Cards in Magic & Mentalism

Elegance in card magic is not always found in easy-to-work, highly visual effects that can literally gob-smack audiences and leave a lasting impact. Honeycutter is one of those rare gems that easily meets the criteria. Originally published in Bruce Elliott's magazine The Phoenix, this revised version from Ian Baxter adds extra clarity and sparkle to Al Honeycutt's original.

Note if you will: Just eight cards from any deck are all that is required. No setup, no fakes, extras, or accessories are called for. This is totally impromptu, and the necessary skills are minimal. If you can shuffle a deck, you can...

This is by far the coolest and at the same time most approachable edition of the legendary book by S.W. Erdnase. If you have never been able to make sense of the book, this is your chance to study it entirely differently - with a graphic novel approach.

The Expert at the Card Table has been the most studied card manipulation book for almost 120 years. For the first time you can meet the author S.W. Erdnase, the man shrouded in mystery, and session one-on-one with him. Every page is full of rich illustrations, complete with the original illustrations being re-inked and incorporated into this seminal work. Adapted and...

One of the finest and fastest card effects from the creative mind of Ed Marlo. It uses no special cards and requires only basic skills. Fast and clean. A reputation marker.

1st edition 2025, PDF + video 00:45.

Tony Kardyro, aka Senor Torino, was a sleight-of-hand master. However, this routine with seven effects uses a simple to make gimmick, a thick card, that eliminates difficult sleights. It is perhaps the best card routine Kardyro ever created. He performed it throughout his entire professional career. It is a masterclass in routining and structuring an effective and entertaining card routine.

• Locating The Key Card
• To Bring Selected Card Second From Top
• To Bring Selected Card Second From Bottom
• Shuffling The Cards
• The Routine Supreme
• Mental Card Discovery
• Card In Pocket
• A Total Mystery ...

The ultimate compilation of 21-card trick routines: rigged, reconsidered, and retro-fitted.

A who's-who of card experts has put their minds and creativity to the plot of the 21-card trick. You will find greats like Peter Duffie and Chris Kenner, legends like Marlo, Maven and Allerton, pros like Cervon and Aronson, and many more.

• Prologue
• Foreword (Jack Parker)
• Introduction (Jon Racherbaumer)
• PROTYPE
  • Old Gray Model
  • Distribution of the Cards in the 21-Card Trick
• STREAMLINERS
  • Streamliner (Bert Allerton)
  • 21-Card Trick Streamlined (Edward Marlo)
  • 21 Plus Subtlety (Edward Marlo)
  • Swindle 21-Card Trick...

Effect: A prediction is placed face down on the table. The cards are shuffled, and the spectator cuts the deck. The spectator makes all the choices, yet the prediction clearly names four specific cards and their final positions: who is holding which card, the identity of the card on the table, and the top card of the deck.

Are you looking for a powerful card and easy effect that will leave your audience stunned and questioning the very nature of their choices? Look no further! The Journey to Destiny is a mind-blowing prediction effect that appears to give the spectator complete control,...

A freely chosen and signed card vanishes from an envelope and appears threaded on a long knitting needle held by a spectator. No feked cards. Perform it anywhere, stage or club, close-up and surrounded.

PDF 4 pages.

The book incorporates three hard-to-find private manuscripts that Nuzzo and Marlo published in the 1980s: Plus Package, Unforgettable Wild Card, and 21st Century Card Magic.

This is how Jon Racherbaumer introduces the book:

• Mindbender - An amazing double card location that will warp your mind.
• Jackpot - Magic meets gambling in this false deal routine.
• Fast Shuffle - A very impressive progressive riffle-stacking routine.
• The Card Warp Deck - A professional's touches on the all-time classic.
• Mexican Poker - You and the spectator, heads up, in a diabolical, intricately-constructed poker masterpiece.
• The Ultimate Cardshark (performance only) - The ultimate progressive dealing demonstration culminating with four perfect bridge hands.

1st edition 2004, video 1h 28min.

• Introduction
  • I. Simplicity
  • II. Directness
  • III. Empathy
  • IV. Drama
  • V. Humor
  • VI. Spectator
• Wide-Open Prediction: This is one of the easiest, most puzzling solutions to Paul Curry's card problem. It's the creation of Robert Parrish.
• Cased-In Vision: A spectator freely selects a card by cutting off some cards and using the leftover talon. He notes and remembers the top card of this portion, then places it in the center of his portion. This is done with the cards behind his back or under a table. In other words, the cards are out of sight. Finally the talon is placed in a card case, which is closed. The magician...

• Greek Poker (performance only) - A masterful deck-stacking routine with a killer climax.
• Modern Jazz Aces - The aces magically transpose with indifferent cards. Super clean and easy to perform.
• Regal Aces - A signed selection appears to be in four places at once, climaxing with the four aces. (Includes an in-depth lesson on the Top-Card Cover Pass.)
• Back Off - Darwin's awesome all-backs packet effect.
• Nine-Card Location - Nine cards selected, nine cards found - each in an entertaining and magical fashion.
• Do As I Do - The spectator and the performer connect on a psychic level using playing...

EFFECT #1: Two decks of cards lay on the table. The spectator chooses one, let's say Deck #1. As the magician riffles up Deck #1, the spectator stops him at any point. The spectator is given the top six cards from where he stopped at and shuffles the packet. He deals the six cards in a row on the table and chooses a number with a dice. Let's say that the 5 shows up so he gives himself the fifth card. He turns the dice on the opposite side and sees a 2 so he gives himself the second card. Then, he picks one card from the pair and remembers the value. He picks the other card and remembers the...

The title of this manuscript indicates that four classical plots are being covered.

• Classical Quickie transforms a "wrong" card to a "right" one, but the speed and visibility of the methods make it different. It's quick, interesting, and mysterious. You have several methods to choose.
• Doubly Ambitious takes the Ambitious plot out of the humdrum class.
• Double Transposition effects will give you a sense of happy accomplishment.
• Chameleon Queens inevitably intrigue audiences fascinated by repeated transformations.

The manuscript does not ignore the technical side with a set of techniques...

Featuring an unexpected and impossible prediction. A spectator selects a card and shuffles it back into the deck while the magician's back is turned. The magician then identifies the spectator's card and reveals a duplicate of that card already present in the deck before the effect began.

• Easy to do
• No force of any kind
• All 52 cards are different
• No Multiple Outs
• Works 100% of the time
• No fishing
• No electronics
• No mirrors or shiners
• No dual reality
• No stooges
• No switches

Note: You will need to buy a corner rounder ($12).

1st edition 2025, PDF 10 pages.

Welcome to a magical experience that will leave you speechless. This incredible magic trick will immerse you in moments of pure wonder and amazement. Here's how it works:

Preparation: Four Aces are placed face up on the table. Small piles are formed underneath by dealing cards one by one under each Ace.

Audience Participation: The first spectator can say "stop" and decide on which Ace to place the next face-down card. This process is repeated by three other spectators, actively involving the audience and making the trick even more exciting.

The Magic: Once all the spectators have...

"Believe in your dreams!"

"If you love magic history, you need this book. If you love card magic, you'll also get a big section of hardcore card methods from France. Christian Gambin, one of Paris' last remaining classic music-hall performers, has preserved the wild, bygone world of the Paris cabaret magic scene in his autobiography, an entire field of the art that disappeared as the modern era dawned. Gambin is a multitalented entertainer who's performed everywhere in Europe from the Paradis Latin to the Monaco Grand Prix of Magic. I saw him knock out audiences at many of those places. You'll...

• Jumpin Gemini - The most possible magic you can achieve using only four cards. Simply eye-popping.
• The Vegas Shuffle - Magic and gambling combine to showcase stacking and a separation of the reds and blacks.
• Darwin's 3-Card Monte - An all-time street swindle.
• The Pinky Count - A powerful tool for obtaining a break.
• Darwin's Wildcard - A group of cards change one by one to match another card. Very clean and magical.
• Hitchcock Aces - An ace assembly with a killer kicker.
• The Dream Card - The ultimate signed Card to Wallet.
• The Zarrow Shuffle - An invaluable false shuffle.

1st edition...

Edward Marlo's "Further Flight" from 1972 was a response to Lynn Searles "Pre-Cannibal Cards". These are some routines around that topic.

• Prologue
• Pre-Cannibal Cards / Lin Searles: A selection is placed between two red Kings, disappears, and then reappears between two black Kings in the center of the deck.
• Flight For Three / Edward Marlo: Three selected cards are placed between four Aces and then suddenly disappear. These selections reappear between four face-up Queens in the middle of the deck.
• Further Flight / Edward Marlo: Four men (Kings), married to four women (Queens), live in different parts of the city....

Effect: The magician, demonstrating remarkable foresight and confidence in his abilities, cuts to the exact poker hand revealed by a secret prediction after the spectator shuffles the deck.

For those seeking a more realistic version of the classic 10-card poker demonstration, this presentation offers enhanced credibility and realism. The spectator thoroughly shuffles the deck both before and during the demonstration. The spectator cuts the deck taking the card he cuts to. Magician does the same. This is repeated until both have 5 cards that form a poker hand.

The demonstration concludes...

Allan Ackerman is one of the world's foremost experts at sleight-of-hand magic and gambling moves with playing cards. On this jam-packed download DVD you'll be treated to over 150 minutes of Allan's most cherished effects, routines and sleights - audience-tested foolers that have earned him a worldwide reputation as The Las Vegas Card Expert. Previously released on two separate videos, this fantastic download DVD contains all of the superlative material from both critically acclaimed titles, The Las Vegas Card Expert and Every Move A Move.

The Las Vegas Card Expert contains the following...

Here is a trick from the great Aldo in the print & perform version. It doesn't require any skill. All you need to do is print the enclosed images and have a deck of cards at hand and you'll be ready to perform it.

EFFECT: An envelope with two predictions is given to a spectator to hold. A card is selected in a very fair manner, discovering at the same time, several cards which are left face up. You request the spectator to add the value of the face-up cards and note the total. You open the envelope and extract two Jumbo cards from it.

At this point, you ask the total that the spectator...

Thoughts about building on the ideas of others. Jon then explores the example of the secret addition move in "Adding to an Add-On" that was first described in the Sphinx Volume 20 in 1921.

1st edition 2015, PDF 12 pages.

Read this effect ... A spectator shuffles a pack of cards and cuts the pack anywhere he likes. The cards on either side of the card he freely cut to are subsequently removed and found to be the cards that the performer had previously predicted.

This is just one of a series of card effects based on a single move that describes a subtle principle that is very easy to do and gives eight examples of how it can be used in card magic. The "Nullifactor" is an easily acquired sleight, based on an old force, but used here in an entirely different way.

Another example: For instance, the performer...

Imagine astonishing your audience with a card magic effect that seems impossible. With this extraordinary trick, a card is chosen and placed back into the deck. When the deck is spread out in a ribbon, the chosen card magically appears face-up, leaving everyone in awe.

This effect is perfect for any occasion, whether you're a professional magician or a magic enthusiast. It's easy to perform but guarantees a stunning visual impact.

1st edition 2025, PDF 7 pages.

One dozen and one master card effects that anyone can do.

Excerpt from the introduction:

• Foreword
• Introduction
• Perplexo
• "A-Cee-O" - A Four Ace Effect
• Do As I Do
• The "El-El" Master Four Ace Effect
• Would You Believe It?
• Spelling Made Easy
• "Reverso"
• Tower Bridge
• "Coloro" - The Colour Changing Pack Of Cards
• "Alice In Wonderland"
• The Movie Colour Cards
• When Were You Born?
• It Pays To Advertise

1st edition 1935, 21 pages; PDF 21...

If you are a fan of the classic Universal horror movies, The Mummy, Frankenstein, and Dracula, then you need this routine.

The shrunken head of a French missionary who failed to convert some Amazonian headhunters destroys the free will of your spectator and leaves a message predicting every action - specifically the choices referable to The Mummy, Frankenstein and Dracula.

It's $5: cheaper than a bag of popcorn in a movie theater.

And now Version 2.0 includes a Three Card Monte routine, Three Card Monster, where the audience tries but fails to find Dracula.

1st edition 2025, PDF...

Immerse yourself in a magical journey with this extraordinary routine packed with special effects. Witness the incredible spectacle as four Kings devour four Fives, only to have the Fives replace the Kings found within the deck. But the magic doesn't stop there - the Fives then replace the Kings once again, leaving your audience in awe.

This guide, enriched with 81 vibrant color images, provides a detailed walkthrough of the entire routine, ensuring you can master every step and deliver a breathtaking performance. Whether you're a seasoned magician or just starting out, this routine is...

• Band Slam: A chosen card is lost in the deck and a rubber band is wrapped twice around its sides. The magician inserts his fingers under the top strand of the rubber band and holds the deck in an overhand grip. He then slams the deck against the table and the selection suddenly appears face-up on top of the magician's knuckles and under the rubber band.
• Post-Graduate Twenty-One Card Trick / Edward Marlo
• Wide-Open Prediction / Paul Curry & Robert Parrish
• Swoggled and Boggled / Charles McFarland
• Beyond Fabulous / John Bannon
• Cogent Triumph / Bill Goodwin & Larry Jennings
• The Spectator Works Harder To Triumph / Racherbaumer & Duffie
• Trait Secrets / John...

Four incredible card effects that defy explanation and invite complete examination.

Allan Ackerman is one of the world's foremost experts at sleight-of-hand magic and gambling moves with playing cards. On this amazing download DVD you will be treated to four of the most incredible card routines ever created - absolute stunners that simply defy explanation. Normally, a brother magician might exclaim, "You're using gaffed cards!" To which you reply, "Go ahead, take a look!" Examine to their heart's content and they will find nothing. That's because Allan has devised extremely devious and elegant...

A mysterious, baffling, entertaining, eye-appealing transposition of two selected cards.

A selected card vanishes, reappears, vanishes, and transposes itself with another previously selected card. This PDF includes the original manuscript, plus all the refinements and methods Marlo added over the years.

More detailed effect description:

Two spectators freely select cards from a shuffled deck. The selections are returned to the deck, which is mixed and cut. The cardician removes five cards. Each one is shown and tabled, then he asks, "Did anyone see their card?" One of the spectator...

There are three moves and nine complete routines covered.

Allan Ackerman is one of the world's foremost experts at sleight-of-hand magic and gambling moves with playing cards. On this fascinating video recording, you will be treated to card magic's most venerable and classic effects, all given the Ackerman treatment. These are some of Allan's most cherished effects that he has used under fire, night after night to fool both laymen and magicians alike. Card magic like this has earned Allan a worldwide reputation as The Las Vegas Card Expert.

Magic can be a lifetime hobby and card magic...

The effect centers around the illusion of manipulating time by making a prediction about a spectator's card selection. The prediction is revealed to be blank even though the spectator thought he saw the magician write the prediction. This subtly suggests that we have moved backward through time to a point before the prediction was written down. Next, the spectator's freely chosen card turns out to be blank as well. The prediction was correct! This happens with a normal deck of cards. The effect creates a sense that the past, present, and future have been merged through mysterious forces. ...

This ebook includes issues 1 and 2 of the Provenance Hunter.

• Tracking the Lazy Man's Card Trick
• Laziest Man's Card Trick / Edward Marlo & Jon Racherbaumer
• In Situ Lazy Man's / Jon Racherbaumer
• Select Bibliography
• Card-to-Mouth and the Mercury Card Fold

1st edition 2014, PDF 19 pages.

Excerpt from the introduction by David Goodsell:

In this e-book, I want to teach an incredibly powerful coincidence effect that is based on an idea by Charles Jordan. A card is fairly selected and lost, and then found in a highly unique way. For lay people, it doesn't get stronger than this; of all the effects that I've created, this generates the best reactions from lay audiences.

Imagine:

The magician introduces a deck of cards. He spreads it face-up to display that all the cards are different and in no particular order. He then hands the deck to the spectator as he says, "I want you to cut off about a third of the deck and give it a shuffle until...

A slot machine prediction using three decks of cards.

Three decks of cards in their card box are piled up on the table in front of three spectators. The magician is about to show the spectators why he is not welcome in casinos anymore. Each spectator is asked to pick a different suit (free choice) and is given a deck that they shuffle. Then, the magician removes from each deck the cards of the suit chosen by the spectator without changing their order. At the end, three face-up piles are displayed in a row on the table. The magician explains that the piles represent the spinning reels of...

This is a combination of Shufflebored and Joshua Jay's Total Recall effect. Think Shufflebored with no setup and the spectators shuffle the cards. There is only one minor sleight, if you can call it a sleight, and no setup. There is some easy memory work. The reset is instant, and the deck is clean. The prediction AH card has three other predictions.

New: A timeline of the events is included making it quicker and easier to learn the effect.

Two .jpgs of the prediction AH card are included, front and back. You can print it on a blank playing card, index card etc.

Q1: What is the effect...

The purpose of these reports is to cite known references, suggest ancestral ties, credit precursors and progenitors, reveal any chronology, and trace the evolvement of ideas, tricks, sleights, and presentations.

1. Automatic Placement Used to Produce a Different Effect
2. Flustration Count
3. Three Jacks Deal
4. In-the-Hands False Riffle (Waterfall) Shuffle
5. About Convincing Control

1st edition 1997, PDF 10 pages.

Paul LePaul was one of the all-time great card manipulators of the 20th century enjoying an amazing career in vaudeville, cabaret, and nightclub work, performing magic just with playing cards.

His lasting contribution to magical literature was that classic text, The Card Magic Of LePaul, first published back in 1949. It has been a revered source of exceptional card magic ever since.

In this new manuscript, card man Ian Baxter revisits three of Le Paul's favourites - The Substitution Envelope Mystery, Hand Picked Aces and that perennial favourite, The Gymnastic Aces.

No sacrificing of effect, no knuckle-busting sleight...

Experience the magic with the Impossible Sandwich routine. This incredible performance allows you to find a spectator's chosen card, completely lost in the deck, sandwiched between two randomly chosen cards. A visual effect that will leave your audience speechless!

1st edition 2024, PDF 3 pages.

Ten things to do when spurred by the moment.

• Rules Of The Game
• Further Impact
• Snap-Slap Transpo
• Houdini Breaks Out
• Between Elmsley, Brown, and Himber
• Pushing Past Failure
• Why Is This Odd Card So Queer?
• Stranger Succession Aces
• Simple-Simon Copper-Silver
• Marlo's Pellet Classic

1st edition 2002, PDF 31 pages.

Easily one of the most remarkable mentalism card routines you will ever perform!

Two participants select two cards from a shuffled deck. The deck is again shuffled and mixed. It is clear it is not marked (it could even be a borrowed deck) and not stacked in any way. The cards are placed face-down in front of each participant. Using telepathy, the mentalist proceeds to read their minds and discern the cards that each possesses. The mentalist then removes what he or she believes to be the "mates" of each participant's freely selected card and places them unambiguously on the table face-down...

"Thomas Baxter would be proud." - Brian Draven

"If you're a fan of the open prediction plot as I am, this is worth checking out. It's a very original approach, which combines existing methods in a unique and clever way." - Michael Gustav

"A very nice idea. I can see myself using this. Super easy to perform too." - Kevin Schneider

In this e-book, I want to share with you my own solution for the classic open prediction plot. The one major advantage of this version is that there is proper shuffling by the spectator just before the final deal - and the magician never touches the deck...