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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1866 Posts |
I'm just curious, does anyone use a Svengali on the regular? My coworker says his friend uses one all the time in public performance, not selling them, but as a main part of his act. I've never heard of anyone doing this.
It made me want to revisit the Svengali and see how well it could perform if you didn't do the obvious reveals that show it's a gimmick deck. Any experiences to share on this? Thanks, Levi |
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Thomas Henry Inner circle Minnesota 1523 Posts |
Hi Levi,
I do! I never perform routines invented by others...with one exception, and it's a major one. When I first saw John Palazzo's "Svengali X-Ray," I was blown away. It is so strong and direct. You can see it here: https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/view......forum=37 It's the only time I've ever broken my own rule about doing original material only. I use it as a closer in a fifteen minute informal close-up act. Amazingly strong and entertaining to boot. Thomas Henry |
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1866 Posts |
Thanks Thomas! That's a powerful sounding routine.
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Wravyn Inner circle 3716 Posts |
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On Jun 3, 2024, Thomas Henry wrote: Thank you very much. A worthy study of choreography. |
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Thehat New user 9 Posts |
Is there a video of John Palazzo’s performance?
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Thehat New user 9 Posts |
I regularly ring in a Svengali deck or a Mirage Deck. Craig Petty’s MIRAGE DECK PROJECT has lots of ways to use these decks and not make them one note tricks.
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Nikodemus Inner circle 1361 Posts |
Quote:
On Jun 3, 2024, Levi Bennett wrote: I think you could say the same thing about any gimmick. You would never be aware of it being used, unless the performer did something really stupid to arouse suspicion. The interesting question is WHY do people do that stupid display with the Svengali deck. |
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Thomas Henry Inner circle Minnesota 1523 Posts |
Hi Everyone,
Since there are newcomers here, they need to know they won't be able to read the thread cited above until admitted to the Cafe inner areas. And to everyone: in that thread, ignore the first draft of my script for John's routine, and only download the second draft which corrects a spelling error. Related to Nikodemus' comment, what makes John's routine shine is his brilliant invocation of the Principle of Conservation--just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. Every time I perform this, I'm smiling inwardly, admiring its economy. Thomas Henry |
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Daniel Ulzen Special user Berlin/Germany 524 Posts |
I love the Svengali deck routine from Mark Lewis (from 0:28):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMacPlKVKQo There is a good booklet on this routine: Mark Lewis: The Long and the Short of it. The Best Svengali Routine in Existence |
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fingerjack Special user CT, USA 580 Posts |
For what it’s worth, here’s an old essay I wrote on the Svengali deck:
He Died with a Svengali in his Pocket! Most serious card workers wouldn’t be caught dead with a Svengali deck in their pocket for fear of the headlines in the local magic newsletter, “He Used a Svengali!” While everyone surely has their own favorite-gimmicked deck, whether it’s a Brainwave, Invisible, Stripper, or any of their infinite offspring and spinoffs, the Svengali remains in my opinion to be one the most ingenious designs in all of the realms of magic. Burling Hull invented and marketed the Svengali deck it 1908 while still in his teens from some basic principals and already known techniques. I wonder if he could have ever imagined its popularity would expand the globe and last this long. The Svengali has a strange relationship with magicians. They first embrace it, and then they shun it, and then they ultimately despise it. You see Svengalis everywhere; at the Discount Dollar store, in toy stores, in magic sets sold everywhere (including gas stations and supermarkets). You see them on late night infomercials, comic book ads, and they make them in all sorts and varieties including Baseball, Star Wars, and Pokemon cards. I would bet that there was even a Svengali of sorts in a box of cereal at one point. Svengalis have reigned supreme as the king of gaffed decks for decades in magic stores, fairgrounds, and carnivals around the world are probably responsible for getting thousands of people into magic. I would even feel safe it speculating that a vast percentage of laymen have either seen or actually owned a Svengali at one time or another, thus resulting in it less being commonly known as Svengali, and more often known as, “oh, the trick where are the cards all of a sudden look the same.” It’s no wonder that any respecting card magician despises the Svengali to the point where they are telling the beginners to give it the quick ditch. But it’s for these very reasons that you can exploit the Svengali. Read on . . . When I first started work at a magic shop in Germany, I asked my boss if he sold any Svengali decks because I didn’t see any laying around. “Svengali deck?” he said raising a brow, “they’re for kids.” He pointed to a shelf where on top sat three decks under a quarter inch of dust. They were a Scat deck Svengali, bridge size, only 32 cards, the force card being the ever-obvious Queen of Hearts. I decided to prove him wrong, and within two days had sold all three. I then fooled him later that week with my own Bike Svengali, and he felt shamefully duped and ordered several dozen. I never intended to be, but I more or less became a dreaded “Svengali pitch man.” I sold one every time I showed it. Not because I was great or anything, but because a Svengali is the ultimate power tool as far as card magic goes. When handled right, a Svengali routine can be simply devastating to laymen. Super clean, straight to the point, seemingly impossible. The problem lies in overcoming the bad rap and exposure that seems to have almost rendered the Svengali obsolete. How is this possible? Does this guy really use a Svengali? The real secret to the Svengali is a bit of reverse psychology. I’m not going to go into handlings of the Svengali, for they are (or should be) well known. The simple secret is this; the better you handle cards, the less people will suspect you of using something like the Svengali. The same applies to all trick decks. If your style demonstrates that you have great skill and are quite competent with a deck or cards, they would never suspect you of sinking so low as using a child’s toy, but naturally, we all know better. Some other important things you might want to consider: You should really only use the Svengali after switching it out for a deck you’ve already done a trick or two with, preferably one where the spectator was allowed to shuffle the cards. Switching the deck is absolutely essential in camouflaging the fact that you have switched tactics. For the beginner to go out armed with only a Svengali and no regular matching deck, he is most certainly doomed. Way bad advice. Save the Svengali for your last card effect after you’ve subconsciously established in the minds of the audience that the deck you are using is an ordinary one. Even better, if the opportunity presents itself, borrow a deck that just so happens to match your Svengali and then you are really loaded. And most importantly of all, something that needs to be mentioned; never, never, ever, ever, show all the cards to be the same. Every beginner (including myself at one point) simply can’t resist the temptation to do the move during performance because in essence, it is simply baffling to the uninitiated. But how often after completing the move does the spectator ask to see the beginner’s cards? This is why the neophyte, after grown weary of and frustrated with rightfully skeptical people grabbing for his cards, chucks the poor Svengali in a junk draw to grow old and stiff. Paradoxically, this controversial move is also the Svengali trademark (if not one of the most eye-popping visual effects in all of card magic) as well as its selling point, but I believe when the cards are all shown to have changed to the selected card, the effect of magic is lost due not only to the impossibility of it, but also to the familiarity of it. To show the cards all alike is in my opinion a mistake simply because the spectator, no matter how uninformed you think he or she is, knows that you must have a trick deck of sorts. There is no other explanation. Just because magicians don’t talk of such things, doesn’t mean the spectator can’t use a little deductive logic. The greatest asset of the Svengali becomes it undoing. You should guard the secret to the Svengali as opposed to expose it. Pay no attention to the ads and the pitchmen that exploit the Svengali’s modus operandi only to make a fast buck (unless of course you are Mark Lewis). The only two times I can think of that would be an exception to this rule would be 1) You are performing off the cuff for a bunch of little kids just for fun and you want make their eyes pop out, or 2) You want to show your magician friend that you just burned him with a Svengali. That’s it. Any other time is almost as the same as to say, “Hey, do you remember this trick from when you were a little kid?” or “How do you look my phony magician’s secret trick deck?” A few more tips on handling. When using a Svengali (especially for those in the know), never completely square up the deck. Handle it freely and openly as can be. Stick it right under their noses and make everything as fair as possible. Let them cut it, lay it freely in front of them, and cast an aura that says you have nothing to hide (but if they happen to reach for your Svengali, chop their hand off). That gimmicky sound of a Svengali being riffle shuffled is easily camouflaged by using a light touch, and you will find that you can convincingly false shuffle a Svengali both overhand and riffle with a minimal amount of practice. I prefer to force with a dribble force slightly angled so the spectator can see the faces of the falling cards. Or simply classic force (the force cards are easy to discern if you practice looking close enough). I’m not really fond of the classic Svengali “Stop” or finger-poke force, because they are both historically imbedded in the Svengali, and some people may possibly associate the two. Lightly spring and dribble the cards often so that the spectator subconsciously sees their faces and that all the cards are different (with of course never saying so). And lastly, do effects that are not closely associated with the Svengali. If you really think it about it, the Svengali is so clever that you can think of hundreds of great things to do with it. The real secret is disarming your audience in the first place. Try not to see the Svengali for what it is and attempt to think past it and you might actually find a clever way to utilize it. If you happen to be a beginner, I don’t recommend running out to buy a Svengali right away. It absolutely crucial to be somewhat proficient with a deck of cards and know a few decent basic tricks before you use a one, and even then you really need to think about HOW to use it. If you already own one and haven’t done so already, spend $1 US Dollar (or equivalent) and pick up 75 Tricks with a Svengali Deck or invest a few dollars more in any of the cheap, fast-talking instructional videos. There should be plenty of information to get your imagination started. Hey, nobody needs a Svengali; it’s just a tool. Remember, YOU are the magic. I don’t use a Svengali in my routine anymore (although I did use it to fool the members of the Berlin Magic Circle with one), and I’m not really suggesting anyone else to do so either. But every now and then when I see one kickin’ around my junk draw I bring it along with me for the hell of it. I have found that many times the tricks I do with a Svengali often receive a tremendous reaction. That’s just the way it is in magic sometimes. Yeah hell, I’m ashamed to admit to these things, and if I happen to die with a Svengali in my pocket, oh well, you will all know the truth about me. Hey, however you want to cut it, it was magic in the eyes of the spectator and that’s all that really matters. Maybe you have one laying around in your junk draw? Why not dig it out, use your head a little bit, and fool someone today (preferably somebody who owns one)? Have fun and good luck.
MAGNAPALM - The World's first psionic magnetic implants that is changing the future of magic http://youtu.be/EDmg2bp_Cas
WASHED AND DRYED - An squeaky clean incredible full deck transformation! http://fingerjack.wix.com/washedanddryed |
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1866 Posts |
Good stuff. Thanks for sharing.
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Merc Man Inner circle NUNEATON, Warwickshire 2584 Posts |
You can spend your life achieving the best Bottom or Centre Deal in existence.
Your multitude of Passes may be completely invisible. You can find Aces under impossible conditions; get them to migrate into one packet; or get their chosen card to rise imperceptibly to the top of the pack countless times. You can deal perfect Poker hands from a shuffled pack, etc. etc. These CAN be strong effects - I'm not knocking them. However, NOTHING that you do in Card Magic can have the same audience appeal as a well-structured, fast moving card routine, with a Svengali Pack. To this end, Mark Lewis is God! Watch.....and learn. In my honest opinion, a Svengali routine is pure eye candy - AND always 100% audience entertainment. Easy to follow; think about this - how many card routines could be performed either silent OR to music; and yet always something different is happening throughout? Yes, of course some people will know the secret - so what? However, that doesn't affect the entertainment value. For those that had a pack as a kid, or were shown a pack by their Grandad, etc. it possibly even takes them back to their youth - and that emotional impact is very, very strong. I have always presented it from the outset by giving a brief intro - "may I show you the greatest card trick in the world - a trick pack of cards that didn't only get me into magic - but became my first job as a 14 year old, selling these in a London Joke & Magic Shop to tourists?" (that's actually true!). I've never seen the point of not pointing out from the outset that it's a trick pack. I don't think it detracts in any way from the entertainment value. Afterall, the fact that it's known to be a trick pack HASN'T stopped hundreds of thousands of people from buying them for over 100 years - has it! Just a quick point - for those who say "never show all the cards the same". That truly is complete and utter rubbish. Showing the cards as being the same IS the most powerful point of ANY Svengali Pack routine! It's what the Svengali Pack does!! Rest assured, people's reactions will tell you more than any such 'advice' on magic forums. The only problem with a Svengali routine? There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that you can do with a pack of cards, that can ever top it.
Barry Allen
Over 15 years have now passed - and still missing Abra Magazine arriving every Saturday morning. |
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Daniel Ulzen Special user Berlin/Germany 524 Posts |
Very interesting post!
I would imagine that the Svengali deck is much better known to beginners in the USA and UK than in many other countries. It would be interesting to see a survey of what percentage of people in different countries know this trick. A wholesaler from southern Europe once told me that he had more than 50,000 copies of this trick in stock. So the trick is also sold a lot in other countries. Many magicians justify the alleged intellectual property of magic tricks with the argument that there would be fewer innovations without this intellectual property. However, there are good arguments for assuming that this is not the case. In reality, it often seems to be more about personal (financial) interests. Apparently there are also personal interests in the Svengali deck that are not reflected much and then lead to refusing to show the identical cards. My guess is that many magicians do not want their spectators to know that they are performing with a trick deck, as they will then receive less recognition and perhaps because they will then be able to perform other trick decks less easily. Although Burling Hall was granted a patent for the Svengali Deck trick in 1909, his alleged intellectual property was apparently not respected, at least for the most part. As a result, the trick sold very well and attracted many people to magic. What would have happened if Burling Hall had received 3 dollars for every Svengali deck sold, for example, and perhaps a dealer would still be cashing in like this today? Then probably 99.9% of the buyers of the Svengali deck would not have gotten this trick. This would have damaged the art of magic and far fewer people would have enjoyed this trick. My intention with this post is not to encourage reckless behavior. The copyright/patent issue is a very complex one. But whether Burling Hall really owned the Svengali deck all his life "just" because he was the first to come up with the idea for this trick is open to question. |
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1866 Posts |
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1866 Posts |
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1866 Posts |
I'm gonna give it a go and come up with a routine. I just bought both of those books and a couple decks from Marty Martini. This should be fun.
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fingerjack Special user CT, USA 580 Posts |
Quote:
On Jun 25, 2024, Merc Man wrote: I suppose that (unnecessary) jab was directed at me. I think we are approaching it from two totally different perspectives. I wonder how many workers actually show all the cards to be alike when using a Svengali. Mark Lewis is Mark Lewis and his routine is not really my style. I prefer to use the Svengali as a stealth weapon, not as a one off effect by itself, which of course is okay if it suits you. There are thousands of effects worthy of consideration that do not involve showing all the cards alike. Hell, it’s the ultimate ACAAN. Besides, you think you are going to fool a bunch of laymen by wringing in a Svengali that matches someone’s deck and performing Mr. Lewis’s routine. Sure, they may be entertained, but I doubt if they would be mystified and most likely insist on having their original deck back. I truly think we can agree to compromise that it depends on the performer and the situation.
MAGNAPALM - The World's first psionic magnetic implants that is changing the future of magic http://youtu.be/EDmg2bp_Cas
WASHED AND DRYED - An squeaky clean incredible full deck transformation! http://fingerjack.wix.com/washedanddryed |
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fingerjack Special user CT, USA 580 Posts |
Quote: On Jun 28, 2024, fingerjack wrote:
MAGNAPALM - The World's first psionic magnetic implants that is changing the future of magic http://youtu.be/EDmg2bp_Cas
WASHED AND DRYED - An squeaky clean incredible full deck transformation! http://fingerjack.wix.com/washedanddryed |
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Merc Man Inner circle NUNEATON, Warwickshire 2584 Posts |
[quote]On Jun 28, 2024, fingerjack wrote:
Quote:
I suppose that (unnecessary) jab was directed at me. It wasn't directed to you at all. Although I read through the thread, what you contributed didn't even register. It's just something that I've read on here countless times over the years, whenenver the Svengali Pack is being discussed. I stand by what I said - to my mind, it's utter BS advice. Then again, apart from this miracle finale of the pack changing to all one card (then back again), I can't think of anything that a Svengali Pack would enable me to do that I couldn't just achieve by sleight of hand card moves anyway.
Barry Allen
Over 15 years have now passed - and still missing Abra Magazine arriving every Saturday morning. |
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Chessmann Inner circle 4256 Posts |
Loved reading this!
Quote: On Jun 25, 2024, Merc Man wrote:
My ex-cat was named "Muffin". "Vomit" would be a better name for her. AKA "The Evil Ball of Fur".
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