Classic Magic by Al Schneider

This is a collection of common card tricks known to be powerful and entertaining. Each of these effects has established a place for itself in the halls of magic greatness. Special cards are not required. In fact, the majority of these tricks need no set up. Just get a good deck and go. The first is Al Schneider's ambitious card routine. This goes beyond a classic ambitious routine for it is a show in itself. It begins with a series of fancy cuts, a trick comes out of nowhere, and suddenly the spectators find themselves in the middle of a serious card routine. In this routine, a selected marked card is repeatedly inserted into the middle of the deck and suddenly appears on the top of the deck. The routine ends with an appropriate powerful ending. The last trick is an excellent closer for the book and any card show. The aces are inserted into different places in the deck. The deck is shook and the aces fly out by themselves. Everything in between these two tricks can take an audience on a roller coaster ride through an amazing world of card manipulation. One feature is Gambler vs. Magician. It is a story about an argument between a gambler and a magician over who is the best with cards. It ends with a twist and the gambler looses a thousand dollars. Then, there is a presentation of an ace collection routine. An attempt is made to go back to the old way of presenting this routine. Al has a nice touch that allows a spectator to select on which pile the aces will appear. In each routine, Al has attempted to shave off handling problems and enable the routine to flow smoothly forward. All of these routines together form a very nice act. The conclusion of the book sets up a show using these tricks. They are organized with a patter thread that carries the show along from beginning to end.