Slydini coins

[El Mystico]

Forgive me if this has already been posted here. I’d not seen this performance before. Such a joy. https://youtu.be/l_km6FnHNjQ

[El Mystico]

This I have seen before, but a wonderful reminder. https://youtu.be/d2Krgd7Wvsg

[Tarotist]

I do a fair bit of Slydini material including a lot of the coin stuff in the video. I did discover one little touch which for me personally increases both the effect on the audience and the reaction. If any of you do the coins through the table it might be worth trying. At the point when you push the coins through get the spectator to press on the hand that is supposedly holding the coins above the table. Just say, "Press your hand on the back of my hand". You then perform the action of pushing the coins through. I found this tiny addition aids the effect quite substantially.

[Tarotist]

I think I should possibly mention some thoughts I have had concerning the Paper Balls in the Hat Trick which of course was a feature of Slydini. I could never get excited over it and in fact Ken Brooke once told me that even Slydini wasn't overly crazy about it either and the only reason he included it in the Ganson book was because he felt it was an excellent trick for someone to get used to his methods and misdirective devices.

However, in recent months I believe I have made significant improvements to this routine and doubled the effect it gets from laymen. And what is more important evolved a method of doing the trick anywhere and everywhere at a moment's notice. Doing the trick to music and using a large box or hat is all very well but not practical in the real world of impromptu magic. You can't carry music around with you and in any case, even if you can it would look a bit daft if you wanted to show someone the trick in a coffee shop. And who the hell wears hats of the kind required or carries boxes around with them? In any case in the real world people are seated very close to you and the angles would be very bad inside the hat. It is all very nice when the audience is a little distance from you but that is not the real world of impromptu performance. As for that daft nonsense of making an invisible ball disappear at the end I think the trick would be far better off without it.

Bear in mind that I am a fan of Slydini but a lot of his material can be updated and improved on since the days of long ago when he was creating a sensation with it.

[Richard Kaufman]

He didn't use a hat after a certain point. He used a four-sided box that folded flat.

[Tarotist]

Yes. I know about the box. It is certainly an improvement over the hat from an angle point of view but it is still not practical from an impromptu point of view. Even though it folded flat it still isn't something you can carry about on an everyday basis. I do use a receptacle that is completely angle proof but far more practical from an impromptu point of view.

Now I can do this new routine on its own and I sometimes do but just lately I have expanded it to a 4 part routine of which the Slydini routine is the second part. First I do a torn and restored napkin trick, then I go on to my adaption of the Slydini thing, after which I proceed to a sort of sponge ball in the hand sequence using napkins and then finish off with the usual three in the hand, one to the pocket thing but producing a larger than normal paper ball near the end. Finally I make all the balls disappear.

The whole thing is done to patter. No music. The results have been very effective.

[Tarotist]

I see that everyone is on the edge of their seats with curiosity concerning my most worthy improvement on the so-so Slydini balls to hat thing. I do believe with my customary modesty that it is far superior to the original Slydini version and I am tempted to describe this as an example of why I get millions of views on TikTok when I don't even know what TikTok is.

The trouble is that I hate describing technical matters in magic. Perhaps I should make a video? I dunno.
Anyway I shall have to see some enthusiasm before doing anything. The only reason for me doing it is because I am very aged and may drop dead any moment and my historic improvement will be lost to history.

So who wants to know the details?

[Richard Kaufman]

I would be interested in seeing the routine performed.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Yes please

[Dave Le Fevre]

And me

[chetday]

Add me to the list, Mark. That makes four of us who want to see your historic improvement. Four here on the forum is equivalent, or so my tech sources tell me, to a half million TikClock views.

[Marco Pusterla]

I would be interested, as I find your technical ideas worth to be recorded and generally very practical.

[Tarotist]

Jolly good! I consider the enthusiasm so far to be satisfactory. However, I now have two problems---exhaustion and lack of tech savvy. However, if I can overcome these difficulties I will make a video of my historic masterpiece. I am not a Slydini student and although I do not necessarily share Patrick Page's opinion that "you can always tell a Slydini student, sadly not necessarily by their ability, but by the fact that they are bouncing their hands across the table for no reason" I will try to avoid that issue but of course I don't really give a stuff if I don't.

Anyway it will take me a day or two to figure out how to do this. I know the updating of the routine has several advantages the most important of which is that it can be done impromptu and you don't have to carry hats, or boxes or music around with you. And it is far more angle proof that the usual method which means the audiience can be seated right opposite or beside you.

[Tarotist]

I would be interested, as I find your technical ideas worth to be recorded and generally very practical.

Ah! I am getting a psychic vibe you must have read my Annotated Royal Road to Card Magic!

[Tarotist]

After a great struggle I have now made the video. I am going to post it on you tube first to get the reaction of the public before I allow nit picking magicians to see it. Be warned that I will accept no "constructive criticism" whatsoever on the grounds that everything I do is absolutely perfect even if it isn't. I would also ask that you do not discuss methods on here as there is far too much internet exposure as it is.
I may delete said historic masterpiece if I am not satisfied with the secrecy aspect.

[Tarotist]

OK. This is the best I can do. Make what you will of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8cEjXi6dbU

[chetday]

Thank you for taking the time to film and then share the video, Mark.

[Robert77]

An interesting point about the video of Slydini doing the coins through table: in person Slydini's misdirection was simply amazing. His coins through table was much more impressive than it is in that video. Almost every single move, gesture, and intonation was a tool of his.

The camera can't be misdirected. It would be easy to assume that Slydini wasn't as great in person based on that video, but the opposite is true.

[Tarotist]

Thank you for taking the time to film and then share the video, Mark.

You are welcome Chet. The reaction to the video from laymen both in person and online has been very gratifying. In addition to that I have tried the new version of the trick out many times in the past with laymen and the response has been very positive. They are amused as well as baffled.

[Tom Stone]

OK. This is the best I can do. Make what you will of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8cEjXi6dbU

I really like this! A lot!
I hope you don't mind me asking, but I would be delighted if you granted me permission to build on your idea. Would you be ok with that?

[Tarotist]

By all means! After all you are a fellow genius just like myself! The only proviso is that you give me lots and lots and lots of credit for the basic idea. Egomaniacs like myself like that sort of thing...............

[Marco Pusterla]

Many thanks Mark for the video! The idea of using a paper bag takes the trick in the realm of organic magic and allows you to be one step ahead. Using three balls is more artistic, in construction, than Slydini's four. While you use three white napkins, the effect could be easily done with three napkins of different color, if they are available. A brilliant solution, congratulations!

[Tarotist]

I should mention that I normally use a much smaller bag than is seen in the video. It was all I had to hand at home. I usually do this in a coffee shop on an impromptu basis with friends. There are always paper napkins and bags there. I can't be carrying around music, hats or boxes with me. I do sometimes have a hat but the angles would not be good with people sitting so close. When Slydini does it I think he has to have the spectators sitting at a little distance. I don't think I have ever seen a video where the spectators are sitting close to him like he does with his other material.

Besides all those flowery gestures he uses are just not me. And I talk with my tricks. My distinctive voice is a strength of mine and it helps the presentation. In addition to this I have never liked Slydini's making the last ball disappear although I could see me making it work by making a joke about "making an invisible ball disappear". However, the main advantage of the routine is that it can now be done impromptu.

I have seen many videos of other people doing this trick, usually students of Slydini, the best being Tony Clark. However, they are always done to music. That restricts you to a formal show. I have never seen it done with patter but I really couldn't see any reason why not. I was always lukewarm about the trick but I decided to think out of the box (that is a pun---think about it) and came up with this new version.

I have just put it on TikTok to amuse all the teenagers on there and of course the Chinese spies that are reputed to inhabit the place. I must find out their reaction. I just hope they have finished commenting that they wished I was their grandfather.

[Marco Pusterla]

Today one could have music coming out of a phone, so technology has caught up with Slydini for an impromptu performance and there is no reason not to do the routine without music. I agree that having a text doesn't worsen the routine, and it should be a personal preference. While Slydini performed the routine at a table, at a distance from the audience, if you have two spectators close to you (one right, one left), the "hands dance" with the ball starts to make sense, as you will be showing the ball to the spectator on your left (maybe ask her to blow on it), then to the one on the right, etc. (of course, "blowing" in these Covid-times may not be ideal, but the spectators may just wave their hands over the ball, or tap it with a wand, pencil, straw...).

As I said before:

I find your technical ideas worth to be recorded and generally very practical.

and indeed you proved me correct again with this handling

[Dave Le Fevre]

Thank you for sharing it, Mark

[Tarotist]

Technology may have caught up with Slydini with regard to ,music coming out of a phone but alas technology has not caught up with me. I detest "phones" and think they should be banned. I can't bear people talking in loud or even not so loud voices into them. I was actually thinking of buying a phone jammer at one point until I found they were illegal. Besides I like the sound of my own voice far too much to use music.

Incidentally I think this is the best version (outside of Slydini) that I have seen using music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6RpMDtUZKM

Mind you I wouldn't do it in a coffee shop otherwise they would think you were mad and call security.................

[Tarotist]

Now that I am on a roll I am tempted to explain that I have also made major improvements to the Helicopter Card Trick, especially creating a double climax at the end. The trick badly needs a good climax. Anyway, I have decided not to explain it and push my luck. I shall quit while I am ahead.

[Tarotist]

I am fed up waiting for the magic cafe to come back so I can claim that my Friday prediction has come true so while I was waiting I made another video of my great paper bag trick. You see, the last one did not show my full routine. It is actually a four part routine of which the Slydini Paper Balls to Hat is only one phase. My new video shows three of the phases and leaves out a fourth since it requires the assistance of a human being. Since I have no human beings handy I have left that part out.

Anybody interested in seeing this new version?

[Tarotist]

I am going to show it to you all anyway whether you like it or not! Here you are!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzVzxX6MaXg

[chetday]

The new version showed up in my youtube feed last night, Mark, when I was about to watch the 24th episode of Court TV's seemingly endless retrospective of the OJ Simpson trial. And, yes, I can't believe I'm spending so much time watching that Trial of the Century. Anyway, I enjoyed your new video. Thanks for taking the time to make this one, too. I enjoyed the whole routine and, as lagniappe, got several good laughs from your closing comments and expressions. I can see why you're becoming a TikTok star.

[Tarotist]

Indeed Chet. I learned a long time ago (when I was a teenager in fact) that a good magician doesn't present magic. He should present HIMSELF presenting magic. It is actually more important than the trick.