#52 The Last One

O. M. G. We are finally here. Didn't think I would see this day. No more thinking about new videos every week. This is such a relief!

I have to say that this has been an incredible journey in the realm of card magic. I've had a lot of fun, even when I had to force myself to come up with something and when I had to hunt for people to act as assistants. Big thanks to my girlfriend Jane for helping with so many of the videos and for seeing this through with me. Also a big thank you to everybody at the "Session" where many of the videos were filmed. And of course thank YOU for being here and making all this so much more joyful.

This final one isn't really a new creation. In fact it is something that I've been working on for nearly three years already. It all started after seeing Helder Guimaraes's sandwich routine and trying to come up with an impromptu version of it. Let's just say that we've come quite a road from that.

In this routine I'm trying to use every bit of technique I know to create an impossible effect. It is a combination of sleight of hand, psychology, presentation, preparation, improvisation, persuation, and misdirection. This is one of my favourite routines. It is like a child to me, and "she" has the honor act the leading role in the final video of 52 Times A Week.




There is one more thing... But you'll hear about it later!

Until then, Magic-Love-Freedom-Humor-Magic. And everything else is nothingness.

#51 Vernon's Legacy

Here is a nice piece of card magic. My goal was to make an effect so impossible that it could not be explained. This combines techniques and ideas from Dai Vernon, Eric Mead, Stewart James, Juan Tamariz, and David Berglas. And probably a lot of other guys, too.

#50 The Bog

Here is a blindfolded poker-ish deal. Any named poker hand dealed from the deck blindfolded. This trick was inspired by Daniel Madison's performance on Penn and Teller: Fool Us. It's basically the same trick but with a different method. The method might be a bit too obvious and balsy, but I find it also beautiful and pure at the same time.

The Bog.

#49 Dead Cutting

Here is an ace cutting routine. It's based on Ed Marlo's "Miracle Ace Cutting" with some additional goodies by Dai Vernon, Dani DaOrtiz, Lennart Green, and myself.

For some reason I have trouble pronouncing certain words during the presentation. I have no idea why this happens. I guess it's hard to think and talk at the same time. And breathe.



PS. For some reason the queen of spades makes multiple appearances during the routine. I have no idea why this happens.

#48 Lucky Shot

In the European FISM convention in Blackpool George Luck showed me a very neat way to spin a card from the deck. The first couple of times I had no idea how he did it and I instantly fell in love with the move. George didn't have a name for the thing, so let's call it "The Lucky Shot" until he comes up with a better name.

#47 Taivex

As I posted both of the last two videos conciderably late I realized that I had essentially skipped a week. The video I posted yesterday was for last week and this one is for this week, so now I should have catched up.

The title is totally random. I have no idea what it means. The best way to describe the trick itself would be "a wrong way of doing Out Of This World".

Thanks for Risto "Taivex" Leppänen for making a cameo in the video and to Stefan Emberg for inspiring the method.

#46 Just A Coincidence

Here is a simple coincidence effect combining two powerful methods into one mediocre effect. Or it could be just a coincidence.

#45 Thunderbird Handling

I know, I'm late! I moved to a new apartment and I have had a lot of work to do, so I'm pretty surprised that we are actually seeing a new video this week.

This is Lee Asher's Thunderbird with a little presentational twist. The performance nor the technique are nowhere near perfect and I think there are a few minor flashes. Not my best video really... It is kind of relieveing to know that soon this project will be completed.

Here is my handling of the Thunderbird:

#44 Classic: Reset

This is my handling of Paul Harris's modern classic 'Reset'. When I started doing magic many years ago, this was my favourite card trick for the longest time. Over the years it has evolved and seen many changes but I still haven't found a version that would satisfy me completely. This is my current handling and there are many things that I like. The handling at the beginning is Bebel's (the master) and the clever ending solution is by Helder Guimaraes.

#43 Impossible Stop Trick

This isn't actually a new creation. This is a self-working trick that I've been doing for years now and it never fails to get a strong reaction. I hope it comes across well through the camera, too.



PS. Credits to Vernon and Daley.

#42 Tribute

Here is some interesting card handling and a couple of funny ways to switch cards.

#41 Color Change Theory

Fooling people with minimal sleights and some carefully chosen words is something I really enjoy. Sadly, things like that don't usually work over camera. But I'm trying.

I don't believe this actually fools anyone, but it should take a while to figure out. There's a bunch of little details that make me giggle when I think about them.

#40 Complexity

YEAH!! We are at number 40! Amazing! Only 12 more to go. That means we are only three months away from completing the project.

This week we have a rather funny way of switching stuff around. We got some classic LePaul moves and a variation of a varation of a move. A Tamariz move found in Sonata to be exact. But I don't want to be that exact. Exactly. Complex stuff.

Complexity.

#39 Mystic Moves

I found the selection with a color change! Originality!!!!1111!! No, this one isn't really about the effect. The method(s) is/are quite funny, so I hope some of you will get some kicks out of this. Two original sleights. Both quite stupid. And quite mystical.

#38 Insanity

There are two reasons why this is called "Insanity".

1) It perfectly depicts the feeling you get when you try to do it.
2) Who in their right mind would prefer kings over aces?



PS. The music is a little over the top, I know.

#37 R-Evolve

Here is some simple sleight of hand and a little surprise. I know my handling is kinda sloppy. I'm working on it.

I shot some pretty awesome mentalism material with real spectators a couple days ago, but I decided to show you something else so people don't have to accuse me of using stooges.

#36 Long Distance Trick

Lately people have wondered if some of these effects are setup, so I think that I should clear a one thing up. The reason why you can see the same people in some of the videos is that I film most of the tricks at a weekly magic meeting that I go to. The people you see in the videos are magicians and they are my friends, but they are never "in on it". There is always a method and I never use stooges, since I think that is the weakest solution to any problem.

So, no stooges here either. The lively fellow witnessing the trick this week is Sakari Wilenius, so thanks to him for helping out with this Long Distance Trick.

#35 Ennätystehdas

This is essentially what I did on TV earlier this year. A simple trick that is not so simple to do.

PS. I know I'm late with this one. New video coming tomorrow!

#34 Winrar

Here's a Triumph handling. We never have enough of those. This one is inspired by Dani DaOrtiz's beautiful effect Quick Triumph. Not only is this version here terribly titled, it is also unnecessarily complicated. Hopefully it will fool most of you when you watch it for the first time.

If not, then you are teh Winrar!

#33 Freshly Squeezed Miracles

Having fun with Daniel Garcia! He performed his hilarious version of Sam The Bellhop after this, but sadly we didn't catch it on video. We were laughing in tears!



I really had the best time this weekend at the Nordic Magic Convention! I entered the competition just to prepare for FISM next year. I wanted to get some feedback from people, but I made many mistakes and pretty much bombed my whole act. At least that's what I thought. The judges didn't agree and they awarded me the first prize. After the competition I was pleased to hear that even Roberto Giobbi, who was one of the judges, was suspecting that I might have used a stooge!

However, the best part of the weekend was the possibility to have conversations with Armando Lucero. We spent hours talking every night. The man is a god. He really made me think about magic in a new way and made me realize how little we actually now about the art...

#32 Conversion

This is a fun one. The idea was to create a visual transposition effect with using only two cards. Nothing extra. This is what I came up with.

I actually have had this idea quite a while now, but just recently I came up with the missing little thing that took the effect to a whole new level.

Conversion.

#31 Pocket Bluff

This on is rather simple and there isn't really a lot to say about. This is just a very practical little routine that is kinda fun to do. In the video there are at least two very bad mistakes that I saw immediately when I got the video rendered. However, I got a schedule to keep up with, so this performance will have to do. I hope you can forgive me one day.

Pocket Bluff.

#30 Tasteless

I have been playing around with this idea (which I believe is first seen in Paul LePaul's card to wallet routine) for a while now but didn't really know what to do with it. Today, while filming a completely different trick I suddenly realized what I had to do with it.

#29 The Trick That Doesn't Get A Reaction

"Any Card At Any Number" is something that I do when I get bored. Well I was bored like the rest of the class and the guys made me make this weeks video. Here's the result.

I know that some of you think that this must be a set up and uses stooges. It's not. For those who know the method, it is painfully obvious how it's done.

I'll come up with some sleight of hand next week. Until then:

#28 Thinking Outside The Pocket

I was just about to leave our weekly magic session and then I remembered that I got to come up with a new trick this week. I literarly turned around, took my phone out, borrowed a deck, and recorded the first thing that came to mind. I had played around with the idea before, but I think this was the first time that I showed it to anyone.

#27 Seiken 2.0

Here's a completely different handling to an older effect that I've been doing. It is pretty basic, but the flourish with the ace is just too much fun to do. Seiken 2!

#26 Sandswitch

Woooo!! Halfway done!! Party, party!!

...and still 26 videos to go.

This is yet another sandwich effect with a kind of unusual approach. The idea has been in my mind for some time already and honestly I'm not sure if it's really worth anything.

Sandswitch:

#25 Acrobatic Locator (á la Nivala!)

There's something here that I find very satisfying. The effect is not good or anything, but it is just very fun to do. Came up with this location after watching Mr. Nivala doing his crazy one-handed cuts in Blackpool.

#24 European FISM

So the European FISM at Blackpool is over. I was going to post a new video today, but because the competition went way better than I expected it would feel way anti-climatic to post a video this week. So this 24th entry is not a video, since I can't really come up with anything better than winning the European Championship of Card Magic.

Actual video footage next week!

European Championships of Magic

Only three days to the Blackpool magic convention 2011. It will also be the world's first European FISM with the championship competition. I am attending and I will be competing next Friday around 2:20 PM. Needless to say, I am very nervous, yet excited. My competition act consists of two of my favourite sleight of hand pieces with an ordinary deck, with a special FISM-esque finale. I will do my updated version of Suit Apparation (or "Tamed Spades" as I once called it) and a special Sandwich routine that I've been working on for the past few years.

I will try to capture lots of video footage over the weekend to share with anyone who couldn't make it this year. And you can be sure that there will be a special 52 Times a Week episode filmed during the convention. Possibly even more than one.

Exciting times. That they are.

To clear things up...

People keep asking me if I got the idea for this project from a guy named Calen Morelli.

So did I?

-No, I didn't.

Who came up with the idea first?

Well...

It is of course very easy to check the dates who posted the first video. I found out about his thing after people started asking me about it. I started doing this on August 10th of 2010, and a month later (September 9th) he posted his first video and started his project. I believe he was inspired by 52 Times a Week, since he appears to be a longtime subscriber of mine on YouTube.

So there, I hope that clears things up.

Good luck to Mr. Morelli with his "365 days of Magic".

#23 Counterintuition

This is a video I filmed a few weeks ago but decided not to release it since there is something that I'm not happy with. I have many tricks ready to film, but the most difficult part of this project is not coming up with something every week - it's getting things filmed with some spectators.

This was filmed during the same session as the "Guessing Game" was shot. There were a few other things as well, but I don't think I will be uploading the whole set.

COUNT-er-INTUITION

#22 Blankwich

Here is an interesting little idea that I came up with a friend of mine a while ago. Having any thought of card appear in a blank deck in sandwich style. Now the video here may seem a little goofy all around, but that's what happens when you have a nice night out and do too many card tricks.

Thanks to Vilho for the camera work and thanks to Juan Tamariz for being such a lively assistant.

Situation check

I have two tricks ready for filming, but I'm missing a camera man and an audience. The other one I could do without an audience, but the other one would be simply pointless as it has a thought of card involved.

Last week's video is already late and I'm trying to get it filmed ASAP. If I can't get it done then I'll just have to come up with something easier shoot.

Thanks for your patience.

#21 Alone

I'm all alone. I don't have a camera operator. Oh, well, actually... I do. But I haven't had time to work with her. I'm actually doing shows pretty much every day at the moment to prepare for Europe's FISM Competition in Blackpool next month. The act has been well received by the general public, but I have no idea if magicians are going to like it. Exciting times. That they are.

Anyway, here's my hand.

#20 Guessing Game

Here is an intresting idea I came up with few days ago. The trick is based on an Al Baker idea (I think) and when I started playing around with it I quickly came up with three different handlings for this effect. This handling is the cleanest one.

The performance is maybe a little bit too long and each revelation could be presented more dramatically, but this is what you get when you have a tight schedule to keep up with. Guessing Game.