Joel Givens <-- This begins and ends my list.

I really can't add much to the extensive list... and I agree with most... but DAVID BLAINE! That's joke, right?
Anyway, I'd like to add a friend who is known mostly for coins, but he never ceases to amaze me when he pulls out a deck of cards... Shoot Ogawa.

Greg

In the past, your criteria would have eliminated Dai Vernon and Ed Marlo. Of course you could replace them with working performers like Mark Wilson and Kreskin

Best regards,
Glenn Godsey

More likely Jimmy Grippo, Del Ray, John Scarne, Larry Jennings...

I started this thread Posted: May 31, 2004 7:12pm it is funny how it still is going on!

Yup, stuff like this keeps folks distracted and also from becoming candidates for the list too.

I guess that is why I never made it on my own list and I started the thread.

Let me explain. I used to travel all over the country and to Europe and Japan. I saw performers everywhere and used to book them. Once I had the FUN of picking the TOP 20 acts from wherever I wanted, to do a TV Special in Japan.

Now, I don't travel anymore so I wouldn't be able to do anything like that.

So, regarding "Top X Lists" -- impossible as no one has seen everyone.

You can list people you have seen and think are excellent, just OK or overrated, but to call them the "Top X" is impossible, hence, to me, a joke.

And many List Makers really have no clue as to what constitutes excellence.

Even many of the judges, say at FISM, don't know jack either... believe me.

DMC- I am not sure when your planning to visit NY but some good card workers are:

NYC(near Tannens)
Doug Edwards
Wesley James
Sol Stone(coins)
Gerry Deutsch

Upstate

Bob Elliott(I think)
Jonathan Townsend(coins)

There are others both those people are there more frequently.

I tend to agree with Pete Biro on the opinon that lists do not mean anything. To borrow from a phrase One mans top ten list is anothers garbage list. You really can't put together a true top list of anything really. It just does not work.

I once asked Dai Vernon who he considered the top 5 cardmen today. He told be that it was impossible to answer this question because there are too many ways someone can be a great cardman. Some are entertainers, some technicians, inventors,etc. But, if he had given me a list of names, it would have meant more to me that one from Bozo the Clown. Some peoples lists I respect and others are SO silly.

I suppose I'll cast my vote out there. There are so many to choose from. But I'll play along:)

No particular order:

Whit Haydn
Aaron Fisher
Darwin Ortiz
Kostya Kimlat
Daryl
Sterenko
Lennart Green
Simon Aronson
Simon Lovell

I wonder what it means to be a "top card man".
What are your criteria?

Greg wilson

To me a "top card man" is one that fools the crap out of you.

There are FEW, believe me, FEW, that you watch that do not have tells. You catch moves, see breaks, etc. yet many rate them highly.

I guess the real test would be to bring all contenders to one place and have a shootout.

However, there is another area... INVENTION.

Some can't invent, but have great chops.

Who ranks over the other?

Then there are a very few, like Juan Tamariz, who will fry you and have you wet your pants with laughter.

There are some that I have seen that work indetectibly, no moves caught, no methods figured, like Diaconis in his prime. Have not seen him lately, but I would still put him against ANYONE.

Especially if the stakes are high. And this includes Forte.

OOOPS gotta go watch the basketball game.

It is a SIN to watch Basketball in June!! Geez...It seems like the basketball season just gets extended every year!! Pretty soon the season will compete with the World Series ratings soon!

Just for fun here is a new list...

Tony Picasso
Rich Cowly
Jim Gleason
Al Bach
Mike Powers
Jimmy Cards Molinari
Bill Malone
Steve Taylor
Ricky Jay
Vinny the godfather
And the FL hustler who I never met but sent me some card shark method video that was some of the best card work I have ever seen!

All of these people I have seen do cards that was both entertaining and with great skill.

Jrandcc you're a star. Thank you.

The top I have witnessed are:

Lennart Green
Rene Lavand
Juan Tamariz
Guy Hollingsworth

I'll See Darwin Ortiz next week.

I have to say that I probably enjoy Lennart Green's style the best.