Roberto Giobbi Live Penguin Lecture (2) 5th October 2014 Stand-up Card Magic 00:00:00 - Dan Harlan Intro 00:01:25 - The History of Card College - An introduction by Roberto Giobbi. Card College is a course, not an encyclopedia. Mind Map for the books is shown. Card College is really two volumes but was divided into four. Volumes 1 & 2 = 1st Volume. Volumes 3 & 4 = 2nd Volume. Simplemind software is shown. It's used for mind-mapping 00:07:10 - False Cuts This tutorial includes some handlings that are not in the books. There are four types of false cut. In the hand, hand-to-table, on the table, table-to-hand. Some handlings are not in the book. The Gestalt is the visual form of natural movement. What is the natural action? Follow with a cut that simulates the gestalt. 00:11:00 - Discussion on Actor's Interuptus A concept which is polyvalent. Opening doors and windows to concepts that can be applied to various situations. Erasing the memory of the moment or erasing your own timeline of moves. 00:12:40 - Dai Vernon's Cold-Deck Cut It's convincing because it looks like you are pulling cards from the centre and finishing with a complete cut. 00:13:50 - Jay Ose False Table-to-Hand Cut A three packet cut from the table to the hands. 00:14:10 - Taxonomy of the Four Types of False Cut You can take the four types and blend them into a false-cut. In a description of cutting cards to the spectators, you can make your own false cut by dividing the four types into cuts one and three being real cuts and cuts two and four being false. 00:16:45 - Discussion on the Gestalt of False Cuts Two cuts from Card College Vol.1. The gestalt, sound, mis-direction emulate perfectly a real cut. Discussion on how false cutting works in a game. More commonly known as the Shade. Never put the heat on the execution of a sleight. 00:19:00 - Intuition Trick (Dai Vernon's The Third Colour) Proof that a woman's intuition is superior to a man's as the woman correctly guesses the colour of the third card dealt down from the top of the deck, yet the man fails at every opportunity. 00:21:50 - Magician's Intuition The magician takes the deck underneath the table and is able to pull a red and black card from the deck consistently, without looking. 00:28:00 - John Kennedy's OOTW The cards are divided into two packets and given to two different spectators. Even though the spectators shuffle the packets, they are able to divide the cards into red/black by pure intuition. 00:32:00 - The Gilbreath Principle If the cards alternate red/black, there will not be more than two cards of the same colour together. Two tricks follow that show the Gilbreath principle in effect.
00:38:15 - Explanation of Red/Black Separation Two previous tricks are classed as smaller tricks which are just as important as larger openers and closers. Meals are not all main courses. You must know where the smaller tricks go in the entire routine construction. A performance encompasses all things that make the experience like a good meal. 00:39:50 - Red/Black Compliment Principle Be careful in what you say and how you proceed with the proof. Your statement must be clear. Count cards by dropping them for clarity. Always have emphasis for the revelation. Re-introduce the cards to the rest of the deck to keep the red/black separation. 00:45:15 - Red/Black False Shuffles Card College Vol.3 contains red/black false shuffles. Dai Vernon and Ireland shuffles are discussed. Card College Vol.5 contains a red/black shuffle improvement. This allows for a smoother shuffle for innocent handling. 00:48:00 - Red/Black Shuffle from Secret Agenda (2012) Variation on a Zarrow shuffle. 00:49:00 - Dai Vernon's Triumph Shuffle Discussion on using alternate shuffles and the Stars of Magic book is mentioned. 00:50:00 - Erdnase Bottom Stock Control This section is dedicated to its use within red/black separation. 00:53:00 - Discussion on Overall Red/Black Routine This has a running theme of 'intuition'. It can be found in Roberto's Genii Column Late 2012/Early 2013. 00:54:00 - Dai Vernon's The Third Colour - Explanation Three different dealing techniques are show to camouflage the red/black separation. Attention blindness is also discussed. Perform the third colour not too long but long enough to make it interesting. 00:56:00 - Double Deal Explanation of the deal used in the intuition part of the routine. 00:59:00 - Marlo False Riffle Shuffle A no-risk shuffle and cut sequence by the magician and the spectator can still shuffle the deck afterwards (in relation to red/black separation). Using your motions and verbal skills to create a deceptive path that the spectators can not backtrack. 01:01:00 - Ways to get the Cards into alternating Red/Black The top and bottom card need to be the same colour. You can spread the cards and mis-call the display using linguistic deception whilst looking for a pair of the same colour. Separate and reverse spread for the displacement. Do not cut the cards as it's too obvious. This procedure is required to set the deck for the next trick. 01:03:00 - Magician's Intuition - Explanation Just the trick explanation but a presentational hook in relation to the cards being divided (Political theme?) may be appropriate. Vernon's revelation of the pairs is discussed. Don't do this too much. Five or six times only. Leave discarded cards to the side. 01:04:50 - Alternate Dealing Discussion Dealing is a boring procedure. You must communicate with the audience as you deal.
01:08:50 - John Kennedy's OOTW - Explanation Using a topological hand-movement (two-hand), divide red/black packets between two spectators. Unknown to the spectators each has one compete colour. For the entire Red/Black routine, it's all management, rhythm and various concepts to create a theatrical/dramatical routine. 01:13:45 - A Gilbreath Principle Question & Answer If the cards alternate red/black, a riffle shuffle will take the Gilbreath Principle into account. There will now be only two cards of the same colour, maximum, together in the deck. 01:15:00 - Frank Lane's False Shuffle Discussion of cyclical order included 01:18:45 - Five Fundamental Concepts of Operational Principles in Card Magic All great, classic card-magic is based on five operational principles. False shuffles Forces Controls Palming Top Change 01:20:40 - ACAAN (Stop-Trick) and Explanation A card selected is better than a card named. The 'Name-a-Card' choice is quite limiting People will name more 'popular' cards such as 7C, QH, AS etc. Selecting a card is a free choice of fifty two. 01:24:40 - The Accidental Pass Roberto's very sneaky but natural pass technique. 01:26:00 - Ribbon Spread Key Card Placement A Discussion on the spectators thought timeline being corrected due to physical and verbal language being matched in an intelligent way. Having more techniques does not allow us to do things better. Doing it differently does, maybe, depending on how it is all executed. 01:30:00 - Diablo Peek (Frank Garcia) Peeking a card that lies at the top of a face-down spread. 01:32:00 - Dai Vernon's Transfer Move Dramatic construction aids the mis-direction. Always analyze sleights within the context of a trick. It's not possible to understand a sleight, a technical concept, if it's not applied to a trick. 01:33:40 - ACAAN (Stop-Trick) Variation and Explanation Discussion on Vernon's " Challenge is not magic..." quote. Juan Tamariz states that a challenge is ok as long as it evokes an emotional hook. This version of ACAAN uses a Vernon transfer palm. The timing and mis-call are very important and performed in a low moment (off-beat) 01:37:10 - Discussion on Jack McMillan Some ideas and concepts from Jack McMillan are mentioned. Entire suit key card placement. Plunger principle. Read the e-book by Michael Anders on Jack McMillan. Jack favored the Erdnase in-jog control (Top-Stock)
01:39:10 - The Question is... (Trick) and Explanation A trick to emphasize the Erdnase in-jog control. The control simulates a layman's way of card-handling. The entire control structure is better synergy for this trick. 01:43:10 - Top Stock Subtlety by Rainer Teschner By not completing a top-stock control, you can drop the top half of the last block onto the deck and casually push the rest of the cards into the centre of the deck. 01:44:35 - Discussion on Dry Hands Sort Kwik and Golden Touch lotion are mentioned. Application is taught. 01:45:35 - The Side-Steal Delay the side-steal if using a peek by spreading the cards above the break, using an open-hand gesture (thumbs open) and square the deck to facilitate the side-steal. Do not square a squared deck. 01:52:00 - The Bluff Pass Choose carefully when you use it. The technique is best used standing. A side-to-side movement as part of the gestalt, when sitting, assures a successful execution. Always condition the gestalt. Do not execute the Bluff Pass as described in the old books. The cover looks bad and is unnecessary. Direct the left-side of the card to the right of the ear of the spectator sitting furthest to your left. On the card return, lift the deck up to the 'single' card and grab a portion of the deck near the centre and lift to simulate the card returned to the centre. The synergy makes it a very elegant control. Do a trick that requires the card in position after the Bluff Pass. Do not follow up this with a repositioning or false shuffle. You may as well have performed a false shuffle in the first place. 01:57:20 - Exceptions to the Old Books To follow any pass or control with a false shuffle is a waste of energy. 01:58:20 - Palindrome Cards - Performance A small packet trick that plays big but packs small and uses a run of only five cards. 02:02:25- Discussion on Magic Plots Tricks can be divided into major and minor art. It takes as much thought to do a small trick well as much as big trick well. Vernon Chronicles vol.2 is full of Vernon's minor art. As a beginner, magic is void of any presentational plot. The performer is happy just fooling the spectators. Adding a suitable presentation gets you to a master level. Good/Classic magic tricks work because even without a presentation, they have an inherent plot. Go from an inherent to a dramatic plot. This will make a trick better provided the dramatic plot is not contrary to the plot already in the trick. In magic, the presentation has to enhance the plot already inside the trick. This is very difficult because we are fascinated with the moves and the fact that it fools. 02:06:30 - Palindrome Cards - Explanation Roberto's very sneaky but natural pass technique. Small tricks can be taken out of a trivial status by giving them meaning. In magic, put the parts together with an intelligent plan will yield something much bigger even though the elements are small. Every trick needs:Prologue- to tickle the interest, Middle and Epilogue. An expert knows when to do and not do a good trick. Before the tricks epilogue, every element must capture the spectators interest. You need to emphasize the initial situation, not run to the climax. If you're a mature artist and you have thought about what you are saying, made it interesting, then saying something is as good as a flashy effect, sometimes even better.
02:12 :35 - Bro. John Hamman Small Packet Double-Lift Just the description of this very useful tool as used in the Palindrome Cards. 02:15:10 - Displaying the Cards The trick requires you to reveal the cards directly to the audience. The revelation requires information, not suspense. 02:17 :20 - Little Synergies Construction of the trick is made up from very small details which are only revealed once the construction is finalised. Some of it is only realised after it happens. 02:18:00 - Hamman Count The weakest part of the routine for magicians but very good for lay people. The final display on the table has the indices pointing to the performer which you follow with your finger, perform an open display, ready for applause. 02:20:15 - Dai Vernon's Double-Lift Begins with a discussion on the 'Stars of Magic' Book. The Double-Lift reads funny but looks good especially if people look down onto it. Strike doubles etc, look too tight (arms go tense). It's good to know various D.L's for different conditions (state of the cards). There's a reference to Maslo's Hierarchy of Needs with the quote, "If all you have in your toolbox is a hammer, you will see all problems as a nail!". Turn the card over in the same space where you're going to leave it. Do not take the card from the top of the deck and place it away from the deck. Always bring the deck back so the card remains in the same framework. 02:25:10 - Discussion on Deception Art is fiction. We use artifice to create the reality as if we could do the wonder. 02:26 :15 - Linguistic Generalisation Generalise from a specific card (QH, Joker etc) to...a card...your card... You put the card face-down on the table saying "The card"..which is correct. The linguistic structure matches the action. There's no reason for the spectator to be intellectually challenged. 02:27:20 - A Way to Prevent Hecklers You prevent hecklers from heckling. If you say something which is not true, it becomes provocation. 02:28:00 - How to Get the Break for the Double-Lift First it depends on the trick. Dai Vernon takes a single, gestures with it as he takes a break above the top card of the deck. A Double-Pushoff is good for standing as there is better amplitude. A Double-Pushoff is better seated if you use a turning motion (gesturing towards a spectator). A pinky count is like shooting sparrows with canons. If using a thumb break at the back of the deck, pull the deck down. Do not lift the card(s) up. There is also a method from Expert Card Technique where cards are flexed in an elevated dealing position. From this position, you count the number of cards on the middle finger of your right-hand which is covering the deck. You can also do a multiple-cut and get the break when you square up. Another method is transferring to a pinky break from an Erdnase break.
02:35:45 - Erdnase Break - Explanation The deck is beveled and the right-hand covers the deck. The right pinky counts the required number of cards at the top-right corner of the deck. In a squaring action, transfer the break top the little finger. Efficient, elegant and delicate. 02:38 :00 - Open Prediction (Jacques Tandeau) and Explanation An unknown prediction is placed face-down from a shuffled deck. The cards are dealt face-down until the spectator says stop. The card stopped at is the mate of the prediction. 02:40:50 - Roberto's Changes for Open Prediction Combined new timing, conditioning and actor's interuptus. Presentation of how a card can match a person garners interest. The laying of the prediction card is done with a light touch and can fool some magicians as they will think it's a double-card. 02:42 :35 - Placing a Double-Card onto a Table You need the correct cards to do this. Do not do this if the cards are not in the correct state. No need to perform a trick even though you have it ready. Make sure all conditions are good for performance. Comparison to forcing an extra course in a meal is made. The placing of the double-card is done by touching the thumb and middle-finger tips on the table and releasing. No need to place the middle-finger on top of the double-card for support. 02:44:10 - Topological Turnover A card switch that simulates a previous image created by the gestalt. This is followed by a dramatical turnover for the revelation. 02:44 :50 - Open Prediction Variation (Roger Klause) Using the Dr. Elliott grip to deal the cards. This looks good for the fake deal on the revelation. You can also use the King and Queen of Hearts for a presentational theme. 02:46:30 - T.T.T.C.B.E. ( The Trick That Cannot Be Explained) and Explanation A prediction in a brown envelope is put to one side. A borrowed deck of cards is shuffled and a card is chosen. It matches the prediction in the envelope. 02:52 :00 - How T.T.T.C.B.E. Came To Be Dai Vernon's inability to explain how this worked brings us to this classic anecdote. 02:54:00 - Dai Vernon's Version of T.T.T.C.B.E. A few explanations of multiple-outs to bring the desired result. 02:55 :20 - Roberto's Four Solutions The prediction envelope contains four outs and is switched within a wallet. Any wallet can be made a Himber wallet. The outs are the four sevens with the entire deck printed on the back of those four sevens. Explanation of the force of one of the four sevens is provided. The constant outs may not be good for magicians but for lay people it's the contrary. Clear decisions which are not manipulated, work! 03:05:00 - Visible Versus Invisible World, Thought of Card in Spectator’s Pocket - Performance An unknown card is kept face-down and placed in a face-up deck. An imaginary deck is produced. A card is selected and called. The imaginary called card matches the reversed card in the face-up deck. For the thought of card in spectator's pocket, two unknown cards are selected and placed in the spectator's pockets. They may or may not correctly guess one of the cards but the magician is able to call the second card correctly.
03:10:25 - Visible Versus Invisible World, Thought of Card in Spectator’s Pocket - Explanation Story about Dai Vernon was a presentation. The artistic liberty of lying allowed for a no-switch deck switch. Both tricks use Roberto's version of the Si-Stebbins stack. 03:11:30 - Switching Decks In the book (Art of Switching Decks) there are 32 categories and 30 more mentioned in the literature. Dai Vernon was asked a question in his Genii column... "How do we justify the introduction of a different deck?". All you need is a good reason. The Vernon story allows this to take place as a natural event. You can also break up the routine with other types of magic and come back to card magic later. 03:14:20 - Different Presentations Roberto's ideas on presentational themes to introduce different decks. There is an excellent theme strategy about decks form different countries offered. 03:15:40 - Practical Deck Switch A physical switch of the two decks from the lap to a table spread. Professionals do not use manipulation style deck switches. 03:14:20 - Si-Stebbins Stack Horacio Galasso first described a Stebbins like progression in Giochi De Carte (1593). The idea of the sequential is not Galasso's, so it is a very old concept. 03:18:00 - A History of Playing Cards 1371 is the first mention of cards as a tool for play. Names for cards in multiple languages mentioned. 03:19:10 - Roberto's Si-Stebbins Variation The original is chased order with the cards being sequential by three. Roberto's version uses the progression of four and an index order in relation to the index shape. S=1, H=2, C=3, D=4. Much easier to calculate than the original. 03:24:00 - Why These Tricks Work These two tricks are mental card magic at its best. No long, drawn out stories. It's direct, memorable and this is what works for lay people. 03:26:00 - False Deals (ACAAN) A video of Dai Vernon is shown, disparaging the Strike Second-Deal. Learn to do a Push-Off Second-Deal. 03:31:35 - New Theory Second-Deal It simulates a regular deal of a single card being pushed off from the top of the deck. When retracting the top card after the second-deal, it is squared with the deck which is beveled. 03:36:35 - Side-Shuffle Control Two side-shuffles control a selection to the top of the deck. It's so simple, it deceives. 03:38:30 - The Two Detectives (Richard Vollmer) - Performance This is from Card College Vol.3. A sandwich effect using faro shuffles. A card is selected and the two one-eyed Jacks are lost within the deck. In the course of one shuffle, the selection appears between the Jacks.
03:45:00 - The Two Detectives (Richard Vollmer) - Explanation Two improvements over the Card College version. Start with a Straddle-Faro. You do not require an odd-numbered deck as per the Card College version. A story must never kill the effect. The cards are mathematically set for the selection to appear between the two jacks after the faro. The chase sequence is a way of giving the impression the deck is being shuffled as spectators can mistake cutting for shuffling. Every technical action is justified by the story. It's very important to justify procedures. 03:51:15 - How to Practise the Faro It's very rare to need a Perfect-Faro. A Partial-Faro is more common and easier to practise. For a Partial-Faro, take less than half the deck and Faro this into the larger portion. You can bevel a new deck and feel its edges. One side will be rough and the other smooth. You want to Faro with the smooth side. Depending on the cut, the cards will Faro better from top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top. You can take a piece of cardboard and rub the edges of the deck against the cardboard. This will make the edges smooth. You will now have a deck that Faros in both directions. 03:54:50 - How to get a Key Card to a Known Location Within the Deck (Faro-Shuffle) If the card is on the top of the deck, it is classed and an Out-Faro. If the card is second from the top, it is classed an In-Faro. The mathematical equation from Card College is explained. 03:57:00 - How to Execute a Partial-Faro Roberto shows how to execute the actual shuffle with all the handling explained. Other resources for Faro-Shuffle research are mentioned. 04:00:00 - Dai Vernon's Matching the Cards - Performance This is the trick that Vernon claimed to be the best for lay people. The plot can be found in Scott's Discoveries of Witchcraft (1584) 04:04:20 - Dai Vernon's Matching the Cards - Explanation For a lay person, it has all the ingredients for a good, successful trick. There is the failure, prediction element, the change of several cards and the conflict is solved in a very elegant way. For the impromptu version, you need to cull a three-of-a-kind to the top of the deck. Then a four-of-a-kind must be placed on top of the three. Now use a Lift-Shuffle sequence to complete the set-up. 04:16:00 - Discussion on Sucker Tricks Bad sucker tricks, not done well are bad. It's not the fact that either the audience or magician is a sucker, it's the fact that a conflict is taking place. Something that turns out one way, turns out another way. This simulates life. You expect something and something else happens. With the power of magic, we are changing things that cannot be changed. That's the sub-text here. Very powerful, symbolic and clear. First try and change the single card (prediction) so you have a failure within a failure. Then the triumph of the magician, with the surprise of the multiple transformation makes it very strong.
04:19:00 - Discussion with Dan Harlan (list of topics/ideas follow) Mathematical odds on hitting one of the four sevens for T.T.T.C.B.E. Best/Favourite plot. The versatility of cards. Other magic besides cards. Giobbi without cards. Early days of magic with Bobo's. Data basing/referencing routines Evernote software. Other archives for reference. Conjuring credits database. The expectation of perfection. Sleights are the tools to solve problems. Mandatory sleights. Always use the same sleight for the same trick. Different situations dependant on palm used. Send Roberto an email to ask for the essay on his top-ten tricks. How much time should we dedicate to magic? How to manage time. Sacred trinity. Mind, Hand, instrument. Spend time learning to do magic well. The rest is automatic. Dai Vernon quote about enjoying practise. Putting yourself in front of people. No further DVD projects due to piracy. Experience is a paid experience.
Copyright © Gary Scott 2015
