How did Magician Troy Push a Coin Inside a Playing Card

After magician Troy pushed a coin inside a playing card in his magic TV show, we are getting a lot of questions about the magic trick technique.

When John Webb Carter invented the C2C technique back in 2006 the magic shop released a book for magicians that detailed exactly how to perform the magic trick in close up walk around conditions. It was a huge hit amongst magicians that perform in walk-around close up magic conditions. Many magicians focus on card magic tricks, as coin used a different skill set. Signed coin in signed card acted as a perfect bridge to move from a card magic routine into a coin magic piece.

Here’s the demo video for signed coin inside signed card back in 2006

Here’s some of the questions he have received about the magic trick and magician Troys performance.

Does magician Troy use duplicate playing cards or duplicate coins in order to perform coin in playing card?

You only use a normal ungimmicked coin which you can borrow from the spectator and they can keep at the end. It’s usually a stronger magic trick if you borrow the coin. The object doesn’t actually nedd to be a coin. We have had great feedback from a magician that uses a mobile phone sim card that he demonstrates putting into the deck, just like he does with his phone. The playing card used is the one that the spectator selects and signs.

Can the coin and card can be kept as a souvenir?

YES! You should do that! The spectator will often take the playing card out of their wallet or purse and describe the magic trick to their friends. A momento like the playing card is a great advert for your services and magic!

Does magician Troy switch in gimmicked props?

Signed coin inside signed playing card was designed to be used in surrounded close up magic conditions. That’s how magicin Troy likes to do his magic too. You don’t need to switch in any extra props or gimmicks. It’s all contained within your deck of playing cards.

Is the coin really inside the card or is it just an optical illusion?

Magic on TV can sometimes use optical effects or camera tricks. Magician Troy doesn’t use that for his presentation of coin inside playing card, and you don’t either. The coin really is inside the playing card. You cut the coin out with a pocket knife, or the card is ripped open to release it. The spectators can feel the coin in the playing card before it is cut open.

Is coin in playing card repeatable?

Yes! You ruin one playing card each time you perform this magic trick, but that is the only additional cost to perform it. You can use any normal deck of playing cards.

Magician Troy doesn’t have to worry about repeating a magic trick on his TV series. He can do several takes that result in a single performance. Real work close up magicians, need to be able to repeat the magic trick many times each booking. That’s the way signed coin inside signed playing card was designed to allow. A few moments before, they were holding both items then WHAM! The coin is GONE and really does become impossibly buried INSIDE the spectators signed playing card!

You can learn more about C2C Signed Coin Inside Signed Playing Card here

How did David Blaine push a needle through his arm?

by Dominic Reyes 2 Comments

The magic shop is getting requests from people all over the world asking ‘How did David Blaine push a needle through his arm?’

David Blaine’s new TV special Real or Magic seems to have done its job very well! He perfectly blurs the lines between illusion and reality and the magic trick that blurs this line the most is his personal version of needle through arm that closes the show.

So, how did David Blaine push a needle through his arm? The truth is that nobody other than David and his most trusted associates really know. The general consensus of the public is that he must have actually pushed the needle (or skewer to be precise) through his arm. It should go without saying though that no one should attempt to copy this illusion as there are many things that could go wrong including paralysis and even death.

When looking at this amazing piece of astonishment though there are a few things to take into account.

Firstly, David Blaine has been preparing this TV special for nearly a decade. He puts immense amounts of care and thought into his presentations, he also prepares himself for each stunt or magic trick over long periods of time. He is a perfectionist and takes his performances very seriously.

David also has access to the best medical advice and the best magic consultants the world has to offer so whether it was an illusion or real he has advice from the world’s best and most sought after authorities on the subject. So whether it was real or magic he has had the best advice and the best tuition on how to perform this bizarre feat.

David Blaine performed this to an actor in the show. It was a controlled, staged and directed performance, with a spectator that was not an unsuspecting member of the public. Ricky Gervais was part of the show himself.

David Blaine is as committed to the art form of magic as anyone could be. He has the time and money to delve deeply into any theory of any subject he wishes. There is no telling if he spent months learning these techniques from the tribesmen of New Guinea or Mayan’s (who regularly pierce their faces and bodies as part of a ritual they perform), or whether he and his team have in fact, come up with a diabolical method for showing this effect!

Once again David Blaine has fooled us all. He has an amazing ability to keep us all guessing, whether you are a magician or a layperson.

I would like to mention that we at the Merchant of Magic do not advise anyone try any such stunt at home, David Blaine is a professional and has some of the world’s best assistants help him train to perform these illusions and stunts. Maybe it was really a magic trick, in which case really trying to push a needle through your arm would be very silly!

However, if you wish to perform a magic trick that shows an illusion like David Blaine’s needle through arm I highly recommend you check these out:

Pocket Bizarre by Peter Eggink – Tips, Problems and Answers

by Dominic Reyes Leave a Comment

With any magic trick release as hot as Pocket Bizarre by Peter Eggink, there is always a list of questions that follow.

There seem to be a few questions that are definitely the most frequently asked by magicians; so we thought we would list them all here with the answers and add a couple of great tips for you too!

What it does

Pocket Bizarre takes the playing card to pocket plot to new heights and makes the magic happen automatically. A card is selected by the spectator and lost back in the deck of playing cards. You then turn around to show your back pocket; there is nothing to see. You turn to face your spectators and without your hands going anywhere near your back pocket and with no funny moves you turn back around to show that there is now a card sticking out of your back pocket. The spectator removes it, and it is their chosen card!

Questions and Answers about Pocket Bizarre

Can this be done with a signed playing card?

Yes, it can be done with a signed card! The DVD covers this handling as well as many other ideas.

Can the spectator remove the playing card?

It is perfectly fine for the spectator to remove the card from your pocket with most of all the handlings. However, there are a couple of versions taught where this is not possible.

Is it difficult to transfer the gimmick from one pair of trousers to another?

Yes! It is so simple to transfer the gimmick from one pair of trousers to another it is almost criminal!

Is it noisy?

No! The Pocket Bizarre gimmick is absolutely silent!

Can I get the spectator’s signed card to appear without awkward palming?

There are a couple of handlings taught for the signed card version. There is a version where the signed card is able to be removed by the spectator that requires no awkward palming, just great routining.

If a spectator were to remove the card themselves would they feel the gimmick in your pocket?

No! The gimmick is specially manufactured to clip perfectly inside a standard billfold wallet so all a spectator would feel is a wallet in your back pocket that is if you let them feel around that much! Please note though, it is not necessary for you to use the wallet.

Here are a few great tips that can help you get the most out of your Pocket Bizarre as it is so much more than just a card to pocket trick!

This is a great tip that has been suggested by many people:

Why not use Pocket Bizarre as a perfect method to cover a deck switch or to help out with routines like Envylope or The Extractor. Pocket Bizarre is the perfect routine to help aid other tricks like these as the misdirection is automatically built in and makes performing other routines like Envylope a breeze!

Jeff Prace has a great idea:

Give the spectators a small stack of four or five bills. Have them hold the bills tightly between their hands, and explain how you can “pickpocket” one of the bills. Show your back pocket empty, and with your hands clearly empty and visible the whole time, turn back around to reveal a bill. They open their hands and now have one less bill.