Old Maurice's notes for the next generation
"The deck is your instrument. Learn to play it." — Old Maurice
Know your deck
52 cards, 4 suits. Understand the instrument before playing it. Pick up a deck right now. Feel the weight, the texture, the way they spread. This is your tool.
Basic grips matter
Mechanics grip, biddle grip, straddle grip. These are your foundation. Get these right and everything else follows. Get them wrong and you'll fight every move you try to learn.
One move at a time
Master the double lift before moving to passes. Walk before you run. The bloke who can do one move perfectly will outperform the one who can do ten badly every single time.
15 minutes daily
Beats 2 hours on weekends. Little and often wins. Your hands have muscle memory — feed it every day, not in binge sessions. Even 5 minutes with a deck while the kettle boils.
The Ambitious Card
Your first trick. It's beautiful, repeatable, and the reaction builds with each phase. Use a regular deck. No gimmicks needed. Dai Vernon fooled Houdini with it. If it's good enough for Vernon, it's good enough for you.
Perform for real people
Practising in front of a mirror is fine. Practising for your cat is fine. But you learn magic by performing it for real humans who don't know what's coming. Family first, then friends, then strangers.
These aren't suggestions. These are THE books. Every working card magician has read at least two of these.
📖Royal Road to Card Magic
Hugard & Braue. THE starting point. Has made more card magicians than any other book in history. Start here.
Expert at the Card Table
S.W. Erdnase. The next-level book. When you're ready to get serious about sleight of hand. Written by a mystery author over 100 years ago.
Card College — Roberto Giobbi
The modern textbook. 5 volumes that take you from absolute beginner to professional-level card work. Beautifully structured.
Strong Magic — Darwin Ortiz
Not about moves — about performance. The best book on how to make your magic HIT. Read this and everything changes.
Amazon links — buying through these helps keep the village running, costs you nothing extra.
Bicycle Playing Cards
What the pros use. Cheap, reliable, everyone recognises them. Buy a brick (12 decks) and practice guilt-free.
Close-Up Pad
Essential for practice and performance. Gives you a surface, protects your cards, looks professional. Under a tenner.
Magic-Oid — The Mystic Village
"World domination through kindness. One ember at a time."