I have had Opie Hustions Study guides in my possession which I was lucky enough to have copied and pasted to my USB drive before they where lost to the achieves of magic.about.com. Opie refers these days to his magic club site where you can only find an abbreviated version of what he originally posted. As I’m sure that many people agree that Opies study guides are great companion to any aspiring newcomer to magic, it would be shame that we should loose them to time then what they where created for, to give a structured and well rounded study.

Also some of you may not have realised that Opie also had a study guide to Bobo’s Modern Coin Magic in addition to his more popular Royal Road to Magic study Guide. I include both here for your benefit.

I have narrated at the beginning to only add a few additional points about the book that these guides refer, but apart from that, all of them are in Opie own words.

Enjoy

Magically

Aus


ROYAL ROAD TO CARD MAGIC - COURSE OUTLINE
By Opie Houston

ROYAL ROAD TO CARD MAGIC - WEEKS 1 AND 2

1. Read the Preface and skim through the contents and whole book to get an idea of what a wonderful text this book is.....It is not just a beginner's primer; it is an advanced text.

NOTE: You should spend the first two weeks learning simply to handle a deck of cards, e.g., how to shuffle a deck of cards in a smooth manner.

2. Chapter I - Read all the instructions, with cards in hand, on how to do and use the Overhand Shuffle, through the false shuffles. DO NOT EVEN BOTHER about the "Tricks with the Overhand Shuffle" until you can smoothly execute the Overhand Shuffle and the Riffle Shuffle in Chapter II.

3. Chapter II - Read all the instructions, with cards in hand, on how to do and use the Riffle Shuffle, through the false shuffles. DO NOT EVEN BOTHER about the "Tricks with the Riffle Shuffle" until you can smoothly execute both the Overhand and Riffle Shuffles.

4. Learn and practice the tricks in Chapters I and II, only after you can handle a deck of cards.

NOTE: DO NOT CONTINUE THE LESSON PLANS UNTIL YOU HAVE MASTERED CHAPTERS I AND II.

ROYAL ROAD TO CARD MAGIC - WEEKS 3 AND 4

NOTE: If you have not mastered Chapters I and II, you might want to continue practicing material in them until you have done so....Also notice that the following assignments skip many of the chapters.

1. Read Chapter XV, The Hindu Shuffle and Other Controls. Master this shuffle and its uses.

2. Read Chapter XVI, The Classic Force. Master this technique and its uses.

FOUR-WEEK EXERCISE:

At the end of four weeks, you should have a working knowledge of and be able to do the following items with at least some skill:

1. Chapter I - Demonstrate a mastery of the Overhand Shuffle, as follows:

a. Top card from top to bottom and back.
b. A rapid smooth run of 10 to 12 cards.
c. An injog shuffle control.
d. Overhand False Shuffle.
e. Two tricks from the chapter.

2. Chapter II - Demonstrate a mastery of the Riffle Shuffle, as follows:

a. Control top and bottom stocks of cards.
b. Smooth shuffles at a table and in the air.
c. Two tricks from the chapter.

3.Chapter XV - Demonstrate a mastery of the Hindu Shuffle and its related controls, as follows:

a. Control of single and stock of cards.
b. Hindu Force.
c. Glimpse.
d. The Step.
e. Jog.
f. "All Change Here

4. Chapter XVI - Demonstrate a mastery of the Classic Force, as follows:

a. One-Hand Force.
b. Bottom Force.
c. Slide-Out Force.
d. Double-Life Force.
e. Cut Force.
f. A couple of force tricks.

NOTE: If you have mastered the items in the exercise above, you are among a very small minority of card magicians, because therein lies the basics of almost all the remaining card tricks you will ever do. Proceed to Weeks 5 and 6 lesson plan when you are ready....

ROYAL ROAD TO CARD MAGIC - WEEKS 5 AND 6
1. Spend week 5 on Chapters III and XVII...Do not become frustrated with or hung up on the flourishes. Just play with them every day and they will come...But do work on the changes in Chapter XVII...The top change is deadly and its mastery will place you in the Card Man/Woman category faster than the cutesy flourishes...
2. Spend week 6 on Chapters IX, X, and XI...

Bobo’s Modern Coin Magic Study Guide
By
Opie Houston

Opie seems to pump out quality stuff and this study guide is no exception, here you will find a guide based on a book that is to coin magic as what Royal Road is to cards. This book like Royal Road to Card Magic is published by Dover Publishing: http://store.doverpublications.com/0486242587.html

Dover has a link that enables you to view the contents of the book so you can see what the book is like.

Also again a cheaper alternative is the e-book version on Library.com: http://www.lybrary.com/modern-coin-magic-p-120.html

This guide is to be a general study guide of Bobo's Modern Coin Magic. The book, reprinted in paperback by Dover Press, is available from most book stores for less than $10.00 and is considered to be the basic manual of coin work.

OBJECTIVE: Participants will learn selected sleights and tricks from Bobo's classic. The selected readings, of course, are subjective and represent what I consider to be the essentials. The more serious student of magic may want to seek supplemental sources of material related to his or her own interests.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Dig out or order a paper-back copy of Bobo's Modern Coin Magic (Dover). I recommend an inexpensive paperback so you can jot notes in the margins and underline key passages.Gather the following materials to start: A few American half-dollar size coins; a few American dollar-size coins; two half-dollar size copper coins; other assorted coins; and a handkerchief.

WEEK ONE - Basics
1. Read the Preface, Braun's Introduction, Acknowledgments, and the Prologue.

2. Skim Chapters 1 and 2. Read every word, and do not stop reading to try some of the sleights. It is very important that you understand Bobo's theories and philosophy before you tackle the hard stuff.

3. Review Chapter 1, Coin Concealments, and practice all the sleights, with emphasis on the following:
a. Classic Palm; b. Edge Palm; c. Downs Palm; d. Finger Palm.
(NOTE: Give the various Clips and Front/BackPalm a look, but concentrate on the sleights listed above. Carry a coin at all times for practice.)

4. Review Chapter II, Basic Technique, and learn the following techniques:
a. Bobo Switch; b. Utility Switch; c. Click Pass; d. Bottom Steal; e. "Fumble" suggestions.
TEST YOURSELF ON CHAPTERS 1 & 2
Good luck with your study; I will be posting subsequent study suggestions on subsequent pages of this thread....
(Go to page 2 of this thread for next course guide).
(THE LESSON PLANS, QUIZES, ETC., FOR THIS COURSE ARE ON PAGES 1, 2, 5, 6, 72, 84....)
WEEKS II & III - More Basics

1. Read Chapter III, Coin Vanishes. Read every word before beginning a re-read and emphasis on the following effects:

a. Standard Vanish; b. Thumb Palm Vanish; c. Illusive Coin Pass; d. A Coin Vanish; e. Gone; f. Flyaway Coin; g. Vanish for Several Coins.

(NOTE: Play around with all the material in the Chapter, but concentrate most of your efforts on the items listed above and the basics from the previous chapters.)

2. Read Chapter IV only after your have at least a working knowledge of the material in the first three chapters.

(NOTE: If at the end of three weeks you have not gained a working knowledge of Chapters 1 through 3, it would probably be best to continue practice and review of those chapters. But, do not become frustrated, because all of us have or have had problems with some of the material. JUST PLAY WITH IT. It is not life-essential material, but it does form the important basic foundation for more advanced coin work.

TEST YOURSELF ON CHAPTERS I - III
Good luck,

WEEKS IV & V - Putting it Together
1. Read Chapters IV, V, and XVI. Wow! There is a lot there, isn't there? And we haven't even scratched the surface yet. So, it is time to start putting it together, so to speak, and begin tailoring our own performances, complete with compatible routining and personalized patter. But, before we do that, let us do a little self appraisal.

2. Rate yourself on the following more-or-less desired skills, using three grading levels: Excellent, Good, Needs Work. Make a list of the "Needs Work" items and practice them before proceeding to the next week's level.

a. Chap I, Coin Concealments: Classic Palm, Edge Palm, Thumb Palm, Finger Palm.

b. Chap II, Basic Technique: Bobo Switch, Utility Switch, One Hand Switch, Click Pass, Bottom Steal, "Fumbles"

c. Chap III, Coin Vanishes: Standard Vanish, Simple Vanish, Thumb Palm Vanish, Illusive Coin Pass, A Coin Vanish, Pinch Vanish, Gone, Flyaway Coin, French Drop, Handkerchief Coin Vanish, Vanish for Several Coins.

3. Using all the knowledge you know and information from Chapters I through V and Chapter XVI, put together a Single-Coin Routine, using the first three suggested routines in Chapter XVI. If you do not know the effects suggested in those routines, look them up or substitute an effect you already know.
(NOTE: When you have organized and perfected a good Walkaround/Standup routine, per
3 above, you will be ready to proceed to the Conquering Bobo Checklist which will take you the remainder of the way through the text. You will find it on page 6.

CONQUERING BOBO

1. If you have completed the "Weeks IV & V" checklist on page 5, you are ready to plan your own personalized advanced study through the remainder of the Bobo text. This checklist will assist you by suggesting some short cuts, and, most importantly, it will point toward the classic coin tricks you should know.
NOTE: Spend about a week on each of the following items with emphasis on learning at least one new trick per week or the number suggested for the item.

2. Week VI -

a. Read Chapters VI and VII.

b. Play around with the material in those chapters.

3. Weeks VII and VIII -

a. Read Chapter VIII.

b. Spend two weeks on this Chapter, and, as a minimum, learn four effects. (Some may require you to visit a magic shop.)

4. Week IX and X -

a. Read Chapter IX.

b. Spend at least two weeks on this chapter and learn at least three of these classics.

5. Week XI -

a. Read the remaining chapters that you have not read. JUST READ!

b. Now, go back and make a list of effects you wish to learn from those new chapters.

6. Week XII - and forever thereafter...

a. Begin on page 1 and Re-Read the whole book. Stop and play whenever you like.

b. While you are playing, however, make a list of the tricks you really like and play around with different patter/presentations of each one.......
........that is the secret to learning magic--constant evaluation and improvement.....

I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED MY LITTLE COURSE PLAN...opie

Opie has put together some fantastic study guides that are well thought out.

Thanks for the reminder.

Mark.

Thanks. I had these a while ago but I lost them when my HD crashed! I appreciate the post.

Thank you so much for the post! I have been looking for something like this for quite awhile!

Thanks for posting these.

Are there anymore of these study guides by him? If so where can I find them? Thanks.

Thanks for the post, it should be helpful to a lot of people.

Matty from my understanding Opie only did these two posted here. Maybe some feedback on what sort of study guides that some might like to have written might be an idea.

Magically

Aus

Deep apologies for bumping an old thread, but saw a mention to this study guide in another topic. I just wanted to thank the OP for providing this invaluable information.

Great thread for me. This forum is a treasure

Thanks for bumping this. I cut my teeth on both of those books using these guides. Opie is right, the secret to learning magic is constant evaluation and improvement. And re-read the books, every time I do, I find something new. This year, for my New Years Resolution, I resolved to re-visit the Royal Road to strengthen my foundation in cards and found some real treasures.

Because of my time here (though I just started posting, I lurked for a month or so), Royal Road is being shipped to me this week. Seems unanimous here that RRTCM is a "must have"

Does anyone have the quizzes Houston put together for the Bobo's study guide? I've been going through "Modern Coin Magic" for the past couple of weeks using Houston's study guide and wanted to see how I would do on his quiz for the first couple of chapters.

Thanks,

Dave

Wilktone

These guides where taken form the magic.about.com forums many years ago, I have tried see if I can track them down but It seems the forums no longer exist.

Magically

Aus

Aus

Thanks for sharing these are great study guides. I seen them years ago and am glad you have put them back out there for people to see.