Asad Chaudhry of 52Kards has shared a video discussing Sucker Punch, a special set of poker chips for magic tricks designed by Mark Southworth. He offers a thorough assessment of the product, including the difficulty, the quality of instruction, and the cost.

The product includes 16 chips and online instruction for six different effects taught by Eric Jones, the acclaimed coin magician from Murphy’s Magic. Sucker Punch is a versatile option for practitioners of coin magic. Not only are the effects visually impressive, but Chaudhry was particularly impressed by the value. At $39.95, it’s one of the least expensive gimmicks for coin magic and the build quality is excellent. Check out the whole video to also have a chance to win your own Sucker Punch in a 52Kards giveaway. Or to ensure getting your own, head to the 52Kards store.

Finding the right ending is difficult for any narrative pursuit, whether you’re writing or performing magic. In the second part of our GeniiCon 2017 interview, Curtis Kam offers some advice on cliches to avoid when ending a trick, and tips on what to look for when coming up with an ending.

For the rest of our interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On discovering coin magic in Hawaii

Part three: On finding your own voice

Part four: On crafting stories around magic

Part five: Advice to new magicians: “Find a mentor”

Part six: Curtis Kam’s fascination with the Museum of Broken Relationships

Part seven: Watch Curtis Kam make coins appear out of thin air

The Magic Castle shows are quite the clandestine operation. It’s formal attire only, you need a special invitation, and they definitely don’t want you snapping photos with your phone. So it’s a special treat when the performers do share a glimpse of what happens inside the private club, which is also the headquarters for the Academy of Magical Arts. Today, we’ve got a short video of JazzMagic, a duo act by Paul Gertner and Marty Ashby. Gertner handles the coin moves while Ashby lays down an acoustic guitar vamp in this introduction to the show. It’s almost like being there in person (or at least we’ll keep telling ourselves that).

The problem with learning magic these days isn’t that it’s hard to find guides and tutorials; it’s that there’s an abundance of information, and knowing how to sift through it all is vital if you don’t want to develop bad habits. In our interview at GeniiCon 2017, coin magician Curtis Kam talks about how it’s important for budding illusionists to find someone experienced who can curate their intake of instruction and knowledge, as well as other ways newcomers can learn how to improve.

For the rest of our interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On discovering coin magic in Hawaii

Part two: Simple rules for ending a magic trick

Part three: On finding your own voice

Part four: On crafting stories around magic

Part six: Curtis Kam’s fascination with the Museum of Broken Relationships

Part seven: Watch Curtis Kam make coins appear out of thin air

Curtis Kam has been professionally performing magic for years, but he also offers consultation and advice for magicians looking to begin and develop their craft. In the third part of our interview at GeniiCon 2017, Kam talks about helping people figure out one of the most important parts of magic: how to find your own voice.

For the rest of our interview, check out the links below:

Part one: On discovering coin magic in Hawaii

Part two: Simple rules for ending a magic trick

Part four: On crafting stories around magic

Part five: Advice to new magicians: “Find a mentor”

Part six: Curtis Kam’s fascination with the Museum of Broken Relationships

Part seven: Watch Curtis Kam make coins appear out of thin air

Curtis Kam is one of magic’s leading experts of coin illuions—leading many to dub him the “King of Coins”. But Kam’s journey to finding his magical niche didn’t begin with coins. In the first part of our interview at GeniiCon 2017, Curtis Kam talks about why he fell in love with coin magic, learning magic in Hawaii, and how coin magic allows him to appreciate and understand performing other kinds of magic.

For the rest of our interview, check out the links below:

Part two: Simple rules for ending a magic trick  

Part three: On finding your own voice

Part four: On crafting stories around magic

Part five: Advice to new magicians: “Find a mentor”

Part six: Curtis Kam’s fascination with the Museum of Broken Relationships

Part seven: Watch Curtis Kam make coins appear out of thin air

This one will be pretty easy for anyone who’s already mastered palming a coin, but it highlights two other areas that are vital for budding magicians: acting and coordination. Performing magic is more than just knowing the method – you also have to sell the effect to an audience. Making your movements fluid and natural takes a lot of practice, and this trick is simple enough to let you focus on those elements. Shout out to Matt Wayne’s use of the term “thumb crotch,” as well. 

Like all great art forms, magic’s foundation is based on an array of basic skills that are a great starting point for anyone looking to learn the craft. In this video, Matt Wayne (whose site no longer seems active) demonstrates two different ways to palm a coin, a building block of countless tricks. Of course, you can do this with more than just coins; anything the correct size will work, but coins are a natural starting point.

There’s no real criteria for winning on Penn & Teller Fool Us, mainly because even well-established routines can be impossible to detect with enough skill. Eric Mead’s performance on last week’s episode is a perfect example of this.

Before beginning his routine, Mead takes great care to explain that he’s going to perform coin magic—one of the oldest tricks in the book—and that while Penn & Teller may know how 90% of the trick is done, it’s the last 10% that will stump them both. By explaining the rules in this way, he then puts the onus on the hosts to abide by his own terms. It’s a pretty stunning bit of verbal misdirection… and then the trick starts.

Even if he didn’t win, Mead’s coin magic employs god-like sleight of hand and enough linguistic gymnastics to win an Olympic medal. Take ten minutes to watch his performance and wonder to yourself all day how the hell did he do that?