Card trick is the most general subject in the field of Magic. You can almost do any kind of tricks with a pack of cards ie. card change, vanishing, torn and restored, mindreading, poker cheating demonstration and the list goes on and on. And i like most magicians, love Card tricks and can't do without one. So what's the fuss about?

The problem with Card tricks lies in its popularity. As cards can be employ to accomplish a wide variety of effects, most magicians knows at least a trick or two with it and thus cards tricks are widely perform. Ask any audience/layman or even those are totally uninterested in Magic tricks and they will tell you that they have at least seen a card trick in their lifetime, or even know how to perform a few simple tricks with it. As in such cases, card tricks may not generate the same effect from the audience as with other close-up magic.

THe purpose of Magic as an entertainment art, is to mimic true miracles. The more realism is your trick and performance, the better will be the effect. Presenting miracles in the daily life such as street or close-up magic done with ordinary items such as money, coins, rubberband and stationary or even borrowed items generate that effect because the audience handles them daily and can associate with them.

Unless you are a gambler or frequent card player, none of the audience ever touch a pack of cards except maybe on Chinese New year or chalet gathering. As such, no normal person will bring a pack of card anywhere they go. The problem thus arises when presenting a card trick is that the audience may percieve that 1) your card is gimmick, 2) you are a sleight of hand master as they associate cards with either gambler or magician. The mental state of suspicious from the audience defeat the miracles mimicking objective of Magic. Card tricks present them more of mysteries and puzzles.

Yes, the audience know magic are a deception act and there is a logical explanation. This applies to all branch of magic. But the more realism you present, the better the effect is and cards appear to have lost that factor as it is commonly viewed as a prop of the magician. Its like a stage magic performance with the use of complicated props and big gimmicks.

But cards are just too great that magicians will continue to exploit it in their act. But not to the intensity of specializing in cards, but also open up to other branch of magic. A good miracle worker always knows a few trick from each branch of magic and is able to perform them at request anytime, anywhere.

Yea.. What you posted does make sense.. Well.. I agree that we should branch out and not just specialise in cards.. I have experience of just doing card tricks and layman actually feel you're a professional gambler or sleight of hand pro.. However, just by adding a few other non-card related stuff like rubber bands.. People see you more as a magician..