(Close Window) Topic: Do magicians win at card games?
Message: Posted by: rogue999 (Aug 26, 2011 12:20pm)
I have a question. Are magicians who do card tricks good at poker and other card games? Do they win a lot?
Message: Posted by: alibaba (Aug 26, 2011 5:43pm)
Not this one.
Message: Posted by: JanPieter (Aug 27, 2011 5:49am)
It depends. When you speak about "poker", do you mean "honest" poker? :D
Message: Posted by: rogue999 (Aug 27, 2011 6:25am)
Poker at home, with friends.
Message: Posted by: panlives (Aug 27, 2011 5:37pm)
No.
Message: Posted by: taiga (Aug 28, 2011 1:15am)
I am the worst card player you ever met! My brother in law try to show me once how to play a simple game of card. He surrender after two hours of explanations.
Message: Posted by: Edmark Law (Aug 28, 2011 2:48am)
It depends on the skill level of the magician.
Message: Posted by: JanPieter (Aug 28, 2011 4:53am)
I do, having fun cooling decks, stacking and peeking with underground methods.
But nobody wants to play with me anymore...
Message: Posted by: panlives (Aug 29, 2011 8:05am)
Quote:

On 2011-08-28 04:53, JanPieter wrote:
I do, having fun cooling decks, stacking and peeking with underground methods.
But nobody wants to play with me anymore...


If it is a home game (your own home) in which you control the variables, the heat is less potent.

But playing under fire at someone else’s table?

I say again – no.
Message: Posted by: Vlad_77 (Aug 29, 2011 11:10am)
Quote:

On 2011-08-29 08:05, panlives wrote:
Quote:

On 2011-08-28 04:53, JanPieter wrote:
I do, having fun cooling decks, stacking and peeking with underground methods.
But nobody wants to play with me anymore...


If it is a home game (your own home) in which you control the variables, the heat is less potent.

But playing under fire at someone else’s table?

I say again – no.


I agree. Sleights in the magic world allow us to present the illusion of control over the outcome of the deal. But remember also that our magic is performed under ideal conditions; these same conditions are NOT afforded the mechanic. Don't take my word for it. Ask people like AMcD, Ortiz, Turner, Forte, Piacente, and others. If a magician flubs an effect the WORST that happens is derisive laughter. If a mechanic misses ...

Ahimsa,
Vlad
Message: Posted by: MagicJuggler (Aug 30, 2011 5:59am)
I don't cheat at cards, and apart from a couple card games that I enjoy periodically, I don't play. I would say the majority of card magicians wouldn't be able to convincingly cheat in a game. Learning a few gambling demonstrations does not a hustler make.

Actually the only time I have ever cheated in a game, was when I worked at a behavioral hospital for children, and a kid insisted on playing a game of war with me. I hate that game, so I culled all the good cards to the bottom of the deck, and bottom dealt the cards to the kid. He won the game, and the game only took three minutes, so he felt like he accomplished something, and I accomplished not having to play a long drawn out game of war. :)
Message: Posted by: JamieUK (Sep 1, 2011 4:23am)
I have NEVER beaten my grandmother at cards.
Grandmother beats magician every time.
Message: Posted by: J.Warrens (Sep 17, 2011 12:00am)
I don't play cards at all - except for crib. No fun cheating in a "fun" game. Totally takes away the reason for playing in the first place.
Message: Posted by: jvickers (Sep 22, 2011 6:36am)
Anyone who repeats the addage that itīs soooooo much harder to cheat in a home game than perform a magic trick clearly hasnīt tried the former. Cheating has a more elitist reputation than it deserves (with certain exceptions).
Message: Posted by: RS1963 (Nov 20, 2011 4:34pm)
Quote:

On 2011-09-22 06:36, jvickers wrote:
Anyone who repeats the addage that itīs soooooo much harder to cheat in a home game than perform a magic trick clearly hasnīt tried the former. Cheating has a more elitist reputation than it deserves (with certain exceptions).


Incorrect. Most magicians that say that they could or can cheat in a game and get the money. Are lying

Also Jvickers your comment is obviously coming from someone that has no idea what it would be like to cheat in a home game. If you come back on and try to say you have and do get the money you're lying.
Message: Posted by: brehaut (Nov 20, 2011 9:21pm)
I was at Mindvention in Vegas. I play a lot of blackjack (use to count cards a long time ago). Most people would think a casino would be nervous of having a group of mentalist at their casino (all you have to do is predict red or black). The funny thing--I never saw anyone else in the casino! That should tell you something. By the way, I won a good deal of money, got everything comped, and bought a bunch of new effects
Message: Posted by: goatears (Nov 21, 2011 4:38pm)
I love card games. I don't gamble at all outside of demonstration. Magic does help but not too significantly. For instance in Canasta we play that you get a bonus if you can cut exactly 22 cards off the deck. Because I'm used to cutting 26 for a faro shuffle I can usually get 22 every 3 of 4 tries.

Other than that I can't see anything that really helps me play any better.
Message: Posted by: landmark (Nov 27, 2011 7:56am)
Quote:

On 2011-09-01 04:23, JamieUK wrote:
I have NEVER beaten my grandmother at cards.
Grandmother beats magician every time.

I have some shocking but important news for you: the woman you call your grandmother is actually a 42 year old male Moldavian exile, a cigar-smoking, whiskey-guzzling career criminal, Hell's Angel, and cardsharp named Jimmy "The Enforcer" Cassidy. Just a heads-up there.
Message: Posted by: jasonmcconnie (Dec 16, 2011 12:25am)
Brilliant idea!;
Quote:

On 2011-08-30 05:59, MagicJuggler wrote:
Actually the only time I have ever cheated in a game, was when I worked at a behavioral hospital for children, and a kid insisted on playing a game of war with me. I hate that game, so I culled all the good cards to the bottom of the deck, and bottom dealt the cards to the kid. He won the game, and the game only took three minutes, so he felt like he accomplished something, and I accomplished not having to play a long drawn out game of war. :)
Message: Posted by: dbriegs (Jan 22, 2012 9:44pm)
I'm actually a very serious card player. Have won many poker tournaments. But magic and poker have absolutely nothing to do with one another, other than the cards.
Message: Posted by: freewayh (Jan 24, 2012 7:40pm)
From my point of view anyone who is know to be able to handle card with magic, rises suspicion when playing cards, especially when you get good hands in consecutive rows, at least it happens to me so when I play they don't let me handle the cards. I bealive it would depends on the game to, some of them are pure luck.
Message: Posted by: dbriegs (Jan 25, 2012 11:22pm)
In any "real" poker tournament/game (at a casino or major event), players never handle any cards except the ones given them by the dealer.
Message: Posted by: BenGGie (Feb 1, 2012 10:39pm)
I wish, on average I think I lose more than I win.
Message: Posted by: Chris Bianchi (Feb 9, 2012 5:00pm)
I actually don't know how to play any card games (except for Klondike Solitaire). Obviously, I know what many Poker hands are as they are central to many effects. I've also learned most of the "lingo" associated with Poker and Blackjack primarily for performance effect. There is a difference between a magician and a card mechanic (though some individuals possess both skills).

That said, given the opportunity, I legitimately would refuse to cheat at a game of chance - unless I was confident that I was being "hustled" in some way. Most card games are for fun, and there's no fun in cheating. The one exception would be MagicJuggler's instance - entertaining a child by helping him or her to "win." It's very rewarding for a child to be able to do better than an adult at something. If you're playing repeat games and the child just isn't having luck, why not edge the game in their favor?
Message: Posted by: Hushai (Mar 10, 2012 12:40am)
None of this, of course, makes less pleasant the standard joke in which the magicican, in the middle of a card routine, says off-handedly to a spectator, "Do you play cards?" To which the spectator replies "Not with YOU!"
Message: Posted by: magicfish (Mar 10, 2012 3:30am)
Quote:

On 2011-08-26 12:20, rogue999 wrote:
I have a question. Are magicia
ns who do card tricks good at poker and other card games? Do they win a lot?


yes.
Message: Posted by: panlives (Mar 15, 2012 7:38pm)
Quote:

On 2012-03-10 03:30, magicfish wrote:
Quote:

On 2011-08-26 12:20, rogue999 wrote:
I have a question. Are magicia
ns who do card tricks good at poker and other card games? Do they win a lot?


yes.


nope.