting me up for a mind reading routine. Instead of waiting and doing the peek, I do it as soon as possible (almost instantly), and then hand the deck to the spectators to shuffle (I give it a quick cut), and have them put it back in the deck. Thus, instead of making the card control seem like a move, and moving it out of the way as soon as possible, it doesn't become a move or an obstacle.
Note: This doesn't mean that I have to do it fast. If I want to cop a card after it, I'm not going to cop it instantly. I am going to talk and cop it on an off beat.
There is a great section in Roberto Giobbi's book Confidences about controls. For me, context is key. Which control you use should be dictated by what happens before and after the control and which natural movements you can use as cover for the control.
Unless, of course, you need the card in a certain position in the deck for the effect to work.
Again, context and the control should dictate timing.
Yeah. That's why I went on to (try and) explain when you shouldn't do it asap. Asap was probably the wrong word (abbreviation?). It was hard to explain, but basically what I was trying to say is don't let the control limit what you can do. If you can get it out of the way to do a small thing to make the effect more powerful, do so.
@ Reality One:
Al e Cat Dabra commented: "However, with a force, as long as it is done well and it is convincing, you are home free...."
Reality One Replied: "Unless, of course, you need the card in a certain position in the deck for the effect to work."
Yes, I would generally agree with that. Although, there are times when a card that has been forced and lost in the deck can in fact be placed where you want it under the pretext of looking for the card, and once you spot it, cutting it to the desired position.
Al e Cat Dabra commented: "However, with a force, as long as it is done well and it is convincing, you are home free...."
Reality One Replied: "Unless, of course, you need the card in a certain position in the deck for the effect to work."
Yes, I would generally agree with that. Although, there are times when a card that has been forced and lost in the deck can in fact be placed where you want it under the pretext of looking for the card, and once you spot it, cutting it to the desired position.
Sometimes, I actually prefer a card control over a force. It all depends on how the spectators feel (or how I think they feel). If it looks like they are suspicious I am forcing a card, let them freely choose and control it (if I even need to).
In reality, a force is just a card control done with specific timing.
@ Matt Hasan: "In reality, a force is just a card control done with specific timing."
Well, that might be true in a sense of a classic force and probably some others, like where the magician cuts packets to the table until they say "Stop." However, even then, the card is forced, as opposed to controlled. Of course, a control does come into play if the magician then does a control after the card is forced. But there are many different kinds of forces as to which that is not necessarily the case, for example, the Cross Cut Force, the Hindu Shuffle Force, the Slip Force, various mathematical forces - many others too. See, e.g. Annemann's 202 Methods of Forcing. That little booklet is worth more than its weight in gold. In decades of performing magic, I have never seen a spectator express even the slightest suspicion at the Cross Cut Force. When proper time misdirection is employed, they are certain they cut to a random card. I guess my original point is that with force the spectator can place the card into the deck exactly where he/she wants and can shuffle too. That builds huge conviction in their minds.
Well, that might be true in a sense of a classic force and probably some others, like where the magician cuts packets to the table until they say "Stop." However, even then, the card is forced, as opposed to controlled. Of course, a control does come into play if the magician then does a control after the card is forced. But there are many different kinds of forces as to which that is not necessarily the case, for example, the Cross Cut Force, the Hindu Shuffle Force, the Slip Force, various mathematical forces - many others too. See, e.g. Annemann's 202 Methods of Forcing. That little booklet is worth more than its weight in gold. In decades of performing magic, I have never seen a spectator express even the slightest suspicion at the Cross Cut Force. When proper time misdirection is employed, they are certain they cut to a random card. I guess my original point is that with force the spectator can place the card into the deck exactly where he/she wants and can shuffle too. That builds huge conviction in their minds.
At the same time, there are things where you absolutely need to control a card, such as with a signed one. I see what you are saying, there are just a lot of exceptions.
And what I meant by my earlier post is that if you are forcing a card, you are specifically forcing a position onto them, thus making it a card control (in a way). Like for example, the Cross Cut Force is just a weird sort of false cut that the spectators do, but with the right misdirection and character, it is a force.
And what I meant by my earlier post is that if you are forcing a card, you are specifically forcing a position onto them, thus making it a card control (in a way). Like for example, the Cross Cut Force is just a weird sort of false cut that the spectators do, but with the right misdirection and character, it is a force.
Yes, I would certainly agree that when having a card signed, a force is irrelevant. I have always (like many) done the ambitious card with a signed card, and could not imagine doing it any other way. But interestingly, I have found that the most convincing "control" in that routine (and one of the most convincing control in all of card magic) is super easy and clean. That is, to turn over the top (indifferent) card of the deck face up, as they are signing the card they have openly selected from the face-up spread. Won't elaborate further as it might violate our exposure protocols...
It really comes down to a matter of design. This is where knowing a 100 controls and 203 methods of forcing becomes helpful. I don't think the force-a-card / name-a-card or the pick-a-card / find-a-card plots are particularly interesting to laymen. So that means you should perform something more involved with a more substantial plot. Within that plot there will be sleights and moves that work better than others in the context of that effect. To default to a favorite because it is comfortable limits the strength of your effect. There are multiple paths to accomplish a particular plot - explore the options and then decide what is best among those options.