On Jul 13, 2023, Nikodemus wrote:
I think you go too far when you say a false shuffle deceives 'no one". Some people will be fooled. But some won't be. Even those that are fooled, may only be fooled temporarily. When they think back, they may realise that a setup could explain a particular effect - and then infer that your shuffle was a false one.

I think you could apply the same criticism to any sleight if considered in isolation. Or indeed to any other technique, such as gaffed cards. (In the latter case, the "problem" is that they can't be examined.)
Good magicians combine techniques so they appear to eliminate each other.

If you want a spectator to believe a deck is genuinely shuffled, then let a spectator shuffle it. You could use a stooge to do the shuffle; but the more usual approach is to do a deck switch.
Or if you just want to control one card, rather than the whole deck, you can palm it, the let a spectator shuffle.

I don't think either of these techniques make the false shuffle obsolete, they are just extra tools to be used in an appropriate context.

On Jul 14, 2023, BAGWIZ wrote:

Quote:

On Jul 13, 2023, Nikodemus wrote:
I think you go too far when you say a false shuffle deceives 'no one". Some people will be fooled. But some won't be. Even those that are fooled, may only be fooled temporarily. When they think back, they may realise that a setup could explain a particular effect - and then infer that your shuffle was a false one.

I think you could apply the same criticism to any sleight if considered in isolation. Or indeed to any other technique, such as gaffed cards. (In the latter case, the "problem" is that they can't be examined.)
Good magicians combine techniques so they appear to eliminate each other.

If you want a spectator to believe a deck is genuinely shuffled, then let a spectator shuffle it. You could use a stooge to do the shuffle; but the more usual approach is to do a deck switch.
Or if you just want to control one card, rather than the whole deck, you can palm it, the let a spectator shuffle.

I don't think either of these techniques make the false shuffle obsolete, they are just extra tools to be used in an appropriate context.

It is difficult for me, and probably every magician, to take a step back and view our magic through the eyes , ears and minds of our spectators. Nevertheless, I’m relentlessly trying and every once in a while I have the opportunity to query spectators about what they saw, in an effort to obtain their unfiltered and honest feedback. It’s not exactly “research” in a statistically valid and reliable sense, but I do appreciate the feedback and always find it informative.

My take-away from a few recent feedback sessions is the less time I have cards in my hands, the better. It appears my spectators tend to assume I’m “doing something,” even when I’m not and even if they see nothing out of the ordinary. Interestingly, the feedback wasn’t targeting me per se, but was generalized to all magicians who the spectators have seen doing card magic.

This is not a novel revelation, as I think we’ve heard the same “less is more” philosophy expressed by other magicians, including the likes of Tommy Wonder.

And so, while I get your point that false shuffles and cuts shouldn’t necessarily be obsolete, it still seems logical to me that a magician shuffling cards (even with a legitimate shuffle), is, by it’s very nature, suspicious. Granted, from a practical standpoint it’s probably not realistic to never shuffle/cut the cards. But I’m trying to find ways to minimize my “in the hands time,” and if that means palming, holding out, deck switching, etc., so be it.

Same thing goes for other sleights, which I now try to look at more critically in terms of their value-added (or not). That’s a hard one, too, because I like learning sleights and probably like you, I’ve spent untold hours pursuing mastery of many of them. But, finding ways to minimize my handling of the cards is, for me, an interesting, challenging and fun exercise.

On Jul 16, 2023, SteveFromSpokane wrote:

I believe you hit the nail on the head.
Card acrobtics just shouts out that this guy is good at sleights and is doing something here.
I like Ben Earl's Combination Shuffle which is short and makes you look like someone who only occasionally plays cards with friends.
Less is More is true. Just my opinion.

On Dec 19, 2023, JuanPoop wrote:

Quote:

On Jul 16, 2023, SteveFromSpokane wrote:

I believe you hit the nail on the head.
Card acrobtics just shouts out that this guy is good at sleights and is doing something here.
I like Ben Earl's Combination Shuffle which is short and makes you look like someone who only occasionally plays cards with friends.
Less is More is true. Just my opinion.

I need to check this out, as I have seen so many people refer to it.

Is it a download, or part of another product?

On Apr 24, 2024, gowenmagic wrote:
Here’s 3 shuffles, the second one is the one from the Joshua Jay lecture, happy to do a tutorial on them. Just shoot me a DM and let me know which one and I’ll show you.
The first one is a riffle shuffle anyone can learn in a few hours I think.

https://youtu.be/iKb1iqJlxFs?si=C0lI2gQ7qJab1xkV

On Apr 25, 2024, Nikodemus wrote:

Quote:

On Apr 24, 2024, gowenmagic wrote:
Here’s 3 shuffles, the second one is the one from the Joshua Jay lecture, happy to do a tutorial on them. Just shoot me a DM and let me know which one and I’ll show you.
The first one is a riffle shuffle anyone can learn in a few hours I think.

https://youtu.be/iKb1iqJlxFs?si=C0lI2gQ7qJab1xkV

The riffle shuffle appeared to start with 2D on the bottom of the deck, but finish with the KD.