Ok, I'm just getting back into cards and although I can do my fair share of tricks, I feel the need to just make it all a bit more snappy with some card flourishes, spreads and whatnot

I am pretty dextrous so I'm not scared of the more ambitious (I'm also foolish so I don't mind putting a finger out of joint occasionally)

So, I started looking around the net for stuff and I came across a bunch of videos of people doing flourishes.

And to my surprise and joy, learning stuff which you can actually see repeated in front of you time and time again seriously sped up my learning curve!

So, in this day and age where I can go and buy books, videos AND DVDs, what would you say is the best material out there to go from 'guy who's good with cards' to 'complete show off'??

Thanks in advance for any advice you are able to palm my way

Brian Tudor's Show off video will provide you with plenty of snappy techniques. The second video is not as good as the first though in my opinion.

Lennart Green also has some Z cuts and nice moves on his videos, as well as some of the most amazing and unique card work around.

You probably know numerous cuts and if not, by the sounds of it you will soon, so you can put sequences and combinations together and then work on your hand speed.

All cuts can be done false in my opinion with a little alteration, so you are best learning them false to give you not only some show off material but at the same time total control over your cards.

You could also get Daryl's Revelations and Lorraine tapes - lots of stuff on these. All of the previously mentioned will also teach you ways of spinning cards out of the deck in different directions.

Vallerino is very slick and is well worth looking up.

Hope that helps. I also reccomend setting yourself the challenge of coming up with your own stuff. It can be a lot more satisfying and sometimes very rewarding.

Like I said, I've been doing this a while anyway, and what I am looking for is inspiration as much as anything! Let's face it, most stuff you see you can work out, but it all helps get the old brain going! (and the fingers)

Good advice, I'll look into it

Check out Jeff McBride's art of card manipulation series. I don't have those but if you like flourish and card manipulation, you gotta check his videos.

My recomendations are Jeff McBride AOCM Volumes 1-3, Brian Tudor's Show off 1 and 2, Generation X, and Gregory Wilson's Pyro-technique Pasteboards and Card Stunts.

There is no quick way. You have to bust your butt and put in the time!!

Good luck to you.

There is no magic pill or book or video.
Practice, practice practice. As you already know this.
The videos and books already mentioned are the best sources.

vinny

I am used to practicing! I'm a musician for a living. Piano, guitar or clarinet anyone?

I've never backpalmed a piano though. Perhaps I should give it a try.

'Pick a piano, any piano...'

So we are on the same page, I am also a musician. My instruments of choice are flute and piano. I taught flute for over 25 years and attended Julliard School of Music in New York.
vinny

Guitar player here. Let's start a band! The Magic Café Minstrels! I can see it now...

Anyhoo, bevbevvybev (weird name), check out Jerry Flourishman and his book The Encyclopedia of Card Flourishes. Also De'vo is to be bowed down to in this area. Handlordz.com is a great place to start.

And dig the Pasteboard Frolics section of this forum. Lots of flashy stuff discussed there.

Good luck!

The #1 place for card flourishes or fancy card displays is SUPERHANDZ.com! The 2 best flourishers are Jerry Cestkowski (author of the Encyclopedia of Playing Card Flourishes) and De'vo vom Schattenreich from the Ulmen4! Check all their videos at superhandz.com and the free teaching videos at handlordz.com and the promo videos at flourishman.com

Also Jerry's book is the best book out on flourishes and De'vo's Cradle to Grave DVD is being released in a matter of weeks that has some wicked material.

The Tudors/McBride above are good and should be looked at, but do not even get close to the superhandz crew in my opinion. Anything from Superhandz is gold in the flourish category.

IF you just want the absolute basics, I suggest Dante King's Fanning Tutorial, (www.danteking.com).

Also, De'vo's 'Cradle To Grave' is coming out soon. I heard they got past the technical problems they were having.

http://e-magictrick.com

Just pass the test and maybe you'll learn some new if NOT the correct ways of sleights you possibly already learned thru books.

Pass the test and log in that is...