What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
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What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Guest » August 13th, 2003, 9:05 am

The way I control a card to the top is that I simply double under cut it to the top or to the bottom. Another way is that I in jog one card on to the selection and casually keep going and control it to either position. Those to I have been doing since I had started doing card magic. Just wondering if there are other ways to do this, that seem more convincing that the card is lost, but it's returned to the top, which they don't know that. Any tips I appreciated.

Kamus
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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Kamus » August 13th, 2003, 9:47 am

Of course there are any number of good ways to do this and the "Card College" books and Daryl's sleight video series detail a lot of good ones. Personally, I like Paul Le Paul's fan replacement control which is nice because the spectator replaces the card herself and Tamariz's versatile move, the Perpindicular Control. This last move makes it also easy to bottom palm the card as an option.

Actually, both these moves end up with the card on the bottom. For control to the top, it's hard to beat the classic pass for efficiency though a lot of practice is required to this smoothly. My own pass thus far is pretty crappy by the standards that a lot of the guys you see on this forum have set. (Richard K's pass(es) are absolutely invisible, for one) but I compensate for my crummy technique with misdirection and that works OK for me.

I hope this helps but if it doesn't there are probably as many good ways to control a card as their are contributors on this forum and I'm sure others will step up to the plate.
Good luck! Dave K.

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Pete Biro
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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Pete Biro » August 13th, 2003, 12:07 pm

Koornwinder Kard Kontroll for me.
Stay tooned.

Ian Kendall
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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Ian Kendall » August 13th, 2003, 1:17 pm

That's a bit like asking 'What's you favourite food?' :)

A long time ago a very wise, but sadly forgotten man pointed out a much overlooked fact to me;

If a spectator replaces a card in the middle of the deck, he knows it's in the middle, but not exactly where. If the magician shuffles/cuts/drops the deck the card could be anywhere (or, gosh, controlled).

I prefer Italian food most of the time, so a classic pass after the card is returned does it for me.

Having said that, I don't like fish, and I am sure there are many who would question my dietary choices...

Take care, Ian

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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Richard Kaufman » August 13th, 2003, 2:42 pm

Here is the classic manner of performing this: The card is chosen, remembered, and replaced in the deck. It is controlled to either the top or bottom and palmed as the deck is handed to the spectator for shuffling. (Note that it is the SPECTATOR who shuffles the deck.) Afterward, when the deck is returned to the magician, the palmed card is added.
You can't beat the fairness of this sequence!
Having a card returned and then shuffling the deck yourself is not as clean.
There is, however, another way: When the card is peeked, crimp its corner, then hand the deck to the spectator to shuffle. You can find locate the card quite easily when the deck is returned to you. If you want to have the chosen card returned to a spread, it's an easy matter to crimp the inner right corner (hidden beneath the upper right hand spread of cards) with your right second or third fingers. Then square the cards and hand them out for shuffling.
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Pete Biro
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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Pete Biro » August 13th, 2003, 7:10 pm

I had forgotten about crimping under a spread on a card's return... used to use it a lot. :genii:
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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Bizzaro » August 14th, 2003, 1:09 am

It depends. Whatever works best for the situation really. I do a control where you place the card in a fan of cards and close up the fan and with no cutting or shuffling it's on top. Asher has a nice one he is releasing for sale. Heck even top changing a card and sticking it in the middle is a type of control. It really deoends on you.

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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Jon Allen » August 14th, 2003, 1:43 am

Ian, I don't suppose you know who the wise and forgotten man is?

I had the same thought a while ago.If you place the card in the middle, it is lost. No need to lose it by shuffling.

I reckoned, if the card was placed on top of the deck, you were justified in cutting and shuffling it to lose the card in the middle of the deck. Makes sense for Ambitious Card as it then comes back to the top.

Guest

Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Guest » August 14th, 2003, 4:18 am

I heard about the infinity control by Martin Nash. I believe it's one of the best controls of a card, what I have heard. I don't know if i'm right, but correct me if i'm wrong.

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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Ian Kendall » August 14th, 2003, 6:16 am

Jon,

Nope, he's forgotten. I called him wise because of the advice he gave...

Having said that, there's a strong chance it might have been Al Woodrow.

Take care, Ian

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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Guest » August 14th, 2003, 9:41 am

Martin Nash's "Infinity" is not a control of any card, say in the manner of a Pass, but a way of controlling cards. It is a fine method, and too many folks have revealed the method without crediting or compensating Nash.

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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Chris Aguilar » August 14th, 2003, 9:42 am

If you're controlling the card to the bottom, the Hofzinzer Spread control is nice, as is Ashers "Pulp Friction". Both are very convincing.

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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Greg Bornstein » August 17th, 2003, 10:35 am

I like Asher's Losing Control for the top and Pulp Friction on the bottom. For info on these, go the Lee's website at www.leeasher.com.

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Re: What is the best way to control a card to the top or bottom?

Postby Terry » August 17th, 2003, 2:32 pm

From reading and watching the videos, 'Infinity' is more of a locator by cut than controller.

Just finished watching an early lecture video I shot of Paul Cummins and his way of controlling a card to the top is with a side steal and to the bottom with a prayer cull. From FASDIU I, these are the primary 2 he's used for over 20 years.


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