Free Magic Tricks – The Double Lift Project

Would you like to improve your Double Lift technique?

The Double Lift Project has been designed to help you improve your technique with the core move in card magic. As you are a magician, you already have a double lift that you use, but are to totally happy with it?

I'd like to invite you to try out one of the magic tricks taught on the DVD for free.

You can watch the performance and tuition videos here

When magicians come to The Merchant of Magic for tuition, they a have made the choice to move away from self working card tricks, and hope to add a little card technique to their working material. We usually start them on learning the Double Lift, as it is a fundamental building block to so many magic tricks with playing cards. Some magicians ONLY use the Double Lift in their card magic simply because it is so practical for a huge range of card magic tricks.

We've seen many working magicians who only have a passable double lift. Many magicians have clumsily technique, and use misdirection instead of technique to make it effective. It doesn't have to be that way. You can advantage of the many variations and context specific techniques to super charge your double lift.

Do This:

Spend a moment to examine your double lift in a mirror. Be honest with yourself:

Does it REALLY look undetectable?

Does it look exactly the same as when you perform the normal action without thinking?

Do you find that you need to look down at the cards as you do the move?

Would it really stand up to close inspection?

No matter how often we repeat an action, we don't improve it unless we pay mindfull attention to it. There's always a good reason to go back to a move that we think we have mastered and examine it in the cold light of day.

Should a Signed Playing Card be Given to People by Magicians?

by Merchant of Magic Leave a Comment

When it comes to a spectator choosing playing cards, magicians can’t help saying:

“Pick a card. Now please sign your name on the card..“

Why do magicians have playing cards signed by their spectators? It’s such an odd thing to do. Playing cards aren’t supposed to be signed. There’s something else making the magicians get the names of their spectators on the playing cards.

The most popular reason magicians do this to playing cards.

It’s a time stamp.

Having a spectator sign a playing card is a proof that the playing card was in THAT space at THAT time. It elevates the impossibility of the effect, should the playing card be found in another location moments later.

Why do we give the playing cards to spectators to keep?

Hands up, who needs a playing card with their own signature on it? Anyone…?

Our own signatures are not rare, we can make one whenever we want. What’s the value in keeping a playing card we sign ourselves? It doesn’t refer to the magician, it doesn’t even point to what happened in the magic trick. It’s just a playing card with our name on it. Spectators do often keep the playing cards magicians make them sign, as a reminder of what they saw. It’s something to take out at the office a few days later as they tell their friends about the magician. But it could be so much better.

Dominic Reyes talks about alternative ways to give out your playing cards:

DO THIS: Next time you need a playing card signed, try one of the following:

1) Give an autograph – If a spectator signs a playing card, add some text yourself:

To
(signature)
Best wishes
(your name)

2) Make a wish – Ask the spectator to write on the card, a wish that they would like to come try in the year ahead.

3) Draw a picture – Ask them to draw a picture and then you can add a funny comment under it.

4) Turn it into a spell – Have them sign the playing card at the top. Under it, write: A wish to come true.
Explain that they should keep the playing card safe, and if they ever need a single wish granted, they should make the wish as they tear the card in two. They must keep the playing cards pieces safe, and it may come true.

The Top Opener Card Tricks For Magicians

by Merchant of Magic 6 Comments

Card tricks can be a great choice for the first magic trick you perform for your spectators. The first magic trick is often refereed to as an ‘opener’ by magicians.

“Your opening effect must achieve two very important goals. First, it has to win over the audience. Second, it should set the tone or the rest of the act.” – Strong Magic Darwin Ortiz

Card tricks that will be used as openers need to meet some requirements:

1. The card tricks need to be fast.

Trying to perform multi phase tricks with a long build up before the magic happens can easily switch off your spectators attention. You have the groups attention, so your tricks should create a magical event as quickly as possible.

2. Perform visual card tricks.

Card tricks that have a strong visual element work really well. This captures the audiences attention. Visual tricks require less thought from the spectators, who will not be as engaged in your performance at this point.

3. Make sure it’s amazing.

These first magic tricks need to hit them hard and show them something totally impossible. People will judge the quality of your whole act, by the first magic trick you show them. Make sure the magic tricks you choose as openers, establish your skills and demonstrate how entertaining you are.

4. Easy to perform card tricks.

When you approach a new group of spectators, you will be doing several things at once:

Introducing yourself
Setting the tone
Assessing the group dynamics
Defining your performing conditions
Setting pace
Capturing attention
Establishing control

Using card tricks that are easy to perform as your first tricks, gives you one less thing to worry about. If you are ‘breaking in’ new material, it may not be wise to use them as openers, until you are very comfortable performing them.

5. Set a good tone for the rest of the performance.

The card tricks you use as openers will set the tone for the rest of the ‘set’. What is your magicians persona? Which card tricks would help to communicate this to the spectators. Choosing tricks with a comedy presentation, before moving into a dark mentalism act, wouldn’t flow correctly and will confuse the spectators. Build each of the tricks into ‘set’s that have a common theme and select an opener that sets the tone and style of the whole act.

Here are some suggestions for good openers. You can learn them from most good magic shops:

The Invisible Deck
The Chicago Opener
Stand Up Monte
Identity
Ambitious card
Satisfaction Guaranteed

Using Sleight of hand.

An alternative to structured card tricks, would be to perform some card flourishes and manipulation as an opener. This would establish your skills and grab attention. With card tricks, magicians are fighting against the “Card tricks Uncle” cliche. Performing some flourishes, or a demonstration of sleight of hand can establish your credibility right away.

Performing a series of colour changes would also be a great way to capture attention and set a pace for the rest of the card magic.

NEXT: The 5 Best Sansmind Tricks Every Magician Loves