Experts at the Card Table – David Ben and Magicana
$74.95
The Experts at the Card Table - Vanishing Inc. Magic shop

The Hype:
An eye-opening reimagining of one of card magic's most influential texts. Master sleight of hand artist David Ben's treatise on the science and art of manipulating playing cards allows modern magicians to more easily embrace the seminal concepts introduced in S.W. Erdnase's seminal The Expert at the Card Table .

David's reframed approach to card cheating, artifice, ruse, and subterfuge-which he has dubbed "The Erdnase System for Advantage Player" brings greater clarity to the original prose. From locating desired cards, to maintaining them though imperceptible false shuffles, and then dealing them into your desired hands, everything you need to master the art of cheating at the card table is explained in crystal-clear detail.

The accompanying 750+ photographs offer a dramatically enhanced learning experience in comparison to the scant illustrations found in Erdnase's original book. They are not only a huge improvement on the teaching but also the artistry of the book as a whole. This is not only a valuable learning tool, but also a gorgeous addition to any collection.

The Experts at the Card Table by David Ben is a technical masterclass reserved for those seeking a greater understanding of this advanced skill set. It is a must-have for any serious student of card magic, as well as collectors of Erdnase and sleight of hand memorabilia.

My Take:
In my opinion, there are three books that should be in every magic library. Professor Hoffmann, Bobo and Erdnase. The main problem with Erdnase is that the writing is so dense and involved, most of us never made it past a quick thumb through and back on the shelf. I, too, am guilty here. I have seen absolute miracles from the folks who took the time and had the patience to utilize this priceless source. There have been other sources to learn some of what is in the book. Mainly Youtube, which sometimes does a good job and at others, more harm than good.

So, I was very glad to see Darwin Ortiz come out with "The Annotated Erdnase". Published in 1991 by Mike Caveney. Now this is a truly stupendous addition to the Erdnase stable. Including the entire original text and the original art by M.D. Smith. Half of each page was the original and the other half Darwin's notes and thoughts on each entry.

Now, here's a thought. David gives joint writing credit to E.S, Andrews which could have an interesting outcome. What would happen if a member of the Andrews family came forward looking to claim a percentage of the sales. Would that finally settle the debate over who he was? Just wondering.

Although this is a Magico publication and not Vanishing Inc.. Magico has duplicated the quality level that we have become used to from Vanishing and produced a beautiful book that you will be proud to have on your bookshelf.

David replaced all the line drawings of the original with 750 black and white photographs. Initially I wondered why the photos were not in color but after perusing the book, I believe black and white was the correct choice. When I go to a photography exhibit I am always initially drawn to the black and white section. I have spoken to other photo fans that feel the same way. The B&W seem to have more character then the color. In this book, it serves the purpose of giving you the necessary information without the distractions of color.

The book is not in the same order as the original and some of the moves have been renamed. The section on tricks has been eliminated. It says that this is the first book in a trilogy so maybe that will find its way back in but even if it doesn't, there is so much material here that it won't be missed.

Like most of you, videos have formed the bulk of my education in card magic but in perusing this book, I truly feel that the series of photos are superior to a video. To get the full effect, you don't have to pause and go back. The photos show the handling and positions of the cards and hands in great detail. Multiple photos explain every thing. In fact, he uses 26 photos to teach the Two Card Stock.

I think you will also find David's writing style to be a cut above a lot of magic books on my shelf. And a very informative foreword has been written by Karl Johns, the author of."The Magician and the Card Sharp", a fascinating look at the research he did regarding Dai Vernon's search for the greatest cardsharp ever. Be sure to read both Karl's Foreword and David's opening commentary. They are both well worth reading.

One thing that the Ortiz work has that this one doesn't is the section on who was Erdnase by Martin Gardner. It is obvious from E.S. Andrews's credit as a co-writer who David feels is the true Erdnase is and since the subject has filled so many pages since the original book came out, David did the smart thing and used the pages to deliver one of the most complete works on this classic tome.

To sum up, if you are serious about your card work, this book needs to be on your shelf.

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