I'm curious, assuming that any of you want to give these hot tips away, what are some of your favorite tricks, learned from a book, that have been overlooked by others or otherwise not seen performed, that you enjoy performing? I'll get things rolling with a trick from Five by Five: Japan. It's a trick where an apparently flat card box instantly and visibly turns into a full regular deck. IMO it's superior to a similar effect marketed by David Regal. I can't remember the name of the trick, but if you have the book, it won't be hard to find. Just about every trick in that book is a killer BTW.

I've also never seen anyone perform the strangely baffling Buried Treasure from the Elmsley books. There are many more that I can think of, but let's see what neglected gems you've got up your sleeves.

I'd also like to say, that even though I've bought tons of tricks (it's an out of control disease!), the tricks I enjoy performing the most are those I learned from books.

One of my favorites is my variation of Hugard's "Magivian vs. Gambler" from the 1937 Annual of Magic.

Two other ones I've altered slightly for my show are "Quick as a Wink" and "Any Deck, Any Time" from Karl Fulves' Self-Working Card Tricks. Not the heaviest hitters in my arsenal, but real audience-pleasers nonetheless. (Most "serious" magicians I know don't toy around with books like that, but it was one of the first card magic books I ever had and I've recently rediscovered it. It has some interesting things in there that could be updated with a couple of sleights or even performed as-is.)

Nick Trost's Trik Cards.

"My Best Card Trick" from JG Thompson's Book- "My Best." An absolute miracle. Nobody does it.

Flapjacks from Chris Kenner " The Right Stuff "

ACAAN - Juan Tamariz method from 'Mnemonica' using a N*** W*****, pure genius!!

I have combined this with a Harry Anderson presentation from 'Wise Guy' and this is a reputation maker that is easy to do.

Cheers,
Al

I am usually highly allergic to card spelling tricks, but Spell It Out from Try The Impossible by Aronson is so impromptu, so clean, and so impossible-seeming, that I love it! I'd be curious if anyone here does it.


Jack Shalom

Take a look at "The Magic Tunnel", an S. Leo Horowitz contribution to the Card Stars chapter of Greater Magic. I've gotten great reactions from laymen and have never met a magician who did it or was familiar with it. There's perfect misdirection for turning the face-to-face double around.

I have to check up on the name, but there is a great Dai Vernon effect that I do all the time that I haven't heard much about. Pretty much someone picks a card and returns it. Then they pick a number between 5 and ten. They turn over the top card and it is a card of the number they chose and when they count down to that number, their card is at the number. The deck can even be handed right to the specator after the card is put back and before they choose the number. I love it and it gets amazing reactions.

One of the best is from Expert card Technique, atleast I think that's the one its in, else its in expert at the card table. Basically, the spectator deals until they want to stop, look at the card they looked at and put it back in the deck and shuffle the cards. All this can be done with the spectator out of the room or back turned or something, its a magician fooler and kills laymen

Capitulating Queens by James Swain (Miracles with Cards). Fantastic.

Also

Clue (from the same book).

One that I've used for a long time and have gotten great response to is John Bannon's "Tattoo You" from his book "Smoke and Mirrors". "Vacuum Packed" from the same book is another one I use. This one was talked about quite a bit when the book was first released but I don't hear much about it anymore.

Another trick I use regularly that I learned from a book is the cut and restored rope from "Ultra Cervon".

I learned Pocketed Wild Coin from Kam's book when it came out years ago. As far as I know, not many people do it. It's a very nice routine though and I love his switch.

Sorry, emeyers99. I perform that effect quite regularly.

I'm surprised I don't see more people performing Dai Vernon's Fingerprint Card Trick. It's not unknown, but far underrated.

Caleb

I do Capitualating Queens as well. Swain's Airmail Card is one of the best card to wallet routines out there as well. In fact, that book in general is one of my favorite books I have on cards.

Hocus-pocus card trick, awesome!

Man oh Man! Great post! you're right... don't wanna give these away. That's why I

Love DVD's! Because everybody buys them and learns from them now and I get all

the best stuff for myself from the books! tee hee.

Halo Again- Lorayne; Rim Shots{awesome book}
How Did You Know- Wakeman; Randy Wakeman Presents {shhh}
A Dime A Dozen- Wakeman; same book
Three Second Wonder- Ouellette; Close-Up Illusions
......and.........you ready?
Vernon's Aces- Vernon; Close-Up Card Magic ( Lorayne}

These effects will give you a reputation as being expert with playing cards.

Sly Stebbins in Steve Beam's Semi Automatic Card tricks....

Its a great opener from a sealed deck if you do the Darwin Ortiz set up to set the st**k.

If you can do two perfect in Faros...you have a great miracle!

How about good 'ol Sleight of Foot? I like that one a lot and it gets strong reaction. It's (virtually) hands-off, it can be done with a borrowed deck. So may reasons to perform it!

See ya!
Joe Libby
San Antonio, TX

Tophie, since I do the same effect, you can't post it in this thread since there is actually someone else who does it!

Actually SACT books contain a wealth of tricks nobody else does since it's not the type of effects that's included on videos...

J-L