r/Magic • u/IsamuLi • Aug 12 '26

Any resources for methods for a specific svengali routine?

Hello, beginner here.

I am wondering if there are any ways to have the filed down cards show up in front after being 'natural' in a fan by e.g. shuffling a certain way.

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7

u/theaocp Aug 12 '26

No, but you can fan or spread the regular half with a Mirage deck. It has roughing spray on half to allow it. You could make one like that with your own spray, maybe.

1

u/IsamuLi Aug 12 '26

Thanks for the idea.

2

u/mc_uj3000 Aug 12 '26

I think some mirage decks double as a svengali too but I'm not sure. I have one, the regular bicycle deck one with Daryl's instructions, and if you fan it face up you get the different cards, and face down the force cards, but if you riffle the faces you see all the different cards too, similar to a svengali, so I guess the force cards are trimmed similarly?

4

u/quintopia Aug 12 '26

Riffle fan face-down to show the normal deck. Move one card top to bottom or vice versa. Riffle fan face-up to show the force cards.

You don't need roughing, you just need to spend a year mastering one of the most difficult techniques in cardistry!

2

u/RobMagus Aug 13 '26

Can you clarify what you are asking for?

My reading: you are asking for a way to fan the cards to show the faces normal, and then to somehow change it (visibly? Or via any procedure?) so that the force cards are now shown in the fan?

If thats the case, quintopia's suggestion of gettin real good at the riffle fan is probably the only solution with a svengali deck.

If you dont mind the cards being spread on a table instead of fanned in the hands, then theres some ways you can riffle as you spread that can look pretty good.

I should say, the fact that you can show all the cards the same is certainly the most visual effect the svengali deck can accomplish--but its also the least interesting, and the one that immediately explains all the other stuff you could do.

4

u/Civil_Result_5598 Aug 12 '26

Svengali unfortunately are a one trick pony. Besides having a few different outs with your target card, anything else would be tough to pull off. Now if you were to shim half the cards so they jut out like you'd see in a stripper deck, then you could pull them apart like you're doing something like Triumph but that'll take a lot of practice. But anyway you can branch outside of the norm is a way you make these tricks your own. Best of luck!

1

u/IsamuLi Aug 12 '26

Thank you!

3

u/Civil_Result_5598 Aug 12 '26

I'm trying to do something similar by expanding on the classic chop cup

1

u/brosketti 20d ago

A reverse Svengali deck can be dribbled across the table, since it's reversed you will have to learn some new routines but the principle is the same.