Click on a letter below to go to a magic trick definition quickly, or browse all of the magic definitions below.

Ambitious Card Routine (ACR):

Card effect where a chosen card keeps on returning to the top of the pack.

Angles:

People sitting at certain position in the audience can spot the secret. Usually extreme left or right or behind. If a trick is 'angled' it can only be done with limited audience viewpoints. Example: The Balducci Levitation which can only be viewed a 45 degrees view between side and behind angles

Biddle Move:

A move used to bring selected card to the bottom of the deck.

Black Art:

You can't see black on black which is usfeul or secret compartments and secret hiding places on stage.

Bobo's:

Bobo's modern coin magic. 20th century book said to be one of the most comprehensive on coin magic

Bottom Charge:

Move used to change cards

Break:

A slight opening secretly held in a deck of cards.

Breather Crimp:

The breather crimp is a special type of "pyramid" crimp put into a card. It is good because it's not really detectable like the standard crimp is, but it's harder to put into the card and requires a little privacy. The breather crimp is an undetectable crimp that can be put on a card at a moments notice, and is an extremely powerful weapon in the card conjurors arsenal.

Book Pass Force:

The book-pass force is where you do an overhand shuffle (take a group of cards then throw them on the other pile, you do this repeatedly) except you hold the top card and keep it on top. This will leave the selected card on top.

Bridge-Sized Deck:

A deck of cards slightly smaller than a poker deck, measuring 2-1/4’ wide. Bridge-size cards are frequently used and give the magician an advantage in certain tricks because of their smaller width.

Card Discovery:

The climax or end of many card tricks during which the spectator’s card is revealed or produced in a “magical” manner.

Card Location:

Any method that allows the magician to find or locate a selected card after it has been returned to the pack.

Center Tear:

A special way of tearing up paper so that the centre piece with the message is retained by the magician.

Change:

Changing one card for another.

Charlier:

One handed flourish cut or pass.

Classic Force:

Making a spectator choose a card by fanning them and timing the force card to land under their fingers

Chop:

Code word for a magnet.

Chop Cup:

Cup with secret magnet used with a magnetic ball which can be made to vanish or appear at will using the magnet.

Classic Palm:

Holding an object in the center of the palm, gripped by the palm muscles lightly e.x. a coin.

Cold (deck):

Switching in a stacked deck.

Conjurer:

A magician.

Control:

Any method that allows the performer to move a particular card or cards to a specific location in the pack.

Crimp:

A bend or crease in a playing card in such a way that you are able to locate it in the deck by feel alone. The crimp can be put anywhere on the card, but the corners or long sides are generally used. You can crimp the card simply by bending the corner slightly upwards when showng it. You can also crimp the side of a card by squeezing it gently at the side between the thumb and forefinger. Basically, any (subtle) identifying bend or crease in a playing card qualifies as a crimp.

Cut Deck:

Magician pulls a deck of cards out of a box showing that the deck is cut in half! (from upper right corner to lower left corner).Magician claims that he/she performed at a restaurant a while ago, and when he was showing a trick to the cook that required him to cut the deck, he took it literally and chopped the deck in half. Now, the spectator fans the left half and asks the spectator to point to a card. That card is removed and given to the spectator. The spectator then fans the right half and asks another spectator to point to a card. That card is removed and given to the other spectator. The spectators are then asked to place their cards face down on the table. The magician takes their cards and puts them together, showing an exact match on the back of the cards. They are flipped over and revealed to be the 2 matching sections of one card!

CC / MC:

Conjorer's / magician's choice where an object is forced on a spectator by deciding if he takes or discards the objects selected.

Daub:

Conjorer's wax. Used to stick things together temporarily.

Deal:

To take cards off the top of the deck. Deal seconds (take the second card looking like the top) Deal Middles, (take a middle card looking like the top) , Deal Bottoms (take the bottom card looking like the top)

DL:

Double lift. Lifting two cards as one

Do As I Do:

When you have the spectator do the same things as you do.

Double Cut Force:

The double cut force is a way of forcing the top card of the deck

Double Lift:

This is were the two top cards are drawn up to be shown as one card alone. A fingerbreak between the two top cards before the sleight is executed, is very nice. Otherwise it requires really light fingers

Double Sided Cards:

Simply a double sided card which you can buy or make for many good effects.

Double Undercut:

Card Control used to return a card back to the top of the deck

Effect:

A sleight or magic trick

Face:

The face of a card shows its value and suit.

Face Cards, Picture cards, or Court Cards:

All of the jacks, queens, and kings.

False Cut:

Any cut that leaves the deck in the same order as it was before the cut.

False Shuffle:

Any shuffle that leaves the deck in the same order as it was before the shuffle.

False Transfer:

An object is put or taken into one hand while being retained in the other.

Faro Shuffle:

The faro, also known as the weave shuffle is a technique that perfectly interlaces the cards. It is not a false shuffle, but properly speaking a controlled shuffle. The shuffle can be made in the hands, or on the table which gives it the appearance of a tabled riffle shuffle.

Finger Break:

Move used to return to cards easily.

Flash:

Allowing the spectator to briefly see the face of any card.

Flourish:

A display of skill with cards. Usually not a trick but an important part of a trick like one handed cut, fan, and ribbon spread.

Force:

Causing a spectator to select a particular card or cards when the spectator thinks the choice was freely made.

French Drop:

A false transfer with a coin or small object.

Free Choice:

When a spectator really has a free choice, no force.

Gimmick / Gaff:

A secret device used in an execution of a magic trick.

Glide:

The glide is simply pulling back a bottom card so that the second to the bottom card is revealed alittle(this is done face-down though, so no-one can see the faces) It is only revealed for touch. The second to bottom card is the slipped out as if it was the bottom card. (Usually it looks 'the bottom card is shown. then the deck is facedown (no attention drawn to this), then the bottom card is slipped out.(Of course, really the 2nd the bottom is slipped out)

Glimpse:

Secretly noting a card while holding or shuffling the pack.

Greek Shift:

Move used to shift a card, or make a false cut

Greek Shuffle:

False Shuffle. Watch your angles

Haunted Deck:

Spectator freely selects a card, and that card is placed back onto the deck. The deck is cut and the spectator is told that the deck will remove the card by itself and then watches, as the deck removes the card! The deck can then be given to the spectator to reveal no gimmick is involved.

Hindu Shuffle:

An effective way to keep a card or several at the bottom of the deck.

Indicator Card:

A playing card used to identify the location, value, or suit of a diffferent card, usually selected by the audience.

Invisible Deck:

This deck is a trick deck wherein the backs of the cards used have a thick, non-slick surface. The cards are placed back to back in certain pairs.

IT/ITR:

Invisible thread, Invisible thread reel. Thin nylon thread that you can't see is used to levitate objects.

Impromptu:

A trick that can be performed at a moments notice, usually with everyday objects and little or no preparation.

Jog:

A card sleight in which a card is made to secretly protrude from the deck to a slight extent, thus enabling the magician to secretly locate it or the card next to it at a future moment.

Key Card:

A card, generally gimmicked, which is used to locate a particular card or cards in the deck

Top of Page

Lapping:

Dropping an object into one's lap to vanish it (done while seated).

Load:

To secretly put an object into a location eg A ball under a cup or a rabbit into a hat

Legerdemain:

A french term for magic of the hands or sleight of hand.

M5:

Powerful Neomidium magnet used for PK effects, balances, stopping watches, and vanishes.

Magic:

The art of entertaining an audience by performing illusions that baffle and amaze, often by giving the impression that something impossible has been achieved, almost as if the performer had magic or supernatural powers. Yet, this illusion of magic is created entirely by natural means. The practitioners of this mystery art may be called magicians, conjurors, illusionists or prestidigitators.

Manipulator:

A magician with a showy sleight of hand act, often set to music, who produces cards/coins etc or multiplies balls in the air.

Marked Deck:

A deck a cards with markings on the back to identify the front. You can name any marked card by looking at the back of it.

Mechanic's Grip:

The mechanics grip is one of the most often used for false dealing. It is sort of a compromise between the erdnase grip and the full grip. The forefinger curls around the outer right corner of the deck while the other three fingers curl around the side of the deck.

Miscalling a Card:

Purposely giving an incorrect identification of a card.

Misdirection:

Getting the spectators to cocentrate elsewhere when a move takes place.

Monte:

Famous con game where three cards are thrown down and the mark has to find the queen/ace etc. Due to sleight of hand, he never wins.

Muggle / Mark:

Non magician or subject for a con game.

One Ahead:

Principle often used in mentalism where the magician writes down the name of an item previously discovered instead of the current item he is trying to guess.

One Way Deck:

Here is a deck that you dont have to buy, you arrange the back of the deck pictures all the same way and when the spectator picks his card just switch the deck around. Then it is s the only one that is backwards. No more fake shuffles!

One Way Back Deck:

A deck where the back design is not the same upside down enabling a card or cards to be located because they are the wrong way up.

Out:

An ending to a trick that the magician uses if the trick goes wrong.

Overhand Shuffle:

A shuffle where you hold the cards in your right hand and you pull them off a few at a time into your left hand.

Palming a Card:

Method of concealing a card.

Pass:

A sleight.

Patter:

The talk a magician uses to accompany a trick.

Pinch:

Vanish done by snapping coin from lengthways in the finger tips to edgeways, incorparating a ROV element. Also a vanish used by carring a sponge ball from pinched between fingers to a palm.

PK:

Psychokenesis. e.x. moving things around usually done with threads or strong magnets.

Pull:

Device on elastic which pulls object up sleeve or under jacket.

Raven:

Magnetic Pull device used to vanish a small coin or magnetic object.

Readers / Paper:

Marked cards which can be read from their backs.

Reversed Card:

Any card that is face up in a face-down pack (or faced down in a face-up pack).

Riffle Shuffle:

Common shuffle that is used often.

ROV:

Retention of vision vanish. Put vanish for a coin.

RRTCM:

Royal Road to Card Magic. 20th Century book by Jean Hugard often cited as the best text for beginning card magic.

R / S:

The use of rough or smooth compounds on cards which makes them stick or slide easily.

Sandwiched Card:

Any card that is placed or located between two other pre-designated cards.

Self-Working Tricks:

Tricks that don't require sleight of hand or work automatically after doing a set routine.

Servante:

Secret shelf or compartment behind magicians table.

Shell:

A hollowed out coin or ball which fits over the real object allowing vanish and reproductions.

Shuffle:

The process of mixing a deck of cards.

Silk:

A silk handkerchief.

Sleeving:

Dropping an object up a sleeve to vanish it.

Slide:

A tube to get an object to an impossible location. E.g. A marked coin to ball of wool or object inside nested boxes.

Slip Force:

A Quick Force.

Sponge:

A sponge ball

Spot Cards:

Any card from ace through ten in any suit.

Springing Cards:

A flourish in which you bend the cards, let go, and catch them with the other hand.

Stack:

A prearranged deck or part of the deck of cards.

Steal:

A slight to obtain an object secretly. e.x. stealing a ball from under a cup or stealing a card from the pack.

Stranger Cards:

A stranger card is a card taken from another deck and added to the deck you're using. This allows you to perform many tricks in a much more mystifying way. For instance, cards inserted into the middle of the deck can be made to instantly reappear on the top or bottom. Some Stranger Cards are especially manufactured, to make things happen that couldn't otherwise. A good example is the gag card made to look like a Three-and-a-half of Clubs! (You can find these at your local Magic store, and many novelty shops).

Stripper:

This deck is cut in sort of a subtle 'trianglar' shape, meaning the top is wider than the bottom. If a card is place in upside down, the wider end of the card now matches with the decks lower end, making it easy to locate or even slip the card right out of the middle of the deck.

Stooge / Shill / Stick:

Audience member who is actually planted as part of the act and who acts in a cooperative manner.

Sucker effect:

A trick where the spectator is lead to believe he has worked it out, only to be proved very wrong.

Svengali Deck:

A deck consisting of 26 ordinary cards, all different, and 26 short cards all of the same suit and value. The latter may be narrower as well as shorter, but short duplicates only are generally used. The pack is set up by arranging the two sets alternately, thus every other card from the top is a card of the same suit and value.

Swami Gimmick:

Small writing device hidden under the nail used to "predict" what a spectator says by writing it seceretly after she says it.

Switch:

A sleight or move in which one object is secretly substituted for another.

Talking:

Not the words spoken, but an inadvertant noise made by the props which can give away the trick.

Topit:

Jacket with secret receptacle to vanish things.

T&R:

Torn and Restored. The magician rips something up into many pieces (eg playing card/paper etc) and then "restores" it. The method lies in switching in a new undamaged item.

TT:

Thumb tip. Plastic thumb cover for vanishing and reproducing small objects. Can be used for small liquid/powder (eg salt) vanishes and appearences.

Vegas Shuffle:

The vegas shuffle is the same as the reno shuffle when you cut the deck into two piles and with your thumbs merge them together. It is the same except you only merge the two piles in the corners, and then you straighten them out.

Vanish:

The act of making an object become nonexistent.

Woofle Dust / Magic Dust:

Excuse for going to a pocket to get rid of a vanished item.

Zombie:

An effect with a floating ball. Zombie type/zombie gimmick - a secret rod to make an object float usually under cover of a cloth.