The Key to Card Magic

Card magic is probably the most common starting place for most new magicians, which is not suprising given the fact that is one of the most versatile props available to a magician and is so easy to carry about.

Not only that but there are so many card tricks that can baffle your audience that require very little skill.

If you have a deck of card including the jokers you have 54 unique objects with which to perform miracles.

The most simple form of card magic is to ask someone to pick a card and then find the selected card. Now as simple as this may sound the possibilites are endless. I know most experienced magigicans will be fully aware of the basic princiles for achieving this but I will now explain the most basic manner in which this is achieved but look to add my own insight into how I use key cards in my routines.

Now the simple process is that the magician memorises the bottom card of the deck (this is called the key card) Then spreads the cards asks a spectator to select a card memorize the card and put it back on top of the deck.

The spectator is then asked to cut the cards as many times as they like.

The magican then takes the deck of cards looks for his key card and the card immediatly below this is the selected card.

Which for someone starting out is a reasonable effort but let me show you how you can do the exact same effect with just as little skill but with a little bit more showman ship.

As before memorize the bottom card of the deck then take the cards in your left hand. Now what you want to do is cut the cards from the bottom now instead of completing the cut properly as you place the bottom pile on top spread the cards of both piles into the typical pick a card fan but using the tips of your right fingers to retain their positions under your key card which is now at the centre of the pile.

Now because your key card is in the middle there is a high chance that the spectator will select this card anyway if they do this is a bonus but I will go into details about that later.

Anyway your spectator has selected their card and looked at it. You then openly cut the cards from your key card putting your key card back on the bottom of the pack.

Then you hold the pack in your right hand and with your left thumb slide a few cards from your right packet into your left hand creating a new packet do this again with another few cards putting them on top of the pile in your left hand as you do this ask the spectator to tell you when to stop.

When they say stop hold out the left hand pile and ask them to place their card on top then in one motion drop the righ hand pack on top. You now have your key card on top of the selected card but because it looks less obvious than before especially as you wre seen to have cut the cards previously so it would appear that you could not possible know what the bottom card was and you are now ready to reveal the card.

There are many variations as to how you can do this and one of the more popular methods is to spell out the name of the card before turning over the last card to reveal the selected card. Now I know most people will already know that but I'll explain briefly just to clarify for newbies.

When your looking for the selected card spread the cards out and look for the key card find the selected card limmediatly to the right lets say it's the seven of clubs. In your head spell out the name of the card as you do count one card starting from the selected card and accounting one letter to each card.

So the selected card would be S the key card would be E what ever card is below that would be V and the cards bellow would be counted off in the same manner E-N-O-F-C-L-U-B-S.

Then cut the cards below this and complete the cut, turn the deck face down then pretend that your having difficulty finding the card ask the spectator what the card was.

Then spell out the name of the card and turning over the last card to reveal the selected card.

Now I mentioned previously that by following this method there is a high chance that someone will select the key card if this what happens this gives you the opportunity to appear to be a true mind reader.

You can look the person in the eye and make it appear as if you are reading their body language or looking into their soul and really ham it up.

For example

"Now it's either a red or a black card, I noticed that you blinked when I said black so its a black card. So it's either a spade or a club, I noticed that your eyes looked away when I said club so it must be a club, now I don't think it's a high card its something fairly low, 2 of clubs, 3 of clubs , 4 of clubs, 5 of clubs, 6 of clubs, 7 of clubs 8 of clubs, oh wait you blinked when I said 7 of clubs"



If you are serious about learning card magic then you have got to read Royal Road to Card Magic. This book is considered to be the bible for card magicians. If your a newbie and haven't read it then it should be high on your list of reading material,

and if your an experienced magician and you haven't read this then shame on you to be quite honest, having not read Royal Road to card magic would be like claiming to be a minister that doesn't know the 10 commandments.

Click the link below to obtain a copy now.

Royal Road To Card Magic by Jean Hugard And Frederick Braue - Book