Giobbi, Roberto: The Art of Switching Decks
©2013 Roberto Giobbi, Hermetic Press
Hardcover, w/dj, 153 pages
ISBN 978-0-945296-77-5

Includes DVD

Comments: Illustrated with photographs.

Contents (from book ToC):
ix Foreword
1 Terminology and Structure of the Deck Switch
1 Terminology
2 - Dress Map
4 Structure of the Deck Switch
4 - The Diagram
4 - Infrastructure
6 - Logistics
6 - Technique
6 - Clean-Up
7 Categories of Deck Switches
7 - Mechanical Deck Switches
7 - Technical Deck Switches
8 - Switched Depending on a Trick
8 - During the Trick
8 - Substitute Deck Switches
10 Table of Deck Switches
11 Basic Principles
11 To Keep Decks Apart
11 - Separators
11 - Double Pockets
11 - Tactile Separator
12 - Memory Aides for Location
12 The Finger-Tongs Switch
14 Grips on the Cold Deck
14 - Flat-Palm Grip
15 - Tenkai Grip
16 - Deep Dealing Position
16 Body Hold-outs
17 - Chair Hold-Out
17 - Crook of the Knee Hold-Out
18 - Sock Hold-Out
19 - Trousers Fold Hold-Out
19 Anchor a Shuffle
19 - Remember, You Shuffled
21 Delayed Performance
21 How To Prepare a Sealed Deck
23 In-and-Out Deck Switches
23 - The Pocket-Search Deck Switch
25 - The Looking-for-a-Pen Deck Switch
27 - The "Topless" Deck Switch
29 - The Rapid Deck Switch (trouser pocket)
31 - The Ninja Deck Switch
33 Behind-the-Back Switch
33 Presentational Ploys
33 - Here's Your Card!
34 - The Visible Invisible Deck
35 - Demonstration
37 The Pocket-to-Pocket Switch
41 Turning Around Deck Switches
42 - The Imaginary Deck
42 - Sign a Card
44 - Please, Show Your Card
45 The Partagás Switch Plus
45 - Triple Partagás
48 - Two-Pocket Partagás
51 Hugard's Changing Packs
55 Because the Cards Know
56 - An Expert Finale
57 - Bonus
59 The Ribbon Spread Deck Switch
63 The Relax Lap Deck Switch
65 Chair Adjustment Deck Switch
69 The Money Switch
73 The Mani Pulite Deck Switch
77 Flip's Deck Switch
81 The Chivalrous Deck Switch
83 The Gambler's Coat Deck Switch
85 - A Variation
87 The Joker Deck Switch
88 - Bonus
88 - Variation on the Joker Switch
91 Red and Blue Deck Switch
95 The Real Pseudo Deck Switch
101 Himber’s Razor Deck Trick
107 The One-handed Switch
111 Casing the Deck Switch
113 - Handling Variation
115 The Simplex Deck Switch
116 - Handling Variation
119 The Cool Man’s Deck Switch
123 The Trojan Deck Switch
127 The No Switch Deck Switch
127 More No Switch Deck Switches
127 - Professional Gamblers
128 - New Deck
128 - International Performer
129 - Card Collector
129 - Advertising Cards
130 - Casino Cards
130 - Jumbo-Index Deck
130 - A Bit of History
131 - Deck Kaput
133 Brief Additional Ideas
133 - The Rubber Band Ploy
133 - Do-as-I-Do
133 - The Tossed-Out Deck Switch
134 - The Mirror Glass Switch
134 - The Hollow Receptacle Switch
135 - The In-and-Out Switch
135 - The Sting Deck Switch
135 - The Drawer Box Deck Switch
137 Selected Sources for Switches
137 - Ammar Hank. Deck Switch
137 - Baker Deck Switch
137 - Berglas Deck Switch
137 - Carlyle Dock Switch
138 - Dingle “Stand-up Deck Switch"
138 - Draun Deck Switch
138 - Elmsley Deck Switches
138 - Engblom’s “The Cooler"
138 - Ency. of Card Tricks Switches
138 - Fantasio Deck Switcher
139 - Flip Deck Switch
139 - Forte Deck Switches
139 - Gamblers' Deck Switches
139 - Ganson Deck Switch
139 - Giobbi Deck Switches
140 - Goldstein Deck Switches
140 - Greater Magic Deck Switches
140 - Hoffmann Deck Switch
141 - Jennings Deck Switch
141 - Koran Deck Switch
141 - Lovell Deck Switch
142 - Madison Deck Switches
142 - Mario Riffle Deck Switch
142 - Richardson Deck Switches
142 - Shaxon Deck Switch
143 - Tamariz Deck Switches
143 - Taumer Deck Switch
143 - Tucker Deck Switch
143 - Victor Deck Switch
143 - Waters Deck Switch
144 - Wonder Deck Switch
144 - Bill's and Behr's Databases
144 - Closing Remark
145 It’s Not a Deck Switch But
145 - Carney’s Card in Balloon
145 - C. Rawson’s Mental Broadcast
146 - Hugard's Example of Presentation
146 - Staring-Him-in-the-Face
146 - Luka’s Airborne Again
149 The Lota Bowl Switch
151 About the DVD

The strongest card tricks most often depend on a stack or special deck. Unfortunately, if you start with a gaffed deck, as soon as you have accomplished the impossible feat, its very strength causes audiences to say, “Let me see those cards!“ With a deck switch, they can, because you just switched the gaffed deck for a normal one, which they can even take home! A deck switch can also allow you to start with an ordinary deck, convince everyone it's you and not the cards causing the magic—then you switch in your gaffed or stacked deck and unleash a stunning effect. Deck switches can create extraordinary, incomprehensible effects—as long as the switch isn't detected or suspected.

And there lies the challenge. Everyone knows about switching decks. We've all heard that card cheats do it, and magicians. In reality, though, very few magicians switch decks, because it is commonly perceived as too difficult to get away with. And since everyone knows about switching decks, even a suspicion that a deck switch might have occurred can completely undermine a performance. Therefore, if you use any deck switch, it must be not only imperceptible, but also unimaginable.

Roberto Giobbi teaches you precisely how to do this—standing, seated, with and without a jacket—using shrewd psychology, not knuckle-busting sleights or special gimmicks or apparatus. The only things required to do these professional switches are decks of cards and your pockets. Giobbi teaches dozens of methods for imperceptibly switching decks, along with the psychological principles behind them; principles that allow the reader to apply and modify deck switching techniques to suit any circumstance.

And along the way, Giobbi explains some very strong card magic.

As is expected from Roberto Giobbi, the techniques and tricks in this book are not pipe dreams. They come from his professional repertoire, sharpened by hundreds of performances and explained with all the detail only a world-class teacher can bring to a subject.

There is no other book devoted to this important topic—and it holds information that will be of tremendous value to beginning and advanced card magicians alike. The Art of Switching Decks is an in-depth study teaching over 30 deck switches and a few remarkable tricks—163 pages in hardcover.

ALSO INCLUDED
a DVD offering an eighty-five-minute show and lecture by
Roberto Giobbi,
showing exactly how various deck switches are achieved
in a live performance.