Cards in Magic & Mentalism: page 73

Cristian presents three very different card tricks. However, they happen to share the same easy method, allowing the performer to focus entirely on the presentation.

The three routines play for very different audiences, in vastly different environments. They include:

• a light-hearted, highly visible card trick which can be performed standing in front of the audience
• a close-up "bar betcha" trick suitable for any close-up performance (planned or impromptu)
• a reputation-building stand-up mental magic (or mentalism) routine

His line of thinking can inspire magicians to increase their...

A prediction is lying on the table. The magician asks a spectator to cut a shuffled deck in three parts and to pile them up. Then, he removes the Jokers as he explains that he and the spectator are going to choose a card through an elimination procedure. To do so, he deals the cards in two piles and asks the spectator to choose one. They are left with one half of the deck. The magician deals the cards again and chooses a pile this time. They are now left with a quarter of the deck. The procedure is repeated a couple of times again (once with the spectator choosing a pile and once with the...

Spectator shuffles the deck. The magician immediately produces two of the aces. Spectator shuffles again. The spectator cuts to an ace. The final ace is found under impossible conditions.

This is not another cut the aces where the magician shows off his skill. The Gilbreath Principle meets corner short cards.

• Easy to do
• The spectator shuffles the deck numerous times
• Minimal sleight of hand
• 5-second reset
• No duplicate aces
• No double facers
• No rough and smooth
• A very deceptive force that could become your favorite

1st edition 2025, PDF 11 pages.

Oddities and weirdness to show uncle Ezra, cousin Ozzie, and the boys in the band.

• Simple-Simon Copper-Silver / Edward Marlo: An English penny and an American half-dollar are examined by a spectator and then the magician performs several transpositions. Afterwards, the coins are returned to the spectator for inspection.
• Short Hop / Mark Jenest & Jamy Ian Swiss: A Hopping Half version that can be done with genuine coins for the short-attention-span spectator.
• Curse Of Nine
• Knotty Feat
• Tit-Tat-Toe / Martin Gardner & Costello: A large tit-tat-toe board is drawn on a sheet of paper. The magician and spectator proceed to play a...

A matrix effect with playing cards.

[Also available as a video download.

Without a doubt, this "matrix" with playing cards created by Aldo is truly special. A splendid opening routine and a surprising ending.

The classic trick of four coins that gather under a card is presented here with playing cards that are found under a jumbo card. The manipulations are really simple; they should already belong to the repertoire of every magician. In a close-up magic program, this could be the only card trick to be presented.

Effect: The A, 2, 3 and 4 of Diamonds are placed on the table, in a square formation. The cards are covered...

The two black aces visually change places with the two red aces and then instantly change into two Blackjacks.

• Great Opener: A lot of visual magic happens in 30 seconds
• Simplicity: Only four cards are used; easy to do; no table is needed; packs very small
• Impact: Surprise ending
• Practicality: 2-second reset; perfect for table hopping
• Spectator Engagement: The spectator just watches, no picking a card, no remembering anything; just visual magic
• One Simple Move: The Flustration Count

1st edition 2025, PDF 11 pages.

This is really from start to finish an odd magic card trick. In A Very Odd Trick, two Jokers—one black and white, the other colorful—become the centerpiece of an impossible prediction. Here’s what your audience will see:

The magician makes two secret predictions and places them face down. A deck of cards is freely shown. It is ribbon spread on the table so the audience can clearly see that it is no other than a normal deck of shuffled cards. A spectator freely names an odd number, and the card at that number is put on the table (it is really a free choice. Absolutely no force. The...

Want a sock finish for your favorite ambitious card routine? Here it is. The object card is always handled by two indifferent cards. A perfect effect to add "medical" themed patter to your routine.

[Cover photo credit: Louis Sahuc]

1st edition 2025, video 40s.

December 1932 and The Sphinx magazine carries a full-page advert for Dai Vernon's manuscript Five Close-Up Problems. Without a doubt, Follow The Leader engenders the most attention out of the five, with card men quickly adding this one to their repertoire. Not surprisingly, Doctor Jacob Daley latches on to this timely classic, eventually releasing his own handling in Bruce Elliott's magazine The Phoenix in 1951.

And now, decades on, Ian Baxter releases his new manuscript Another Three Daley Deceits - following on from Three Daley Deceits published in April 2024. This one includes Baxter's handling of Daley's Delight - Jacob Daley's version of Follow The Leader....

"I checked out the Open Prediction 2025 and just wanted to say that's really cool. It's the exact type of card effects I like. It's just a genius method, so strong and direct, I love it. The fact it's so approachable for any skill level is great too." - Matt Overd

One of my favorite plots in card mentalism is the "Open Prediction". Many different scripts and presentations are possible with this classic from Paul Curry.

In this new method, we follow these practical conditions:

• Shuffled deck (even an incomplete one)
• A card is named as the "Open Prediction"
• Cards are dealt face down in your open hand...

I have already published multiple three pile location effects, such as Three Pile Location: On Steroids, Three Pile Location: On Cocaine and Three Pile Location: On Meth. In this ebook, I am publishing another three-pile location effect, except this one is, in my opinion, the strongest one. I think it's more fooling than the aforementioned three. Hence why I decided to call it The Ultimate Three Pile Location.

However, for full disclosure (and without exposing the method), I will say that you will likely be unable to perform this. So if you buy this PDF, you will be doing so just to learn the method (not to perform the effect). That's not to say you can't ever perform the effect....

When Jimmy Grippo saw this in 1974, he realized its merits and immediately added it to his repertoire. It requires no turnovers or other distracting actions, but is not for the card novice. The effort it requires is more than adequately repaid by its stunning effect, coupled with a surprise ending. You receive a bonus tutorial on the Ascanio Spread with the instructions for the effect. These helpful videos easily enable you to achieve success. Note that a table isn't required.

[Cover photo credit: Patricia Ireland]

1st edition 2025, video 3:04

An incredible series of card assemblies, with a surprise ending.

The magician, thanks to the choices made by a spectator, succeeds for each Ace, banner of his own royal household, to associate each member with his family. A closing with a series of royal flushes and a great final surprise.

This is a new card magic effect in which the magician, after cutting the deck into four packets, in reassembling, he magically finds the four Aces. However, they represent nothing more than the banners of the four noblest houses: Diamonds, Clubs, Hearts and Spades.

Therefore, he explains to a viewer...

This e-book is not about something that I created. Rather, it's about hidden gems that I've found over the years, either through researching myself or through word-of-mouth. It is not my place to teach you these gems, so I will merely be giving you their names and telling you where you can find them (if you wish to learn them). I will, however, provide an effect description for each of them.

You might be wondering, "What's the point of buying this PDF in that case?" The point is that I'm giving you the names of all these gems compiled together in one place, saving you all the time and...

Now available as a video download. For the PDF version, see Card Trail.

Five effects and one in-the-hands false cut. Jaw-dropping card magic that's big on impact and easy on the knuckles. Fun plots and novel methods abound in this compilation of pasteboard chicanery.

IMPROBABLE VS. IMPOSSIBLE -- A prediction effect and four Ace production... sounds weird but it's really cool.

OUT OF POCKET -- An insanely visual card and bill transposition.

SAVING ACE -- A Triumph/Ace location effect that makes you look like a sleight of hand master, but is pretty easy to do.

PROVIDENCE -- A sandwich effect...

Some time ago, a weird and bizarre deck, unlike any other, came on the market - the Dead Rebel, Angels and Demons deck. (Check your favorite dealer to purchase it. This download does not include the deck.)

Apparently, it did not sell as well as was expected. There may be two reasons for this. First, it's weird and not the sort of thing your average magician might want to use. Secondly, only one routine came with the deck, a version of "Out of This World" - not a routine to set any audience on fire.

However, when I got the deck, it inspired several more engaging routines. In the manuscript,...

Three cards are added to each of the four aces, but the aces magically get back together, besides other cards separating them.

As the name suggests, the ATFUS (Any Time Face-Up Switch) move has something to do with the method of this effect. No gaffs are needed. This is a sleight of hand routine.

1st edition 2025, video 2:55

One night at the Magic Castle, two young Germans showed this to Dai Vernon. Nine cards change to completely different cards with no hint of sleight of hand. A startling effect, it has the added plus of being in anybody's skill range, using only nine cards and no gaffs. You can customize this to illustrate whatever your imagination can devise.

The demo and tutorial videos will have you doing this in a matter of minutes.

1st edition 2025, video 2:02.

Is this a completely new treatment of the hugely popular Ambitious Card theme?

Ian Baxter introduces this new, fast-paced routine that never fails to impress. A selected card starts jumping through the deck, unexpectedly turning up supposedly under control of the 5 of Diamonds. The selection is cut back into the deck and then it happens again - but this time, unexpectedly, with the 5 of Hearts!

Having dispensed with both red fives, the chosen card, already subject to 'lightning striking twice' is lost in the deck and then the performer ribbon spreads the cards across the table. Both...

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...