Magic Definition
Break — A slight opening secretly held in a deck of cards.
Breather Crimp – The Breather crimp is a special type of “pyramid” crimp put into a card. It’s good because it’s not really detectable like the standard crimp is–but it’s harder to put into the card and requires a little privacy. The breather crimp is an undetectable crimp that can be put on a card at a moments notice, and is an extremely powerful weapon in the card conjurors arsenal.
Bridge-Sized Deck — A deck of cards slightly smaller than a poker deck, measuring 2-1/4’ wide. Bridge-size cards are frequently used and give the magician an advantage in certain tricks becauseof their smaller width.
Card Discovery — The climax or end of many card tricks during which the spectator’s card is revealed or produced in a “magical” manner.
Card Location — Any method that allows the magician to find or locate a selected card after it has been returned to the pack.
Conjurer — A magician
Control — Any method that allows the performer to move a particular card or cards to a specific location in the pack.
Crimp – This involves putting a bend or crease in a playing card in such a way that you are able to locate it in the deck by feel alone. The crimp can be put anywhere on the card, but the corners or long sides are generally used. You can crimp the card simply by bending the corner slightly upwards when showng it. You can also crimp the side of a card by squeezing it gently at the side between the thumb and forefinger. Basically, any (subtle) identifying bend or crease in a playing card qualifies as a crimp.
Cut Deck — Magician pulls a deck of cards out of a box showing that the deck is cut in half! (from upper right corner to lower left corner). Magician claims that he/she performed at a restaurant a while ago, and when he was showing a trick to the cook that required him to cut the deck, he took it literally and chopped the deck in half. Now, the spectator fans the left half and asks the spectator to point to a card. That card is removed and given to the spectator. The spectator then fans the right half and asks another spectator to point to a card. That card is removed and given to the other spectator. The spectators are then asked to place their cards face down on the table. The magician takes their cards and puts them together, showing an exact match on the back of the cards. They are flipped over and revealed to be the 2 matching sections of one card!!!!!!
Do As I Do — When you have the spectator do the same things as you do.
Double Sided Cards — Simply a double sided card which you can buy or make for many good effects.
Effect – A sleight or trick
Face — The face of a card shows its value and suit.
Face Cards, Picture cards, or Court Cards — All of the jacks, queens, and kings.
Flash — Allowing the spectator to briefly see the face of any card.
Flourish — A display of skill with cards. Usually not a trick but an important part of a trick like one handed cut, fan, and ribbon spread.
Free Choice — When a spectator really has a free choice, no force.
Gimmick – A secret device used in the execution of a magic trick.
Glimpse — Secretly noting a card while holding or shuffling the pack.
Haunted Deck — Spectator freely selects a card, and that card is placed back onto the deck. The deck is cut and the spectator is told that the deck will remove the card by itself and then watches, as the deck removes the card!!!! The deck can then be given to the spectator to reveal no gimmick!!!!!
Indicator Card — A playing card used to identify the location, value, or suit of a diffferent card, usually selected by the audience.
Key Card — A Card, generally gimmicked, which is used to locate a particular card or cards in the deck.
Legerdemain — A French term for magic of the hands or sleight of hand.
Marked Deck — A deck a cards with markings on the back to identify the front. You can name any marked card by looking at the back of it.
Mechanic’s Grip — The mechanics grip is one of the most often used for false dealing. It is sort of a compromise between the erdnase grip and the full grip. The forefinger curls around the outer right corner of the deck while the other three fingers curl around the side of the deck.
One Way Deck — Here is a deck that you dont have to buy, you arrange the back of the deck pictures all the same way and when the spectator picks his card just switch the deck around. Then it is s the only one that is backwards. No more fake shuffles!
Overhand Shuffle — A shuffle where you hold the cards in your right hand and you pull them off a few at a time into your left hand.
Pass — A sleight.
Patter — The talk a magician uses to accompany a trick.
Reversed Card — Any card that is face up in a face-down pack (or faced down in a face-up pack).
Sandwiched Card — Any card that is placed, or located, between two other pre- designated cards.
Self-Working Tricks — Tricks that don’t require sleight of hand.
Shuffle — The process of mixing a deck of cards
Slip Force — Quick Force. Click on title for complete description.
Spot Cards – Any card from ace through ten in any suit.
Springing Cards — A flourish in which you bend the cards, let go, and catch them with the other hand
Stranger Cards — Not a card that’s extra weird. A Stranger Card is a card taken from another deck, and added to the deck you’re using. This allows you to perform many tricks in a much more mystifying way. For instance, cards inserted into the middle of the deck can be made to instantly reappear on the top or bottom.
Switch — A sleight or move in which one object is secretly substitued for another.
Vegas Shuffle — The vegas shuffle is the same as the reno shuffle when you cut the deck into two piles and with your thumbs merge them together. It is the same except you only merge the two piles in the corners, and then you straighten them out..
Vanish — The act of making an object suddenly become nonexistent.
