sleight of hand Archives

Control a Playing Card Magic – Card Control Magic

When you learn magic tricks you will be asked to control a playing card. This is all well and good for the seasoned pro, but what if you are new to card magic, and do not yet have your favourite method?

There are countless ways to control a playing card to the top, bottom or even to a chosen position in the deck. The questions we need to ask ourselves though are which methods in card magic are the most versatile, which are the easiest, which are the most deceptive and finally how many playing card controls do I actually need to perfect.

What follows is a list of our personal favourite card magic controls, listed in priority of difficulty, the easiest being the first, yet in our view, possibly the best card control for its simplicity.

Key Playing Card Control.

The Key card control is a very underused overlooked and underestimated sleight, that, when used correctly can also be most deceptive. The beauty of this card control is that you can move the chosen playing card to the top, to the bottom or even to a specific place in the deck. Also, it requires no sleight of hand. From experience using a key card can not only fool spectators, but magicians as well, because of its simplicity.
The secret to using a key card deceptively in your card magic is to disguise the moment you are looking for the key card, and disguise the cutting of the deck. When using a Key card control, whilst searching through the deck for the key playing card, Spread through showing the cards to a spectator, asking if they have any idea what card was selected. It’s a small touch but takes attention away from your actions. Also, rather than just cutting at the key card, cut a few playing cards in small batches as you search for the key playing card and then cut at the key card. This helps hide the fact that you are looking for a single playing card and then adjusting the order of the cards.
A final tip on the Key playing card: Why not use the back of a playing card? By having one card subtly marked on its back this can be used as a key playing card, and can be used as a very deceptive card control within your card magic.

Marlo’s Depth illusion, aka Tilt

Marlo’s depth illusion is a great way of controlling a playing card to the second card from the top of the deck. Admittedly, the performer has to place the playing card into the deck himself, however, the illusion of the card going into the centre of the deck is perfect, and this control is well worth learning and perfecting as it has many many useful card magic applications.

Double Undercut.

The Double under cut is quick, convenient, requires no table and also allows control of the playing card to the top or bottom. Admittedly not as simple as the key card control as it requires being competent with the basic card magic. However, this is an ideal control should you wish to start learning sleight of hand. The double undercut will get you used to using your hands in such a way that it becomes inherent that the playing cards are handled lightly and under control.

The Cull.

We now enter the tougher card magic controls. The Cull will take practice to perfect. So, what are the advantages of learning it? Huge advantages! You can control a playing card in plain view to any position in the deck you choose just through the apparent action of spreading the deck. Not only can you control one card, but any number of cards can be controlled through one simple spread of the cards. The cull is an incredible card magic tool worth mastering if you wish to have an invaluable tool in your arsenal.

The Pass.

The Pass is the ultimate card control, yet with no doubt the toughest to master. The overall benefit of the pass is that when performed correctly there is no visible change to the order of each playing card. The selection is returned to the deck, and it is instantly on the top, or the bottom of the deck. The pass is literally invisible, yet for perfection you must be prepared to put in many hours of dedication.

Final thoughts on card control.

Whichever route you wish to use to control a card, here’s some advice. Don’t lose focus on the big picture. To the spectators you should not be trying to control any playing. When you need to control the playing card try to justify it within the magic trick. For example: rather than just going through the deck and then cutting the deck, cover the move with justification. A good example is to go through the deck to remove the jokers. As far as the spectators are concerned the control of a card should not even be part of the magic trick. They should be completely unaware of any card control occurring through your card magic. Your control of the playing cards should be a non event in the performing.

Here are some of our favourite resources for learning not only the controls we have mentioned, but also many other useful card magic tools that will help enhance and build great foundations for your journey with the playing card.

Royal Road to card magic

Royal Road to card magic – 5 DVD set

Daryl’s encyclopedia of card sleights

Born to perform

Essential Card Magic Toolbox

Found this useful? Leave a comment below:

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

Card Magic Core Skills, Moves and Sleights For Magicians

by Merchant of Magic 3 Comments

Sleight 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.

Why do people collect playing cards?

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