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For years, people have asked me to reveal the secrets to my magic. I’ve never agreed to do so, until now... In my Studio, I share the secrets to my favorite card tricks, physical feats, and magic principles. I also share my real, behind-the-scenes process for inventing new tricks. If you’ve ever wondered how I do what I do, how I think, or what I’m like with my friends behind closed doors, you’ll find out in my Studio.


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- The oldest known reference in print for the key card principle is Girolamo Cardano’s _De subtilitate_, 1550 (early in Book XV).
- The “next card I flip over” bet is the so-called “Circus Card Trick”. In the classic text _Expert Card Technique_ from 1940 it is already called an “old, old trick”, its roots being unknown.
- The muscle reading reveal is based on the “Hellstrom Card Trick” from Oscar Hugo’s book _Magi Card System_, 1942.
- Revealing a selection by spelling its name was most likely invented by Dr. James Elliott. Supporting research was published in Gibeciere, Vol. 5 No. 1, Winter 2010.
- Pit Hartling’s “Finger Flicker” was published in his book _Card Fictions_, 2003. The technique behind this trick comes from the gambling community and while circulating through the underground for a while was finally introduced to a larger audience in the book _The Vernon Chronicles Volume 1_ by Stephen Minch, 1987.


Breakdown & Explanation

In this video, I’m going to teach you my favorite magic principle. The principle is simple (you’ll be able to perform it right away), but also incredibly powerful (this is the principle I use when trying to fool other magicians).

 I’ll teach you 5 powerful card tricks using this principle, and I’ll also show you how to invent your own tricks.

 If you’ve ever been curious to learn magic or want to see my approach, this is a great place to start. I’ve never shared my secrets anywhere else. In 20 minutes, I’ll bring you fully into my world and you’ll leave ready to perform mind-blowing illusions.

Card Trick #1: Learn My Favorite Magic Principle In 20 Minutes

Introduction to Magic: Key Card


This bonus video explores advanced applications of the key card principle. If you’re a beginner, you can skip this video if you want to focus on the key card tricks from the last video.

For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- Reading off the order of the cards after using a secret key card or positional placement while at a distance was used in early tricks performed over the phone, like “Number Please” for a positional placement (see Al Baker and Audley Walsh, _The Encyclopedia of Card Tricks_, 1937), and Ted Heuber in _The Magic 36_, 1943.
- The floating key card trick with two riffle shuffles is known as Jack McMillen’s “Mind Mirror”, combining C. O. Williams’s Interlocking Chain principle (see _Stanyon’s Magic_, Sep. 1913, later popularized by Charles Jordan) with a floating key card. This effect was first published in the book _Expert Card Technique_, 1940.
- Using moisture to mark an unknown key card for a location was published in _Expert Card Technique_, 1940, as “Impromptu Location”. (Affecting a vanish with moisture is even older, see for example _Page Wright’s Notebook_, 1933.)


Advanced Key Card


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- The blood-in-hand principle used by David for the Guess Which Hand Holds The Coin bet dates back to at least the 19th century.
- “Piff Paff Poof” is a reference to the signature catchphrase of magician Geoffrey Durham.
- The Topological Bill Exchange by rolling two bills on a surface is Bill Crowe’s “Inflation”. Crowe used a slightly different bill layout when he first published it in _The Jinx_, No. 20, 1936.
- The Pulse Stop, a pet effect of Indian street magicians, was described as early as 1918 in _The Magical Record_, but is certainly older than that. It is usually performed with a small hard ball under the arm.
- The Vanishing Napkin is a classic impromptu trick and a popular reference is J. G. Thompson’s _My Best_, 1945, where it explains the handling of R. C. Buff. Using a secretly torn-off corner simulating the napkin comes from a Tom Mullica video.


Improvisational Magic & Bets


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- Sid Lorraine’s Slop Shuffle was first published in John Braun and Stewart Judah’s book _Subtle Problems You Will Do_, 1937.
- The dribble in-jog control is based on “The ‘Slap’ Location” from _Greater Magic_, 1938, in which the whole upper half is dropped at an angle, creating an in-jog. Replacing the drop with a dribble didn’t seem to become popular until the 1970s to 80s.
- While there are precursors with a tabled cut (Erdnase, 1902) and jogs (Charles Jordan, 1922), the first in-the-hands versions of the double undercut using a break were published in 1946 in two places: by Arthur Buckley in his book _Card Control_ and by Dai Vernon in the “Cutting the Aces” issue of the _Stars of Magic_ series.


Slop Shuffle


David will teach the Fan Kickback and the Double Lift in Part 2 of class.

To learn how to perform a Swing Cut as demonstrated by Steve, please refer back to [Asi Wind’s Intro to Card Handling lesson](https://studio.com/david-blaine-magic/classroom/home/card-handling) in the Pre-Class.

For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- The Automatic Jog Control was described by Walter Gibson in _The Magic Wand_, Oct. 1919. The one-handed fan closing was added by Paul Le Paul when he described his handling in _The Card Magic of Le Paul_, 1949.
- Using a reversed card as a key card in the Whoops Control was first published by Jean Hugard without attribution in issue four of _Card Manipulations_, 1935. A few years later it was popularized by U.F. Grant.


Card Controls


Please exercise extreme safety and precaution if you are practicing or performing with any lighters, flames, or fire.

For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- The riffle force with flip-over of the top half’s bold approach was published by Tony Kardyro as “Flip-Over Force No. 1” in his _Kardyro’s Kard Konjuring_, 1955.
- The forcing principle behind the Hindu Shuffle Force is described with an overhand shuffle in the anonymously written _Ein Spiel Karten_ from 1853. The first description in print with the grip of the so-called Hindu Shuffle is found in _The Sphinx_, Sep. 1933, by Carl Shome.
- The Criss Cross Force is known as Max Holden’s Cross-the-Cut Force and was first published by him in Edward Bagshawe’s magazine _The Magical Monthly_, July, 1925.
- The principle of the spread force with the force card hidden under the spread dates back to at least 1700, its first known recording being an unpublished manuscript from that time titled _Asti Manuscript_. It was published in English in the Winter 2013 issue of _The Gibecière_.
- Ed Balducci’s Cut Deeper Force was published in _Hugard’s Magic Monthly_, Nov. 1956.
- The idea behind the FriXion Pen Prediction revelation, originally done with chalk writing on a slate, is by Norman Ashworth, see his “Before your Eyes” in the magic periodical _The Jinx No. 32_, 1937.
- “The ‘Too Perfect’ Theory” that Steve mentioned is attributed to Rick Johnsson and was first published in 1971 in _The Hierophant_ and was widely discussed in print afterwards.


Forces


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- The application of the Re-Deal Force to this type of suit-value-card-creation effect goes back to Al Leech’s “The Spectator Does a Trick” from _Cardmanship_, 1959. The Re-Deal Force itself, while having older roots, first appeared in its modern form in Bill Simon’s book _Sleightly Sensational_, 1954, as an Ace location.


Multiple Outs


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following reference:

- The Magician’s Choice principle is probably as old as magic itself. It was exposed in print in Henri Decremps’s _Testament de Jérome Sharp_, 1785.


Magician's Choice


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- Paul Curry first marketed “Out of This World” in 1942.
- The idea of predicting the number of mistakes the spectator makes was first published by Ron Wilson in _The New Tops_, April 1965. Predicting the actual mistake cards, while not more difficult, seems to have been thought of much later and was included in the book _The Close-Up Magic of Aldo Colombini_, 1994.
- Harry Lorayne published an impromptu version of this trick in _Impromptu Out of this World_, 1965. It turns out that U.F. Grant had the same idea shortly after the original version was published, see _Out of this World - And Beyond_, 1975.


Out of This World & Variations


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- Lifting two cards as one from the deck goes back a long time, with first instances recorded in the 17th century. Turning over two cards on the deck (a Double Turnover, instead of just a Double Lift) is generally credited to Arthur Finley at the beginning of the 20th century.
- In _Stars of Magic_, 1949, Dai Vernon published a strategy of removing a single card and holding it while the left hand picks up a break under the top card before the single card is replaced and the double can be turned over.
- The Instantaneous Double Lift as demonstrated by Steve is also known as the Hit Double Lift in which the right first finger pulls up two cards without any previous break. It was published around 1950 by different people, making its originator hard to pin down. Among them are Paul LePaul, Dr. Jacob Daley, Dai Vernon, and Ed Marlo.
- The Chicago Opener is an effect by Al Leech that he first marketed as “A Red Hot Trick” in 1950.
- While precursors have been found in manuscripts, the two card transposition plot was properly published in Gilles-Edme Guyot’s _Nouvelles recreations physiques et mathematiques_, 1769.


Double Lift & Chicago Opener


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- The original version of this effect is Eddie Fechter’s “Be Honest What Is It?” from _Magician Nitely_, 1974. The handling as it is usually seen today is Tom Ogden’s “The Subtle Switch” from _M-U-M_, April 1982.


Two Card Monte


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- The Splat Change is also known as the Flip-Over Change and was published by Paul Harris in _A Close-Up Kinda Guy_, 1983.
- The “Shape Shifter” transformation is Marc DeSouza’s handling of Oscar Munoz’s “Pirouette Change”. Both first appeared in Steve Beam’s _The Trapdoor_ issue 48, 1993.
- The Snap-Over Change is quite old and can be found in Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin’s book _Secrets of Conjuring and Magic_, 1868. However, vaguer descriptions are found in even earlier texts.
- The Snap Change first appeared in the French magazine _I’Illusionniste_, Jan. 1905, by Van Lamèche.
- Noel Stanton’s “Pivot Color Change” can be found in _The Gen_, June 1964.
- Paul Harris published the “Instant Replay” and “Simple Switch” flourishes in _A Close-Up Kinda Guy_, 1983.
- Lennart Green published his Top Shot in his _Green Magic_ videotapes, 2000.
- Daryl’s Hot Shot Cut was published in _For Your Entertainment Pleasure_, 1982.
- Audley Walsh’s “Long Distance Spinner” appeared in _The Tarbell Course of Magic Volume 4_, 1945.


Flourishes

In this video series, for the first time ever, I share the secrets behind my magic. With these secrets, you’ll be able to walk into any room anywhere in the world at any time, and immediately blow people’s mind.

 You’ll learn 30 of my favorite card tricks from my everyday life, television specials, and stage shows. Along the way, I explain all of the principles, psychology, and nuances, so you understand, not just how to do the trick, but how I think about magic.

 I show you how I invent new tricks and how you can do the same. I show you how to perform tricks to get the biggest reactions. And I show you what I’m like with my magician friends behind closed doors — how we jam, invent, and share secrets.

 Magicians aren’t supposed to share these guarded secrets, but I believe that by sharing these secrets with you, you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for the art of magic.

Revealing The Secrets To 30 of My Favorite Card Tricks


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following reference:

- Shinkoh Nagisas’s “Twisting Arm Illusion” was published by Meir Yedid in 1988.


Arm Twist & How to Make People Care


Please exercise extreme safety and precaution when attempting to rip a deck of cards in half.

For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following references:

- The strongman stunt of tearing a pack of cards in half began appearing in newspapers around 1888.
- Having two cards from two decks chosen, and then showing that they are the same, was established by Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin in _The Secrets of Conjuring and Magic_, 1868, as “The Sympathetic Cards”. He already used a similar method, but with two decks instead of the torn halves of one deck.


Ripping a Deck of Cards


Please exercise extreme safety and precaution when attempting to break a pair of handcuffs.


Breaking Handcuffs


Do not attempt the breath hold at home.

This video is for entertainment purposes only. Practicing the breath hold may lead to serious injury or death.


Breath Holding

In this video series, for the first time ever, I share the secrets behind my signature physical feats, including breaking a pair of handcuffs and ripping a deck of cards in half.

 I also share the full behind the scenes process as I train 3 of my friends to hold their breath up to 5+ minutes, explaining all the technique and physiology along the way.

 Magicians aren’t supposed to share these guarded secrets, but I believe that by sharing these secrets with you, you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for the art of magic.

Revealing The Secrets To My Most Popular Physical Feats


For more information on the history of what was covered in this video, you can check out the following reference:

- A related effect to the deck stab is Ed Marlo’s “Jab It!”, _Marlo Miracles Series_ No. 3, 1945, in which a knife is stabbed into the back of a tabled deck, leaving several cards pierced onto its blade. The bottom card of the pierced bunch is the selection.


Brainstorming the Trick


Do not attempt these tricks at home.

This video is for entertainment purposes only. Practicing these tricks may lead to serious injury or bodily harm.


Inventing a New Trick: The Deck Stab

In this video series, I share my entire, start-to-finish creative process on camera, as I invent a brand new magic trick alongside collaborators.  Along the way, I share and explain everything that I’m doing and thinking in detail — every idea, decision, tool, and technique.

 You’ll learn exactly how I invent magic, from how we come up with the initial idea all the way through the first performances of the trick.

 If you’re curious what it takes to learn and perfect an original trick, you can see exactly how I do it in this series.

Behind the scenes videos from David Blaine

Card Trick #1: Learn My Favorite Magic Principle In 20 Minutes

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Revealing The Secrets To 30 of My Favorite Card Tricks

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Revealing The Secrets To My Most Popular Physical Feats

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Developing a New Magic Trick from Scratch: My Behind-The-Scenes Process

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