tips
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Ten Second Star Sign Tip
Category: tipsRead more: Ten Second Star Sign TipEditor’s Note: This is an idea contributed by a friend of the site, giving our two writers a break. I’m a big fan of the 10S Star Sign Divination, by Olivier Boës. It’s the only star sign divination I use, and I love using it whenever somebody tries guessing my sign. A lot of people…
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Imagination Thieves
Category: tipsRead more: Imagination ThievesGet back to The Magic Oval 101 by clicking here. I’ve always loved Imagination Coins by Garrett Thomas (except for that transposition phase, what the hell even was that?) but there was always that one thing that irked me. The same issue is in other magic classics. Invisible palm routines, sheep and thieves and the…
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Read more: Jazz in Social Magic #4: Wrap-Up
It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of David Berglas. In a very Berglas-appropriate coincidence, he is featured in this article, which we have left as written save for the painful decision to change present tense to past tense. Magic has truly lost a titan. It’s been fun doing this series. There’s…
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Read more: Jazz in Social Magic #3: Rhapsody in Marked Blues
This is a continuation of the previous two posts, so check them out if you haven’t read them. Whenever I perform, I look for opportunities. I try to tailor what magic I do to the situation that I am in. I think most of us do. I do the same with a marked deck. I…
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Checking Your ID
Category: tipsRead more: Checking Your IDThis is a fairly simple tip for your handling of the Invisible Deck that should be compatible with most every presentation, likely unconsciously inspired by Paul Harris’ Son of Stunner. I thought this was common knowledge for a while, until I actually started paying attention to other magicians performing the ID. How are people not…
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Camouflage Bands
Category: tipsRead more: Camouflage BandsThere’s more to this kind of camouflage. More than just color and shape. Duran Duran, “The Chauffeur” Dan Harlan’s Camouflage principle is great. It allows you to do all sorts of impossible things, like Joe Rindfleisch’s Rubber Deception, which recently got popular on Penguin Magic. But a lot of people are uneasy with leaving a…
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Unworking Wallets
Category: tipsRead more: Unworking WalletsIf you have the mental disorder known as keeping an entire drawer of leather goods you never touch, this post is for you. I’ve sold most of my magic wallets off now, because I’ve realized something. I don’t need them. I’ll elaborate.You might think “heck, if I’m going to carry around a wallet everyday anyway,…
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Read more: Fixing Kolossal Killer
[Note: The original title for this post was “Fixing Kolossal Killer”. For self-evident reasons, I have changed it to better indicate the state the trick is left in.]Kolossal Killer is a widely acclaimed and widely criticized trick. It has a little to offer, and plenty to hate.First, a little equivocal thinking.A complaint people often have…
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Read more: Performing For Messi
I was doing my daily doomscrolling on the toilet, and I came across this video.[click Read More to view embed]The performance itself was not as horrible as it could have been, considering the French Kiss is a horrible trick. I mean no disrespect to the person performing. It’s always easy to criticize the person in…
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Hand Choreography
Category: tipsRead more: Hand ChoreographyToday I’d like to talk about choreographing your magical gestures.Plenty of magicians have talked about how snapping the fingers is a lackluster way to incite a magical effect. It seems as if every time the topic comes up on The Magic Cafe, half or more of the replies will acknowledge that it isn’t great, and…
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