Price$10.95
Media TypeBook
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedAug 06, 2006
Scarne on Card Tricks
John Scarne
Dover
(Based on 2 reviews)
This marvelous treasury of card magic presents the exact details of 155 professional card tricks-none of them requiring sleight-of-hand dexterity-assembled by the world's number-one wizard, John Scarne. An authority on gambling and card tricks, Scarne won renown for teaching professional gamblers how to sharpen their skills and avoid being fleeced. For this collection of mystifying and effective maneuvers, he assembled an exciting series of original effects and classic card tricks, reworked to eliminate the need for sleight-of-hand.
Simple instructions and clear diagrams illustrate Houdini's "Card on the Ceiling," Blackstone's "Card Trick Without Cards," Carlyle's "Piano Card Trick," Milton Berle's "Quickie Card Deal," and dozens more. Also included are Scarne's "Drunken Poker Deal," "Knockout Card Trick," and others from his repertoire-tricks that have fooled some of the world's leading magicians.
Scarne presents all the tricks with advice on accompanying patter, offering helpful suggestions about the kinds of words and gestures that give performances a professional gloss. Anyone can learn these tricks, and this single volume contains everything a would-be master of card magic needs to know.
Paperbound, 308 5 3/8" by 8 1/2" pages, fully-illustrated.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Overview
Scarne on Card Tricks is a classic. Originally published in the early 1950's, this has been a go to book for thousands upon thousands. I first read SOCT when my father bought it for me when I was around 10. I still have that copy, although it has been torn and ripped and taped and re-constructed over the decades. I received a new copy to review from MLA and I rediscovered a lost love.155 easy and sleight free card tricks fill the 308 pages of awesomeness. The contributors to SOCT are legendary magicians such as Harry Lorayne, Dr. Jacob Daly Jr., Dunninger, Bob Hummer, Thurston, Si Stebbins, Bill Simon, Cardini, Dai Vernon, Louis Tannen, Frank Garcia, Nate Leipzig and so many more.
John Scarne was a legend in the card world both in magic and gambling and he himself contributes to the book in addition to the legends listed above. The book is organized from simple to a bit more complicated, but nothing is out of reach of anyone that has basic skills.
I loved re-reading he book because I remembered how much I loved "The Upside-Down Deck" by Francis Carlyle (the third trick in the book) and even re-read tricks that I knew and forgot decades ago.
Not all the tricks are for me. Some are too mathematic or formulaic, but I enjoyed reading tricks I will never perform in any event.
I absolutely love this book and highly recommend it to anyone.
Effect
Effect? no, sorry try 155 effects! This is a superb compilation of superb tricks that can be performed instantly by beginners and also by experienced magi.Method
Well, each trick has its' own method and you will just have to read it for yourself to see. There are methods you know and some you may not.Product Quality
This is an excellently curated compilation of card tricks. The writing is great and it is so easy to read and digest and learn these tricks.Ad Copy Integrity
The ad copy, which follows is spot on:n authority on gaming and card tricks, John Scarne is renown for teaching professional gamblers how to sharpen their skills to avoid being fleeced. For this collection of mystifying and effective maneuvers, he assembled an exciting series of original effects and classic card tricks, reworked to eliminate the need for sleight-of-hand.
Simple instructions and clear diagrams illustrate Houdini's "Card on the Ceiling," Blackstone's "Card Trick Without Cards," Carlyle's "Piano Card Trick," Milton Berle's "Quickie Card Deal," and dozens more. Also included are Scarne's "Drunken Poker Deal," "Knockout Card Trick," and others from his repertoire -- tricks that have fooled some of the world's leading magicians.
Scarne presents all tricks with advice on accompanying patter, offering helpful suggestions about the kinds of words and gestures that give performances a professional gloss. Anyone can learn these tricks, and this single volume contains everything a would-be master of card magic needs to know.
Final Thoughts
If you don't have this book, you should. If you have not bought it for a budding magician, you must. At $12.95 a copy, this may be the absolute best bargain in the magic world.(Top ▲)
Overview
One book, 300 pages, 155 card tricks, $13 bucks and one Scarne On Card Tricks Review. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.Effect
Effect? Really? You want me to tell you what the effect(s) is/are? Holy crap! Where do I begin. This book has everything from A to Z. There are 155 effects. Everything from card to pocket routines, mind-reading effects, packet tricks, ace tricks, in the spectator's hands, do as I do, vanishing cards, coincidence effects, and on and on and on, and on. The shorter list is "what's not in this book?"Bottom Line: If you have even the remotest interest in card tricks, I'm sure that you'll find something your interested in. With 155 tricks, even if you hated 90% of then, that still leaves 15 effects that you don't hate. Trust me. There's a card trick or two in here for you.
Method
The beauty of this is that all of the effects are done with no sleight of hand. The methods range from gimmicks to key cards, set ups, glimpses, clever subtlety to the occasional mathematical sneakiness and much more. The methods, suprisingly, however are light in the procedural presentations. Though some effects require some dealing and counting, most do not.You'll also find a section on Si Stebbins work as well. There are no methods here that have not stood the test of time. These methods are tried and true, and even the somewhat "dated" methods still work in today's world. The phone wizard comes to mind.
Not a single method is outside of the grasp of anyone reading this review. The barrier to entry is very low, yet the effects/methods are solid enough for full-time working pros as well. You want solid card methods, you got it.
Product Quality
The product quality doesn't get much better than this. Each effect is so simple in concept that it is explained (on average) in about 2 pages at the most. Some require a mere paragraph and nothing more to explain. The writing is simple, thoughtful and clear. The illustration add even more clarity and understanding. For only $13 bucks, it's hard to say anything negative about the bang for buck.Even at the worst case scenario of hating 90% of the book, you're still getting 15 effects for only $13 bucks. That's less than a buck a trick, and when you consider that these days, people pay has much as $20 or $30 bucks for one trick, this is a whole heck of a lot of bang for your buck!
Ad Copy Integrity
The ad copy scores an A plus with me. It's very accurate and honest. As stated therein, the effects are free of slieght of hand; they are presented well with excellent illustrations, etc. Read the ad copy. It's all there folks.Final Thoughts
With the full count of 155 effects, you're only paying 8 cents per trick. That's ridiculous. Not to mention, if you use the Magic Reviewed discount code (WYAL) at checkout, you'll save another 25%, it's hard to not recommend this book.If you're looking to get started with card tricks, look no further. If you're a card expert, then you're still in the right place. This book is an invaluable resource of card tricks and methods from some of the greatest minds in the history of magic, namely John Scarne, Harry Lorayne, Charles Jordan, Al Baker, Al Flosso, Dunninger, Francis Carlyle, Bill Simon, Cardini, Dr. Daly, Marting Gardner, Bob Hummer, Harry Houdini, Bert Allerton, Hentry Christ, Frank Garcia, Vernon, and on and on and on and on . . .
Just stop what you're doing and get this book.
Final Verdict:
5 Stars with a Stone Status of GEM!