A card (the ambitious card) is put in the middle of the deck and repeatedly returns to the top.
Ambitious Card
Pictures
1. Double lift the top two cards and show to the audience (exposed view!)
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Method
1. Start by double-lifting the top card (two cards), show it to the audience, replace them on the top, and put the top card in the middle of the pack. Click your fingers, turn over the top card and show them that the ambitious card has come to the top.
2. Shuffle the pack, fingering off the top / ambitious card first so that it ends up on the bottom. Turn over the top card, show it is NOT your card, then turn over the pack to show it at the "top of the bottom".
3. Take the ambitious card and put it face up on the top (so the rest of the deck is face down). Make a finger break above the lowest card (while holding the deck from above), and simultaneously pull about a third of the deck from the bottom.
So, in your left hand you have two-thirds of the deck face down, with the ambitious card face up on the top. In your right hand you have one-third with a break above the bottom card (all face down).
Using the cards in your right hand, flip the ambitious card face down, and push it up, so that it protrudes from the top of the deck. Then release the card at the bottom of your right hand (the one under the break) so that it is on top of the ambitious card.
Turn your hands over, similar to opening a book so the audience can see the ambitious card (they don't see the card below it!), push in the ambitious card. Then turn your hands back over, so all the cards are face down. Thumb the top card (which the audience think is the ambitious card) over to the bottom of the pile of cards in your right hand (one-third of the deck), so it is still horizontally protruding. Then insert the 'one-third' pile in the middle of the two-third pile, squeeze the protruding card in, then turn over the top card.
Comments
| redhavoc 13th Apr 06 | A video would be good. Ambitious card routines are one the key elements of a card maicians repertoire i think. | |
| PeteyB383 17th Apr 06 | I love using the ambitiuos card routine, I always change it around though. | |
| optiplex2571 21st Apr 06 | Thankyou!! my buddy did this to me and i was amazed... I couldnt believe my eyes.. Now i know how it is done..Thankyou! | |
| magicfreak123 25th Apr 06 | This is great Ed Good explanation and great quality pics | |
| mrmystery 7th May 06 | I love The Ambititous Card Routine, I Think every magician should have it in there arsonal of card magic. Its great to do on the spot, and it gets great reactions, one of my fav tricks to perform. | |
| gideon25 23rd May 06 | one of my favourite tricks to do | |
| TheMagicalSock 31st May 06 | Although my routine is much different, this is one of the most brilliant routines in magic. My routine requires several more difficult sleights, but it's the same great magic. Thanks for the great description and pictures, Ed! Regards, Cam | |
| blacktiger 2nd Jun 06 | I too have a diff. method but the ambitous card routine is one of my favorites. | |
| fink25 3rd Jun 06 | a video would be nice ed | |
| prash16 4th Jun 06 | Once you have learned the necessary moves for this routine, you should always make up your own routine. Its what makes you different from other magicians. | |
| atticus735 7th Jun 06 | always have to have an ambitious routine for sure! haha i love 'em! | |
| ramodkk 8th Jun 06 | I think the Ambitious Card Routine is essential to a magician, it leaves a very strong feeling on spectators, I change some of the moves, or add some, that makes it more original and effective. | |
| meech 8th Jun 06 | a video would be nice | |
| Wexler 11th Jun 06 | great trick. will take hard to master. a video would be cool though :) | |
| Ros 13th Jun 06 | People i can only beg you that you work on your own Ambitious routine. I've been working on and using a routine that I have used countless times when working. Take a look through some decent card books like the Royal Road To Card Magic and Close Up Card Technique both by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue. Making your own routine will pay great dividends in the future. | |
| xhunterlee 18th Jun 06 | I have done this trick so many times. It is very good especially when you can do it many times and the spectator still be confused. | |
| gideon25 20th Jun 06 | favourite trick ever | |
| alancoolio 21st Jun 06 | great trick!! i personally like to use the svengali deck for this routine you can get them at almost any magic store | |
| eman 27th Jun 06 | BASIC in card magic and very very awesome. | |
| dragonbreath 1st Jul 06 | this is a great trick which almost always get great reactions.i have a different method thst is awesome but a guess ill submit it. | |
| m4rcy 2nd Jul 06 | well done. maybe u can include the different routines we can use this double lift to perform. i will upload one on ambitious card if i haf chance to upload tricks. | |
| hitparader 3rd Jul 06 | yeah try for a video, that would make a little more sense, i couldn't really understand, i had to keep reading it over and over. | |
| drogher 3rd Jul 06 | a video would help tons | |
| Kentuckymage0688 4th Jul 06 | you guys should try using a svengali deck for the ambitious card routine. | |
| ilikemagic 5th Jul 06 | i don't get it | |
| snod323 6th Jul 06 | nice trick.. video would be nice to see, but good directions | |
| anooj3434 8th Jul 06 | Pretty neat my mom fell for it lol. | |
| StreetballPrince 11th Jul 06 | i know eh! pretty vcool though | |
| lukest 12th Jul 06 | this is an awesome trick i really like it | |
| Stephen 13th Jul 06 | Great trick, I love Ambitious Card routines, But I would like to have a video of it. The pictures are a lil hard to understand. | |
| mechanism 14th Jul 06 | took me a bit but i think i got it - or at least possibly a slight variation anyway. i like to use 2 of the same card for the first one so that when people say "do it again" you can instantly and then go on to continue the routine to eliminate the possibility of 2 cards | |
| egg 15th Jul 06 | i use the pass instead of double lift | |
| DC730 22nd Jul 06 | actually theres another way to do the ambitious card.. and u do it 2 times and have the spectator hold the cards the second time... cept i cant seem 2 post the trick | |
| themagicduke 27th Jul 06 | i don't understand please post a video | |
| Blues 29th Jul 06 | One word - daryl | |
| gaara 31st Jul 06 | COME ON THIS IS WAY TO LONG and way to hard to understand so can you please make a video or someone else make video? | |
| Crispy 31st Jul 06 | Pretty good, but I like it when the card stays at the top, not on the bottom. | |
| rockndave 3rd Aug 06 | this is a good routine | |
| Mario100 5th Aug 06 | Great job on the routine. I like to use both double lifts and Invisible Passes in my routine though. | |
| wassup 8th Aug 06 | can someone please explain step 2 to me better | |
| Antonio1419 16th Aug 06 | Visit my website at www.amazingmagicrevealed.piczo.com | |
| dgeorgeg 17th Aug 06 | One of the best card tricks! Its a little hard to understand, but it works reallly well after you practice it for a few days. Brilliant! | |
| tbk08 18th Aug 06 | wow awesome...u should get some video footage performing the trick step by step... | |
| ponguin 24th Aug 06 | gr8 trick. Needs practice though. | |
| cardshark2006 24th Aug 06 | I've been doing this trick for a few months. Gets puzzled reactions. :) | |
| exodia 26th Aug 06 | I used to do a simpler version where the card only came to the top once, this is a great improvement to my repetuare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |
| monkeymagicdude2007 26th Aug 06 | long but effective | |
| serjmalakian 30th Aug 06 | i do some of the moves in here and then some, but no ambitious card routine is complete without the bending section....also another good move to do is the false feed...they never see it....i will submit wen i am able to!! :P | |
| CanuckLover 31st Aug 06 | one of the best card routines. i use it all the time | |
| heeper 3rd Sep 06 | i agree with Canucklover! | |
| tos 8th Sep 06 | Hai, Can anybody help me? Evenif I am keeping my interest in magic for almost 7 years I didn’t know systematic methods of learning magic. I got an internet connection only a few months ago. Please e mail me at ‘tosj16@hotmail.com’ | |
| shadowsoldier3 11th Sep 06 | This trick is really awsome. I love it because it is so impromptu and you don't need to stack the deck or anything. | |
| shadowsoldier3 11th Sep 06 | I love how impromptu this trick is and it is awsome. Keep em' coming Ed. Any really good card vanishes? | |
| mage 19th Sep 06 | ACR is great, but there are so many sleights missing from this description | |
| ibag559gabi1 22nd Sep 06 | thats a nice, short ambitious card routine | |
| sk8terdude 25th Sep 06 | really great trick | |
| Birnbaum91 30th Sep 06 | Its a great trick and I get great reactions out of it. I recomend having the spectator sign the card so they know without a doubt it is their card coming to the top every time. I do Oz Pearlman's rendition which also includes card to mouth. | |
| Guardian452 1st Oct 06 | classic in magic...if youre into cards then you have to know this trick | |
| Tama 16th Oct 06 | video definently, sounds good, just i didn't get the explanation | |
| alix 31st Oct 06 | i like the routine,but its only as good as the person who uses it.needs practice | |
| moos 1st Nov 06 | whoever invented it in the fist place is a genius | |
| cartman 5th Nov 06 | Your trick is brilliant I get amazing reactions from the crowd THANKS :P | |
| Pyromaniac 27th Nov 06 | hmm this routine ain't that bad man. do the bent ambitious card one too. it's a stunner. | |
| tenofhearts 11th Dec 06 | ah..i dont think this is the way david blaine does it | |
| tvtv0 29th Dec 06 | Hey, using a pass is a good idea too... | |
| dairyfarmer 2nd Jan 07 | Incorprate the pass, double undercut, backslip, or any other method of bringing the top card to the top and retaining it there. The more "ambitious" the card is, the more amazed they will be. On the down side, too much ambition will ruin the trick, making your audience grow bored. Use the sneakiest method (for me the double undercut/false riffle/backslip sleight I created, there are about 3 shuffles/cuts so the card appears completly lost. The double undercut brings it to the top, and the other two retain the position) you know, just to keepp 'em on their toes. kingofspades100, just be patient. You will be able to submit. | |
| godlyprince 13th Jan 07 | i love the acr allthough until now mine has been one of the more amateur sides to my act. | |
| newdeal666 13th Jan 07 | this is one of my favourite tricks to do but what i do is to get them to pick a card and sign it and as there putting the cap back on i slip the there signed card under the frist this a great tricks | |
| dtomagic 17th Jan 07 | i perform this trick often and get great reactions | |
| acess 26th Jan 07 | i do this trick somtimes, and always change it around | |
| Hawk 31st Jan 07 | Ambitious card routines are a nice way of starting in magic - easy to master - great to watch,and this one is no exeption. | |
| Xxsolja89xX 7th Feb 07 | very cool i think this trick fooled houdini diden't it? | |
| glitch43 8th Feb 07 | NICE! I have not tried any Ambitious Routines yet, and you have given me a nice one to start with. THANKS. Your instructions are easy to follow. Keep up the nice work. | |
| Sherab 4th Mar 07 | Anyone know how to do the part where you fold the card in half and have it rise to the top? | |
| robbo374 4th Mar 07 | the whole point to a Ambitious card is to have it reaper on the top all the time. so i'm not keen on the bit where you show it on the bottom. my advice to anyone, is at the start of your routine, is to have a card freely selected, after showing the whole deck is not the same, as some people think all the cards are the same. have it placed back in the deck. taking a pinkie brake, riffle the front end of the deck so it looks as if its lost. then cut at the brake, and do a riffle shuffle to bring your card 3rd from the top. then you are 3 steps a head. i use this to show cards going into the middle. and that sets me up. one more thing, for the younger or beginner magician's, during the Ambitious card a double or triple lift is youed alot, try to not riffle the back to pick up you double. i use the Larry Jennings snap double to get my lift. they are many other ways to get the double and find the one that works for you. this is a good routine and they is many ways to do it, make your own up and have fun, as this is why we all started magic in the first place. | |
| askimdog2000 4th Mar 07 | it was very good but long | |
| Mindfreak14 18th Mar 07 | i love this trick. its really fun to preform i do it a diffirent way thats way longer and its really cool. nice job | |
| PGVA 18th Mar 07 | Great trick. the pics really help a lot. | |
| syntax01 19th Mar 07 | I agree - a video would be VERY helpful. This is too hard to understand. | |
| unskilled 20th Mar 07 | I do it in a different way which is a lot easier for me, but requires turning the deck so that the top cards face you. But it gets a good reaction as it can be done an infinite number of times and the spectator won't notice the secret... do it a small amount of times though or your spectator will be bored. | |
| tbt204 20th Mar 07 | Every single darn time I use this trick I get called on the double lift! *curses heavens* | |
| Erosennin 26th Mar 07 | I agree about it not needing to be showed in the bottom. And I would add a charlier cut. Great for the routine. Card is visibly pushed in the middle and it reappears on top | |
| peaceout 27th Mar 07 | i like this trick because using sleights make it easier for me to do the tricks | |
| BigMagic 27th Mar 07 | for some reason I can't understand but by looking at other comments it seems effective | |
| G91292 28th Mar 07 | I think the Ambitious Card Routine should be expanded and make it longer by using various other selights so you can make the card reappear on top or the bottom of the deck more than 3-4 times. | |
| minfreak101 30th Mar 07 | i think 6the pass would work better in an ambitious card routine then anything i thnk, | |
| emptyvase 3rd Apr 07 | The great thing about Ambitious card is that it may be modified to suit the situation and your performing style. But make sure that the conditions are more difficult with each iteration....or else the suspense of the trick lags and you lose your spectator! | |
| PGVA 4th Apr 07 | If anyone needs a video just go to youtube.com and type in card tricks it will show a guy doing something like this | |
| drakoemson 9th Apr 07 | I love using this to mess with people's heads. I tend to add top changes and passes to make their card a truly stubborn card. | |
| filantro 15th Apr 07 | well, its a well known trick in the Magic society, its nice of you to upload it. Just a nice TIP for beginners in card tricks. Be careful when you do the double lift. People tend to be very curious and not to trust the magician, after all some of them think they are about to cheat them. So when making a double lift, take good care of how you grab the cards, and it s a nice way to use the point finger to push the 2 cards a little when showing them, that way they will bend forward a little, and people would´nt notice you are grabing 2. And keep your cards clean, I know, its redundant, but use it with your hands clean and not sweaty, a good thing is to keep a small bag of baby powder in your pocket, (comes very handy doing Street magic), when times come you can grab a little from your pocket and use it on your hands, this will dry your hand and the cards wont stick on your fingers, do it before getting your "victim" and shake it away before coming towards them, that way youll be always fresh and new for your card rutines | |
| cyberdoctor 17th Apr 07 | it would help if each photo had a corresponding numbered section of explanation in the explanation of method. I get confused following the instructions about halfway through | |
| abnude 8th May 07 | definitely one sweet short variation of the trick. 'twill look much cooler if you incorporate the pass on the routine. I wish I could upload that great trick. It will surely stun your audience! | |
| KingofSpades 17th May 07 | I have always loved doing this, and it gets me some amazing reactions. It is really great, because you can just pick up a deck anywhere, and amaze! | |
| MagicMagicianMan 18th May 07 | Really good ambitous card routine!Video may have helped though. | |
| death8350 21st May 07 | I love this trick. It gets the people going every time. | |
| ddustin 22nd May 07 | Your explanation confused me ALOT could someone please explain better | |
| johncoggan 25th May 07 | JC In response to G91292, my routine involves use of double backer and we find the Ambitious Card at the top, at the bottom, in the middle (reversed), several times. I can explain that later | |
| sparshsparsh 28th May 07 | Not able to understand after step 3. | |
| MagicMeastro0708 30th May 07 | Ambitious card is one of my favorite tricks to perform.. i don't use the steps accurately though.. i change it.. i make it so it looks like im moving cards around and shuffling so it looks like i can never find it but i force it back to the top again and again.. i still like the original though. | |
| ckurz7000 6th Jun 07 | Yes, yes, and yes to all previous comments. Just to add my 0.02 U$: Once I have had the card appear at the top several times, I stop briefly and tell teh audience that I am going to perform a spell that I am still training the ambitious card in. I slide the card into the middle of the stack, do a Charlier cut and then an overhand shuffle to control the card to 2nd from bottom. Then I turn over the top card and fake disappointment that the ambitious card somwhow got lost in the deck. But, to my g | |
| CocaCola 15th Jun 07 | I find this trick hard when you get to this part. "Using the cards in your right hand, flip the ambitious card face down, and push it up, so that it protrudes from the top of the deck. Then release the card at the bottom of your right hand (the one under the break) so that it is on top of the ambitious card." I'm still unsure on what to do, the pictures are great but didn't really help me out. Any advice would be great. Thanks! | |
| PhillyB 18th Jun 07 | This is a trick i have waited sooooo long to do! Simple in theory but i require a bit more practise. Worth it though! | |
| tookie4eva 9th Jul 07 | i like this verison a lot because you dont have to use the pass which is very hard to learn | |
| VECCY 11th Jul 07 | A variation I do is a focus on how clicking the fingers is important -to summon the card to the top, perhaps! I perform the trick once and show them that be clicking the fingers the card jumps to the top-they say 'wow'. I cut the deck, and explain that I will show them again. I double lift again to show them the next top card -so they think- and then place the actual top card in the pack. The variation is that I do another double lift and say 'so now it's the blah blah on the top. Flip | |
| VECCY 12th Jul 07 | the card(s) back over...CLICK the fingers and flip over the top card. It's the click that works! It's just a bit of showmanship! | |
| bezzarocks 12th Aug 07 | this is also a fantastic trick I love performing it and everyone is always shocked at first i didn't understand it but the second time looking through it I understood it | |
| lurker 2nd Sep 07 | I knew how to do this trick, but you helped me with some of the problems I had. | |
| dreamblade77 14th Oct 07 | this trick is ok but the prolem is u have to no more ways tho get the card to the top of the deck | |
| wheelson 4th Nov 07 | The ambitious card routines are great they conquer language barriers and plain just amazes people. But this trick is very old and many people have seen it so i think there needs to be a little more spice at the end | |
| wycher 4th Nov 07 | This trick was very simple but if it will be done properly, it can create an astonishing effect! | |
| Toeface 11th May 08 | This is EXTREMELY confusing for me. It seems like the "ambitious card" is just jumping around everywhere without anyone controlling it. It just really doesn't make sense at the moment. | |
| kidmagicion 28th Jun 08 | this is a simple trick and good for practicing other tricks because you use the finger break, double lift, false shuffle all in other more professional tricks. | |
| Boyd 2nd Jul 08 | Great trick, I started work on this one as soon as I read it. Thanks for posting it. | |
| loyal4eva 24th Jul 08 | I double lift, and bend the card, then, push their fake card in the middle card, and push their card flat, and release the pressure so it looks like the bentg card melted through the deck. | |
| WshinigamiC 22nd Sep 08 | Nice trick, a little suggestion here though. After step 1, I think performing a 2nd deal would be good. Deal out the 2nd card then slot it into the middle of the deck. After some magic gesture show your audience it has magically come back to the top! | |
| Toeface 28th Dec 08 | This should be something ALL beginners look at. Putting together your first Ambitious Card routine will help you a lot with so many things. It's an introduction to much bigger and better things. If you are a beginner, try and create a few ambitious card routines, change them up and really see what you can do. This allows you to divert the direction of your tricks, have cards disappear and reappear, think about what you can do if you forced a card, and before you know it, you'll be way past a b | |
| scottrox777 1st Mar 09 | this is a great trick yet easy to predict,i suggest just showing it as a joke to people rather than a trick | |
| ed 18th Jun 09 | scottrox - I can't say I agree, this is by no means a joke trick, and with the right presentation, can be highly entertaining! | |
| magicman1208 30th Jun 09 | Ambitious card routines are essential in a magicians repertouire of tricks. Good job on the description. | |
| Dbz888 13th Feb 10 | Amazing, video must do great...... | |
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Sleights
- Cut
- Double Lift
- Finger Breaks
- Shuffle
Details
Author: ed Access Level: 1 Hate it 
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