This mini-workshop is about improving self-working card magic. I love sleight of hand. Some wonderful magic has been created using it. But I believe that any trick should not be harder than is required to achieve the desired effect. If it takes a sleight (even a very hard one) so be it – if it can be done self-working, with the same appearance to the audience, even better. A good trick is a good trick regardless of whether it uses sleights or is a self-worker. As I get older I find that more and more I rely on strong semi-automatic or self- working material. Hopefully everyone will be able to get something from this workshop.
O.K. There is no such thing as a self-working card trick. And if there was, what would be the fun. A trick needs us to happen. Generally the term self-working refers to magic that doesn’t require moves. Now there is also argument about what constitutes a move. John Bannon wrestles with that question in his Move Zero series.