I am looking to take my card magic from beginner/intermediate to intermediate/advanced and was wondering if buying Vernons Inner card Trilogy, Cardially Yours, Close Up Card Magic, and Expert At The Card Table would be a good place to start. I know this is a lot of material, but I want to hear your guys opinions. Thanks.

Try and be more precise about your current level: what have you read so far? What can you actually do?

mlippo

All those books are excellent choices. But depending on how well versed you are in card magic at the moment, you might want to invest in the Card College Series.

Card college is a great way to learn or revisit the fundamentals. It definitely taught me to perform what I already know correctly. Also John G's One Degree! Great card magic and essays. The essays were valuable for me to find what direction I wanted to take my magic and how to improve myself as a magician.

Doubt whether this will help your thinking, but - copying from an adjacent thread: ---

Inner circle


There's a kind of "freshness" to Harry's books. I believed it's due to his easy-going accessible style. AND attention to detail (picky-ness). It seems Harry self-edits as he's writing and brings the understanding of his knowledge down to OUR (the average person's) level.

My FIRST Magic book was Close-up Card Magic. I purchased it when I was sixteen---over forty years ago. It has served me well for dazzling family, friends and associates for many years. NOW I have Classic Collection, as well as my original CCM, and reading through it is like reading CCM anew. Harry's teaching is the BEST.

Another (BIG) thing: Harry ALWAYS makes you feel that YOU can do ANYTHING he teaches. And it's true.

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TH

I have a smooth double lift, pass, know may false shuffles, pretty good at stacking the deck. I have watched Darwin Ortizs dvd set, and read Arthur Buckleys CArd Control. Thank you guys for your insight. Any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

What material have you gotten working that your audiences like and ask to see for repeat performances?

My audiences have loved the Ultimate Card Shark and The Unholy Three by Darwin Ortiz and Think Touch Turn and My Favorite Opener by Bill Malone.

I would suggest Best of Friends Vol. 1-3 by Harry Lorayne. One of my favorite books on card magic.

I'm impressed. If you can play that material for audiences - may as well go straight to the Hofzinser material in his Card Conjuring book and go on to wherever your audiences lead you.

Thank you guys for all your help. John, I am not familiar with that book, would you reccomend it? Thanks. Anyone elses thought on that book would be great too.

Card Conjuring by Hofzinser it's the place you want to begin.