i was at a magic shop and the person was selling the break thru card system to another magician, but he said he would rather use a mark deck. his reason is it is easier to be to do tricks. he said he is rather afraid of that people would want to shuffle the deck. but the magician said it wouldn't be a problem if u are a season performer.

i want to ask everyone on their take on this. would you rather get the stack or a marked deck?

Adrian

depends on your style, really

some magician like the feeling of the spectator shuffling the cards throughout thier performance. In such a case, a stack deck would not suit you.

so, what would u prefer?

well it is not me. i would use both in different situations. a stack would be easier to get the next card and the spectator would not be able to explain why as i am not looking at the back of the cards. while a marked deck requireds you to have a good look at the shape in order to tell the card. normally design are small and cannot be seen by just moving your eyes across. but still you are able to let your spectator handle the cards however they want. yeah.

anyway, i just curious what other people would feel with regards to that situation. to me, this 2 system are not exclusive. so it is a must to have both! yeah!

Adrian

A convincing false shuffle should cancelled out all suspicions from the laymen.

A mastered + convincing false shuffle will cancelled out all suspicions from laymen and magicians alike.

In short, learn a good false shuffle. ;)

I'll stack a mark deck.

I would recommend you a stacked deck (assuming you are a beginner).

Audiences are more likely to suspect a marked deck than a stacked deck, and even if they cannot find the marks, they may still suspect it (it's the puzzle vs magic problem again).

On the other hand, using a stacked deck will allow you to not look at their card, yet being able to divine it (or do other effects).

But definitely, with practice, your ability to handle either deck will be better. You can integrate marked deck into a routine (besides the usual pick-a-card-and-I-reveal-it type of tricks) as well as being able to control the audience or false-shuffling a stacked deck.

So, while using a stacked deck, you may try to dispel requests (or even the thought of requesting) to shuffle the deck.
-Subtly suggest that the cards are as normal as they can be (act clumsily with the cards, drop them, etc. or do a few sloppy cuts and false shuffles)
-Do an effect which does not require a stacked deck prior to one that does, yet still retaining full deck order (but it can survive simple cuts)
-Follow the effect with an effect that does not require a stacked deck, and destroy the stack in the process, so the cards can be examined at the end if anyone requests to (or if they request earlier, tell them they can examine the cards at the end)

i have thought of it before but i felt werid thinking what i can do with it. first, if i have a stack, i don't need a mark deck. and if i have a marked deck, why would i need to stack?


okay, i was thinking of a routine that using a stack marked deck. first shows some mind reading trick, thru a stack then allowed the spectator to shuffle the deck and do a similar trick using the marks on the card. but then i realised that, to the spectator, it would just be a same trick. he would know what is the difference. anyway, this trick could just be perform using a marked deck that need not to be stack. if you could do some amazing mind reading, the focus should be on your ability to read his card off his mind and not that he shuffled the deck.

think is just my 2 cents worth of thoughts.

anyway, for the thousand time, i heard this conversation betwen the magic shop owner and a magician and i thought this is a good topic to talk abt. yeah!

Adrian

The magician that performed the effect of a marked deck to me didn't really do it well... so i've had a mini-phobia of marks ever since.

as in, the marks seemed pretty obvious! :ph43r:
layman never notice though. unless it's a heckler.

anyway, in my opinion, i would prefer stacks to marks. there's lesser heat on what you're doing. say if you badly need to glance at the mark, and everone's watching.. and your adrenaline gets all pumped~ ^_^

whereas a stack(like a memorised deck) is already "marked in your head", so you can do a lot more for your presentation.

presentation IS important, right?

I'd say presentation and method aren't 2 different things but are elements of the whole called "the performance". Very quickly: an effect when performed via a good method would definitely be superior in terms of delivery and appearance. No matter how good a presentation is, if the method looks unclean and suspect - not much magic.

Anyways, I'd say a combination of stacks and marks work well together. Some may be concerned about marks being seen by the spectators. This is actually a matter of structuring the effect so that you choose the right moment to get your glance. You'd probably get caught if the moment they touch a card you're desparately staring at the back of it.

If you let them take it out, look at it and then glance only as they return it, that'd play slightly better in the deceptiveness of the marked deck methods. If they really do already suspect marks, you don't have to reply on marks alone. There're many peeks to let you in on the identity of the card to begin with. Bottomline is, it's the confidence and the structuring and layering of the effect that will keep your secert safe.

As for stacks (I also utilise a mem deck), they work pretty well too. While the stack is supposed to already be "in your head", in the heat of performance, some things can just slip your mind. And it shows on your face when trying to recall. That said, I've seen many incredible applications of stack decks.