The Genii Forum

Paco Nagata

Joe Mckay wrote:"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time" - Bertrand Russell

I would like to follow this quote with this one:

"If you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong."

Groucho Marx

Paco Nagata

That was a touching and wonderful post, Joe. And the Russell's quote is great! When I took up card magic being a child I used to ask myself if I would become a professional one day or perform on TV like my idol Tamariz. Well, more than 30 years after that I'm still a family amateur. My fault? Not re...

Paco Nagata

After 6 decades of using magic props, Alfred, the only thing one may say is: it was about time! ^_^! Well, I guess you've never deserved something more than that, and you girlfriend hit the nail on the head. Regarding me. It has been very easy for me to keep my magic props as I have been mainly only...

Paco Nagata

Regarding the Walton/Freeman "Time Trick." Check out the Nov. 2000 Michael Skinner issue in Genii Magazine. On page 25 you will find "Skinner's Time Trick Finesse" where the concept of the extended pause is mentioned, along with other presentational considerations such as how Sk...

Paco Nagata

That's a beautiful idea, Joe. I didn't know about it, so thanks a lot for let us know about it.
I would like to perform it sometime along with the name of Peter Duffie.
A very nice use of the Gilbreath principle!

Paco Nagata

In the summer of 2010 (quite a long time ago), I was living in Osaka, studying Japanese and working half-time in a Spanish bar-restaurant. One night at the end of my dutty, my girlfriend (now my wife) came to pick me up. As I was tidying up we started to talk. She said once in a tone of resignation:...

Paco Nagata

Just to add something to this interesting thread. Pockets on clothes, as we know them today, appeared in the 13th century in Europe. So, one century before the deck of cards itself. Alfred, your ideas and thoughts are very interesting! Thanks for sharing them. I usually use this stratageme simply to...

Paco Nagata

Thank you very much for the link, Alfred!
I enjoyed it! ^_^

Paco Nagata

Another premature terrible lost between Spanish magicians, like Jose Carroll and Arturo de Ascanio. Gabi Pareras was a talented magician highly regarded and known in Spain. He left us some immortal legacy: "Ascanio: La depuración constante de lo mismo." A book about Arturo de Ascanio. &quo...

Paco Nagata

The Piano Card Trick. You've got to get the scripting right, and if you do, it's very deceptive and impressive to an audience. Everytime I have performed "The Piano Card Trick" people have amazed because of being incapable of figuring out how does it work! However, another good example of...

Paco Nagata

Definitely, "Red Hot Mama" by Al Leech and "Between Your Palms" by Alex Elmsley are amongst the best "duplicate" card tricks ideas. "The Expert Card Technique" has a lot of interesting ideas like "The Torn and Restored Card" as Jonathan pointed out, ...

Paco Nagata

Grand Prix winner in FISM 1979.
A great Magician.
I got the sad news by e-mail from my friend Danny Crauwels from Belgium.
My condolence to his family and friends and to the Art of Magic.

Paco Nagata

This is pure gold, Bob!
Specially because I'm a great fan of Vernon's works.
A million thanks!
I will copy and paste it on my computer...

Paco Nagata

Jack, darn, now I have yet another reason to see if this soggy old brain still has enough sputtering neurons to memorize Juan's stack. Disastrous for memdeck workers! Watch out! Warning! Do NOT let supermarket staff scan your forehead to take your temperature. It erases your memory. I went in for b...

Paco Nagata

My personal most chosen cards: From around 1998 to 2014 I have been writing down the name of the playing cards that any of my personal spectators have been naming along my card tricks performances at any time and any place I have been performing some card magic. 0 times named cards: KC,10S, 6C, 6S, ...

Paco Nagata

Joe, if you mean the purpose of close-up magic in relation to stage magic, I think that the principal purpose is to show magic as close as possible. Not only physically but also psichologically. Close-up magic lets spectators to be IN TOUCH with the magic; they can interact with the magician's stuff...

Paco Nagata

Breathtaking!

A million thanks, Jack!

A real Gem for the "Mnemonicians" in English!

Paco Nagata

In my humble opinion, a professional magician is supposed TO BE a magician, so he or she just do magic. Whereas, an amateur magician is supposed to be a "regular" person that has learnt who to do something that looks like magic. If anyone disagree with that I will absolutly understand the ...

Paco Nagata

Great, Jonathan! I wanted to say in this thread that I've heard that Hofzinser already used this movement, but didn't remember where... So I didn't dare to say that, but you hit the nail on the head about that possibility. Regarding the movement, deceptive or not, I have used it from time to time as...

Paco Nagata

I use the term interpretation only when I talk to other magicians' friends, whereas I use the term presentation or show when I talk to lay people about a particular magic trick or show that I did.

Paco Nagata

Assuming that it is true that professionals perform less different magic tricks than amateurs, I must be a kind of strange amateur card magician, since I have been like professionals in that sense. Maybe because of lack of books at the beginning, I've been always used to performing by means of a red...

Paco Nagata

Unfortunately I'm not an Aronsonite, but a Mnemonician. Anyway I appreciate a lot you offered for free this great job, Jack!

Paco Nagata

Kent Gunn wrote:PS. Francisco, I am a huge fan of: La pasion de un cartómago aficionado, your posting it here was very, very generous. Thank you.

Thank you very much Kent!
I appreciate your words very much.
It means a lot to me!
I'm sorry for being so late in reply this; I was very bussy.

My best wishes!

Paco Nagata

I think that it also depends a lot on the mentality of the spectators him/herselves; if some people go to a magic show (voluntarily) it is because they like magic shows, whereas people that don't particularly like magic shows and see an amateur magician doing some magic, he or she may ask the magici...

Paco Nagata

Second Deal Card Trick

If so, I would bet my life that this trick was published by Ed Marlo somewhere...

Paco Nagata

I may enjoy and I enjoyed that post, Jack.
Thank you very much!
An alternative to the faro shuffle is always a good tool, specially with a deck of cards in bad conditions.
Thanks a lot for sharing this great idea.

Paco Nagata

Beautiful, Kent! Great jobs like this one makes me feel specially happy for being keen on card magic! Kent, that's outstanding! Very creative and entertaining. Also struck a sentimental chord with me, as I was fortunate to live and perform in the City by the Bay for many years. Really?! Alfred, my w...

Paco Nagata

Me too, I love this kind of shows in which the magician is un trouble, but finally overcomes the situation against all odds. Actually that was one of the things that made me to keep my interest in the art of magic. I noticed that the magician sometimes could be seen as a HERO; a true hero that overc...

Paco Nagata

As magicians we love methods. To the extent that we sometimes overlook solid effects because the method is "beneath us". Very good reflection, Jack. In this video the response is outstanding. I believe the audience will always remember their reaction even if they later become aware of the...

Paco Nagata

Thank you very much for the Post, Jim Sisti.
Very emotional tribute telling about his life.
I read it carefully.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Falanga.

Paco Nagata

You're welcome, Jack!

It's very interesting to see what a wonderful magical effect can be achieve with a simple balloon and a sheet!
(And, of course, a good shomanship).

Paco Nagata

Please, try now...
I did "something" in the "Menu" of Google Drive.
Really, I'm not very good at computer handling

Paco Nagata

Jackpot wrote:Paco's link requires permission to view so I couldn't see it.

I'm sorry about that! I didn't even know that it was protected!

There are things I still don't understand about Google Driver. I'll try to fix it...

Paco Nagata

Have a look to this...
It was sent to me by a friend of mine around a week ago

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZwmH_D ... p=drivesdk

Paco Nagata

Leo Garet wrote:Don't Hide When Nobody's Looking.

That's another good one not to forget, Leo!
^_^ Thank you.

Paco Nagata

Paco, I admire your graciousness and open-mindedness, two valuable traits for a magician. Yes, the admonition, "Don't make unimportant things important" is -- well -- important. Thank you, Alfred. I'm learning so much reading your valuable posts (as well as others', of course). And with l...

Paco Nagata

"Don't run when they're not chasing you," and "The proof is in the pudding." I back up this thoughts, Alfred. It is similar to the Professor's "Don't make unimportant things important." I should have used other words; instead of "... to justify the procedure...&qu...

Paco Nagata

One of my favorite card tricks has long been "A Poker Player's Picnic." ...I always got very good to excellent reactions with it. But I did not get super phenomenal reactions until the last few years, when I re-oriented the presentation and patter around establishing conditions that cance...

Paco Nagata

I would propose a corollary to the "Too Perfect" theory, the "Too Imperfect" theory. In that case, there are too many ways the trick could have been done, and even though the spec guesses the wrong one, it doesn't matter, because in the spec's mind s/he's solved it. For example,...

Paco Nagata

Edward, thanks for the references! This has been a thought-provoking thread for me. (No pun intended). As I think about the various posts and the issue of what my relationship to the spectator will be in mental effects, the distinction between exerting influence and/or control over a spectator's min...

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