How to do Magic Tricks

Advice and Support for Magicians

Card Magic Core Skills, Moves and Sleights For Magicians

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card magic core skillsSleight of hand is something that can become a life long and rewarding journey. To get off on the right foot, and stand a chance of battling this monster, it’s best to be prepared!
There are some fundamental card magic core skills you should first learn with a pack of playing cards before focusing on tricks that are achievable with sleight of hand. These skills are transferable across many different card magic routines, so are really essential learning.
We will cover these in a chronological order. Move through them in turn, as each skill builds upon the previous one.

Dealer Grip

– This is the standard way to hold a deck of cards, EVERYTHING stems from here, so learn this grip well, it will become a great new friend!

Biddle Grip

– This is a grip that your non dominant hand will use, learn to successfully and smoothly transfer the deck from hand to hand using these two grips.

 

Card Magic Core Skills: Shuffle work

It is very important that you can competently shuffle a deck of cards without dropping cards. This displays skill and when done properly any lay man will be happy that the deck is legit. Here are some shuffles to look up and learn.

– Overhand Shuffle

The classic ‘running cards’ shuffle, this is the most common of all shuffles.

– Riffle Shuffle (and bridge)

This is the shuffle everyone wants to be able to do. Standard in casinos and all over the world this is the fastest way to randomise an order in a deck of cards.

– Hindu Shuffle

This is a variation of the over hand shuffle. This is a useful shuffle to know as it can be used as a shuffle, a control AND a force.

 

Pinkie Break

If you want to have cards legitimately selected and revealed the first step to conquer this is the Pinkie Break. It is a secret way of always knowing where the selected card is within the deck. One of the most valuable techniques used in most magic card tricks.

 

Card Magic Core Skills: Controls

The next step in finding a spectator’s legitimate selection is to learn some controls. These are card magic core skills used to ‘control’ the spectator’s card to wherever you want it.

– Double Undercut

For most magic card tricks, this is the most common of all controls, this is not only a simple technique but also a very deceptive one.

– Overhand Shuffle Control

One of the simplest controls to learn as far as technique is concerned, the overhand shuffle control is a very useful tool to have.

– Hindu Shuffle Control

A rarer control but even more deceiving than the double undercut. The card is controlled whilst shuffling the deck.

Card Magic Core Skills: Forces

The ability to coerce a spectator into selecting a card of your choice (not theirs) in a supposedly fair selection process is a core component of so many magic card tricks. So many magic tricks and routines are possible once you have mastered a good force, so use it!

 

– Riffle Force

The easiest of all forces to learn, this should be the first force you learn to perform well

 

– Backslip Force

Much like the riffle force this is a simple force to learn and very convincing when performed correctly, there are lots of traps you can fall into when learning this force so beware. Practice it when you perform magic card tricks that don’t depend on it, so you gain experience.

 

– Hindu Shuffle Force

This is a great force that is easy to do. If you have mastered the Hindu Shuffle successfully then this force will be a breeze!

 

– Classic Force 

Although not necessary to lean, I have included the Classic Force here as the sooner you learn the classic force the better you will become at it. The classic force is not technically not hard to perform, however to perform it convincingly and with confidence takes a lot of practice. Use the technique as much as possible whenever you perfrom your magic card tricks so you get practice, when it’s not vital to the outcome of the trick.

 

Double Lift/Turnover

This sleight is a great utility tool for EVERY card magician, you can make cards change, vanish, transpose and so much more with this sleight.

 

Triple Lift/Turnover

The triple lift or turnover is an extension of the double lift/turnover. Technically similar to the double lift the triple variation on this sleight opens up some new doors in your card magic.

 

Top Change

Magic card tricks like the top change can be a hurdle for many magicians, as it is a sleight performed under their noses and under misdirection it will seem like you will never get away with it. If you do learn this sleight successfully you will have a great string to your bow.

Card Magic Core Skills: Miscellaneous Sleight

– Elmsley Count

The Elmsley Count is widely regarded as the most versatile false counts in card magic, a lot of mars tricks utilise this great sleight.

 

– Erdnase Colour Change

Performing a colour change well is one of the most magical card tricks you can do with a deck of cards. The Erdnase Colour Change is one of the easiest colour changes to learn

Palm

To palm a card from a deck is a very useful tool, it can be utilised within many card to impossible location routines as well as a way to secretly add or remove playing cards from the deck. Again many people palm cards badly, if you learn the nuances of the move and examine your technique, you will be fine.

 

– Top Palm

The standard palm, this is usually the first palm a sleight of hand artist will learn. Although not used in many magic card tricks, it’s the core move in palming and should be mastered.

 

– Gambler’s Cop

This palm is called the gambler’s cop for a reason, it is a very deceptive palm that was very common in the gambling scene. It jumped over from ‘cheating’ to be used for many magic card tricks. The gambler’s cop takes advantage of how you would stand naturally, allowing you to retain a card in palm whist your hands look entirely natural.

Card Magic Core Skills: Flourishes

– Springing the Cards

This is the action of literally ‘springing’ the deck of cards one by one from one hand to the other.

 

– Dribble

This is like springing the cards but instead of forcing the cards from one hand to the other you use gravity, letting them fall one by one from one hand to the other.

 

– Charlier Cut

The Charlier Cut is a one handed cut that is a nice display of skill, accomplishing nothing more than a cut of the cards this is a nice flourish to perform as a casual display of dexterity. Adding a Charlier Cut adds finesse to most magic card tricks.

There are lots of other card magic core skills and sleights you can learn. However, if you learn these core sleights and techniques well you will be able to easily study most magic card tricks you will come across. Of course, the journey of sleight of hand is never ending, but these fundamental techniques will set you off in the correct direction making it as easy and manageable as possible.

 

NEXT:

Why do people collect playing cards? 

How to do the Indian shuffle – free card magic core skills

Why are Magic Tricks Called Effects?

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magic tricks called effectsAs you study magic, you will quickly come across a term of common industry slang that magicians use, but you most likely won’t hear outside the magic community. Knowing the terminology will help stop you appearing like a magic newbie.

Magic Tricks = Effects

At the Merchant of Magic we don’t tend to use the term ‘effects’ to describe magic tricks for one main reason. The blog is aimed at total beginners as well as established magicians. The public simply don’t use the term ‘effect’ to describe what magicians do. As a result, the search engines don’t use it either. We want to be as accessible to beginners as possible, so in our posts, we use the term ‘magic tricks’ instead.

 

Why do magicians use ‘effects’ rather than ‘magic tricks’?

Is it habit, a social norm, or simply ego? Perhaps there is a good reason behind it? We asked magicians to share their reasons for using the term:

Richard Gibson Dogs do Tricks, magicians perform magic effects. As far as the spectator is concerned I just performed a miracle for them. The word “trick” devalues the effect.

 

Mark Waddington  It makes them feel smart. The only thing I hate more than this, is when they perform to a lay audience and offer to show them an ‘effect’.

Rob Newson I always say ‘would you like me to entertain you for the next 10 minutes?‘ I don’t like saying tricks or effects.

 

Derek Lee Magic trick + Showmanship = Magic effect

 

Ben Cook When you are performing to a spectator, you are affecting that person and hopefully they will remember you.

 

Harvey Kennett The word ‘trick’ has negative connotations.

 

Andy Russell A great trick can affect whomever your showing.

 

Col Balddaniels Daper Doesn’t matter to me what their called to be honest, each to there own! Myself, I call them nothing. I ask if they mind me showing them something or a little something.

 

Paul Cocker The word ‘tricks’ sometimes has bad connotations: tricky, trickster etc, and doesn’t sound as entertaining as an effect. I avoid both and just use the word magic, or more usually just perform an attention grabber, and let them choose which word to use.

 

Filip Ilinca Negative connotations aside, ‘trick’ implies deception which is usually hidden from the person experiencing it (the spectator), it is the modus operandi of the perceived impossibility created by the performer, as opposed to ‘effect’ that the deception has.

 

Steven Holt Snobbery I think. I’ve always called them tricks. Effects, sounds too geeky for me.

 

Cathy Russell Magicians bend reality. Nothing changes, but the way we perceive their art and how they apply it! 

 

Damen William Lewis Nobody likes to be tricked….. It takes away the meaning of the art.

 

Matt Thefishbrainking Tavanah I don’t say that to spectators, I say ‘amaze’. I call them ‘effects’ to other magicians.

 

Dan Hollingshurst What matters is the ‘effect’ it has on the audience – and their resulting reaction.

It seems that magicians do prefer using the term effects rather than magic tricks, when talking with each other, but in performance, they don’t tend to use the term. If you do start calling magic tricks: effects, it’s important to stay aware of it. It’s not advisable to use professional slang, in your act:  ‘let me show you this effect with a deck of playing cards’. Equally, when discussing magic with other magicians, the reasoning behind the two terms is already apparent, so is it even necessary?

Let us know your thoughts about this in the comments section below: 

NEXT: The danger of a magic trick difficulty level set to ‘easy’

 

How to Build Magic Tricks into an Act – Tying Tricks Together

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Build magic tricks into an actMany magicians seem to think that any group of magic tricks can be built into an act.

When we begin learning magic, we learn as many tricks as possible that come our way, that fool us and seem easy enough for us to learn.  During the early stages of learning magic, we don’t think about performing a magic act, just performing great tricks.

It’s only once we acquire a range of tricks, that we begin to think about how to build tricks together. But by then it’s too late. We have spent out time collection random tricks, and have a chaotic collection of magic with no common thread.

 

Dominic Reyes talks about why this isn’t the best way to develop your magic, and how to choose the best magic tricks to build into your sets and acts. He suggests using a common theme or consistent thread running through them:

 

 

Who’s to fault?

Magic shops promote tricks in isolation, grouped together only by their props: card tricks, coin tricks, mentalism etc.

We tend to define the type of magic that we perform by the props we use, saying to ourselves: ‘I’m  a coin worker, a cardtist, a mentalist’ etc.

It’s easy to collect new techniques and routines simply because they are ‘what’s new’, rather than because they would be perfect for the flow or theme of a set we are constructing.

Popular magic TV shows often seem to be a disparate collection of tricks shown one after another, but that’s not the case:

Dynamo magician impossible, presents seemingly random tricks, but each one is introduced and a scene is set. A theme runs through each episode of Dynamo, tying the tricks together.

Derren Brown builds each show into a theme, choosing and  presenting tricks which build to present an overall message or theme.

These are distinct from ‘audition’ shows, where the contest and voting create consistency and each performer is presented as an individual to be judged. It doesn’t matter that there is no theme between acts.

 

Do you approach creating your magic act, the wrong way around?

Imagine going into a supermarket and buying a basket full of random ingredient simply because each one tastes nice, then going home and planning the menu for your dinner party, using all those ingredients.  The meal would be a complete failure.

You need to plan the menu FIRST, then buy the ingredients. The same planning you would do for a meal, needs to be applied to creating a magic act.

Start with a simgle theme or one favourite trick, then slowly build up the next ‘course’ in the ‘magic meal’:

  • Starter –  A strong engaging magic trick that captures attention and sets the theme for the set.
  • Maincourse – a longer trick that requires more engagment from the spectators.
  • Dessert – A strong closer, leading to a climax that gets applause
  • Coffees – A professional farewall

Which magic tricks to choose:

Look at the range of tricks that you already know. Just because you know them and they are strong tricks, in and of themselves, doesn’t mean they fit well together.

Choose one trick which you love, and look for more tricks that compliment it and build up your act.
Start from the ground up so you have coherence and structure. Sort your current ‘bank’ of magic tricks into groups that fit their position in an act: Starters, Maincourses, Desserts.

Search for new magic that will fit the gaps in each of your sets. Your best tricks don’t need to go in the same set. Create 3 or 4 strolling magic sets, 3 or 4 table magic sets and 2 or 3 stand up or caberet sets. Spread out your best tricks across these sets and start adding new material to reinforce them.

I can’t be bothered to do that!

You don’t have to work like this. You can continue to present random tricks without a theme or thread running through them. Many successful, professional magicians don’t work on act structure, and that’s OK. You can very easily continue to perform unassosiated tricks and get great reactions. I would say though, that your magic will be getting a great response despite the lack of a theme, rather than because of it. A little thought into act construction will lift the performance to a new level, leaving the spectators amazed at your magic, and feeling that they have seen something greater than the sum of it’s individual parts.