Top Three Trick Decks For Beginners

Sleight of hand is great.

But sometimes, it’s nice to have one or two tricks in our repertoire that don’t take ANY difficult moves. It’s even better when these easy tricks are some of the most powerful effects your spectator will ever see.

This is exactly what you can accomplish using gimmicked decks…

Now, there are a whole bunch of different gimmicked decks out there. That means that there are also, inevitably, a lot of BAD gimmicked decks. These are the trick decks that would never stand up to a real close up inspection, or perhaps have VERY limited angles. You want to avoid these!

So how do you know which trick decks are genuine quality? That’s what we’re going to explain in this blog post. You’ll find out three of our favorite tricks decks for beginners – and whether they’re right for you.

Let’s get into it…

Trick Deck No.3: One Way Force Deck

The One Way Force Deck is a regular deck of 52 cards. The cards are completely normal, and so is the deck.

Here’s the catch…

All the cards are the same.

That’s right. Every one of the 52 cards in the deck are identical. For example, my One Way Force Deck is made up entirely of the Queen of Hearts. Now, I know what you’re thinking…

Isn’t this the oldest trick deck in the book? Nobody is going to be fooled by this.

Buying a One Way Force Deck might not sound like the best idea you’ve ever heard, but here’s why it actually is…

It’s all about HOW you use it. You need to be subtle with it. In my opinion, you shouldn’t use the One Way Force Deck as the ‘main’ effect. Instead, use it to support and strengthen other effects.

If the One Way Force Deck is the ‘main’ deck you use, people are more likely to want to examine it, or check it out. But if you only introduce it for a certain part of the trick, they’ll usually forget about it.

Here’s an example…

Imagine we were performing an ACAAN (Any Card At Any Number) routine. There are a few stages to this effect. First, the spectator selects a card. Then, they select a number. Their chosen card is then found at that number.

Let’s imagine you only have ONE deck to use for this. In most cases, you would need to force a card using sleight of hand. Now imagine you brought the One Way Force Deck into play instead. Here’s how you could present it…

You show the spectators an ordinary deck of cards and ask them to hold onto them – so you can’t do anything to them. Little do they know, the card you are going to force is already in the desired position.

Next, you introduce another deck (this one is the One Way Force Deck). Now, this makes sense. The spectator is holding on to the other deck – so of course you need to use another one! There’s nothing suspicious about it.

You spread the deck face down on the table and ask a spectator to touch the back of one card. This is a real free choice (not like it matters when all the cards are the same!). Once they’ve touched that card, you remove it from the deck and place it on the table. Now you gather up the rest of the One Way Force Deck and remove it from the effect.

That’s it.

It’s as simple as that. Now you can carry on with the effect as usual – forcing a number or using sleight of hand to manipulate where the number they choose lands. The key thing is that you’ve strengthened the ‘pick a card’ of the routine without raising any suspicions.

That’s how the One Way Force Deck should be used. Not as the main deck that does all the work, but as a support to the other aspects of your magic.

Here’s where to get hold of a one way deck

Let’s get into the next pick…

Trick Deck No.2: Stripper Deck

The Stripper Deck was the very first trick deck I ever received, and it definitely played a big part in getting me ‘hooked’ on magic.

It’s a very versatile trick deck that is almost invisible to spectators and can be used in hundreds (more like thousands) of different ways!

Without revealing too much, the Stripper Deck is for all intents and purposes a regular deck of cards, only you can alter each card in a certain way to make it immediately discoverable in the deck, even after shuffling. This process takes about a second to do and can be done right in front of the spectator’s eyes.

Once you’ve mastered this move (and it really is very easy), a whole new world of card tricks will be opened up to you.

One of my favorite uses of the Stripper Deck is as a ‘safety’ net.

What I mean by this is that I perform my card magic as usual, but using a Stripper Deck to give me an ‘out’ if I need one. So if I’m doing the Ambitious Card Routine, and I realise I messed up – I can very quickly and easily find the chosen card if I’ve been using the Stripper Deck function (and nobody will realise that I messed up!).

The Stripper Deck can be operated through ‘feel’ alone so it also opens up a whole range of possibilities – you could perform with your eyes closed, with your hands behind your back, or even with a blindfold on!

I would definitely recommend checking out The Stripper Deck

No.1: The Invisible Deck

I feel like I’m ALWAYS talking about The Invisible Deck, but that’s for good reason. The Invisible Deck is one of THE most powerful effects in magic, and it’s so incredibly easy!

The magician places a deck of cards on the table, and promises that he isn’t going to touch them one. He then invites a spectator to think of ONE card. They really can think of absolutely any card in the deck – it is a completely free choice.

Once they’ve they’ve decided on their card, the magician asks them to say it aloud for the first time. Let’s say it’s the King of Spades.

The magician slowly reaches to the table and opens up the deck of cards that has been there the WHOLE time. He carefully spreads through the cards to reveal that they’re all face up…apart from one. The one face-down card is removed from the deck, and the magician lies it flat on the table. He reminds the audience that they really could have thought of ANY card. He turns it over to reveal that it is somehow, impossibly, the same card that the spectator named!

This is an absolute game-changing effect for any magician. It’s a great opener card tricks, and just as competent as a closer to your performance. And better yet, it’s one of the easiest effects you’ll ever perform.

Check out The Invisible Deck

I hope you enjoyed this list of the top three trick decks for beginners! All of these decks are great investments for your magic.

About the author: Benji is a hobbyist magician from the UK who also runs a magic site over at thedailymagician.com

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How Magicians Create A Winning Atmosphere For Magic

by Dominic Reyes Leave a Comment

atmosphere for magic

Arthur writes: So my question is: How do I set the atmosphere to “magic is an art, enjoy” and not to “I bet you can’t catch me”?

This is a GREAT question. In fact, I’ve been waiting for an excuse to write about it for absolutely ages. When you are performing magic, the last thing you want is for the audience to believe they’re in some kind of conflict with you. Magic shouldn’t be an ‘I win by fooling you, you lose by being fooled’ situation. Instead, it should be a ‘win-win!’ situation for both the spectators and magician. But how do we get to this good atmosphere for magic?

I’m going to try to explain the answer to this question in three easy to understand steps. To help with this, I’m going to use a definition from Darwin Ortiz’ thoughts on this very question (which you can find in his book, Strong Magic).

Ortiz would define the ‘I bet you can’t catch me’ atmosphere as the CHALLENGE atmosphere, in which the magician is challenging the audience to a battle of wits. This is what we want to avoid.

So, here are the steps…

1. Don’t Use ‘Challenge’ Vocabulary In Your Acts

2. Don’t Undermine Your Audience!

3. Avoid The Challenge Attitude, Not Challenging Tricks

4. Stop Reminding Your Audience That It’s A Trick!

1. Don’t Use ‘Challenge’ Phrases In Your Acts

This is a pretty simple one but we need to get it out of the way.

If you’re trying to present an effect and you want to avoid creating this challenge scenario, then don’t use ‘challenge’ phrases.

For example, within a routine we might be tempted to say…

‘Watch the card!’

We vanish it, and say…

‘Did you see it? No? Then I guess you weren’t watching close enough!’

Can you see how a phrase like this immediately creates a ‘challenge’ in the mind of the spectator. Now they’re really going to be watching you close, and just waiting for you to mess up. This isn’t good for you or them!

Now I know that was an obvious example, and not many of us will realistically be guilty of it. But the same thing can happen without our noticing; only on a much smaller scale.

For example, what if we vanished a card and then said…

‘Did you see it go? No? You didn’t? Really?’

This isn’t a blatant challenge like the phrase above, but it could easily be read as one by your audience. Now they’re determined that next time, they ARE going to see it.

You need to be really careful that you avoid all use of confrontational language like this within your routines! This shouldn’t be a big problem for most of you, but it can sometimes slip through the net.

2. Don’t Undermine Your Audience!

There’s a reason the challenge attitude doesn’t end well for both the magician and the spectators. When the audience feel like the magician is fooling them to prove how much ‘better’ he is than them, they aren’t going to be happy.

You want your audience to feel comfortable around you, and that they are EQUALS within the trick. If they feel like you respect them and are treating them as equals, they won’t care about ‘challenging’ you. There’s no need!

But if your audience feels like you don’t respect them, they suddenly have a point to prove to you. How do they prove that they’re your equal to you?

Why, by figuring out your trick! Which immediately sets them into the ‘challenge’ mindset; the very thing we wanted to avoid.

3. Avoid The Challenge Attitude, Not Challenging Tricks

There’s nothing wrong with using tricks that seem to have a ‘challenge’ element to them. It’s ALL about the attitude that you present them with.

For example, the three card monte.

Plenty of magicians can use this trick without their audience falling into the ‘challenge’ mindset. It’s one of the classic magicians subtitles never explained in magic tricks instructions..

Why?

Because of the way they present it, and the attitude they present it with!

This goes back to the previous point we made; if the audience feels like you’re on their side, they won’t want to challenge you. There are plenty of magicians who present the three card monte as a challenge; but they do it in a friendly way and with an attitude that communicates the fact that they would rather just have a good time with their audience than necessarily ‘fool’ them.

Bill Malone is a great example of a magician who presents challenging tricks but does it with such a friendly manner that his audience loves it! I would definitely advise watching his material to get a feel for how you can create a similar atmosphere for magic.

4. Stop Reminding Your Audience That It’s A Trick!

When the audience is reminded that they are watching a TRICK, they are reminded that there is a SOLUTION to that trick. And so they set about looking for the solution; creating the ‘challenge’ mindset.

How do you avoid reminding the audience that they’re watching a trick?

Tell a Story With a Magic Trick

I think one of the best ways of doing this is by telling a great story.

Everybody loves stories; it’s a great way of gripping your audience and taking them out of the ‘trick’ and into an ‘effect’. Even silly stories or nonsensical stories have a similar effect on your audience.

When we listen to stories, it has a way of taking us ‘out’ of the moment and into a dreamlike state where everything we hear is true. It’s the same in magic; when the magician tells a story, the audience is transcended ‘out’ of the moment and into a plane in which everything the magician says is true. They don’t ‘challenge’ the magician because he is the storyteller; and as the storyteller, everything he says is true.

Do these tips make sense? Feel free to get in touch if you still have any questions!

READ THIS NEXT: How to stand out as a magician

How to Stand Out as a Magician

by Merchant of Magic Leave a Comment

Here’s a question from one of our readers, James:

“What is that ONE magic trick that will make me stand out?”

I’m so glad I’ve got a chance to address this question. I see it a lot; and the answer might either be a really frustrating one or enlightening, depending on how you act on it.
You can either take this advice and create an incredible, showstopping trick that WILL make you stand out, or you might choose to abandon it in favor of the easier answers out there.

There is no ONE trick that will make you stand out; but there can be YOUR one trick that will.

What do I mean by this?
Even the best effects, if they don’t work with your persona and style as a magician, will be weaker than basic effects that DO follow suit with who you are.

Imagine if Derren Brown were to perform a Dynamo effect. Sure, it wouldn’t be bad, but it wouldn’t be anything memorable either. That’s because it doesn’t fit who Derren Brown is as a magician.

So, the answer is that the ONE trick that will make you stand out is ENTIRELY dependent on who you are as a magician, and ultimately, as a person.

To illustrate my point, let’s compare this to a similar question I often see in the world of fashion.

“What is the ONE outfit that will really make me stand out?”

Again, it’s obvious that this question is completely subjective. There’s no clear answer. The answer will vary massively depending on a bunch of factors; your height, weight, gender, build, etc. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.

It’s exactly the same in magic. Although the factors that are perhaps slightly less visible, they need to be taken into account nonetheless.

So, how do you decide which trick is the No.1 trick for YOU?

Here’s five simple steps that should help you narrow it down…

Step 1: Evaluate Your Audience; Who Are You Trying To Impress?

You mention in your initial question that you want to ‘stand out’.

Great. But you first need to really zone in on WHO you want to stand out to; the tricks that impress one demographic might fall flat in front of another.

For example, some tricks that might work like a charm at children’s parties would not fool an adult audience, and vice versa, some of the tricks performed for adults would go straight over the heads of any children watching them.

As a general rule:

– Simple and visual tricks will work well for younger audiences as they require less concentration and hold attention better.

– For story or narrative based routines, make sure the audience is mature enough to understand the messages and values you are trying to convey through the story. Consider tailoring the narrative to make it more relevant to the respective audience.

So when preparing to select a knockout trick, you first need to consider your audience. What’s more, your choice of audience will undoubtedly affect the presentation of the effect too.

Once you have your audience in mind and understand what you need to deliver based on their needs, let’s move on to the next step.

Step 2: Persona and Entertainment Level

This is a really key step.

In order to create a trick that will make you stand out, YOU as a person need to stand out. It’s not enough to simply rehash a presentation of the trick that you’ve seen before. You need to find your own spin on it.

In fact, I would argue that the best magicians are remembered for their presentation MORE so than the trick performed.

A great example of this is Penn and Teller; the comedic magic duo. A lot of the tricks they perform are fairly common in the magic world (such as the Cups and Balls) but they have such unique takes on the presentation that their performances are highly entertaining and definitely ‘stand out’ for their audience. This suggests that the real key to standing out is to have a memorable persona rather than just relying on a memorable trick.

How do you create a persona?
I’ve found that the best way to develop a persona is by consistent performing over time. The more you perform, the more your own style will emerge. Initially you’ll be tempted to stick to the same formulaic approaches to effects, but once you gain more confidence, your persona will naturally start to shine through.

Now I’m not encouraging you to just wing it and hope that sooner or later something will stick. Every time you perform, analyze your performance afterwards. Which bits worked? Which bits didn’t?

The key thing is to try to make sure you come away from it having learnt something new. A certain one liner might have landed really well, whilst a new phase to your routine didn’t. As you make a note of these things and edit your performances accordingly, you should see a persona starting to emerge.

Step 3: Mastery

Now that you have an idea of a trick and the presentation you are going to use in your head, you need to practice it until you can do it in your sleep.

Why?

Well, the more you need to concentrate on your getting the sleights right during the trick, the less you can perform. As a result, the weaker your grasp of the sleights, the weaker the entertainment level.

So, you need to ensure that you are COMPLETELY comfortable with every sleight required to the point where you can perform the routine blindfolded or distracted.

Basically, you want to be able to place all your focus on the presentation and selling of your persona; and one of the best ways to do this is by gaining a really strong muscle memory of the sleights.

By now, you should have a trick, persona, and a strong grasp of the sleights. What next?

Step 4: You Have The Final Say

Even if you think you’ve managed to tick all the boxes with a trick, the final decision should be made on the basis of how it feels to you personally; whether or not you choose a trick might just come down to the fact that it does or doesn’t FEEL right.

And that’s how it should be.

You might have a great trick that is perfect for your audience, fits your persona, and you can do easily. But if it doesn’t sit well with you, it’s still not going to be that knockout trick you want it to be. At the end of the day, you need to perform what you feel most comfortable and happy performing.

Your attitude will rub off onto your audience!

Step 5: Trial and Error

Once you’ve selected a trick that fulfills all the requirements we’ve gone through, and you’re happy to perform it, the next step is to just get out there and try it!

Don’t be dissuaded if it isn’t a home run first time round. It’s unlikely that it will be!

Professional magicians might perform and refine their material for years before they settle on a few firm ‘signature’ tricks. You might do it sooner, or you might take longer. The important thing is to keep on evolving and improving! Eventually you’ll find a few solid tricks that you can really ‘own’ and will definitely make you stand out!

I hope that helped you gain an understanding into how you can stand out as a magician! The secret is not to rely on the tricks themselves, but your persona as an individual.

I do appreciate that this might not have been the answer you were looking for, and if you have absolutely NO idea where to start, here’s a few solid tricks that you can’t go wrong with to set you on the right path…

The Invisible Deck
A mind reading miracle using a single deck of cards.

Cube 3
Possibly the most visual magic trick you’ve ever seen. Solve a mixed up Rubik’s Cube, INSTANTLY!

Cardtoon
A captivating card trick that uses a stickman to read the mind of your audience.

How to be yourself as a magician

The tricks to professional magicians use

About the author: Benji is a hobbyist magician from the UK who also runs The Daily Magician