I think I'm hanging up the rabbit hat.

[treble_head]

I've for the most part done well at what I set out to do. I can juggle pretty damned well, I understand why fractals work, I can balance a pen on my chin for about 10 seconds (if it doesn't sound that impressive, try it).


I cannot understand the principles behind sleight of hand card tricks. I have a few down. I can Twist Aces (which took me longer than I'd like to say), I can use a backslip, menial stuff like that. I cannot figure out much of anything else. I'm sort of stuck. I can do some false shuffles, and I'm pretty good on prepared decks. I just cannot get past it. I want to learn true and real sleight of hand. I have bought countless books. (Jean Hugard makes me want to die) I have watched videos that explain virtually nothing. "you see, I place it behind" (BEHIND WHAT????!)

I'm getting to the point where I feel if I don't actually have someone teaching me it, step by step, I'm screwed. Type doesn't help, because I'm a visual thinker, video doesn't help a lot because in dealing with cards, I'm left handed. I felt so embarrassed tonight because I had a video of a 10 year old make me feel like a complete crap, because I couldn't follow his instruction.

Any suggestion, or have I met my match?

[tkingdoll]

Can't you seek out a teacher?

[kittynh]

honestly, it's hard.

I remember at TAM2, watching a magician, Andrew Mayne. He was sitting just in front of me, and he endlessly...through the whole day....practiced with various cards and dice. He was paying attention to the speakers, but his hands were never empty or idle. I thought, "wow, aren't you already good?"

I would suggest that if you love magic, and you have a real will to learn this, you can. There will be those with natural talent that just pick stuff up. BUT, you can learn this. And it will be all the sweeter for you when you do.

I tell this to art students all the time. I was told this myself. Talent, even genius, only counts for so much. Willpower and sticking with something wins out a whole lot of times. Sometimes when something is too easy, you don't appreciate it enough to really take it to the next level. Make what you learn your own also, give it your own personal spin in presentation. Be different if you can't be perfect! (or a quick learner).

Whoop this suckers A$$!!!

[Brown]

I'm rather fond of the Michael Ammar card videos from L&L Publishing, for several reasons.

First, most of the tricks are pretty darn good. Lots of bang, not much fluff. (I've bought a few instructional videos in my time, and until I saw Michael's videos, I'd always been disappointed in the amount of fluff--lame tricks, stupid tricks, useless tricks, tricks that aren't really tricks at all--in comparison to the amount of really good material.)

Second, Michael offers a good variety. There are some "pick a card" tricks, tricks in which cards repair themselves, tricks in which cards move around mysteriously, tricks for intimate performances, tricks for the stage, classic tricks, offbeat tricks, impromptu tricks, advance preparation tricks, prop tricks, packet tricks.

Third, most of the sleights are pretty easy to perform with a little practice, and they are useful for a wide variety of tricks. The Esconio Spread, the Elmsley Count (as an ace twister, you'd know that one), the Olram subtlety, the Hofzinser force and the like are pretty typical, and these moves make repeated appearances in the videos. There are no tricks that require complicated card controls, and only a couple that I'd say require "advanced" card controls.

Fourth, Michael prides himself on providing good instructions. He often shows the moves from several angles.

[vIQleS]

Magic club would seem to be the obvious answer - is there a club nearby or within driving distance?

[firecoins]

magic clubs are nothing but old men here in the US. Even the children clubs.

My suggestion is to practise 1 sleight at a time. THe classic palm of a coin for instance takes a while to get but if you get it you will be able to do more than many amateur magicians.

May I recommend Card College Light from Roberto Giobbi. Self working tricks by someone who knows card magic inside out.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

Don't throw in the towel, yet. There are many good suggestions above.

A couple possibilities:

Daryl's Encyclopedia of Card Sleights DVD's.

http://www.dennymagic.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?client=23582553&action=detail&item=005502

Steve Beam's Semi Automatic Card Tricks book series.

http://www.stevebeam.com/product.htm

[Brown]

Another possibility: move into mentalism.

In his book, "Shattering Illusions," Jamy Ian Swiss speaks rather unfavorably of mentalists (although it could be argued that his principal complaint was the amount of bad mentalism that was out there). Yet his act at TAM5 (I understand) was largely mentalism. In addition, one of his tricks at TAM4 was based upon an old tired mentalist's principle that he scoffed at in his book.

Mentalists can do card tricks that an audience thinks aren't card tricks. In addition, mentalists aren't expected to be card sharps, so the audience doesn't put as much "heat" on the performer's card-handling ability. A simple color change, a rollover force, a Svengali deck ... these can all be used to perform mental miracles. The audience thinks the cards are only a small part of the performance, but in reality, the cards are the key to the whole thing. (See Theodore Annemann's writings, such as "Practical Mental Effects,") for several examples.)

Returning to the Ammar videos, there are several effects that could be easily adapted to a mentalist's act. Michael Ammar doesn't present them as such, but it doesn't take much imagination to see how an effect could be passed off as mind-reading or "forced hypnosis" or precognition. Perhaps the closest effect to a mentalism effect is Al Baker's "Poker Face," which is so incredibly simple (you can do the actions--they are so simple that they could hardly be called "moves"--with your eyes shut and with virtually no practice) yet really has an impact on spectators. For those who haven't seen the effect, the spectators are told that the performer can tell when a spectator's expression changes, even when the spectator tries to keep a "poker face." This is B.S., but the spectator might well think that the performer can actually read the spectator's mind, which is even bigger B.S.

But it's not mind-reading. It's just a card trick.

[Brown]

To correct/amplify something I said earlier:

Ammar presents one trick as a sort of "forced hypnosis" trick: "Hofzinser All Backs." With a few changes in patter, this could be presented as a mental effect, in that the spectator might start to feel that the performer has clouded his mind and he cannot trust his own senses.

In other words, the spectator might start to wonder whether he's seeing a card trick or whether the performer is messing with his mind.

'Hofzinser All Backs" is a trick that I have grown to love. It can be performed impromptu, with a borrowed deck (usually ... there are some decks with which I would not perform this trick). There are some moves in it, but they are not difficult. The trick includes one surprise after another in rapid succession, and the performer ends totally "clean." In the variation I use, the spectator is led to believe that what he just saw, he could not possibly have actually seen.

[firecoins]

Jamy Ian Swiss is doing mentalism full time. It would not be the first time Swiss has said something that was apparently hypocritical.

[deBergerac]

Jamy Ian Swiss is doing mentalism full time. It would not be the first time Swiss has said something that was apparently hypocritical.

Maybe it is not so much hypocritical as inconsistent. Besides my impression of Jamy Ian Swiss’ critique against mentalism was that it was mostly aimed at those who either claim that what they do is real or do it poorly.

But cards in menatlism is not an easy question. Some like Richard Osterlind has no problem with using them while a really excellent card man like Derren Brown (Get his “the Devil’s picture book”) has given up cards completely. There is an ongoing and probably eternal battle, between those who think that you can and those who think you can’t use cards as a mentalist. Then there are those who just do good mentalism and do not worry that much.

[firecoins]

Maybe it is not so much hypocritical as inconsistent. Besides my impression of Jamy Ian Swiss’ critique against mentalism was that it was mostly aimed at those who either claim that what they do is real or do it poorly.

But cards in menatlism is not an easy question. Some like Richard Osterlind has no problem with using them while a really excellent card man like Derren Brown (Get his “the Devil’s picture book”) has given up cards completely. There is an ongoing and probably eternal battle, between those who think that you can and those who think you can’t use cards as a mentalist. Then there are those who just do good mentalism and do not worry that much.
He has done other things that me think hypocripsy. I don't want to get into the whole thing.

As for doing mentalism with cards, I have done so. I have done card calling. Osterlind does the effect as well. Max Maven has done the effect albeit he doesn't do it anymore. Barrie Richardson has used playing cards as well. It can work quite beatifully. You just don't use cards in the same fashion as a magician.

[aofl]

Don't throw in the towel, yet. There are many good suggestions above.

A couple possibilities:

Daryl's Encyclopedia of Card Sleights DVD's.

http://www.dennymagic.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?client=23582553&action=detail&item=005502

Steve Beam's Semi Automatic Card Tricks book series.

http://www.stevebeam.com/product.htm

I'll second the recommendation of Daryl's Encyclopedia of Card Sleights.

Also seek out books and videos on self working card tricks. Roberto Giobbi recently released Card College Lite which is a good book of self working tricks.

A

[treble_head]

thank you all for your recommendations. I have found a sort of "me" style. I have really small hands to hide proper sized cards right now, but I did look at your responses, (sorry for not answering sooner). All I'll say is that I'm using one card from a poker sized deck and a bridge sized deck to great effect.

I'm able to use the bridge deck with great effect and the poker card to do what I couldn't before, and both to fool the crap out of people. I honestly think I might be inventing new tricks, though, I doubt it...

I'm okay at hiding a card. (the poker deck card), and it's messing people up. I think I may have my ability down, and I've come up with about 4 tricks from it, and I think if I can learn to hide a bridge card, I'll get into it.

I'm happy enough with what I've modified with hiding (shoving bottom, etc), that I'll keep working with it.