http://media.theory11.com/2621

Is it just me, or does anyone else find this to be so full of self aggrandizing BS that it's bordering on hilarious? At least I got a nice chuckle out of it...

Apart from the Vegas shots and the stingers, what does this have to do with the gambling forum?

Yes but still I would like to be able to all that stuff and I also want that jet but it is that thing that you said.

There's an Easter Egg revealing the true identity of Erdnase that pops up at 1 min 37 secs. Did you not see that, Splice?

Has nothing to do wit gambling.

Oh, I'm stupid there's a Las Vegas sign...

Ah c'mon, just think about how much cred you'd have if you were to crack out a few of those moves at the table!

My sincerest apologies, Arnold. I was feeling all very 'Che Guevara' this morning.
If it's any consolation, I often post wicked-cool vids of sponge bunny routines in the Mentalism forum. Always goes down a treat with the guys up there.

Hey let's be fair, I'd like to have some of the skills the guy shows. I'm not really a big fan about card juggling and other stunts, but I admit that, once in a while, we watch very talented guys.

Of course, no way to use that around a card table.

My answer was not aiming at you. But all those guys using "Vegas" with their material just make me feel nervous .

I agree Arnold, I do like watching some of this stuff and wish I could do a bit of it for fun! I'm betting some of this stuff has a higher learning curve and takes more practice time than learning to deal decent deuce!

The video has nothing to do with gambling, but man- you gotta give props for the production values!

It's a cool marketing video if you think for a second of its target audience... and it also looks like the DVD itself is done well - with multiple angle views and text/video mixture, not like most instruction DVDs in existence.

And it's about flourishing, of course.

@Mickey

Well, there are some moves in the XCM field that requires a huge amount of practice, no doubt about it. Just to name one, the anti-faro for instance.

But I'm not really sure that years and years are necessary to master them. If you want a wonderful second deal, if you wanna stack like Z, if you wanna bypass cuts like Doc, we're talking about years and years of dedication and endless hours of practice.

I'm not that unhappy about my second deal for instance. Yet, I need to practice it each and every ***ed day of the year. And it's not exactly how I want it to be yet... I've learned how to fan a deck many years ago. I never practice it anymore. Okay, it's not as beautiful as the ones the guy shows in the commercial, but I still can produce a very decent fan! If I miss one day or two with my second deal, I can assure you I feel it.

Is all this waving about of cards really 'cool'? I recall a scene from Casino Royale where Bond (Daniel Craig) breaks into M's apartment. There's a deck of cards on a table that he picks up and ...wait for it... just holds. But in doing so he seems to ooze 'cool'. Can you imagine Bond juggling cards about crying out to the world "Check me out!"? Often less is more...

The local magic shop is all about XCM and card juggling. I don't think I've ever seen them do a trick, but when they had a stand at a local festival with a magic component, 3 employees were behind the desk doing cuts and aerials and what have you.

I've honestly not stepped in the shop since. The fact that they didn't know what Expert at the Card Table was didn't help any, either. And every time I went into the shop they took great pains to say "Die, Vernon, Die" just because they heard that joke from Simon Lovell. It was pretty sick, actually.

And I never found their card juggling cool.

Juggling? Nah, not that cool. But some spreads, some fans are beautiful.

In some movies for instance, when they show (seldom) a dealer spreading cards for check, it adds some spice IMHO.

A magic shop not aware about the EATCT, well, how could I say that...

I see your point Arnold and agree! I do think that learning the basic grip and mechanics for 2nd's was at least easier for ME to learn over flourishes simply in the fact that when I've tried any of these fancy flourishes the cards go flying everywhere!

I think the only 2 flourishes I'd really be interested in learning and willing to put time in on would be those big tight pressure fans and the Le Paul spread!

Oh well, my seconds are still weak so I reckon I should get back to the drills and dedicate my time to the IMPORTANT stuff !

Guys we should not be comparing apples and oranges ... also one man's meat is another man's poison ... the video is supposed to entice the guys into such stuff to conclude that it was the best thing they could ever have. judging by the reactions of guys into such stuff I think the video achieves it's objective.

guys into card flourishes and xcm are a hard working lot ... its just that their definition of what is beautiful and sexy is different from others. surprisingly a lot of them are into erdnase big time.

hope it did not sound like a lecture.. it was not my intention to offend anyone so I do apologise if anybody got hurt



I was quite happy with strike second deals but after I saw ur seconds and a video posted by k13pt0maniac I decided it was time to learn the push off variety as well. may I ask which/whose second deal do you like ?

I think it would be funny beyond words to have these same production values for a dvd about daycare magic ... the guy gets off the plane, you see the shots of the Strip ... then you notice the rainbow suspenders and the sponge bunnies ... the guy starts flipping around the sponge bunnies.

It warms my heart just to think about it.

DD

@awimagic

To me push off seconds are the ones.

Don't get me wrong, there are guys using strike seconds superbly and I don't forget the legendary Walter Scott. But there's something I don't like with strikes, the take. I just can't find it "natural". Taking a card in front of the left thumb will sounds always weird for me.

But the best one is the one that fits your style or the one that gets the money .

About style, well, Z's stud seconds are simply awesome.

I loved that video. Some of those fans made be jealous. But like Tommy, I liked the plane the most.

Kinda makes you wonder, though. Did they rent that plane just to film an XCM instruction video? Way cool!