Cards in Magic & Conjuring

The Romero Box is a cleverly gimmicked card box, turning it essentially into a switching device. This ebook describes the way the gimmick works and then describes more than 50 effects with it. Based on the information given you could either make your own or purchase it from Antonio Romero directly.

"The ROMERO BOX reflects on the intelligence, precision and the efficient and effective magic that always comes from its creator, the amazing Antonio Romero" - Roberto Giobbi

"The possibilities of the Romero Box have no limits. Only the mind of Antonio Romero could devise this wonderful tool, and only...

A clever application of Fandango.

The visual appearance of a thought-of word that will knock your sox off! Young Kyle MacNeill has been forging a reputation for himself as a clever and enthusiastic card magician. At just 14 years of age, his approach and dedication to our art is so heart-warming. Here is a young man who cares about the details, the history, and the integrity of our art. We were amazed to receive this application of Fandango from Kyle. It firmly displays an understanding of our craft far beyond his meager years. With people like Kyle, the future is in good hands.

EFFECT: A spectator initials...

In this little exposition Nick Conticello describes how he finds and places key cards for the various effects he has created.

1st edition 2015, 8 pages.

Four lovely card effects put together by Peter Duffie.

4-SOME: Here's a simple and automatic, yet highly effective, way to get four of a kind using the Fulves "Gemini Twins" concept.

3-SOME: A matching effect where the spectator does all the work and finishes with Three of a Kind. Inspired by, but not using, Marty Kane's Status Quo-2 Principle.

THE HEAVY TEAM: A selected card lost in a packet is found by a randomly chosen Ace detective.

GHOST BUSTER: In effect, you show an Ace, Two, Three and Four of Spades. Each card passes from top to bottom and it is then discarded. When you reach...

Effect: The magic-man reaches into his pocket and removes one solitary playing card say for example, the Ace of Diamonds. Draw on the back of this playing card is a rudimentary stickman. The performer goes on to explain that "the stickman lives on this card, the Ace of Diamonds is his home", as this is explained the card is shown clearly on both sides. The performer then goes on to say "like all other people, Mr Stickman likes to go on holiday". With one quick shake the stickman drawing disappears from the back of the Ace of Diamonds which is then placed face-down on the table. The deck of cards...

This is essentially numerology expressed via a deck of cards. If you have a side for mysticism and or numerology this will be of interest to you.

A deck of 52 playing cards is a mini representation of this Creation itself where Time is ultimate. Hidden deep inside a deck of playing cards are many inner secrets. This ordinary looking deck of playing cards is in fact a representation of forgotten mysteries coded by our ancient mystics. The biggest secret is that each card is 'lucky' for someone at some time.

1st edition 2015, 11 pages.

Ideas and Routines for Card Warp.

• Foreword
• Notes
• Routines
  • Witch Hunt
  • Physics Class
  • Batman Unmasked
  • Card Warp - 'David Blaine style'
  • Beat the Challenge
  • Spirit Contact
• Ideas
• Resources

1st edition 2017, 12 pages.

CARDSHARK is an exciting new monthly card magic digital magazine, edited and compiled by Kyle MacNeill. This is the first issue, and it is being sold for a special low introductory price of just $0.99!

This issue contains 5 tricks from Cameron Francis, John Holt and Kyle MacNeill.

Contents

1. Dessert first by Kyle MacNeill – A super–visual card trick with a nice ‘ending of the trick first’ hook. Walk around workers should like this one. (New trick).
2. Super Quick ATFUS Hof by Kyle MacNeill – A streamlined take on Hofzinser Ace Problem. Easy to do and packs a punch. (New trick).
3. Fight by John Holt –...

A little booklet with 12 great card tricks. And the price - a steal!

1st edition, 1934, Max Holden; 12 pages.

2. Sleight of Foot
3. The Voice Betrays
4. The Puzzler Card Trick
4. Card in Pocket
5. The Obliging Card
6. The Joker Tells
7. Cards Behind Back
8. Mind Control
9. A Clever Spelling Trick
9. Another Spelling Trick
10. The Reversed Card
10. Mental Forecast
11. Advertisement

Florian Laplantif developed a card spelling system for all 53 cards (Joker included). If you like spelling tricks, check this one out.

This is quite an interesting booklet with very nice ideas for patter, as well as some card effects. Particularly noteworthy is a hilarious burlesque mind reading act. You have to check this one out!

1st edition, 1919, F. G. Thayer, Los Angeles; 45 pages.

5. A Few Remarks
6. Opening Patter
10. Some Card Effects and Accompanying Patter:
10. Four Ace Combination
13. The Wrapped Cards Divided by a Knife
16. Transposition
20. Miscellaneous Patter:
20. Kling Klang
20. Solid Through Solid
22. Straight Jacket Escape
23. The Rabbit Pan
25. The Spirit Hand
28. The Egg Bag
32. The Twentieth Century Handkerchief Trick
33. Cards from the Pocket ...

This is a reprint of the sections dealing with card magic from Professor Hoffmann's Modern Magic. There are however six new pages (four in the front and two in the back) which are entitled "Canfield's Expose". These six pages expose scams such as 'short changing', the 'soap game', the 'spindle game', ...

Reprint is too kind a word, rip-off is more appropriate since this was an unauthorized republication of Hoffmann's material. Also interesting to note is that the correct spelling of Herrmann is with two r's and two n's, the book title however only shows one n. Probably a deliberate error to avoid legal troubles. (Information...

The performer places a blue deck and a red deck on the table. The blue deck is given to the spectator to hold for the entire performance. The assisstant is invited to select any card from the red deck (without looking at it). Next, the playing card is inserted face-down in the face-up deck. Neither the performer nor the spectator knows the identity of the card.

The magician then invites the spectator to open the blue deck which was given to him at the beginning of the effect and instructs him to spread the cards face-up on the table. When the cards are spread face-up, it is seen that there...

John Gelasi presents a baffling new “B’wave” effect.

Aced! allows the spectator to truly name any suit they wish, with no ambiguity whatsoever. The ace they name is the ace you predicted every time; you always reveal it in an entertaining manner.

You get the full explanation for the setup and working of this one-packet “B’wave”, plus an exclusive set of video explanations that detail all the moves required to perform the effect.

You even get a bonus effect, “Acing the Twists”, a full deck “Twisting the Aces” and “Collectors” hybrid that can be performed with any...

Young magician John Gelasi presents another experiment in a classic plot: “B’wave”.

This new two-packet “B’wave” effect called Making Waves combines all of the best elements of countless variations into one stunning packet trick. Best yet, you end completely clean, and all the cards can be examined immediately at the conclusion of the trick!

Here’s the basic effect:

Two packets of cards are used: one blue, and one red. The audience is asked to imagine that the red cards are the four aces, and that the blue cards are the four Queens. An ace is touched (free choice), say...

84 card tricks with an explanation of the general principles of sleight of hand using ordinary cards.

1. The All-Important "Pass"
2. Deceptive Shuffles
3. Forcing A Card
4. The "Long Card"
5. The Divining Card
6. The Bootlegged Card
7. To Place A Card
8. To Slip A Card
9. To Carry Away A Card
10. The Congress Of Court Cards
11. To Discover The Card Which Is Drawn, By The Throw Of A Dice
12. The Guessed Card
13. The Recruit Trick
14. To Tell The Card That May Be Noted
15. To Separate The Two Colors Of A Pack Of Cards By One Cut
16. The "Spelling Bee" Trick
17. The "Alternate Card" Trick
18. To Name Any Number Of Cards In Succession Without...

Two cards are selected by Topper and Ramada and lost into the deck. The magician removes five cards from it. Topper confirms that one of them is his selection and the packet is placed between his palms. Ramada selects an indifferent card that is placed between her palms. After a magical gesture, Topper's card disappears from his packet. The magician says that playing cards like to switch places and that Topper's card should be reversed in the middle of the deck whereas Ramada's card should have switched places with her random card. One card is found reversed in the middle of the deck... but...

You remove the four Jacks (your "emergency cards") from a deck and table them. A card is selected - let's say the 2H - and lost into the deck. You concentrate, reveal that his card is the QS, and produce it in one cut. But the spectator tells you this is not his card. You wave your "emergency" packet over the deck: The Jack of the same suit as his selection, the JH, turns face up. Then, the three remaining cards are turned over: They have changed into the 2S, 2D and 2C! Finally, you spread the deck: The JS, JD and JC are face up in the middle of the deck, with one face-down card between the...

Spectator merely thinks of a card. Two packs of cards are dealt face-up simultaneously, and spectator discovers that the card he thought of is in the exact same position in both decks.

Based on an effect by Tom Bowyer who first conceived the intriguing idea of having two decks of cards dealt in unison for the purpose of arriving at a duplicate set of cards.

1st edition 1947; PDF 5 pages

The four aces are removed from a red backed deck. The Ace of Spades is placed on top of the red deck as the three other aces are lost one by one into a blue deck. After a magical gesture, the aces disappear from the blue backed deck and reappear on top of the red deck, under the Ace of Spades!

Excerpts from a few Magic Cafe reviews:

"How the aces "move" seems to confuse the spectator...and they have a weird look on their face, like "how is this possible!??". What I personally like about this one is that you end clean!!!"

"An assembly type trick, which is different from any other assembly...

This trick starts out as a display of the power of chance. A card is selected by the roll of dice. The magician doesn't know what the card even is. He spreads the cards and picks four random cards face down. One of the four cards is picked randomly, and the magician declares that it will be the card the spectator picked. When its not the right card, the magician makes up for it by making the card first disappear from the deck entirely, and reappear in his shoe.

Note that you will need to purchase a gimmick for under $10. Ryan provides a link where you can buy this particular gimmick.

...

One of the cleanest procedures imaginable at the service of a very fair impromptu prediction effect.

A spectator picks four cards from a shuffled deck and rearranges their order. (Free choices.) The magician correctly predicts if one of them matches his favorite card - on the table from the start - and its position in the packet.

Impromptu. Easy to do. Instant reset.

1st edition 2019, 4 pages.

A very direct divination and prediction effect with two selected cards.

Two spectators freely cut to two cards. Both selections are remembered and buried into the deck. The magician points to a pair of odd-backed cards (on the table from the start) before he correctly guesses the identity of each selection and to which spectator they belong to. Finally, he turns over the pair of cards: They are a perfect match.

Easy to do. Instant reset. Can be performed before or after any other card trick. At the beginning, the spectators can freely shuffle and inspect the deck. Uses regular cards with...

You will get two wonderful effects which are almost self-working because all the things you do seem so natural and imperceptible. The effects will require almost no effort on your part. These are effects that require nothing more than a good presentation and to be able to use your sense of touch. That's it! You don't need more than that because the clever thinking behind the principles that make the effects work every time will do all the work for you and also you can use the patter given for each of the effects.

The following effects are described:

Influential Coincidence: A spectator...

You introduce a deck of cards and five different coloured pens. You have a spectator freely select a card, after which the card is lost back into the deck. They are now invited to select some, or all, of the pens. Let's say they pick three pens: RED, ORANGE and GREEN. The remaining pens are discarded. You ask them to take each pen and write a single-digit number with it. This results in three written digits, each of a different colour. For example: 7 3 5.

Turning to a second spectator, you ask her to mix the three pens so that they are in a random order. The three written digits are now re-arranged...

As Aldo Colombini says... "A wonderful routine with so many climaxes!" This is based on the famous theme of the Whispering Queens.

Effect: Two people each select a card and sign them. You now introduce a packet of three Jokers. The two selections are touched by the Jokers who then "whisper" their identities to you! One of the selections is cut into the deck, but instantly reappears between the Jokers! The other selection is now placed among the three Jokers from where... it vanishes... only to reappear seconds later in your pocket! No palming. No extra cards. The selected cards can even be signed if you...

CARDSHARK is an exciting monthly card magic digital magazine, edited and compiled by Kyle MacNeill. This is the second issue, and it is being sold for a brilliant price of $2.80.

This issue contains 5 tricks from Peter Duffie, Marion Boykin and Kyle MacNeill.

Contents

1. Triumphant Sandwich by Kyle MacNeill – This first appeared in the Ebook: Be. It is a awesome hybrid, mixing and mingling the sandwich plot and Triumph.
2. Godly Transposition by Kyle MacNeill – This trick first appeared in my Ebook: Out of Hand. It is a very visual and bold face up transposition in spectators’ hands, that is almost...

Welcome to issue 3 of Card Shark, the highly anticipated monthly card magazine that contains awesome tricks from magicians around the world. Issue 1 (which is currently on top of the 'Hot list', meaning it is the bestseller in the last three months!) contained 5 tricks, Issue 2 (also in the Hotlist) contained 5 tricks, but this Christmas special contain 8 great tricks from well - known young magicians.

1. Edgy by Kevin Schaller - This could have easily been marketed as a single trick download, it is a very clever and visual prediction effect, where the card visually changes colour, and so does the face. ...

Welcome to issue 4 of Card Shark, the highly anticipated monthly card magazine that contains awesome tricks from magicians around the world. This issue contains six great tricks, that will feed your card magic needs. You will get six brilliant effects, from Paul Harris, Jeff Stone, J. Jack, Donato Capitella, David Gemmell and me.

1. Fingerprints of the Kings by Donato Capitella – This new trick from this new name in card magic is simply brilliant. It has a fantastic presentational hook thanks to Dai Vernon, and it oozes commerciality. A great card trick.
2. Signed Transpo by David Gemmell – A really clever and simple transposition between...

Welcome to issue 5 of Card Shark, the highly anticipated monthly card magazine that contains awesome tricks from magicians around the world. This issue contains five great tricks, which will feed your card magic needs.

I am very excited to say that we have an excellent new trick from Roy Walton, plus fantastic new tricks from John Carey, Andrew Hillcoat and a competition – winning trick from Alex Hui, plus a nice little trick from me – all for only $2.80! So go grab a deck of cards, buy this and enjoy working your way through five great card effects…

1. Strike a Match by Roy Walton – A fantastic...

Welcome to issue 6 of CardShark, the highly anticipated monthly card magazine that contains exciting tricks from magicians around the world. This issue contains five great card tricks, which will feed your card magic needs, all for a tasty $2.80!

In this issue, we have a great new trick from John Carey, plus fantastic new tricks from upcoming creators Michael Cookman, Rob Gardner and a trick from card legend Stephen Tucker. Plus, a trick from me. So go grab a deck of cards, and enjoy working your way through five great card effects…

1. My Game is Poker by John Carey – A really nice trick that is very hands off,...

Welcome to ISSUE 7 of CARDSHARK, the highly anticipated monthly card magazine that contains awesome tricks from magicians around the world. This issue contains five great tricks, which will feed your card magic needs!

I am very excited to say that we have an excellent new trick and a classic from John Guastaferro, a new trick from Andrew Murray plus two fantastic new tricks from Rob Gardner, all for only $2.80! Plus, thanks to a great John Guastaferro idea, the first three tricks form an awesome routine!

So go grab a deck of cards, hit buy and enjoy working your way through five great...

The Double Lift is a powerful move but it is also easy to do it wrong, meaning not deceptively. In this ebook, the author will show several ways to learn and effectively perform this sleight and how to perform a variety of card tricks using this technique.

• Introduction
• Choosing a Deck of Cards
• The Grip
• Methods for Performing the Double Lift
• Some Card Tricks Using the Double Lift
  • Several color changes including the Scrub Board Change
  • Four Card Assembly
  • Wrong, Wrong Again
  • Name Your Card

1st edition 2015, PDF 46 pages.

Jean Hugard and Fred Braue stand for quality. This is a booklet for all card enthusiasts. It has tricks from Bert Allerton, Stewart James, Bob Madison, and several Braue routines. The now famous 'Homing Card' is one of Braue's creations and described here for the first time.

1st edition 1948; 16 pages

Table of contents
page

1. The Braue Double Lift
3. Allerton's Amazing Aces
5. Pockethereal
6. 10 - 6 - 9 - 4
8. Nail Cutting
9. Nailcutting the Aces
9. Dunbury Delusion
11. Fan False Count
12. Triple Do
13. The Homing Card
16. The Great Trunk Trick

This is number one of Jordan's Ten New Tricks Series. It assumes you are familiar with some basic sleights like the Pass and the Palm.

1st edition, 1920, Charles T. Jordan; 24 pages.

1. Preface
2. 1. Satan's Prophecy
5. 2. The Spirit Mathematician
7. 3. Co-incidentally
10. 4. The Pinochle Ace Trick
12. 5. The Vanishing Card
14. 6. The Reversed Court Card
15. 7. The New Pack Detection
17. 8. The Life Saver
20. 9. The Impromptu Arranged Pack
23. 10. The Five Guesses

This is number four of Jordan's Ten New Tricks Series. At one time Jordan prepared and sold faked cards and routines that went along with them. When he stopped doing this he decided to select the ten best faked card tricks and collect them in this booklet. You get the description of how to prepare the faked cards yourself as well as the routines.

1st edition, 1920, Penngrove, California; 24 pages.

2. Preface.
3. The Spirit Aces.
6. The Spook Card.
7. The Demon Color Change.
10. A Unique Reverse.
11. Divino.
13. Joker Monte.
14. Pedro Monte.
16. Speaking of Pink Elephants.
19. The Contrary Clock.
22. Transcendental Vision. ...

This is number two of Jordan's Ten New Tricks Series. It has contributions by T. Nelson Downs and Louis C. Haley.

1st edition, 1920, Penngrove, California; 23 pages.

1. Preface
2. The Amazing Aces.
5. Transposition Extraordinary. T. Nelson Downs.
8. The Straight-Jacket Reversed Card. Louis C. Haley.
10. The Triple Escape.
12. Reverse English on the X-Ray.
14. The Stabbed Pair.
15. The Brain Twister.
17. The Winged Cards.
19. The Spelling Fool!
21. The Suits Unscrambled.

Arthur Buckley, one of the great sleight-of-hand artists with cards and coins, has written a series of twelve problems. This booklet is number one. It is illustrated by Harlan Tarbell and edited by Gus Moford. Dariel Fitzkee later reprinted these twelve problems in The Card Expert Entertains but used different inferior illustrations. If you have ever heard something about the 'Buckley card problems' this is one of them.

1st edition, August 1921, Magic Products Company, Chicago; 10 pages.

Number One - A Triple Climax

3. Effect, Brief Presentation and Patter.
4. Sleights Necessary to Performing the Triple Climax.
4. The...

Thurston explains fundamental sleights such as the Pass, Palm, Force, Change, Back-Palm and his system of expert card manipulation, which appeared for the first time in this book. It also describes a unique gimmick to make the Back-Palm almost effortless.

Thurston also lays claim to what we today call the Si Stebbins stack. He writes that it is his invention but he also thanks Si for his contributions and help.

1st edition, 1903, Henry J. Wehman; 83 pages.

1. CHAPTER I. A Few Incidents in the Life of Howard Thurston, Premier Card Manipulator of the World
10. CHAPTER II. Indispensable Sleights
19. CHAPTER...

Here is a historical ad from the Charles T. Powner Co. in Chicago: "This book gives, with careful and easy instructions, the newest card tricks and sleight-of-hand yet offered to professionals and amateurs. Not only does this book contain all of the new tricks, but nearly every one known is fully explained and exposed by explicit directions and carefully prepared illustrations. 160 pages, 80 fine illustrations. Price Postpaid $0.50"

I cannot offer this book at $0.50 as originally sold in 1902, but our prices are almost as good as 100 years ago prices. This book is the small version of Roterberg's famous...

This is the epitome of Karson's comedic talent. Other than "Zombie" this trick is often the only other thing remembered about Joe Karson. When he published this effect, Karson was riding the crest of his wave of popularity. The World's Fastest Card Trick was often a show stopper when he performed it at various magic conventions and shows.

Karson explains in this ebook the entire work on this trick. He gives the reader the presentation, the method, the patter, and most importantly, the timing. This trick literally got screams of laughter.

[For a discussion of this effect by Ken de Courcy see Ken de Courcy Discusses "The World's Fastest Card Trick".

1st edition 1948; 11 pages....

This is a very efficient method for this effect. I like it a lot. - Peter Duffie

I like this effect very much indeed and have performed it several times with great reactions. - David Gemmell

Nice trick. Very clean. I like it. - Cameron Francis

The deck (can be borrowed) is shuffled by a spectator and the black Kings are removed from the deck. A card is freely selected (can be signed) by a spectator before it's lost in the deck.

The performer spreads the deck and instructs the spectator to freely place the first King in any part of the deck. This is followed by the second King.

The whole deck is placed onto spectator's...

Note: All YouTube demo videos linked from the PDF are unavailable. Explanatory text and photos are complete.

John Gelasi presents three all new killer packet tricks that you can perform with any deck!

Pack3t is an ebook containing three packet tricks that you will use for all of your impromptu situations. Grab any deck, and using just the cards you take from it, you're ready to perform impromptu packet tricks that don't even look impromptu.

Magic of the impromptu category is always nice to have under your belt so you're ensured to have tricks that deliver, even when you leave your favorite...

A spectator selects an ace, say the Ace of Hearts. The magician explains that he made a prediction earlier, and shows a packet of four blue backed cards, apparently a single ace among three jokers. With a snap, the magician claims that he can make the selected ace turn face up. One card does reverse, but a joker. Despite this, the performer shows that he clearly has three jokers and only one ace: the selected ace, the Ace of Hearts! One of the jokers is now turned over to reveal another prediction: the back is now red, and has writing that reads “Ace of Hearts”! All of the cards may now...

A card is selected from the deck, say the 8 of Clubs. Four Jokers with red backs are introduced. The performer claims that the jokers will reveal what card the spectator selected. One of the jokers is placed with the deck. The other three now have bold words printed on their backs: the three cards together read “Eight of Clubs”! The remaining face down joker is seen to have transformed into the selection! The magician then claims that the jokers did more than just reveal the selection, but they also revealed the mates of the selection: the three cards that have words on their backs are now...

An effortless Open Prediction effect!

You bring a red backed prediction out of your pocket along with a blue backed deck of cards.

"Have you ever been in a situation in which you regretted not following your first intuition? Intuition is a very intriguing concept for scientists and psychologists. It provides us with beliefs that we cannot necessarily justify. Today, we're going to re-enact one of those experiments and hopefully this may lead to a successful ending."

You deal the cards face down one by one on the table as you ask the spectator to tell you to stop when she 'feels' it...