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Want to learn the secrets behind card tricks? Visit:
http://tinyurl.com/cardtricksrevealed
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How many times have you heard " pick a card, any card.."? Everyone from the total novice to the
experienced pro have used that catch phrase to entice someone to choose a card. Actually, it's
not a bad way to begin a card trick; it's what you do after uttering those magic words that
determine whether you're one of the many or one of the talented few.
Good magicians know the value of producing a card from what appears to be a thoroughly mixed
deck. The secret of course, is that although the deck may be thoroughly mixed, the selected card
is tracked from the moment it's placed back in the deck. No card counting tricks here. My daughter
recently showed me a card trick one of her friends taught her. It was the old standby... pick a card,
put it back in a packet of cards, lay the cards down in several rows, I point to the row that contains
my card, and then pick the row a second time when the cards are redealt into rows yet again. My
daughter picked my card, thank goodness, but I didn't have the heart or inclination to tell her that
the effect she showed me was one of the very first effects I learned many years ago.
Unfortunately, most really impressive card tricks are not self-working. That's not to say that self-
working card tricks can't be impressive; John Scarne, Karl Fulves and Edward Glassman are three
excellent magicians who all wrote books on the subject. But the general public doesn't read their
books... Other magicians do. My first 'real' magic book was John Scarne's "Scarne on Card
Tricks", and I still refer back to it from time to time when I'm working on a new effect.
If you want to be a true success in magic, specifically card magic, then you have to learn a few
basic sleights. That's what will separate your magic from the typical 'jailhouse' magic. Jailhouse
magic? Yes, that's what I call the self-working card tricks that everyone knows. And how do I know
these things? Actually, I had a friend who 'forgot' to pay a traffic ticket, got picked up on a warrant,
and spent the weekend in jail awaiting an appearance before a judge. I had taught him just
enough about card magic; specifically how to perform a double lift and how to control a card to the
top of the deck, that he was so far ahead of the other jailbirds in terms of ability that he left his brief
incarceration a legend.
He still talks about how everyone, although they were a slightly captive audience, raved about his
abilities with a deck of cards.
His adventure taught me something as well... If you will take the time to master a few sleights, you
can really 'wow' an audience, abeit a small audience, with your ability. Learn how to 'control' a
card from where it's inserted into the deck to the top of the deck. This is not hard to learn. Learn
also how to properly perform a double-lift. Again, with a little practice, it's not hard to learn. Find a
good false shuffle, so you can control the card to the top of the deck and then make it appear as if
everything is truly fair and random.
2. Work on what's commonly called a 'magician's force'. You can perform some of the most
outstanding effect imaginable with a good magician's force, and it's not something that will take
weeks of practice to master.
These are just some of the Basic's. Armed with the ability to 'control' cards, you can also control
the action, and literally make up card tricks as you go along. Good magicians can say "pick a card
- any card", without a clue where they're going from there, and totally amaze you. I encourage you
to learn a thing or two about the basics and see where it takes you, see how good you can be, and
see how many people you can amaze and impress with your new-found abilities.
About this Author
Rick Carruth is the publisher of the Magic Roadshow, the largest free ezine in the field of magic.
Subscribe free at http://StreetMagic.info/subscribe.html. Rick is also the editor of 'Magic Tips and
Tricks', The perfect 'pick a card - any card' book for any skill level, currently available on Amazon
and at leading bookstores. Read more at: http://www.createspace.com/3605025
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Carruth
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Want to learn the secrets behind card tricks? Visit:
http://tinyurl.com/cardtricksrevealed
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