Card tricks have been popular as long as playing cards have been around. Magicians have used ordinary playing cards to perform amazing sleight of hand tricks and illusions in elaborate stage acts for centuries. Learning how to perform the most popular card tricks is a rite of passage for anyone who wants to learn the art of the magician. Many children start out a lifelong interest in magic with the “pick a card” trick that an older relative performs at a family party or event. Children and adults are fascinated by the amazing feats that magicians are able to perform with simple cards. If you want to learn how to do the most popular tricks and amaze your friends and family follow these tips from professional magicians to master popular card tricks or even create your own:
Learn the deck:
There are thousands of different styles of cards but they are variations on the original design of 52 cards. Spend some time learning the deck that you want to use and get very familiar with it. Make sure that you can shuffle the cards and perform other basic card movements very well before you move on to more advanced tricks. The more time you spend on the basics the better your tricks will be later on.
Watch other magicians:
One of the best ways to learn popular card tricks is to watch other magicians perform them. You can go see other magicians live, watch videos online, or spend some time watching old magic acts on TV. If you are watching videos or TV slow down the recording and go frame by frame watching the magician’s hands so that you can see exactly what that person is doing. You can learn a lot just by watching how other people perform classic tricks. If you go to see a magician live ask that person after the show to show you the trick again and pay close attention to what they do.
Practice in front of a mirror:
When you start performing the tricks for yourself go very slowly and use a mirror so that you can see what your audience will see. Work through the trick slowly at first so that you get the fundamental pieces of the trick correct. Then you can speed up as you get more familiar with the trick. If you don’t find it helpful to watch yourself in a mirror while you perform the trick you can always record yourself doing the trick and watch the footage later on. When you record yourself doing the trick you can go through frame by frame just like you did watching the professionals to see what mistakes you are making. Then you will know what you need to work on the most.
With enough practice and dedication you will be able to perform the most popular card tricks professionally or just for fun and amaze your friends and family with your magical prowess. You may even find that you want to pursue a career in magic.