Classic routines in card magic don’t come any better than this wonderful premise.
Let’s enjoy a video performance before delving into this conversation.
I first learnt it in The Royal Road to Card Magic.
I have lost count how many times I have referenced that book on this website.
My dear readers, followers, members of my community;
Do you have this book on your shelf?
Have you read it?
The material in my working repertoire was developed from this book. If you see me perform any variation on a classic effect, rest assured it came from an idea I discovered in this book.
Do As I Do is a stunning effect with a deep mystery for lay people.
The spectator gets to be a star for a moment, they find your card, you find theirs, a perfect match and outcome.
What makes the routine so powerful is the fact it is a hands off miracle, the spectator does all the work.
The original routine teaches a wonderful principle in card magic that has wider applications.
In the video above, I made use of an idea of Dai Vernon’s which I feel fits my premise and presentation.
I start this routine with a spectator thinking of a card, and continue as Jean Hugard taught in The Royal Road to Card Magic.
Now, this routine is as old as the hills. The premise is beautiful, can it be taken further?
Well yes.
As a teenager, I was given a copy of a manuscript called Darwin’s Deceptions.
It featured a few card routines by Darwin Ortiz. In this manuscript, Darwin taught a beautiful, powerful version of Do As I Do. This routine would be published in his stunning book Darwin Ortiz at the Card Table.
Here is s video of Darwin’s routine, enjoy.
Do as I Did is my preferred handling.
You must study the original to fully appreciate this routine. The original version, which I still use is fantastic, it is identical to this routine. Darwin’s routine features a number of important distinction which has raised this to miracle status
Let’s consider what makes his routine so fantastic:
The deck is in the spectators hands throughout
He cuts the deck as many times as he wishes.
The deck is cut under the table.
An unknown card is reversed whilst under the table.
The magician never touches the deck again
The final outcome is a perfect MATCH a MIRACLE, an impossible outcome.
This routine took the original and improved it beyond measure.
If you could do it for real, it wouldn’t look any different.
I love this premise so much, I have different versions.
One of my favourites is an original creation called Kismet, it was first published on my DVD The Classic Magic of Michael Vincent Volume 1 released by Alakazam Magic.
This version uses only one deck and for me, it is perfect because the spectator removes the card I thought of. At the end, there are two different cards on the table, the spectators and mine.
It is stunning
I have updated this routine with a new handling and presentation which is called SYNERGY, this will feature on my forthcoming DVD by the same name so stay tuned for that.
So, this routine is still as powerful today as it was when first published in The Royal Road to Card Magic.
I am very happy sharing my thoughts with you all about these routines. I have lived with them for decades. They are stronger now because I have grown with them, experience has taught me how to sell these routines for maximum impact.
I hope you will all be inspired to do the same with YOUR magic.
Good luck
Don’t forget to leave a comment
Thanks for reading
Mike♣️❤️♠️♦️