To Flourish, Or Not To Flourish?

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DennisLisi
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To Flourish, Or Not To Flourish?

Postby DennisLisi » June 27th, 2022, 8:57 pm

I have always tried to avoid sleights that require some kind of unnatural move. I'm sure you know what I mean.

Removing a card from the top of the deck, placing it back on the deck--only to slide it off onto the table. Or an eccentric manipulation with the fingers, when handling an ordinary object.

My problem is not with "showing off" one's skill (as fancy shuffling), but rather conducting oneself in a way that no honest person would.

The Turnover Pass is a prime example of an awkward move. It's generally noisy, and the performer needs to be quick, to avoid showing a hint of what he's doing.

I've developed my own technique, which is S-L-O-W, quiet, and can even be done with a lit cigarette in your hand!

Here's a video of it:

https://youtube.com/shorts/qv5zHJtizag?feature=share

Tarotist
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Re: To Flourish, Or Not To Flourish?

Postby Tarotist » June 27th, 2022, 11:22 pm

Oddly enough the move you are doing to show the ten of hearts IS a flourish! Or at least it is in the Flourish chapter of the Royal Road to Card Magic!

I have actually written quite a bit about flourishes in my annotations to that chapter. I am not against flourishes and in fact they can spice up a performance. However, they have to be done at the right time and in an intelligent manner.

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DennisLisi
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Re: To Flourish, Or Not To Flourish?

Postby DennisLisi » June 28th, 2022, 1:05 am

Tarotist wrote:Oddly enough the move you are doing to show the ten of hearts IS a flourish! Or at least it is in the Flourish chapter of the Royal Road to Card Magic!

I have actually written quite a bit about flourishes in my annotations to that chapter. I am not against flourishes and in fact they can spice up a performance. However, they have to be done at the right time and in an intelligent manner.


Yes, I agree that a flourish can be entertaining (as well as distracting), but I don't think it ought to coincide with the actual move. In other words, it shouldn't be there as a "cover" for the method, or a necessary consequence of it.

A flourish should be strictly unnecessary in my opinion.Something that doesn't indicate that something suspicious is happening.

By the way, I didn't really show this technique to it's best advantage. What I like about it is that (when done properly) neither hand appears to be doing anything tricky with the cards. The right hand merely holds them at the edges, and the left hand need not dwell behind the deck as mine rather clumsily did in the video.

The illusion is much better without the cigarette, as all ten fingers are in full view for all but a fraction of a second.

My method is to separate the two halves of the deck and form a "T" with the lower half being the "pillar". The right hand can hold both in this position easily, while the left hand is shown freely. Then the left hand goes behind and palms the lower half, hiding it beneath the right hand. The two halves may be detached (keeping the lower one hidden of course), to indicate that the upper deck is "free floating" (and apparently the whole pack).

Keeping the face of the upper deck horizontal (the lower portion now palmed vertically in the right hand), all I need to do is push the top half towards the bottom half with my left thumb, until they merge--and square the pack.

Philippe Billot
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Re: To Flourish, Or Not To Flourish?

Postby Philippe Billot » June 28th, 2022, 1:48 am

Excerpt from More Card Manipulations No. 2, 1939, page 30 by Jean Hugard

TO FLOURISH OR NOT TO FLOURISH?

"Robert-Houdin, the great master, set his face strongly against the introduction of flashy flourishes at the· beginning of a routine of tricks
with cards. He maintained that such a display of digital dexterity must detract from the effect of the tricks which follow. In this he was upheld by Torrini, whose skill with cards has seldom, if ever been equalled. The modern magician thinks otherwise and seldom misses any opportunity
of showing his cleverness by making fans, arm spreads and catches, the pack and front palm and so on, indeed card manipulators make a complete act of such flourishes.

The question then arises, why not incorporate these flourishes in a card trick, properly so-called. The following arrangement is a set trick which allows for the introduction of such flourishes as the operator is most adept with, in a very appropriate manner, the whole being made interesting and entertammg by pattering on the subject of the coincidences between a deck of cards and an almanac. It necessitates a prearrangement as follows..."

Morality: It depends on the trick and the circumstances...

Denis Behr
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Re: To Flourish, Or Not To Flourish?

Postby Denis Behr » June 28th, 2022, 3:24 am

You can find various opinions and essays on flourishes here: https://www.conjuringarchive.com/list/category/908
It's been a topic for discussion for many years, but I don't think new thoughts on it are very common...

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DennisLisi
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Re: To Flourish, Or Not To Flourish?

Postby DennisLisi » June 28th, 2022, 6:36 am

Denis Behr wrote:You can find various opinions and essays on flourishes here: https://www.conjuringarchive.com/list/category/908
It's been a topic for discussion for many years, but I don't think new thoughts on it are very common...


I didn't mean to suggest that there are any "new ideas" on the subject in general. But it is evidently a matter that many of us deal with in different ways.

My response is to try to find natural-looking alternatives to moves that are inexplicably complicated or elaborate.

Tarotist
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Re: To Flourish, Or Not To Flourish?

Postby Tarotist » June 28th, 2022, 6:39 pm

I have chattered interminably about flourishes in the past and have no energy to do it all again. I do believe there are three classes of flourishes and have described them all in great detail in my masterpiece of conjuring literature, "The Annotated Royal Road to Card Magic" to be found right here: https://www.lybrary.com/the-annotated-r ... 23422.html (foreword by the illustrious Harry Lorayne)

If you prefer a hard copy book it can be obtained right here. (third book down)
http://marklewisentertainment.com/html/magicians.html


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