Help Needed With Some Math Tricks

[Crimson Ace]

I just got into card tricks that involve math to create magic. My best one is one in which you have someone pull all four Ace's out of the deck using numbers without either of you looking at the bottoms of the cards. And up until a week ago it was one of my best card tricks. That was until my assistant thought that it was okay to teach it to my visiting Uncle from Florida. Who then proceeded to teach it to everyone and their mother how to do it. In other words anyone know a trick that uses math to create magic? Since i'm as of now still working on the whole sleight of hand with cards thing.

 

[SKSleighofHand]

I think Syd Segal have 2 great math tricks. It would be Logical Lesson and Doulbe D's and Aces.

 

[descartes]

I just got into card tricks that involve math to create magic. My best one is one in which you have someone pull all four Ace's out of the deck using numbers without either of you looking at the bottoms of the cards. And up until a week ago it was one of my best card tricks. That was until my assistant thought that it was okay to teach it to my visiting Uncle from Florida. Who then proceeded to teach it to everyone and their mother how to do it. In other words anyone know a trick that uses math to create magic? Since i'm as of now still working on the whole sleight of hand with cards thing.

There must be a gazillion tricks out there using mathematical principles. One thing I want to say at the beginning is that tricks based on math might depend on sleight of hand as well to work (a lot of faro based tricks work this way and they aren't self working by a long shot). Also, when you select a math based trick, make sure there is nothing in the procedure that gives away any clue about the trick.

Finally, even if the trick is mathematical, including some sleight of hand in some part of the trick might improve it significantly and make it harder for people to reverse engineer.

My advice is to check out books by people like Martin Gardner and Stewart James. You could also see the encyclopedia of card tricks. Find out tricks that aren't obviously based on some number manipulation and see if you can improve it with some sleight of hand. Do this over the next year or so and you will have a few killer routines if you do this the right way.

 

[RealityOne]

I think you are actually looking for self-working card tricks. The effect you are talking about is from Royal Road to Card Magic (which teaches slight of hand) and is called Poker Player's Picnic. It also is in Scarne on Card Tricks and called Swimmers. I suspect it is in other books as well.

The best books I'd recommend are Scarne on Card Tricks (around $10) and Encyclopedia of Card Tricks by Jean Hugard (which descartes mentioned ans is around $12). Some of the patter is outdated, but the effects are great. You could spend a year with those two books.

Also, Royal Road to Card Magic (in addition to teaching slight of hand) has some great effects that are non-slight of hand including Do as I Do and Intuition with Cards. It is a must have and is around $10.

Roberto Giobbi's Card College Light, Lighter and Lightest books are also great (it isn't necessary to get all three at once, get one at a time). They are a little more expensive (around $33 each), but the effects are well thought out and the effects are already set-up into routines.

 

[Crimson Ace]

Also, Royal Road to Card Magic (in addition to teaching slight of hand) has some great effects that are non-slight of hand including Do as I Do and Intuition with Cards. It is a must have and is around $10.

Just picked this up today. Thanks for the tip. So far it looks pretty good. I'll be giving it a full read over the next few days.

 

[praetoritevong]

Also, try Card College Light and Card College Lighter. Fulves' Self-Working... books are worth looking into.

There's another book on math and magic that I can't quite recall right now, but it's popped up a few times in the last week or so, I'll get back to you.

 

[praetoritevong]

MARTIN GARDNER'S MATHEMATICS, MAGIC AND MYSTERY!

Thank heavens, I can finally go to sleep now.

Oh, and for some reason, I mentioned Card College Light and Lighter, but not Lightest. My bad.