Monthly Update #32 (August 2025)
Coin magic versus card magic & the trouble with too many tricks!
Welcome to Monthly Update #32, which is right on time for once. Whoo hoo! This month, I’ve been exploring the pros and cons of coin magic. Like many card-focused magicians, I’ve always felt I should learn coin work, but never quite committed to it. So I decided to seriously examine the question: Is coin magic actually a better long-term investment than card magic?
I also share some thoughts on the problem of “new trick addiction”—inspired by a recent article about how constantly buying new effects can stifle our growth as performers. Plus, I’ve got two new routines to teach you: a variation of Pipo Villanueva’s four-card production with a “Perverse Magic” twist, and “Box Jumpers”, a streamlined approach to “Jacks in the Box” by David Solomon. Finally, I recommend three videos worth your time, including Ben Hart’s excellent performance of “Voodoo Card” and Craig Petty’s comprehensive explanation of his new(ish) trick “Destiny Deal”.
Let’s dive in!
Is Coin Magic a Better Investment than Card Magic?
As you may have guessed from the content I share through the Ruseletter, my main passion is close-up card magic. However, I’ve started taking coin magic more seriously lately. I’ve experimented with it in the past, but now I want to incorporate some coin routines—including some that combine cards and coins—into my regular repertoire.
As part of my studies, I stumbled across a thought-provoking article by Jamy Ian Swiss on David Roth, arguably the most influential coin magician of the 20th century:
Coin Magic — Theory, Practice & Repertoire: Innovations, Influence, and the Impact of David Roth 👈
This piece made me reflect on a question that many of us face as we develop our magical skills: where should we focus our limited practice time?
The Case for Coin Magic 🪙
While I love card magic, I have a nagging feeling that coin magic might ultimately be a better investment in the long run. Yes, it has a steeper learning curve—and there isn’t much good self-working coin magic—but it helps you develop foundational skills that can be applied to all kinds of small object sleight of hand: tricks with poker chips, dice, balls, rings, and countless borrowed objects.
Swiss notes that because coin magic is so much more difficult than card magic, “the return on investment—the hard work of learning the techniques—is lower than with card magic.” At first glance, this seems to argue against coin magic, but I think there’s a deeper truth here. The difficulty itself becomes the investment. Master a classic palm, fake take, or retention vanish, and you’ve unlocked techniques that work with virtually any small object a spectator might hand you.
Much modern coin magic is also performed at chest height, enhancing visibility when performing for small groups. The effects tend to be more visual and immediate than many card tricks—coins appear, vanish, travel, and transform right before spectators’ eyes. There’s something primal about making money disappear and reappear that resonates universally. People, for obvious reasons, would love to be able to conjure money from thin air. Finding a person’s chosen card in a shuffled deck, on the other hand, isn’t exactly a life skill most people need or want!
Doug Conn, a friend and mentor, recommends starting with a simple one-coin routine: a basic vanish, production, and coin roll sequence. This serves as a great introduction to sleight of hand and offers a pathway to more advanced coin work. Once that skill is attained, you can do magic anywhere—provided you have a coin in your pocket.
The Enduring Appeal of Cards ♣️♥️♠️♦️
But let’s not dismiss card magic too quickly! Cards offer unparalleled versatility, encompassing everything from mathematical puzzles to engaging storytelling routines and pure sleight-of-hand showpieces. The barrier to entry is lower, enabling beginners to achieve remarkable results with minimal technique while gradually developing their manipulative skills.
This points to a larger truth: coin magic relies heavily on what Fitzkee calls “simulation” in Magic by Misdirection, or as Swiss puts it, “acting with the hands, and lying with the hands.”
Simulation is a bewildering way of saying something is made to look like what it is not. Webster defines simulation as the act of assuming the appearance of, without the reality-feigning. When one simulates there is an implication of the assumption of a false appearance. This suggests an attempt to make something seem other than what it really is by imitating the latter’s external identifying indications such as characteristics, marks, symbols or other signs.1
Much of card magic, by contrast, doesn’t rely so heavily on simulation, but rather on a mixture of mathematical, physical and optical principles—and what Swiss calls the “camouflage of depth” principle, where the physical characteristics of playing cards contribute to or outright provide the means of deception.
Card magic also provides something difficult to attain with coins: emotional connection through narrative storytelling. A rising card can tell a story of persistence; an Ambitious Card routine becomes a metaphor for determination and self-belief; Do As I Do can be presented as a mystical demonstration of cosmic coincidence. Coins, magnificent as they are for visual impact, seldom carry the same storytelling weight (David Roth’s material being a notable exception).
The Practical Considerations
Consider the performance contexts, too. Card magic often works best when performed seated at a table, creating an intimate setting perfect for close-up work in coffee shops, restaurants, or living rooms. I’d argue that the most elegant card work takes place at a table. While some routines can be adapted for strolling settings, it’s much easier to adjust a coin trick to be performed in the hands.
However, coin magic demands more controlled lighting and angles, making it less adaptable to challenging performance environments.
Yet coins have their own practical advantages. A few coins in your pocket and you’re ready to go—no setup, no deck switches. And some card tricks require a dedicated deck, taking up even more pocket space. With a handful of coins, you’re always prepared to perform. Borrowed coins can also dispel any suspicion that you’re using gimmicks. However, most people I perform for these days no longer carry coins—the university where I work is almost entirely cashless.
The Deeper Question 🤔
Perhaps the real question isn’t which is the “better investment”, but rather: what kind of magician do you want to become?
If you’re drawn to technical excellence and the satisfaction of mastering difficult sleights that few attempt, coin magic offers a path toward becoming a true specialist. The coin magic community is smaller, more connected, and deeply appreciative of technical skill.
If you’re attracted to the rich history, endless variety, and storytelling possibilities that cards provide, then card magic offers a lifetime of exploration across every possible style and approach.
My Personal Reflection 🃏🪙
Swiss notes that when working in the real world, David Roth did not rely solely on coin magic—he was an accomplished card worker with a commercial repertoire. I know it isn’t an either-or proposition, but very few magicians are experts in both disciplines.
For example, David Roth was primarily known for coins, while Swiss magician Roberto Giobbi is an expert on cards. Although he is best known for his monumental Card College series, it might surprise you to know that he also performs and teaches magic with coins. Some of his most renowned card routines actually incorporate a coin for a more complex effect—one notable example is “The Lucky Coin”, a staple of his professional repertoire that is taught in the Card College series (see video performance included below). His interpretation of a coin assembly by Shigeo Takagi, titled “Convergence”, is also excellent—it is taught on the European Coin Magic Symposium (Volume 3).
Even the great Dai Vernon, while competent in both, built his reputation on his card work.
As I begin incorporating more coin work into my performances, I’m discovering that the two arts complement each other beautifully. The finger fitness developed through coin work has actually improved my card handling, while my understanding of misdirection and magic theory from card magic has enhanced my coin routines.
Coin Magic 101: Conjuring with Coins for Complete Beginners
This topic deserves continued exploration—perhaps a more in-depth blog post examining the pros and cons of these two predominant types of close-up magic. The best advice I can give is to try both and see which one resonates more deeply with your performing style and personal goals.
As I improve my coin magic skills, I’ve decided to create a “coin magic curriculum” for myself, planning it in the same way I would when helping a university lecturer design a new eight-week module (in the UK, a module is equivalent to a course in the US—confusing, I know! Both are a single academic unit of study and typically cover 8 to 12 weeks of learning content).
Here’s the working file I’m using to document these ideas (note that it is not yet complete). I also plan to create a lecture and a practical workshop for each week—I’m not promising that this project will be finished anytime soon, though (it will be available to all paid Ruseletter subscribers). If you’re eager to begin, take a look at the document below and read the article by Jamy Ian Swiss.
Coin Magic 101: Conjuring with Coins for Complete Beginners 📄
To follow this curriculum, you’ll need two books: Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo and David Roth’s Expert Coin Technique by Richard Kaufman. You’ll also need 4-6 half dollars (or similar-sized coins) and a close-up pad (or another suitable soft surface) to practice on. A mirror to practice in front of is also a good idea.
What’s your experience? Do you find yourself more drawn to the technical challenges of coin magic or to the versatile possibilities of card work? I’d love to hear your thoughts as I continue this journey of expanding beyond my card-magic comfort zone. Reply to this email or leave a comment on Substack—I always enjoy learning from Ruseletter readers.
The Trouble with Too Many Tricks
Here’s another article I enjoyed reading recently. It’s by professional magician Mark Leveridge.
How Tricks Can Stifle Magic Development 👈
This bit, in particular, chimed with me:
But I wonder how it would be if, all of a sudden, we weren’t allowed or able to buy any more tricks? What would happen to all that desire to acquire new things? Would it lead us to seek out more information and knowledge about how to use the tricks we already do have more effectively? Would we spend more time creating and fine tuning our act, or learning about good stagecraft, or getting a better understanding of what makes an entertaining presentation, or finding out how to engage and handle our audiences more skilfully?
This led me to write the following poem, inspired by T.S. Eliot:
THE HOLLOW MAGICIANS
We are the hollow magicians
Stuffed full of tricks
We are the lazy magicians
Our practice never sticks
Knowledge without wisdom
Secrets without soul
We are the hollow magicians
Who’ve forgotten our true role.
We are the watching magicians
Scrolling through our feeds
We are the buying magicians
Who never plant the seeds
Wizards without wonder
Reviews without shows
We are the hollow magicians
Whom no audience knows!
I’ll be writing a longer blog post exploring the idea of the “Hollow Magician”. I also wrote a companion piece called Back to the Future, which you might find interesting—it includes an actionable insight that is, well, worth acting on!
Learn Pipo’s Perverse Production & Box Jumpers
This month, I’ve managed to write up a variation of a fun four-card production by Spanish magician Pipo Villanueva:
Easy Does It #6: Pipo’s Perverse Production 👈
My handling adds a “Perverse Magic” presentation to Pipo’s brilliant routine. My friend Claudio also contributed a refined handling for the switch used in the routine called the “Convincing Christ Force Switch”, which is well worth the extra effort required.
I’ve also written up a version of Dr. Daley’s Last Trick called “Box Jumpers” that works well as a follow-up effect to “Pipo’s Perverse Production”.
This is a streamlined approach to a charming David Solomon effect called “Jacks in the Box”. After learning “Box Jumpers”, Claudio mentioned that you could keep the selection on top without revealing it, then disclose it only at the end of the routine. This idea makes a lot of sense and will make the chosen card’s final appearance a more surprising event. If I were performing both, I would also adopt this approach. When I have some time, I’ll add this idea to the write-up. A big thank you to Claudio for improving these two routines!
Three Videos Worth Watching 👀
Here are three videos that I watched this month that I think you should watch as well.
Ben Hart’s Performance of Voodoo Card
Duration: 5 minutes
Here’s a superb performance of Guy Hollingworth’s “Voodoo Card” by British magician Ben Hart.
I love this trick, but I believe we should avoid using lazy stereotypes about Voodoo, which is a legitimate religion with roots in West Africa. The idea of the Voodoo Doll is actually an invention of Western writers and propagated by early Hollywood films. In Haitian Vodou, for example, Voodoo Dolls are, in fact, more akin to a lucky charm. They’re used to honour and communicate with the lwa (spirits) that are central to Vodouisant religious practices.
When performing this trick, or similar ones that utilise Voodoo as a theatrical device, I encourage you to challenge some of these cultural myths within your presentation.
If you’d like to learn more about this topic, I wrote a blog post on it a few years ago:
True Voodoo: 5 Voodoo Myths Busted! 👈
And here’s a two-person version of Hollingworth’s “Voodoo Card” called “Twodoo Voodoo”:
Destiny Deal Exposed
Duration: 33 minutes
In this video, Craig Petty demonstrates the complete mechanics of his trick “Destiny Deal”. I really appreciate these “exposure” videos. They allow you to see whether the method and presentation of a product suit your particular needs before you decide to purchase it. This seems like a good solution to the problem of overconsumption of magic tricks (many of which end up at the bottom of a person’s magic junk drawer, never to be practised or performed).
However, I agree with Andy at the Jerx that the “instruction card” needs to be well justified (see his post Mailbag: Destiny Deal for his full thoughts on the matter). I would introduce the card by saying, “The United States Playing Card Company has started including instructions for a card trick with some of their decks instead of the usual advertising cards. But they only sell these in certain magic shops or at magician’s conventions.” I’d also mention that there’s a second card that contains “the secret to the trick” and that, for obvious reasons, I won’t be letting them see that card!
I have further ideas on how to address this issue and will incorporate them into a detailed review of the product on my blog (spoiler: if you like the trick after watching Craig’s video, then I recommend you buy it). I’ve also developed a similar effect inspired by it, called “Whispering Jokers”, which doesn’t require the gaffed card used in “Destiny Deal” (I’ve written this one up, and it will be shared in a future edition of Corrupting the Classics).
How to Do the Talking Queen Card Trick
Duration: 5 minutes
While researching the Whispering Queen plot, I came across an old Howcast video that explained how to perform a version of the trick using a key card. This video reminds us that sometimes the simplest tricks are the best.
That’s all for another month. Now I’m curious: has this convinced you to give coin magic a try, or are you sticking with cards? I hope this exploration of coins versus cards at least got you thinking about where to focus your practice time. I’d love to hear about your own journey with these different branches of close-up magic, and your feedback and topic suggestions always help shape these updates—so don’t hesitate to get in touch by replying to this email.
Yours Magically,
Marty
Dariel Fitzkee, Magic by Misdirection (Lee Jacobs Productions, 1945), 61.