A 100% random triple card coincidence. It's a self-working trick; it always hits and is impossible to mess up. Add a good patter, and you'll have a really solid trick to amaze your audience. Julio explains it here:

Hey everyone! I was wondering how friends and family react when you suddenly start doing magic. They're usually your first audience, and the toughest to face because they know you best, so they see you and treat you differently than a typical audience. If you suddenly want to show your friends an effect, even in a casual, relaxed way, do they still take you seriously afterward? Or do they look at you differently? Thanks!

Hey everyone! I'm Juan (a beginner), and I've been in this magic community for about a year and a half now. Here's my question: I'm wondering if anyone could share a trick/effect, or a specific routine and/or patter, to really 'shut down' an especially annoying spectator? Something that makes them lose all desire to keep bothering me. ?? Let me explain... I've run into a spectator who, from the get-go, made it clear their only intention was to be disruptive. Right from the first effect, they kept interrupting, asking constant irrelevant questions, asking for the deck even if they weren't the volunteer, asking to examine it, asking to shuffle it... even offering to do a trick themselves. Constant interruptions that end up throwing you off and making you lose your patience. On one hand, it's clear you need to grab the audience's attention and keep them focused on the current routine with a couple of strong opening routines. But in this particular case, it's a spectator who, from the first minute, made it clear their entertainment comes from being a wise-ass and constantly interrupting, showing zero respect. I've done more or less short shows (40-45 mins) for groups of kids (family and strangers) and for groups of adults (friends, family, and strangers), and only in this case have I encountered someone so intent on being annoying. Not even with kids have I experienced anything like this. After making several more or less subtle comments with no result, I came to the conclusion that their intention was truly just to be annoying... In my opinion, in these cases, the appropriate thing to do might be, since the spectator is proving to be especially obnoxious and showing a lack of respect towards the magician and the rest of the audience, to bring them up as a volunteer and have them directly participate in a routine where they are exposed for what they are: an obnoxious, disrespectful person (not to mention a complete jerk), and get 'shut down' in public. So here's my question (sorry for the long preamble)... is there any routine/patter to really shut down an especially annoying spectator? So they lose the desire to keep bothering? Thanks in advance!

I'll obviously be talking about card magic. I believe, and this is just my personal opinion, that when we first start out in this craft, we all get obsessed with learning as many effects as possible. Over time, this doesn't really improve. It can take quite a few years until we start prioritizing and focusing on just a few effects (our favorites) and really structuring our repertoire. Self-working and automatic effects, with easy or more difficult techniques, using gimmicked decks or individual gimmicked cards, with just a few cards... Well... a lot of stuff. Actually, when we start learning sleights (the palm, the Pass, false shuffles, forces, the Double Lift, Ascanio's Spread, false counts, etc.), we always run into a few problems as we try to progress, which in some cases has caused us more than a little frustration. Obviously, perseverance is what it takes to iron out the kinks and achieve perfection. But if someone had told me, perhaps before I got so obsessed with all those sleights, I would have learned one VERY USEFUL thing before anything else (especially since the younger you are, the better your memory is :slight_smile: ) I'm talking about the Memorized Deck (any system), in my case, I went with Juan Tamariz's and Dani Daortiz's . If there's one thing I truly believe is worth learning right from the start, it's a MEMORIZED DECK . I promise you that your time invested will be rewarded with hours and hours of pure magic. All the best, everyone, and keep the magic going!!!

Here's a super easy effect you can do with a Spanish deck of cards (but you can honestly do it with any deck you've got lying around the house... even a Pokémon deck or some soccer trading cards). The fun part about this trick is learning the patter (or coming up with your own). In magic, there's a VERY important skill in addition to the sleight of hand: knowing how to tell stories to create a magical atmosphere. With this trick, you'll be able to put that into practice:

Hey everyone! I'm sharing an effect I came up with using an app I stumbled upon online (the only catch is it requires an internet connection, at least the free version). You can use it for free, and there's also a paid option. It's similar to the Invisible Deck. Anyway, here it is; I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions for improvement, etc. Cheers, Patter “We live in a world where everything is connected. In fact, technological advancements aim to enable this level of connection. The clearest example is the mobile phone, which not only allows communication between humans but also lets us connect with other devices, equipment, etc. Well, us magicians aren't going to be left behind, so I'm going to try and establish a connection between my mobile phone and a deck of cards.” Effect The magician displays a cased deck and leaves it in plain sight. A spectator selects a card on the magician's mobile phone. The magician passes the phone over the deck. The magician, or the spectator, removes the deck and shows that the chosen card is the only one reversed. Setup Place the force card (the one you'll force with the app) reversed in the middle of the deck, inside its case. Method The magician displays a deck in its case and sets it on the table, in plain view. He then takes out his mobile phone and launches the application Select a Card ( ) while telling the patter. Then he shows a sequence of cards on the phone that flash by rapidly, and each time the screen is tapped, it stops on a card. He does this several times to demonstrate that it can stop on any card. Finally, a spectator selects a card using the previously demonstrated method. Then the magician moves the phone, displaying the selected card's image, over the deck to “establish the connection.” Upon removing the deck from its case and performing a spread, all the cards are facing one way, and only the spectator's chosen card is reversed. Bonus The effect can be repeated a second time, as the app allows for forcing two cards. For this, you would just need to have the second force card prepared in the deck and reverse it when placing the cards back in the case. All of this, of course, without the audience noticing (the card could be on the bottom; it could be reversed with the left hand while held by the right hand at the short ends (the classic handling), and then with a swing cut it's set in place).

Hey everyone! Since I've been dedicating quite a bit of time to mentalism lately, I wanted to make a small contribution. This is all about making the quickest and most economical Nail Writer if you don't have one yet ( and if you do, it's another option to consider since you can make it in just a few minutes, almost anywhere ) and especially for starting to practice with it. Materials: Besides pencil lead and Blu Tack ( or magician's wax ), you'll need a small candle. To be exact, just one part of the candle... The wick holder, without the wick. Using an awl and a lot of care, we'll open up the hole so the lead passes through correctly. From here, using Blu Tack (or magician's wax), we'll secure the lead from the sides and underneath. Adjusting or trimming any excess lead. If you find it's too big, you can always adjust it. Using magician's wax in different tones, we can match your skin tone to conceal it better. One of my first store-bought Nail Writers is this one: Basically, it's the same system. And that's it! 😊 I hope this is useful to someone. All the best and happy magic!!!

Hey everyone, I got into card magic about a year and a half ago. When I practice alone, it goes great, but when I'm in front of someone, even someone I trust completely, my hands shake so much that my moves are exposed. Can anyone give me any tips? I'm running out of friends, and I don't want to keep doing the same tricks for practice. I assume these tremors are normal, but if anyone has a "magic fix" Thanks,

This generally happens to me, and I can often recover on the fly, but sometimes they mess things up so badly that you just don't know what to do. I've had it happen where I was trying to do a transformation, but the spectator didn't follow instructions, and you end up flashing the card, completely blowing the entire presentation. Any tips on this?

Hey everyone! I've been wondering for a while how to tell a story through an effect without overacting or forcing my voice, and still make the patter captivating for the audience? I came up with an original story, adapting one of Julio's tricks, which was the story of the innkeeper and the four kings, aces, queens, and jokers. The problem is, when I practice the patter, I feel like the storytelling doesn't come across as believable, but I also don't want to deliver it in a monotone. Any ideas on how to fix this? Thanks!

Over the years in magic, all sorts of tools have been used for creating new tricks and effects. From the simplest gimmick to tools designed for one or several purposes. All kinds of materials and tools that, over the years, shape our personal magic workshop. I'm going to focus on the ones related to cards (even if they can be used for other things). From the typical card marking with a pencil or pen to using classic nail clippers to create a simple crimp and control a specific card—two very common and useful items. During my early years in magic, nail clippers were one of my favorite tools for forcing cards. Over time (which is how you learn if you experiment), I discovered this amazing tool, a corner rounder , and from then on, everything changed. I have to say it's the best investment I've ever made, along with a paper cutter. Now any regular deck can be transformed into any type of gimmick deck or key cards. By the way, my cutter is just a simple one from a Chinese discount store; I modified it myself and made a ruler "adaptation" to control the cut near the blade and adjust measurements. I had used it several times to make short cards, but they ended up with pointed corners, not to mention the beveled ones... But with the corner rounder everything was solved. I believe that when you're starting out, you should spend on what's important and save on the rest. If you're a professional magician and literally "burn through" decks, I understand why you'd spend on special decks. But when you're starting out or are just a hobbyist, it's great to be able to make your own stripper decks, Svengali decks, short cards, etc., with used decks (or even new ones, obviously). It's a way to recycle, and also to avoid over-investing, especially at first, in those typical gimmick decks that, generally speaking, most magicians have tucked away in a drawer and rarely use daily (everyone's different, but that tends to be my experience). This doesn't mean you shouldn't buy these types of decks. Generally, they come perfectly made, and with "do it yourself," how they turn out in the end will, of course, depend on you. Even so, and thanks to the corner rounder (and a paper cutter), your cards will look perfectly professional. And that's about it. I don't think I need to explain its use too much; all the possibilities are obvious. For those who already know about it, I'm not revealing anything new; and for those who don't, you're really missing out on owning one. All the best, and happy magic!!!

This post will be very brief as it's purely informational, especially for beginners. Obviously, those of you who've been in magic for a while already know all these things and their many uses. A pantry , according to the dictionary, is a cupboard, typically built into a wall, with doors and shelves where various items are stored. For our purposes, if you're a beginner, it might be "the magician's case" or "the magician's drawer," but over time, we all accumulate more stuff, and a case or a drawer just won't cut it anymore. ROUGHING AGENTS Substances whose properties help reduce slipping and increase friction. In magic, they're used for certain decks and for various magical effects. There are specific ones for magic and alternative options ( as is almost always the case ), available in spray, liquid, and wax stick formats ( this type of wax is not the same as magician's wax ). The best ones ( for me )... any of them. What's important here isn't so much the product we use, but rather the knack (dexterity and skill) we have when applying it, REGARDLESS OF THE PRODUCT . When using it on a single card, it's not a big deal to mess up or get it right after a few tries. But when you're making something like an Invisible Deck or a Nude Deck, for instance, you have to apply the product to many cards ( whatever it may be ) and that's when we need to tap into that hidden power called " PATIENCE " and do it slowly and calmly. Products? There are tons. From specific magic suppliers, I'm not even going to mention them because a simple Google search should be enough. Generally, the spray version is much better because it's usually less noticeable or even invisible (if applied correctly). It comes in both two-sided and one-sided varieties (the latter being more expensive). I use a magician's roughing wax stick for a few cards or individual gaffs. It's a hard wax that smells like horse grease. Alternatives?... Clear vinyl sprays, liquid rubber spray, matte varnish spray. All kinds of clear matte liquid varnishes. Anti-slip wax for glasses. For entire decks, I use clear matte liquid varnish, applied with A GOOD BRUSH, and it works great for me. WAXES, BLU TACK, GLUE DOTS, AND DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE All of these are generally used for what they are: sticking things. In magic, they're used for various effects, for example, gaining complete control over a freely chosen card by a spectator and then making it appear WHEREVER YOU WANT ( I'm saying this without over-explaining, as there are many ways to achieve this with the same method ), or for cards to appear (stick) on any surface... like ceilings. There's not much more to say about these materials ( for now ), just keep them in mind for your magic stash. EXTRA: Another very interesting product is repositionable glue (both in stick and spray form). As I said, slowly but surely, we'll delve into each of these and some of their uses. Cheers everyone, and happy magic!!!

Hey everyone! How's it going? My name's Isabel, and I'm from Zaragoza. My son and I signed up for magic classes with Juan Capilla in April, and we're loving it! We'll be back at it in October! I've also started reading a lot and watching tons of Julio Ribera's work, etc! Right now I'm looking for a good video that explains 'El Incauto Mentiroso,' because I think it's a super cool trick! If anyone wants to share one... Also, if there's anything I can help with (with what little I know), I'm here! All the best!

About 11 years ago, I started taking seriously ( as a hobbyist ) magic. Before that, I did magic, but just random card tricks, without much structure, a story, or any real reason. And I had never made a gimmick or prop before. One of my first ideas was for the bent coin . Simple. A coin that bends in your hand with the power of your thumb and your mind. How to do it? Well, I already knew the basic concept: I needed a regular coin and a bent one. For Euro coins, the 5-cent piece was the best option. The next best would be the 50-cent coin, but it's not ferromagnetic, and that property interested me ( and it would also limit how many times I could do the trick compared to a 5-cent coin, because of the expense ). So, I did it. ULTRA-SUPER-MEGA-MINI-TUTORIAL Coin clamped in a workbench vise. Hammer blows ( but don't go crazy ) Coins are ready. Optional additions ( not necessary ) END OF ULTRA-SUPER-MEGA-MINI-TUTORIAL With the coin ( or coins ) bent( s ), we're all set to bend 5-cent coins from anyone. ( I always carry 3 or 4 coins like this in my pocket ) I was a bartender, so it was super easy for me to get 5-cent coins from customers right when they paid. I'd ask for one, and while I toyed with it, passing it from hand to hand, I'd ask if they thought the coin could bend with the help of my mind. And since I'm feeling too lazy to explain it in text right now, I'm going to do something that I don't normally do , which is make a video to explain what I did, but... no show, no bells and whistles , just breaking it down. (NOTE: Just a heads up: my videos are always pretty raw, and unscripted , so don't expect too much from me 😅) And that's pretty much it. Any questions, just ask, and I'll be happy to answer. I just wanted to share what was "my first creation," simple but effective. Big shout out to everyone!!!

I challenge all of you to create your own trick. I've already come up with one, though I haven't named it yet. You've got my support!

Hey everyone. I've used the Al-Korán deck on occasion and gotten some great reactions. The thing is, I'm still nervous about spreading or fanning it for a spectator to select a card, because I feel like they'll notice the "gimmick." I'd really appreciate any suggestions or advice on this. Thanks! 😃

A super visual and surprising effect that anyone can do. The spectator chooses a card, and it gets lost in the deck, but the magician manages to find it and turn it over in the blink of an eye. How did it turn over? Plus, in this effect, you're going to learn one of magic's most important concepts: the Principle of Coverage (the element that helps prevent any suspicion of trickery during the performance of a magic effect) .

Sim Sala Bim A digital collection showcasing a selection of nearly 200 books—dated between 1733 and 1940—from the over 2,000 magic holdings of the Juan March Foundation. Terms of Use The content within Sim Sala Bim can be freely accessed and printed for private use, teaching, or research. This content is made available to the public with limited quality for these specific purposes. For any other use, printed or digital reproduction is not permitted without proper authorization. Magic Content Index:

This will be brief (or maybe not). When we first get into magic, there's a ton we don't know right off the bat. 🙄 🙄 🙄 🤔 I'm not talking about the technical "unknowns" we'll have to learn through study and practice (or, you know, by just buying a gimmick). No, I'm actually referring to... "the things we ALREADY HAVE (without even realizing it) and just toss in the trash" . --- A Little Personal Story --- Most of you, I'd imagine, will start by learning basic sleights and then gradually build up your repertoire of moves. That's probably how it *should* go, but in my case, things played out a little differently... This was the day I really started to take magic seriously ----> ( This is how I kicked off my Instagram (which, by the way, I totally don't use for magic at all; it's more for other hobbies like plants, and just general life stuff) ) About a month into doing magic, I could barely handle a Double Lift, a couple of false shuffles... that was pretty much it. I could also Control a chosen card to the TOP or BOTTOM (the classic in-hand shuffle Control for a single card), but I hadn't really polished much else. Even with that, I grabbed the Zenith, de David Stone , and within just a few days , I was already performing this for people: I was performing the trick without a hitch. All I needed was a false shuffle, a false cut, a Control of the card to the TOP (or BOTTOM), the technique David explains (which simply requires practice and doesn't even need misdirection, as it's self-covering), and I was all set to stick signed spectator cards to every ceiling in my city. And not just that, consider all the other possibilities this gimmick opens up, because the "idea" behind it is as simple as it is practical and effective. Another gimmick (or concept) I picked up back then (I bought *a lot* of stuff!) was the Any Card to Any Spectator's Wallet de Jeff Kaylor y Michael Ammar , This has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but I wanted to mention it anyway, just in case anyone's interested. I was obsessed with controlling everything, even though I'd barely learned any sleights. And honestly, Jeff and Michael's concept is brilliant because, aside from nailing the misdirection at the perfect millisecond, the rest is practically self-working. All you really need is to Control the spectator's card to the TOP or BOTTOM before a false in-hand shuffle, and you're golden. --- Getting to the Point --- Alright, those examples from my own journey were just to set the stage for what I'm about to tell you. I'm going to tell you about some things you absolutely *should* keep , PERO I'm not going to tell you why . Let me explain: I can't say why , because that would mean revealing secrets about products still on the market, and I feel that's just not right. That being said, sooner or later you'll discover why and you'll probably think to yourselves: "Man, if I'd only known this sooner, I wouldn't have thrown any of that stuff out!" That's why I'm writing this post... 😊 I know it's a bit cryptic, but it has to be this way, out of respect for creativity. Alright, let's dive in. The boxes themselves, and even the plastic wrap they come in. It might be more common to keep the boxes ( they're good for so many things... ) but the plastic wraps isn't as common. Most people just tear them off. But just like the boxes, they're valuable for a ton of effects . Another common thing people rip when opening a new deck are the seals . Most decks come with that classic card box seal . So, from RIGHT NOW , you should have some Post-It ( sticky notes ), and for every new deck with a seal , peel it off and put it on a Post-It . Okay, okay, WHYYYYYY???? Just tell us already!!!! . Seriously, without revealing secrets , I genuinely can't tell you. They have so many countless uses . While you're learning, and before you know it, at least start to collect them . When the time comes, you'll be extremely grateful that you kept those seals (and everything else). I hope this tip, in the long run ( especially for those of you just starting out ) proves useful. Best wishes and happy magic!!!