Neo Techniques

I have a new project I’m starting for myself. And, like most of the projects I start for myself, I’ll share the details with you in the future if they’re worth sharing.

It started with a realization I had recently…

The less and less that people play cards in the real world, the more that when I hand a deck to people and ask them to shuffle, they do something that looks somewhat like a Charlier shuffle.

gif from TCMagick on youtube

This is great news because it means we have an easy false shuffle that mimics something people naturally do.

Similar to the philosophy behind the Neolift, I’m trying to collect techniques that mimic a non-card-handlers skills with cards.

I think when people watch an obviously skilled card magician, there is a limit to the sense of wonder they can feel. The magician’s feats can seem impressive to them, but I still get this sense that on some level they’re thinking…

“If what’s happening is magical… then when does he have to be so skilled?”

Of course, we know the audience isn’t going to really think they saw true “magic” when you show them a card trick, but why let them off the hook so easily by demonstrating skill with your card handling abilities?

I mean, unless the role you’re playing is one of a cardsharp, then you don’t gain anything by them thinking you’re good with a deck.

So I’m looking to collect some of these “neo techniques” (neo as in neophyte—as a beginner would handle things). You can help because a lot of you are more well-read than I and likely know of some techniques I haven’t heard of. So email me if there’s any specific sleights or techniques you think fit the bill. If there are enough of these techniques to make an interesting post in the future, I will do so.