The Al Schneider Technique

Volume 3 - More Close-Up: Quick Tricks

In this third volume of his landmark video series, Al Schneider demonstrates and teaches a wide variety of professional-level close-up material that is sure to become a staple in your own act. Give any of these honed performance pieces the attention they deserve and you'll be performing world-class close-up magic in no time.

SOURCE - A splendid opener for any close-up routine. Two cards are shown on both sides. The cards are placed together and a half-dollar drops out from between them. This is repeated three times though the cards are shown on both sides before each production.
COIN THRU RING - A coin placed under a hank is trapped when a ring is threaded over all corners. Then the coin melts through the ring to escape.
COIN THRU HANK - A handkerchief is spread on the performer's hand. A coin is placed onto the center of the hank and the hand closes the center of the cloth around it. Yet, when the performer's hand is opened, the coin is gone. When the hank is pulled away, the coin is found to be resting on the performer's hand. The effect is repeated one more time, yet this time, the coin vanishes without a trace!
RING AND PENCIL - Another classic of magic improved by the Schneider touch! A ring is placed onto a pencil and though the spectator holds both ends, the ring vanishes and is found on the performer's finger. Another any time, any place miracle!
SPLIT SILVER - A cute quickie! A silver dollar is shown, covered for an instant and it splits into two half-dollars. The two halves are then tossed into the performer's hand and squeezed back into a silver dollar again. A great walk-around trick!
CONE AND COIN - This is a feature item as two coins, one under a cone and the other in the performer's hand, change places under impossible conditions. It looks like real magic!
CUPS AND BALLS - A five-phase routine that has been audience-tested by several noted performers for over 20 years. Each phase has been fine-tuned to elicit a different reaction from an audience and when they're combined, it becomes a powerful Schneider-enhanced version of a magic classic.
FACE TO FACE ACES - An easy-to-do card trick with a stunning climax and no false shuffles. One half of a deck of cards is reversed and shuffled into the other half yet when the magic word is uttered, the cards right themselves except for the four Aces.
SERPENT STRING - A 5-inch piece of string is tied into a loose knot and, right in front of the spectators' unbelieving eyes, it slowly and visibly unties itself. This is a trick guaranteed to get a reaction from even the most jaded audience and it can be repeated with no set-up. A great walk-around piece!
PROFESSOR'S NIGHTMARE - A close-up version of another magic classic. Shorter ropes and some clever touches make this a favorite of lay audiences in walk-around situations.
TWO CARD TRANSPOSITION - A card is shown and placed aside face down while another is displayed face up on top of the deck. The performer passes his hand over the face-up card and it visibly changes into the one that was placed aside. A stunner!
MARKED DECK - A deck of cards with smudges on its sides is shown. A card is selected and the deck is cut. The smudges are now shown to display the name of the card. Very perplexing - and easy to do!
CARD TO ENVELOPE - An envelope is in open view. A card is selected, marked and returned to the middle of the deck. The performer then opens the envelope and removes - another, smaller envelope! And, yes, the selected, signed card is removed from that envelope!
VANISHING DIME - A simple yet impossible feat! A dime is pushed into a closed fist. The performer uses a pencil as a magic wand and taps the closed hand which is opened to show that the coin has completely vanished. Both hands are shown empty and the best part is that when your spectators want to see it again, you can do it again!
RING GAG - The performer asks a spectator to take note of a ring displayed on his open hand. The hand is closed and the spectator is asked to describe the ring. The performer opens his hand to show that the ring has vanished, only to be found on a finger of the other hand!
UNIVERSAL CARD - Three cards are selected and an odd-backed card - the Universal Card - changes into each selection after coming into contact with it. Another classic of magic improved by the Schneider touch!
COPPER/SILVER TRANSPOSITION - An oriental coin is placed under a handkerchief and given to a spectator to hold as the performer displays a silver coin at his fingertips. The silver coin is covered for an instant and instantly transformed into the oriental coin. The spectator looks at the coin in the hank, only to discover that they're now holding the silver coin.
CARD PALM TRANSPO - Two cards are shown and tabled. The performer then displays a face card on top of the deck and covers it with his hand. The card is apparently lifted from the deck as if it were palmed, but the hand is squeezed and then opened to show that the card has vanished. The two cards on the table are spread to show that the vanished card has appeared in between them.