Hi guys. I don't know if this is the right place for this but I was wondering if I could get a helpful critique on my performance of the Diamond monte(My Magic shop sells it under this name.)I just wanted to see if maybe yall could see any faults with the performance as far as handling goes or if there are easier methods for some of the moves that you have to perform. I know we can't openly discuss the secret but if you find a specific fault that might break the ToS just PM me please with the suggestion. Thanks.

http://youtu.be/9-xNW3Dqsok

I know that one part of the video I fumbled for a second with a move but that's because the cards are super worn out as this is the set I use on a daily basis in the shop. They are pretty worn out as far as gliding smoothly which can make things a little tricky as you'll see if you know what to look for.

Hi Peter,

Your DLs are nice. Your execution of the CAAM however needs a lot of work. Please do not take my words as a harsh criticism? The way you are executing this move looks very unnatural. It should look as though you are turning over the top card but, nobody turns over a top card using what looks like a Hindu shuffle grip. I showed the video to my partner who loves magic but knows nothing at all about sleights. I didn't say a word - just asked her to watch it. Both times that the CAAM was executed, she said, "he did something there."

I cannot go into any more detail here on the open forum and you do not have enough posts to visit Secret Sessions, so, if you want a suggestion for how to handle this move, PM me and we'll work it out. There are also variants of the move as well but the CAAM is still a valuable move.

If you have Ibidem check out Ed Marlo's Quick Three Way. (Actually there are a number of variants of this scattered in the literature). Richard Kaufman has a variant called On the B.M.T. in his book CardMagic for instance.

Lastly, your presentation is right out of the manuscript. Yes I realize that this effect is almost mandatory for demonstrators in a shop to learn as the thing sells like crazy. Just for fun, try to change it up. I never liked the "monte" aspect of this highly visual effect and in my experience at least, changing the presentation has strengthened the effect for me. If you want to stick with the monte approach, try doing the effect from a regular deck of cards. It should be easy to figure out what "three" cards you would use that would make sense and that would arouse no suspicion. Also, while searching for the cards for a regular deck version of Color Monte, you can set cards for your next effect. Alternatively, get John Guastaferro's book One Degree and learn the effect titled Either/Or. It's a really cool effect with the added benefit of what Max Maven would call "ecological magic", that is, an effect created out of the "waste" products of a previous effect. Again if any of this makes no sense, please do not hesitate to PM me. Except for the CAAM, your technique is nice.

Namaste,
Vlad

I appreciate the feedback. The CAAM is the part that I was wanting the most help on! I for the life of me cant think of a better way to perform the move and its driving me crazy because I agree it looks very unnatural. If you could PM me the variation that you would suggest I would greatly appreciate it. I perform this trick daily here in my shop to guests and the CAAM is the one move that I find awkward and uncomfortable to do because most people figure out that I am doing something even if they arent sure what it is. This is one trick that I want to learn flawlessly and too look as natural as possible and that's why I wanted the critique of fellow magicians. I will PM you about the matter though in just a second. The DL's took a bit of work to get down smoothly and properly so that it looked natural and fluid. This is a great trick and I would love to refine it to looks its best. every performance I have seen using the CAAM move almost the same exact way that I performed it. I have watched a few DVD's like Bunko Bet on the matter hoping to find a better way but that's the way they suggest and I don't have any magicians around me that perform the trick and no of another way so ill be really intrigued to see a new method to make it a flawless performance. I cant wait.

Brilliant and diplomatic feedback...all correspondence should be in this vein during Magic Café discussions/feedback. Thank you Vlad for being the type of member we need on these forums. Not only a knowledgable magician,but a sincere gentleman as well.

I agree totally

Kudos to Peter as well. He took Vlad's excellent advice in the spirit it was given, was appreciative and sincere. This is indeed the type of conversation we should have here. Truly, magicians helping magicians.

- Bob

I think I may have come up with a more natural looking CAAM move that I will practice and post later on. It requires more DL's in the trick itself but I think if done properly it should look more natural. Wish me luck and I will repost the video once I have move mastered so it doesn't look awkward.

...looking forward to seeing your new handling.I have gone back and forth with Color Monte using the original diamond cards and 14.00 kicker card and switching in three regular cards as Vlad suggested.For the record,magicans in my experience, prefer the version with regular cards. Laypeople LOVE the original cards version.Given the high volume of sales this effect has had over the years is proof of the impact and, more importantly, the FUN that can come from a goofy set of playing cards. Magic dosent always have to be sophisticated to be entertaining!

Wow thanks all for the kind words, truly. So many people have helped me here and still do. Stand up guys like Harry Lorayne, Vinny Marini, Paul Green, Steven Youell (my third mentor in many ways), Marion Boykin, Tim Feher, Cameron Francis, Scott Guinn (sorely missed - talk about a true gentleman!), Barry Fernelius, and so many more. Magicfish and Motown are both champs in my book although both of these scoundrels are whoopin' by butt in digging up treasures from books and periodicals. I'll get you guys!!

If I may add one more thing to the Color Monte discussion, if the situation is right and your style permits, please try this effect with Tarot cards? I gave Peter a few ideas for presentation - one dealing with legendary blues great Robert Johnson. Anyhow, much like Peter Kane's adaptation of the wild card plot to older looking cards and Christian Chelman's GREAT presentation from his book Capricornian Tales, Color Monte with Tarot takes on a whole new dimension IMHO.

Namaste,
Vlad

As good as Vlad's advise surely was, he taught an even better lesson, by example, to those of us who have an ear to hear.

Vlad, always a pleasure to read your thoughts and feedback.

One idea for the patter is to create a 2 person effect instead of addressing the spectator, directly challenging him to a bet .... tell a story about a character who bet you he could detect when you cheated etc. .."hey, I saw you put that card on the bottom" eg. then at the end, it could be a challenge to all concerned about what the 3rd card is. Lynn

I actually came up with a story line last night that I could use. Basically I want it to revolve around the idea that on my 21st birthday me and some buddies went to Vegas. While celebrating and walking the strip a gentleman approached my small group asking what we were celebrating. Upon telling him of my 21st birthday and the large amount of cash that I received for the trip to Vegas he proceeds to tell me that I do not belong here. Appalled I ask why not? He responds with let me give you the Vegas test. I say OK. He then goes through the color Monte routine making false bets of 100 dollars with me while I try to follow the cards. At the end when he reveals that I would have lost all my money in the casino against unscrupulous characters, he tells me kindly to go home and save my money and use it on something useful. That's when I tell the audience that to this day that mans advice stuck with me because here I am and here is my magic shop that I opened in his honor with the money he saved me that I could have blown in Vegas! I think it would be a great story line for me actually owning and working in a magic shop and being over 21 I can get away with the story. I think if done properly It can be a very touching story for the audience. Also I am not using the color Monte cards anymore but I will be using a normal packet from a deck on my demo stand. What do you think of the story line?

Great story ... an important part of magic. Lynn

I will confess to an irrational love of this trick. Perhaps it's because I ran across it in a formative time, perhaps it's because I have seen how much audiences like it, but I am hard pressed to think of a version that I like better than the Emerson and West version.

The story that came with the trick originally (printed on a card that fit into the wallet) is a hard storyline to beat, but it plays well iff (for you non-mathematicians, that is if and only if) you get the rhythm right. Color Monte, both trick and story, are incredibly rhythm based, IMHO (not unlike the comedy "Happy Endings") and that is possibly more important even than the moves -- getting the story and the rhythm of the language down. It's hard to describe, and I had the good fortune to see it done really well the first time I saw it in a shop long gone in Houston.

Find the original patter, pretend you're a guide on the Disney Jungle Cruise, work it up like that, and give it a whirl. I think you will be pleased.

Funnily enough I have worked for disney twice lol. I am originally from florida. I will see if I can find the original patter. I would like to find different patters on it and see which one works best for me. Thanks for the suggestion.

Peter -- if you can't find it, PM me and I will dig out my copy for you. I am lucky enough to live in the same area as Arthur Emerson, and I'll even double check with him to make sure he doesn't mind.

So that Jungle Cruise reference made sense -- that's good. It's hard to describe, but if you know what it means, you know!