Cards in Magic & Conjuring

Zenneth is a successful and innovative magician in China and is sponsored by the US Playing Card Company. His specialty is close-up and particularly cards. In these notes he is explaining some of his variations and creations.

Life is Dangerous
This is a technically easier version of Jerry Sadowitz's Prone to Live Dangerously.

Thanks to Duffie
A variation on Peter's Illusion versus Reality.

69 By Play
A visual multiple transposition of two cards.

Strange Prediction
This is a small kicker finish to Roy Walton's Strange Prediction which makes it appear that the spectator has managed to find four of a kind in addition...

Performer shows the red back of a playing card. One can see a heart and an arrow is drawn on the back. Suddenly the arrow slowly flies towards the heart until it penetrates it. In the final climax the color of the red card changes to blue. Making the gimmicked card requires arts and crafts.

Special thanks to Patricio Teran for helping to release this effect.

1st edition 2022, video 36:59.

Burmese Change is a triple card change using a gimmick and sleight-of-hand.

Spectator signs a card which is returned to the deck. The magician takes a random card and the card changes two times in to different cards, and the third change is when a random card changes in to the card signed by the spectator. After the trick, the card can be given to the spectator as a souvenir.

Requires the preparation of a gimmick which is three cards thick.

1st edition 2020, video 13 min.

If you didn't like Burmese Change because of the setup, then here is a different way you may like much better. Zaw Shinn has created this version in pursuit to find the most practical and visual effect he can perform up close in front of the camera. This vanish is easy to do and it looks like CGI. No fancy set up is required and the materials to make the gimmick can easily be found.

1st edition 2020, video 17 min 27s.

Created by Zaw Shinn and taught by Mario Tarasini. This visual ink moving effect is easy to do and it looks just like CGI. No fancy or fragile set up is required and the material to make the gimmick can easily be found. Zaw likes to thank Martin Lewis, Alan Rorrison, Rizki Nanda, and many more for inspiring him to create Triangle Theory.

1st edition 2020, video 24 min 12s.

The Spectator chooses any card from the deck. The magician rips off the corner of that card. One hand wave, and the corner changes color. The magician throws the corner on to the card, the card is restored and the whole card changes color. And that’s not the end. The magician places the card on the deck and the entire deck changes color. Four effects in one trick. (Supplies may have to be purchased in order to perform this effect.)

1st edition 2020, video 17 min.

A spectator card is floating over the deck instantly. This effect was inspired by several classic versions from different magicians but this one uses a different gimmick. Easy to create. Easy to perform. Requires some arts and crafts to construct the gimmick.

1st edition 2022, video 23:45.

A magician holds a card and then changes it to a poker chip, paper money, a coin, or any small flat object. The method is based on a black-art principle and thus best suited for a stage or video performance where lighting and angles can be controlled well. Making the gimmick involves arts and crafts.

1st edition 2022, video 23:04.

The performer shows the face of a 5-of-Diamonds playing card. A quick shake and the pips have changed their color from red to black. Another shake and it changes to the 5-of-Clubs.

Requires some arts and crafts to construct the gimmicked card.

1st edition 2022, video 37:11.

Throw a playing card into the air and have it vanish.

The method is based on the black art principle and thus requires a black background such as a black T-shirt. The gimmick requires several supplies you may need to purchase and arts and crafts to construct it.

1st edition 2022, video 15:43

A magician shows a card with cut-out pips and puts it into a playing card box. The spectator selects a card. When the magician takes out the cut-out pips card from the case and shows it one more time, it suddenly changes to a card without cut-out pips, and when turned face-up it has changed into the spectator's card.

Requires arts and crafts to construct the gimmick.

1st edition 2022, video 38:01.

A playing card levitates above a deck of cards.

The method is based on the black art principle and therefore requires a black background such as a black T-shirt or similar. A bit of arts and crafts and you can make the gimmick yourself.

1st edition 2022, video 14:41

A very visual and sudden spectator card rising to the top effect.

Spectator chooses a card (no force). The card can optionally be signed. It is inserted face-up in the middle of the deck. The performer places the top card by 90 degrees rotated on the top of the deck. He then removes that top card and suddenly the spectator's card rises to the top and is seen face-up on the top of the deck.

The gimmick is easy to make. It requires arts and crafts and some of the usual supplies for card gaffing.

1st edition 2022, video 13:30.

A visual partial vanish of a playing card.

Performer holds a playing card in front of his body. Suddenly most of the card vanishes leaving only the border behind.

This requires the usual supplies and arts and crafts for gaffing cards, plus a black background like a black T-shirt.

1st edition 2022, video 27:24

A super visual partial vanish of a playing card.

Performer holds an empty card frame in one hand and a playing card in the other. By moving the playing card behind the frame the back of the playing card partially vanishes only leaving its frame visible. This looks incredible since the cards can be moved around and everything looks as it should. One could suspect CGI, but everything is achieved with gaffed cards and sleight of hand.

This requires the usual supplies and arts and crafts for gaffing cards, plus a black background like a black T-shirt.

1st edition 2022, video 33:40

The magician holds a card in front of his body and with a wave of the hand, the center vanishes only leaving the border.

This is an improvement to the older version because it does not require a black background. You will need the usual supplies and arts and crafts for gaffing cards.

1st edition 2022, video 19:20

Show an individual play card, wave your hand in front of it, and have it vanish. Then in the same fashion, it reappears. The gimmick is super easy to make. Watch your angles.

1st edition 2023, video 5:57.

A spectator-selected card turns face-up in the deck.

Have a spectator freely select a card from a deck. There is no force. The spectator remembers the card. The magician inserts the card into the deck. When the deck is fanned the card has turned face-up (or face-down if you are showing the deck from faces.)

You will need to be able to do a half-pass. A short card helps in the sleight-of-hand proceedings.

1st edition 2023, video 13:38

This is a true miracle. The description below is true to the last word. It reads like a miracle - because it is one.

With contributions from: Greg Arce, Neil Tobin and Richard Osterlind

The Prediction:

A prediction is sealed in an envelope and held by an audience member the entire presentation. No switches.

The Game:

On stage; a table, 5 chairs and a deck of cards. 5 players (spectators) come up to play a hand of blackjack. Cards are shuffled by a random player and re-cased to avoid any tampering by the performer as he explains about blackjack. No false shuffles. No Sleights. One player deals...

This is a gutsy and exceptionally strong effect. Look out for this guy. He will be releasing more of his strong ideas.

1st edition, 2002.

A new series in Magic and Mentalism, here comes the Loudmouth. A short and direct ebook series striving to give you not only quality and tested material, but thoughtful pondering's on issues and subjects involving the magic world.

CODE-BLACK 52-RED LEFT ON 3 (Trick)
A demonstration of either incredible memory ability or a "remote viewing" act. You can accurately take a shuffled deck (by you and your spectator if desired) and either memorize, or remote view any suit called for over and over again to the decks completion. (Can even be done blindfolded.)

THE ZIMMERMAN EFFECT (Trick)
There...

Possibly the world's funniest card trick!

A spectator is asked to assist on stage with a card trick. Both he and the magician wear a paper bag blindfold over their heads as a card is attempted to be selected. Eventually a large knife is introduced into the routine that the magician intends to stab through the selected card when the spectator is instructed to toss the entire jumbo deck into the air. Everything goes wrong and the audience is in hysterics. Eventually the magician identifies the card successfully. An incredibly commercial, funny and entertaining routine for any serious professional. ...

Originated by Martin Lewis, retailed for many years, and manufactured in a larger than jumbo size, by Ken Brooke, and enhanced by Wolfgang Riebe.

An incredible giant 4 card routine that totally bamboozles your audience. Three blank cards and an ace are shown and the audience is instructed to follow the Ace. They always get it wrong. An unexpected surprise finish occurs when there is only one blank card and three aces!

An incredible stage routine for any serious professional.

The video instructions include:

• Full explanation
• Custom make your own giants cards for under $15
• 30 years of refinement explained ...

Based on the old 'Fred' card trick, Wolfgang launched his magician fooling version 'Fred Outdone' in 1990, causing a sensation amongst magicians and adding a unique twist in that the whole deck could be shown as a red back deck, except for the Fred card. In 2017 Wolfgang took the trick to new heights, hence the new 'Fred Outdone Squared' title.

It's as simple as any spectator naming any card, e.g. seven of hearts. The entire deck is shown to be red backs with different names on the back of each card. Even another seven can be shown to have a red back and different name. When the seven of...

This incredible visual card effect was originated in the 80's and has been adapted, fine-tuned, up-dated and changed to what could easily be considered to be one of the most visual and surprising card tricks ever.

The magician admits he has a special set of trick cards and shows 8 regular blue backed cards each with a huge black cross drawn on the back. However, nobody one can see the crosses, even as each is clearly shown. In fact the cards magically turn face up too. Eventually all the cards change to different color back cards with a huge black cross drawn across each back.

Incredibly...

If you are searching for a visual 'packet style' card trick with normal (even borrowed) cards, then this is the trick for you. Three red numbered cards are removed from a regular deck of cards and all simultaneously shown to be normal cards. One at a time, each card changes into a Joker. The last change is the most visual of them all. The cards are clearly all shown to be jokers and instantly they change back into the original three normal red numbered cards.

A packet card trick with normal cards. Can be done impromptu with a borrowed deck.

The video instructions include:

• Two full performances...

Wacky, incredibly visual and totally impossible. Only a few words can describe this reputation maker. Ever wondered what to do with those double blank cards you've collected over the years? Here's the ultimate trick for you.

A spectator can chose any 4 double blank cards from a deck, or you can hand out 4 cards for inspection. Any one card is signed and placed aside. The remaining 3 cards all change to the spectator's signed card and can be clearly shown one at a time. In the end, they all become blank again and the spectator keeps his original signed card as a souvenir.

A packet card...

Another killer close-up packet card trick from the creative mind of Wolfgang Riebe. 3 blank cards are shown and a spectator is asked to write their name and a picture on one of the cards. Suddenly the freely drawn name/picture duplicates onto all 3 cards. Now the surprise ... suddenly all cards have HAPPY BIRTHDAY written on them!

A completely unexpected surprise and incredibly personal magical birthday greeting. Of course you can have any message written on all 3 cards at the end too - it’s all up to you.

Use any normal blank cards. Ideal for table hopping. Incredibly visual with an...

The most popular magic tricks amongst magicians are card tricks, yet there are few jokes and sayings that cover those ‘quiet’ moments between tricks and moves. Here you will find many. What about just adding some comedy entertainment to your next card trick? Looking for the right quick one-line joke - you should find one, or many more here.

1st edition 2020, PDF 15 pages.

A teach-in video for card magicians who are searching for reputation-building commercial tricks that are fast, visual, and mind-blowing for a lay audience, yet will also blow away fellow magicians. Full performance video followed by a detailed explanation of every trick. 8 tricks in total of which 5 can be performed with a borrowed deck.

ALL BACKS: Ideally performed with a borrowed bicycle 'seconds' deck, but any deck can be used. All cards change to double backs, except for the chosen card.

OUT OF THIS WORLD - OUTDONE! The ultimate impromptu version of this classic using a borrowed deck,...

3 cards are shown and a joker is openly placed in various places amongst the cards, for example on top, in the middle, and at the bottom. Magically the joker always returns to its original position. The audience soon suspects that 3 identical cards are being used, and at one point even see 3 jokers. Eventually the magician admits that he has 3 identical cards and suddenly all 3 cards change to mirrors. 3 identical mirrors and no jokers anywhere! Isn't that how most tricks work? With mirrors?

This is a snappy, fun, and magical routine with a tremendous unexpected, surprise ending. You learn...

Every effect in the L. W. Card Mysteries is an apparent miracle. None of the effects requires long practice or more than a modicum of sleight of hand. Many require little skill at all. Just a rehearsal or two and you'll be all set to amaze and, most of all, entertain.

Just think!

You'll learn how to make two selected cards turn over in the pack without the use of skill and no false moves of any sort; to make a selected card vanish from the hands of the spectator and be found elsewhere; to make two cards change places - the positions of the cards being seen up to the moment of the change;...

Long out of print, we're pleased to bring you this nice collection of sleight of hand card work from the team of Larsen and Wright. These clever card miracles are written in a relaxed, personal style, just as if Larsen and Wright were sharing the various moves in the back room of your local magic shop.

You'd expect to pay a king's ransom for the original, single broadside sheet manuscript. Luckily, Magic World has reissued this hard to find manuscript in a revised, easy-to-read digital format. Unlike the original, the individual effects now even have titles, making it easier than ever before...

A series of letters, between an unidentified friend and his correspondent (William Frederick Pinchbeck) comprising of how to train a pig, invisible lady and acoustic temple, philosophical swan, penetrating spy glasses, several magic tricks, such as how to catch a bullet, and reflections on ventriloquism.

This book includes the first known description of the "Eight Kings" card stack.

1. Method of teach the Pig – from Letter I. to IX. See also Letter V. Appendix
2. Principles of the Acoustic Temple – from Letter IX. To XIV. See also Letter II. Appendix.
3. A Demonstration of the philosophical...

This work compares the contents of Jean Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, Encyclopedia of Self-Working Card Tricks, and The Second Encyclopedia of Card Tricks by Glenn G. Gravatt, to see which effects and discussions were kept, altered, or deleted by Hugard. It will also identify those effects added by Hugard.

1st edition 2020, PDF 19 pages.

The magic in Controlled Miracles is a composite of both skill and subtlety. Subtlety has been invaded to the maximum; skill has been kept at its minimum point. The majority of the effects are with cards. At the back of the ebook you will find a few tricks with coins and cigarettes.

Edited by Bruce Elliott and illustrated by Frank Garcia.

1st edition 1949; PDF 36 pages.

Table of Contents

4. Contents
5. Foreword
7. A Matter Of Miracles
8. Cut Control
9. The Chinese Cut
10. Simpl—Speller
11. Simon False Table Cut
13. The Stab Force
14. Miller’s Card Change
17. The Card In The Hat
19. Dual Discovery
20. The Grippo...

• written by Bill Simon
• illustrated by Ed Mishell
• edited by Bruce Elliott
• introduction by Dai Vernon

1st edition 1954; PDF 33 pages.

Table of Contents

5. Table Of Contents
6. Foreword
6. Introduction
7. In General
9. Card Effects
9. - The Mathemagician
9. - Eye Doubt It
11. - The Flash Change
17. - The Turnabout
18. - The Impulsive Ladies
19. - The Four Packet Shuffle
21. - Two Up
23. - The Vital Prediction
23. - The London Illusion
28. Miscellaneous Effects
28. - Sponge Surprise
29. - The Ring On Wand
31. - The Coin Transposition And Climax

This book was edited by Jean Hugard and illustrated by Stanley Jaks.

Martin Gardner had the following to say:

"Bill Simon has achieved an astonishing mastery of the medium. His mind is constantly probing for new and subtler moves, and bold effects which break fresh paths in the card jungle. In this book he has given generously the fruits of his thinking and experience. The result is a book almost certain to become one of the basic texts of modem card conjuring."

This ebook covers many entertaining plots, novel sleights, shuffles and fancy cuts as well as useful information on practice, structuring, presentation, audience...

Here you will find more than 50 card tricks including easy as well as difficult ones. The book includes a number of tricks from other prominent books. For example, we find tricks borrowed from Erdnase's Expert at the Card Table, and the last section is a partial translation of Kartenkünste by Ottokar Fischer.

From the introduction:

From the introduction:

Surprisingly little has been published in an encyclopedic form about the classic rising cards in English. You can find some in Greater Magic but the rest is spread out in many books and journals. Although this publication can hardly be called an encyclopedia, it is one of only two publications in English I know which are entirely dedicated to the rising card effect (the other being 25 Rising Card Tricks). It is a wonderful collection of a number of methods, described clearly with photos and illustrations. This was part of the Supreme 'Know How' series.

If rising cards are your thing you should also check out...

An illustrated manuscript on card fanning techniques.

This original manuscript was supplied by Will Andrade in conjunction with the fanning deck ("Ultra Pack") they supplied. While certain design descriptions are specific to the deck that Will Andrade sold, the techniques can be applied to other fanning decks.

PDF 7 pages