Cards are power; learn to harness that power, and you will be forever rewarded” – From Preface by James Swain.

James Swain’s book – 21st Century Card Magic – has stunningly effective simple card routines. Improve your sleight-of-hand card skills immediately and with ease. Thorough instructions with photo illustrated explanations to learn.

From Introduction by Bill Malone

“This book is a perfect way to start off the new century. I have tried many of these routines in front of real people and can attest to their greatness. This book has something for everyone, whether you are a beginner or an accomplished sleight of hand magician…There are so many routines in this book worth performing that I do not have time to mention them all…It is a well known saying, if you can find one trick in a book that you can actually use than you’ve gotten your money’s worth. Well, with this book, you will get your money’s worth over and over again.”

Contents: Includes Sleights taught for each routine

ix Preface
xi Introduction by Bill Malone
3 Departure: Invisible Shulien Revelation
7 Tongue in Cheek: Ascanio’s Faro Shuffle idea
11 Metamorphosis: Frank Garcia’s Pirouette Double Lift; J.K. Hartman’s Covered Cop Transfer
17 Ice Breaker: Paul LePaul Flourish
20 A Tribute to Dunninger
23 The 21 Card Trick: Gene Finnell’s Free Cut Principle; Jay Ose’s False Cut; Marlo’s Flash Speller
26 Tale of Titanic Thompson
29 Psychic Poker: Phil Goldstein’s Binary Cut Sorting Process
33 Bill Malone’s “Cut Em High and Tie”
35 Birds of a Feather: Brother Hamman’s Swivel Switch; Larry Jenning’s Modification of Daryl’s Display Sequence
43 Diving Rod: Marlo’s Cut and Shuffle Sequence
46 Miraculous: Frank Thompson’s Four Card Revelation
50 Equivocally Triumphant
53 The Miracle Deck: Peeking a Card During the Pass
57 The Last Good Trick: Gene Maze’s Card Box Load
60 The Four Robbers
64 21st Century Assembly
68 Del Ray’s Handling of LePaul’s Gymnastic Aces
71 Too Many Jokers

Weapons

75 Look Away Force
78 Steve Bedwell Control Variation
80 Card Warp Display
83 Unloading a Card
85 Peek, Stop, Touch
87 2 Full-Deck Controls
91 The Dummy Force
93 The Dummy Pass
95 The Dummy Fan Force

Tricks of The Masters

99 Mike Skinner’s Placement Principle: Marlo’s Faro Check
102 Count on It (Paul Cummins)
105 Persi’s Collectors (Persi Diaconis): Marlo’s Mechanical Second Revelation
108 I Am In Debt (Fred Kaps): Marlo’s Book Break
111 Instant Aces (Larry Jennings): Ken Krenzel’s Mechanical Reverse
114 Shipwrecked (Daryl, Bill Malone)
117 Quick D-Way
123 Royal Aces (Ron Ferris): Benzais Cut with two cards; Walter Scott’s technique for Dealing Seconds
127 1002nd Aces (Alex Elmsley)
131 Sympathetic Thirteen (Nate Leipsig): Paul Curry’s Swindle Switch

Gambling Routines

137 Poker Interchange Redux
140 Center Deal Demo/The Muck: Alex Elmsley’s Just Lucky Shuffle; The Drop Switch (Original)
144 Just Lucky Eight Card Stack
147 21st Century Magician vs. Gambler

Larry Jennings

149 Famous Chop Cup Routine