Magic Question - Royal Road to Card Magic or Card College 

What is the BEST WAY to learn magic? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ss1pUnKu6Jw.html

14 years ago I learned through Paul Wilson's Royal Road to Card Magic video. It really helped me polish my skills.

Hi, despite my age I’m new to card magic. I picked up a second hand copy of Royal Road (revised edition) for £6 as a starting point. I am looking to get Card College and will pick up as and when she who must be obeyed releases funds🤣. Love your channel.

Don't forget the updated Royal Road to Card Magic! In other words the ANNOTATED ROYAL ROAD TO CARD MAGIC by MARK LEWIS. A mere $50. Furthermore the Royal Road has something that Card College does not have to the same extent. Loads of hints, tips on PRESENTATION and SHOWMANSHIP!

Introduction to card magic - by Roberto Giobbi is my all the times favorite book!

I'm an old hobbyist, and I agree with you David. I just wish I had Card College when I was starting out...just for pictures alone!

I will agree with you about getting Card College set and maybe get Royal Road just for the library collection.

Good Morning David. I don’t remember the first couple of books I tried to read about performing Magic with cards. I struggled to make sense of many terms. It wasn’t until years later, in a library, I found a video on card magic - I jump started my magic hobby again. This led me to more videos on Magic … eventually to Michael Amman’s Card Magic Made Easy. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

I started with Expert at the Card Table as I found the subject of cheating to be fascinating. I took the table and overhand shuffling, trick dealing and built my magic on that. The second book that I got was Expert Card Technique. I wouldn't recommend any of that to start with now. I think starting at the Card College light series is what I would recommend now. Then I recommend the original 5 vol series. Erdnase and Annemann, etc. is public domain and can be had by anyone for free. I also think that video has major advantages, even if one loves books. You just can't beat a physical demonstration in real time. Great Video!

I would definitely say Royal Raod first, if you still have the passion and want to continue, definitely invest in Card College, it will take you to the next level! 😀 But reading Royal Road first will give you some confidence and experience before taking on Card College!

Love both, but Card College of course ❤

Both! If you are interested in learning card magic, you should build a library and these two basic books to have in such library

I would start with the royal road and see if you like card tricks and sleights,but it is archaic.Card college volumes are more modern but more expensive but comprehensive.Nice review!Thanks.

I picked up Royal Road about 15 years ago and would still consider it my favourite book in my "library" (maybe at competition with Mnemonica - but Royal has sentimental value). If you're willing to spend £180 on Card College, then I'd say spend the extra £10 and get Royal Road as well.

I really appreciate your review on this topic because I have actually been looking into getting some card magic books. Especially since I now have tons of decks thanks to our friendly neighborhood magic reviewer. Great one David!!!!

I began my card magic journey with "The Royal Road to Card Magic" but after watching your review on "Card Collage" I purchased that 5 vol. set. Now "card College is my go-to! I love Nick Trost's Subtle Card Creations" BUT my #1 favorite is "Card College". I thoroughly enjoyed this review. Thank you David!

David, great point on not having to buy everything at once. If you can part with $80 then I'd get CC1 and CC2 instead of RRTCM. After, if you discover card tricks are your thing, get 3, 4, and 5. Also, Roberto's accompanying videos are excellent. However, card sleights can have a lot of details that really can only be presented in books. Both video and book teaching formats add value but they're different forms of media so they are best used in tandem.

For a beginner, I would start with K. Fulves' Self-Working Card Tricks, and then move on to CC Lite. Learn how to read a trick and follow directions; how to string together a set . Then CCL1 and CCL2. I love Royal Road but it is a bit too dry to start.

When I first started in magic around 60 years ago Royal Road was the book to go to for card magic. However, it is greatly surpassed by the wonderful and comprehensive Card College series which introduces card magic in a structured way with much good advice. Whichever you chose you must apply yourself to studying and learning the material and Card College is better to follow although there is still good material in Royal Road. Both are essential books for the discerning card magician 🙂

I love Marlo's Revolutionary card technique. Great illustrations and I like his voice in his writing.

I'm a guy who hasn't got much cash to spread around. I wanted to learn the basics of card magic but couldn't afford to spend much. Luckily for me I managed to pick up a copy of Royal Road second hand for just £3.80, I think that might work out at around $8.00? And it was free delivery. So I'm getting some solid grounding in the fundamentals of card handling for a rock bottom price.

great information, did not know about the Card College lite set.

You can basically get Royal Road for free now, so you might as well start reading that and save up for Card College

Love that shirt. I need more practice with card magic.

Kiedy zaczynałem swoją drogę z magią kart 15 lat temu , kupiłem dwie książki " The expert at the card Table" i " Scarne on card tricks". Książka Scarne nauczyła mnie bardzo dobrych sztuczek gdzie już jako początkujący magik mogłem pokazywać je znajomym .Oczywiście dzisiaj moja biblioteka jest dużo bogatsza jak i same umiejętności.Każda książka na początek jest dobra dzięki której nie stoisz w miejscu a się rozwijasz. Dużo zależy od determinacji uczącego. Bardzo dużo nauczył mnie też internet.

thanks for the comparison David 👍👍

For videos I’d recommend Daniel Madison’s annotated edition of Erdnes. He has a great review of the book and how he would handle cards and how you should handle them as well.

Alrighty, appreciate this! I'm a TOTAL newbie to card tricks and went with Royal Road because of both price point and the reviews but your review of Card College prompted me to buy Vol 1 to put my toe in the water for that. You're enthusiasm and appreciation for both is clear but good to know if it boiled down to it - you were able to pick one. Thx!

Another option that thould also be mentioned is J.A.C.K. (the Jolly Almanac of Card Knavery), it's a free reworking of Royal Road, and a great introduction to card magic and will allow people to build a solid foundation of card skills before needing to decide if they want to drop a load of cash on further reading on the topic. I fully agree CC is fantastic, but even though it is worth it's weight in gold, it's still a lot of money to spend on something you may not like as much as you thought for people starting out.

My suggestion is that Royal Road is essential for any magic collection. Any card book is going to be compared to it, and it's only $5-$10, so you're not losing much. Designed for Laughter is probably one of the best card tricks anyone can do with a deck, and it is so easy. I'd only recommend Card College if you're absolutely certain about pursuing card magic because of the price, it's worth the investment. Even now, I'll still reference it and find some good hidden gems. But take getting them one book at a time if cost is a concern. Pick up a book every month or every other month. In fact you can probably get away substituting Card College books #1 & #2,(except #2's Theory section is really good), for Royal Road.

It doesn't really matter what method you use. I agree that the royal road uses archaic language but the point is that you obtain fundamental skills. That is always the goal for any discipline. Both will give you good fundamentals, if you practice.

Alongside Expert at the Card Table, and Royal Road, I would add Expert Card Technique. A good book, but also archaic and a little harder to read and follow along.

20 years ago I was doing card magic and Royal Road did me proud. I fell out of love with magic and have recently been rediscovering why I used to love it. I picked up my battered copy of Royal Road and struggled with it. I got card college and am just starting vol 2. It is a great book and much easier to follow than the Road.

The complete illustrated book of card magic By Walter B. Gibson. Most of the basics and well explained.

appreciate this David, Do Tarbell vs Mark Wilson or something else next!

I've got a comment/question: have you heard about The Jolly Almanac of Card Knavery by The Burnaby Kid? I came across it a little while ago as a PDF online, and while I haven't gone through it, it seems to me like it's sort of like an updated Royal Road. Others who are more familiar with it could say more than I can though. This is probably worth considering, too, if for no other reason than it's available for free.

Posting this BEFORE watching the video: I feel like both do a very different job. Royal road is a great Introduction into card magic, giving you a ton of strong magic for the start that will hold up for the rest of your life. However, if royal road is an Introduction, card college is the whole Deal. Experts of 10+ years can learn from these, the amount of techniques and things taught is just insane. Whenever I learn a new, practical move, no matter how specific, I learn that card college has a Version of it. If one masters these Volumes, no matter who they are, they can be considered an expert. Both are essential reading, but card college is a different beast entirely

Witch one do you prefer, your mother or your dad? My "mother in Magic" was Royal Road, the book and long after the videos by R. Paul Wilson, a good addition to the book. My "father in Magic" was Card College (and Card Magic Master Class) long after, first the videos and after books. And I love and re-use them again and again. Long life to Magic Orthodoxy 🇫🇷.

Good points

Buy both if you have the means. If not, sell something in your basement.

is the $180 you mention in USD? Because I put the site to Australian (AUD) and it's still showing $180 although in the top right it says the currency is USD. I decided to buy Royal Road first and Self-Working Card Tricks by Karl Fulves. I will check out Card College in the future! I'm also interested in the Card College Light Trilogy.

To me, the biggest negative of ROYAL ROAD is the sleights that are NOT included. No Elmsley count, for example. When I was starting out, I was buying packet tricks that use that count and other sleights that expected you know them. Bummer. But no one book can cover everything -- and CARD COLLEGE is actually 5 books. Overall despite my other comments, if you have moneh to burn, CARD COLLEGE is a can't miss. ROYAL ROAD is a can't miss, too, but just not as comprehensive.

Michael Ammar easy to master card miracles vol 1-3 dvd

Hey I can't figure out how to do the trick do it and fail on royal road to card magic can you help me

Jean Hugard = pronounced similar to John, with a somewhat soft "j" (I don't think you say the first name in the video.) It's not "huggerd", its hugh-GARD -- its a French name. Giobbi is pronounce similar to "job" = jee-OB-ee. There are only 4 DVDs for Card College not 5. There are 5 Card College book, though. Are the kids no longer reading classic literature in school? If you can read Dickens, Royal Road shouldn't be a problem. This was written in 1951, not 1851, lol. This may come as a surprise, but if you want to learn all the basic sleights, and some great tricks, including self-workers, buy some Bob Longe books. He simplifies some of them somewhat, but they are still effective. GIANT BOOK OF CARD TRICKS contains the best selections from all of his books. You will learn false shuffles, false cuts, card controls, forces, the glide, the peek, and the double-lift. Some tricks are from the big names, and he usually gives credit, and only simpifies the handling if the original is too difficult. His books look like they are for kids -- but they're not. If you just want self-workers, buy the Fulves books: SELF-WORKING CARD TRICKS, MORE SELF-WORKING CARD TRICKS, NEW SELF-WORKING CARD TRICKS, MY BEST SELF-WORKING CARD TRICKS, and SELF-WORKING CCLOSE-UP CARD MAGIC. FOOLPROOF CARD TRICKS is just a combo of MORE SELF-WORKING CARD TRICKS and NEW SELF-WORKING CARD TRICKS, and is the easiest way to acquire the latter book. You can probably get all these for the price of one volume of the CARD COLLEGE LIGHT/LIGHTER/LIGHTEST series. Just my nickel.

Can't I get both?

FYI,"Giobbi" is pronounced Jobbee

Just helping out the algorithm. Thanks, gef

I'm not trying to be rude I'm hambling myself to you in South Africa no magic so if you if you have those magic tricks you left on the drawer I'm the rural areas

Royal Road contains many absurd and outdated advice. It's good for its time, but it's too dated for learning when there are so many superior sources these days.

I have Royal Road and while I see it as a classic I find it very dry. It doesn't engage me and consequently, to my shame, i have never properly read it.

No Encyclopedia of Card Tricks?