Where to learn crucial card sleights

Sep 12, 2007
153
1
40
Normandy, FRANCE
Hi everyone !

I've been wanting to start this thread quite a while ago now, but never found the time to...Anyway, here it is !
Like most of us I think, I've first started magic by doing self-working card tricks. Very soon I've been wanting to learn sleight of hand magic, and some of the "classic moves" any card magician should know. However, for some of them, I found that some ressources were quite disappointing, so I had to try several DVDs/books/vids to really find proper explanations and finally "nail" the moves.

So let me share with you the sources that were (to me at least) the best to learn some crucial card sleights, in hope it'll save you some time and money as well :

- the classic pass : "Pass With Care" by Peter Cassford (really focuses on the flashing points, the timing, the misdirection...that was THE DVD that made me master the pass, if that's possible)
- the one handed top palm : "Revolutionnary card magic" by Jay Sankey. (he teaches one VERY important point which really gets the card into the right position)
- the double lift : "born to perform" by Oz Pearlman (very solid, and gives you a really good way to get a new break after showing the face of the double) and "the Diving board double" by Lee Asher (very nice and convincing one handed DL, and a real magician fooler)
- the push through shuffle : "False Shuffles" by Luke Jermay - instant DL at Penguin (you might also want to check "Gambling moves" by Simon Lovell ; on the first DVD is taught the Charlier false shuffle, which is perfect for mentalists because it looks very fair, and unlike many false shuffles it doesn't make you look like a cardshark)

Feel free to share with us your own favorites ! :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mar 22, 2009
22
0
London, UK
I'll go with my recommendations for some false shuffles.
I'm of the opinion that you only really three kinds of false shuffles in your repertoire, so I'll categorise them like that:
(Note: the ones in bold are the ones that I actually use)

In the hands false riffle shuffle:
"Drawing Room Deceptions" by Guy Hollingworth. This is a great move that consists of a riffle shuffle with a bridge and keeps the deck in the same order.
"Green Magic Series" by Lennart Green. There are so many false shuffles in this series that I can't remember them all, but the one that sticks in my mind is the Green Shuffle. This one is very easy to do and is pretty convincing, however it is a little angle sensitive and it doesn't sound exactly like a normal shuffle, whereas the Hollingworth one does.

False overhand shuffle.
Running card false shuffle: This one is mentioned in Expert Card Technique I think, but not gone over in detail. It's convincing and easy to do, therefore a good one to add to your repertoire as a beginner.
Multiple packet switch false shuffle: This one is mentioned in passing in Expert at the Card Table by SW Erdnase, but there is no proper description. So like me, you'll have to rely on your own creativity to create this sleight... It's essentially just like cutting the pack many times in quick succession, using the same grip as when you're shuffling normally. This one is more convincing than the one above, but is slightly more difficult.

There are also a few more in Expert at the Card Table but I don't believe they're as good as either of the two I've mentioned above.

Tabled False Riffle Shuffles.
Push Through Riffle Shuffle: I would recommend anything by Darwin Ortiz for this; he describes it in most of his videos and books.
Zarrow Shuffle: The official video by Herb Zarrow would be the obvious recommendation, however there are loads of sources for this sleight, including Lennart Green's series, Darwin Ortiz's material, and anything that uses a Zarrow shuffle in a Triumph Routine... and many many more I'm sure...
 
Sep 1, 2007
662
2
Greg Wilson, Double Take
Instructional DVDs from Greg Wilson, John Guastaferro, David Regal, Bill Malone...nothing like learning sleights within the context of good solid magic!
Card College - worth its weight in gold
 
- the classic pass : "Pass With Care" by Peter Cassford (really focuses on the flashing points, the timing, the misdirection...that was THE DVD that made me master the pass, if that's possible)
I strongly disagree with you here. This DVD teaches Peter's approach to the pass, NOT the classic pass in a normal sense. Mr.Crossford actually does many common mistakes ( the get ready for example ), not to mention the discussion on angles is wrong for a classic pass, correct for his approach, which is doing the pass slowly ( in my case, TOO slowly ). Mr.Kaufman's DVD is the best classic source, though yet not that good either. Gary Ouellet's book The Pass is hands down the best resource for the pass in general.

So, these are my recommendations for getting the essential information for the sleights and analyzing them. Do note that if anyone wants to get more details/variations, obviously he'd look into other sources in the literature ( www.denisbehr.com is a good databse )

The classic Pass: Gary Ouellet's the Pass.
Double lifts: Greg Wilson's Double Take Dvd
False counts/displays: Card College is great. Jerry Mentzer has a cheap booklet which I forgot its name though its easy to find. Jon Racherbeumer has an encyclopedia, which I also forgot its name ( actually its more like I can't spell it )
Palms: Jason England's 1-on-1 looks good. Card College and Erdnase.
Multiple Shifts: Card College, Revolutionary Card Technique is good but doesn't have some of the nicer ones.
Forces: Card College


Cheers,
 
Sep 12, 2007
153
1
40
Normandy, FRANCE
I strongly disagree with you here. This DVD teaches Peter's approach to the pass, NOT the classic pass in a normal sense. Mr.Crossford actually does many common mistakes ( the get ready for example ), not to mention the discussion on angles is wrong for a classic pass, correct for his approach, which is doing the pass slowly ( in my case, TOO slowly ).

Okay, my mistake ! That's not the classic pass, but it's still a very good pass, invisible (if you use his advices), and you can really use it in the "Real wooooorld" (spooky music playing). Since I learned from this DVd, I've NEVER been caught doing the pass (unlike before).

And he doesn't teach you to do the pass slowly, he just wants to prove wrong the people who say that a pass has to happen really fast. He proves that smoothness is far more important than speed (a fact that many performers seem to ignore)
 
Okay, my mistake ! That's not the classic pass, but it's still a very good pass, invisible (if you use his advices), and you can really use it in the "Real wooooorld" (spooky music playing). Since I learned from this DVd, I've NEVER been caught doing the pass (unlike before).

And he doesn't teach you to do the pass slowly, he just wants to prove wrong the people who say that a pass has to happen really fast. He proves that smoothness is far more important than speed (a fact that many performers seem to ignore)
I didnt say its a bad approach, its certainly workable particularly if you're using the pass as a control but thats as far as it goes. I'm simply saying that they are better approaches, applicable to the real world. Thats for me personally.

Personalization in this particular move is very important, if it works for you, then great. The point of my post above was just that he's teaching his approach, not the classic pass as taught in Card College, Erdnase .. etc.
 
Apr 26, 2009
57
1
uhmm, many great dvds have some awesome stuff on them, also books.

for beginners,

Royal Road
Card College
Everything Else (the trilogy)

for seasoned magicians

the Trilogy
Simply Sidney
Surfaced
Avenue
Anything by Kostya Kimlat

-max
 
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