The Ambitious Card Routine
This is one of the most well known and popular magic tricks in existence today. We will highlight a few of the reasons for its popularity, in this article.
The basic premise of this magic trick is as follows. The magician asks the spectator to pick a card from the deck. ( The spectator can even sign the card with a Sharpie if they wish ). The card is replaced face down on top of the deck and then picked up by the magician and inserted into the middle of the deck. then, with a snap of the magicians fingers, the card appears to have magically jumped back to the top of the deck. again.
There are many variations on the routine and an open ended invitation to add your own flair and personality to the trick. This can be in the form of an interesting or funny story that can be weaved into the structure of the routine. No matter which route is taken with the routine, there is one essential part which is at the heart of each performance and that is the double lift .
The double lift can simply be explained as lifting up two cards together and making them look as if they are only one card. This sounds simple enough, but performing the move smoothly and imperceptibly is vital to the success of the overall trick.
There are a multitude of tweaks on the basic double lift, ranging from basic to professional, depending on the experience and dexterity of the performer. You will find a mulitude of sources online, to look further into the workings of the move and even a few tutorials to get you started.
The ambitious card routine has been demonstrated in mainline media, i.e television specials e.t.c. many times. Some of its greatest performance, coming from proven professionals such as Michael Ammar and Tommy Wonder. These two geniuses can show you how a relatively simple trick can be transformed into an entertaining experience with the addition of a little patter and showmanship
Reasons For Its Popularity
Instant gratification : The complete routine from start to finish can be done in one fell swoop in a few seconds if desired. This helps keep your audiences attention focused and for them not to get distracted.
Easily accesible : Even though it is essential that the core double lift move, is practiced until it can be done smoothly, the trick is not that difficult and can be learnt and performed by most people in a reasonable amount of time.
Universal Appeal : The trick is uncomplicated and easy to follow. It follows the basic formula of what people expect to find in a magic spectacle and it has a strong finish.
Conclusion
The ambitious card routine is one of the most established and reworkable acts in magic. It can be used on its own as a self contained act or can be incorporated easily and effectively into many other routines and performances. This amount of flexiblity is another big draw to the move.
The big variable in the subject is the individuality and personality of the magician. The fact that these are almost infinitely unique, gives you the opportunity to put your spin on the performance and incorporate a little bit of yourself into the act.
One example of this type of signature variations is David Blaine, who successfully incorporates the double lift and variations of the ambitious card such as a crimped card jump into many of his performances. A lot of these are so skilfully blended into the overall act that a lot of the time they are not picked up by the audience as being a trick within a trick.
I can only suggest that you take a little time to research how some of the great magicians present the trick and this will hopefully inspire you to put your own twist on this great open ended magic opportunity.