Dust off that old Svengali deck lying in your drawer — you’re in for a delightful surprise!
Far from being a mere beginner’s trick, the Svengali deck becomes a powerful piece of magic that has spectators gasping and howling in surprise and delight with the flashy, fast-paced routine described in this book.
For over 30 years, Mark Lewis has been using this routine in his magic act and as a Svengali pitch, in restaurants, trade shows, shopping malls, fairs, and anywhere else a crowd can be gathered.
In The long and the short of it, Mark describes the routine in full detail, complete with patter. In addition, you will find:
- new moves and handlings such as the Svengali Overhand Shuffle, The Fan, The Jackie Cook Spread, and many more
- a dozen tricks that use the Svengali deck in subtle ways
- handling tips and ideas from pitchmen and magicians such as Ali Bongo, Joe Stuthard, Dave Walker, Eric Ward, Ron Macmillan and others
- notes on having the deck examined
and, last but not least, anecdotes about colourful characters from the world of trick card pitchmen.
If you want a solid routine of pure entertainement — or if you fancy yourself pitching Svengali decks — this is a book not to be missed.
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The Lives of a ShowmanAlso by Mark Lewis
Reviews
Michael Close: "Mark Lewis has spent a considerable amount of time pitching Svengali decks. He has written a useful and succinct manuscript on the subject. There is no padding. The routine Mark explains has been used under fire for more than 30 years. I’m pretty sure you'll find some moves that are new to you."
Paul Harris: "A remarkable achievement. Mark has spent over 30 years putting together this astonishing pitch and it shows! I might just quit my job (whatever that is) and start to pitch Svengalis. I thank him for writing such a wonderful book."
Bill Nagler, M.D.: "I did your routine verbatim last night at my office Christmas party. Sensational. It's not often that people yelp with glee during a card trick. Your biggest problem is no one decent is going to believe they can learn anything of value about working a Svengali, or want to. I emailed someone after we spoke and said that you should sell the thing for $100-$300, including a svengali deck, an order form to buy decks wholesale, your pitch and a video. No one is going to believe this. I repeat. No one is going to believe this."
Alan Wassilak: "I wanted to take the time to tell you how much I enjoyed The Long and the Short of It. It was well worth the wait! Truthfully, I relished the stories of the Svengali pitch men that you've encountered as much as I did your routine and the other moves you describe. Please also convey my compliments to your illustrator. I've done some illustrating for magic myself, and I know what a tough job it can be. She did a terrific job. I find your sense of humor quite appealing, which makes your manuscript fun to read on more than one level. Between the snappy writing style and the colorful stories you have to tell, I'm hoping that you will be writing some more stuff in the future, even if you only stick to personal reminiscences. None of which takes away from the fact that your Svengali Deck routine is truly a very strong one (Maybe it even is the best one of all!) and some of the moves you describe are new to me, even with all the research I've been compiling."
