Hold 'Em Magic

[Tom Frame]

Hi folks,

Im preparing to write a book of magic effects involving Texas Hold Em. It will be the first book of its kind. I envision it as a soft-cover, perfect-bound book. Norman Beck, Bob Farmer and Paul Wilson are already on board and Im hoping to receive contributions from the other noted card men that Ive approached.

If you have a Hold Em effect that youd like to contribute, please send it to me at tomframe1@comcast.net. If I use it, youll receive a free copy of the book in addition to the ensuing fame and glory.

Many thanks,

Tom

[Tom Frame]

Hello again,

Could someone please send me a PM with the email addresses of Howard Hamburg and Jim Swain?

Thanks in advance.

Tom

[Pete Biro]

hhamburg4@gmail.com

[Tom Frame]

Thanks Pete!

[Tom Frame]

I'm pleased to report that Bob Farmer, Norman Beck, Gene Castillon, Simon Lovell and Sal Piacente have already contributed material. I'm still waiting to hear from a number of other notable guys.

Does anyone have Sterling Dare's email address?

[Bob Farmer]

I trust Sal hasn't submitted my "Tsunami" effect under another name!

[Tom Stone]

I trust Sal hasn't submitted my "Tsunami" effect under another name!

Now you're just being cranky, Bob. Can't a guy be allowed to make an innocent mistake without being called on it forever?
Rumor has it that Sal's contributions are all new stuff: A prediction effect with cards and a dictionary titled "Dat's Voodoo!", a Walton inspired packet trick titled "The Freakz" and a piece with Kings titled "Alex's Revenge".

[Richard Stokes]

Tom, I really look forward to a book of this kind.
The old poker routines performed by magicians have largely been rendered obsolete because they are based on a dead format.
Hold Em is the dominant variant ...

[Tom Frame]

Paul Tuohy, Don England and J.K. Hartman are on board.

[Tom Frame]

I'm pleased to report that contributions continue to trickle in. The deadline for submitting effects is March 31st. Keep 'em coming! Thanks.

[Tom Frame]

This existential whoopie cushion of an effect by Don England will be in the book. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PKrLEV0NWw

[Richard Kaufman]

Hey Tom, who's going to review YOUR ebook for Light from the Lamp Online? :)

[Tom Frame]

Oh, I might just shoot a copy off to Kent Gunn.

By the way, it won't be an ebook. It will be a real, perfect-bound book that you can taste and smell and fondle.

[Richard Kaufman]

I like the bit about fondling.

[Kent Gunn]

Tom,

I'm ready to fondle at any time. To review a book, I'd actually work through all the tricks. It would take several weeks to complete a review. You may want to pick someone faster. Still the fondling would be nice.

KG

[Tom Frame]

Only moments ago, I received Michael Weber's terrific contribution. I'm fondling myself!

[Jason England]

The old poker routines performed by magicians have largely been rendered obsolete because they are based on a dead format.

I disagree.

5-card draw isn't a dominant form of poker these days, that's true. But it hasn't been a dominant form of poker for 40 years! Hold 'em is the new kid on the block as far as the public's perception is concerned, but 7-card stud and hold 'em both supplanted draw (high) as the main games in the 70s. If draw went away in the 70s (for the most part), then why have our draw-based routines been okay up until now? Just because hold 'em got popular in 2003? I don't buy it.

Our draw poker-based routines have worked this long because by and large, they're fantasies, not realistic demonstrations. Four Aces and royal flush endings have little to do with reality, and yet they're tremendously popular as endings because they speak to the emotional, fantasy-driven sides of our brains. The fact that they're nearly impossible hands being dealt in an almost completely obsolete format doesn't really enter into the picture.

I perform draw poker routines and hold 'em routines in my professional work on a weekly basis. I've found virtually no difference in the reactions from my audiences. They like both. The draw examples may be a little more abstract these days, but conceptually they are just as powerful as they always have been as long as you're not performing for die-hard hold 'em players.

And even if you were, the die-hard players, more than anyone else, can see that the skills you have developed and are demonstrating with draw poker can be carried over quite nicely to hold 'em. They actually make those leaps for you if they're serious players.

Jason

[Brian Morton]

Actually, people in basements and backrooms all over the country play nickel-dime-quarter poker and they don't play hold 'em. Just because people like to watch high-end games doesn't necessarily mean they want to play them. Sometimes stud, draw, Omaha and hi-lo are good enough.

brian :cool:

[Ben Harris]

And, as Don's video performance shows, you DO NOT have to follow dealing protocol to create hold 'em magic. (Something that I am criticized for with PSI-POKER [2011] which has a dealing discrepancy). I would bet that the majority of effects in Tom's new book will NOT follow exact dealing protocol. It has never mattered with poker effects in the past, and it does not matter now. To quote the other England (Jason), "...they're fantasies, not realistic demonstrations..."

So looking forward to this book, Tom.

Benny

[Marco Pusterla]

Dear Tom,

Have you contacted Gianfranco Preverino, from Italy? He published - in Italian - a book on gambling demonstrations with a number of Hold'Em demonstrations, very interesting and using some original idea. Mr. Preverino had published something earlier in one of Steve Beam's books (can't remember which one, think may have been nr. 4) and he's a member of the Escorial group in Madrid. You may be able to contact him here: http://www.gianfrancopreverino.it/

Hope this helps, good luck!

[Tom Frame]

Marco,

Thanks for the alerting me to Mr. Preverino's work! I'll try to track him down and see if he is willing to contribute. Getting his work translated to English will be another matter.

[Marco Pusterla]

Getting his work translated to English will be another matter.

;) You could always ask me ;)

[Tom Frame]

Thanks, Marco. If I hear back from Gianfranco, you'll be hearing from me.

[Tom Frame]

Thank you, Marco for hooking me up with Gianfranco and for translating his effects.

I'm delighted and honored to announce that, so far, the book will feature effects by John Bannon, Norman Beck, Gene Castillon, Sterling Dare, Steve Ehlers, Don England, Bob Farmer, Tom Frame, J.K. Hartman, Bobby Hasbun, Sal Piacente, Gianfranco Preverino, Paul Tuohy, Michael Weber, Paul Wilson and Meir Yedid.

If you have a Texas Hold 'Em effect that you'd like to contribute, send it to me, pronto!

Thanks

[Tom Frame]

Im pleased to announce that Hold Em Magic will be published by Vanishing Inc. Its great working with Josh and Andi. I finished the book and its currently being proofread and edited by our crack team. It contains 34 effects, 20 of which are appearing for the first time.

The contributors are Ashford, John Bannon, Norman Beck, Larry Becker, John B. Born, Gene Castillon, Sterling Dare, Lee Earle, Jason England, Steve Ehlers, Don England, Bob Farmer, Tom Frame, Ben Harris, J.K. Hartman, Bobby Hasbun, Jay Jayaraman, Stu Lewis, Sal Piacente, Gianfranco Preverino, Aaron Shields, Paul Tuohy, Michael Weber, Chris Westfall, Meir Yedid and Paul Wilson.

The book should be out before the end of the year. Stay tuned.

[Tom Frame]

Hi guys,

Its time for an update. Andi is making my final corrections to the manuscript. He will send it to me in a few days. Ill read it for the 317th time and if its up to snuff, well send it to the printer.

I dont know how soon the printer will be able to get to work on the book. But without bothering to consult with Josh and Andi, Ill stick my foot in my mouth and impulsively proclaim that the book will be ready to ship by Halloween. That seems like a safe bet. It will be available directly from me and from Vanishing Inc.

The book will be soft-bound with 197 pages and 110 photographs. It will probably sell in the $40 - $50 range.

I gave several guys a sneak peek at the laid out manuscript and they said:


"Tom Frame has filled a void in the literature that has been present for years since the advent of the popularity of Texas hold 'em. His book brings gambling themed card magic into the 21st century."

- Jack Carpenter


Hold em is huge. Hold em poker routines, until now, have been few and far between. In his new book, Tom Frame shares not ten or a dozen such routines, but over 30 items devoted to hold em! With contributions from a veritable whos who in card magic, you are sure to find a hold em poker routine that suits both your skill level and presentation style. Bravo, Tom!

- Paul Cummins


The effects in this book are excellent. Some, in fact, are downright brilliant! Tom has done a great job of extracting the very best hold em effects from some of the finest magicians in the world. Excellent job Mr. Frame.

- Jason England (From his Foreword)


"If you are a player, purveyor, prestidigitator, prodigy, professional, or pasteboard presenter, you will not only embrace Hold 'Em Magic, you will bear-hug it, dog-ear it, devour it, and then recklessly use it."

- Jon Racherbaumer



Stay tuned


Tom

[Sebastien L.]

Sounds good to me. With contributions from Jason, Sal and Paul, you can't go wrong. Put me down for a copy.

[Tom Frame]

To provide a brief distraction from obsessing about the identity of Erdnase, here are the contents of the book:


Foreword (Jason England)
Introduction


Transformations

Peek Performance (Michael Weber)
Hold Em Seductively (Chris Westfall)
Hold Em Switch Em (Bobby Hasbun)
Betrayed (Joshua Jay)
Texas Hang Em (Ashford)
Radical Hold Em (Meir Yedid)
Lo and Behold Em (J.K. Hartman)
Texas Hold Em Dream (Don England)
Last Two Hold Em (Paul Tuohy)
Heavenly Hold Em (Gene Castillon)


Predictions

Psi-Poker (Ben Harris)
No Limit (Tom Frame)
Texas Fool Em (Lee Earle and Larry Becker)
One of the Better Losers (John Bannon)


Memorized Deck Applications

What Are You Holding? (Norman Beck)
Slugged (John B. Born)
Hang Em Hold Em (Sterling Dare)
Well Hung Hold Em (Tom Frame)


Card Artifice

Flop Foresight (Sal Piacente)
Nine Card Hold Em (Bob Farmer)
Hold-Up (Aaron Shields)
Burn Em Up (Paul Wilson)
Pocket Rockets (John Bannon)
Tantalizing Texas Hokum (Paul Tuohy)
Lo and Controlled Em (J.K. Hartman)
Hold Em Stack (Steve Ehlers)
American Airlines (Gianfranco Preverino)
Kansas City Hold Em Shuffle (Stu Lewis)
Kansas City Hold Em (Stu Lewis)
Choose the Winner (Gianfranco Preverino)
Kansas City Hold Em 2 (Stu Lewis)
Duke Em Out (Paul Wilson)
BestHandEver! (Jay Jayaraman)
BestHandEvermore! (Jason England)


Appendix

Creative Timeline
Bibliography
A Brief History of Poker and Hold Em (Jason England)
Hole Card Nicknames
Quotes of Note


Stay tuned...

Tom

[Steve Brooks]

Tom,

Coming from you and the other notables I have no doubt this book will rock and I'm looking forward to reading it. :)

You said; "The book will be soft-bound with 197 pages and 110 photographs. It will probably sell in the $40 - $50 range".

At that price range I'm surprised Andi and the gang are not releasing this in a hardbound edition - I've certainly seen smaller books in hardback.

Perhaps a special LIMITED EDITION version? Just thinking out-loud. ;)

[Tom Frame]

Hiya Steve,

The book may be hard-bound. There will be a limited edition as well. I don't know all the production details yet. All I know and care about is that it will be an actual, physical book, not a mere ebook.

Thanks for chiming in.

[runningmagicman]

Tom...can't wait for it....glad it's going to be Hardback...

[Sebastien L.]

Dave, I don't think you paid enough attention to what Tom wrote. He never said that it was going to be hard-bound.

[Tom Frame]

Gentlemen,

I'm awaiting clarification from Josh and Andi about whether the book will be hard-back with dust jacket, hard-back without dust jacket, or soft-back. I signed 200 cards which will be tipped into the limited edition. Apart from that feature, I don't yet know the extent of the differences between the the regular edition and the limited edition. Details to follow.

In the next few days, the lads will announce all of the details on their Vanishing Inc. website.

Thanks for your interest.

Tom

[runningmagicman]

oh...I saw that it wasnt' difinite...just some subliminal pressure in hopes of Hard Back version. ;-)

dde

[Tom Frame]

I've just learned that the book WILL be hard-back, with a dust jacket over blue cloth.

Here is a link to the ad at Vanishing Inc.

http://www.vanishingincmagic.com/blog/

[Tom Frame]

Hey guys,

Andi Gladwin has approved the printer's proof of the book and the presses are preparing to roll. The hard-back book with dust jacket will sell for $45. Each copy includes the gaff needed to perform Michael Weber's scrumptious effect. The book should be ready for shipping on October 1st.

Stay tuned.


Tom

[Tom Frame]

I am thrilled and relieved to announce that copies of Hold 'Em Magic have been delivered to me and to Vanishing Inc! Josh and Andi did a terrific job. The book looks great.

Each copy of the book will include a card gaff from USPCC. It feels like we placed the order years ago. We are still waiting to receive the gaffs. Andi hopes that they will arrive in two weeks. The book will not be available until we stick a gaff into each and every copy.

So please, don't start throwing money at me or Vanishing Inc. just yet. We will announce the official launch date as soon as the gaffs are in place.

Thanks and stay tuned.

Tom

[Jim Martin]

Hi Tom - Will there be a posting here regarding pre-orders, limited edition, etc.?

Looking forward to it!

Thanks-

[Tom Frame]

Hi Jim,

Vanishing Inc. will offer some type of pre-order option, but I don't yet know the details of that arrangement. As soon as I know, I'll pass along the information. I am not offering any pre-order option.

There is no limited edition, per se. However, the first 200 people who buy the book from Vanishing Inc. will receive a copy that includes a playing card signed by me. Wow! How's that for an inducement to buy early?

If people purchase the book directly from me, I'll be happy to sign it whenever they get around to buying it. Hell, if they ask nicely, Ill inscribe it with a filthy limerick or include photos of my colonoscopy!

Thanks for your interest.

Tom

[Tom Frame]

I'm delighted to announce that we are now taking orders for Hold Em Magic. The book sells for $45.00 plus $5.00 domestic shipping and handling. The shipping fee for international orders is in the $10.00 to $15.00 range, depending upon your location.

The book will be shipped on October 27th.

To purchase the book from Vanishing Inc., click on the link below.

http://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic/ ... -em-magic/


To purchase the book directly from me, send a check or money order for $50.00 to:

Tom Frame
527A 21st Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94121

Or you can Paypal the funds to tomframe1@comcast.net

If you live outside of the U.S., email me your address and I will notify you of the shipping fee.

Upon request, I will be happy to sign your copy.


Thank you for your support!

Tom