Mastering the Art of Magic Deck Layouts

A magic deck layout is the arrangement of cards in a deck used for playing the card game Magic: The Gathering. In the game, players use decks consisting of a minimum of 60 cards, which they use to cast spells, summon creatures, and ultimately defeat their opponent. The layout of the deck is crucial for ensuring an effective and balanced gameplay experience. The first important aspect of deck layout in Magic: The Gathering is card selection. Players must carefully choose which cards to include in their deck, considering their mana curve, strategy, and overall synergy. The mana curve refers to the distribution of cards with different mana costs, with a balanced curve being important for having a consistent progression of play throughout the game.

The mana curve refers to the distribution of cards with different mana costs, with a balanced curve being important for having a consistent progression of play throughout the game. Moreover, deck layout also involves considering the different types of cards that can be included in a deck. This includes creature cards, which represent the creatures that players can summon to attack or defend; spell cards, which allow players to cast various spells; and land cards, which provide the necessary mana to cast spells and summon creatures.

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Can anyone please tell me what is the name of this version of cups and balls that is performed while sitting in padmasana,

Its clearly not the traditional Indian cups and balls (Cheppum Panthum) but I am not sure if its published or what is its name.

I would suggest, since you have not had a reply to this post, that this magician is doing the move from the Indian cups and balls, without the traditional Indian cups with the stem. This is very important because it shows you can do the normal Indian c. n balls "move' without regular cups. very useful.

I agree with countrymaven, that he's doing a modified Cheppum Panthum to work with a cup without a stem. Take a look at Gary performing with the standard cups and you'll see similarities.

Here's another version from an Indian talent show that illustrates some other variations.

Wow! Does any one know a good resource for learning the movies they are using? It seems like, altho using cups and balls and producing a similar affect, the moves must be different.

Abbott's sells a book that is actually the compilations of three books by Eddie Joseph that is a very good resource for this type of thing. He describes it often in the text as using elephant bells but the premise is still the same; very little modification to the handling. Eddie Joseph was a huge fan of the Indian cup and balls and spends a lot of the book discussing it.

This move is really an important observation perhaps. You could use it some with a regular c n balls or chop cup. it really mixes up the level of deception.

Magic Vin, and others, we will have to be a little creative to adapt this move to the regular c n b's or chop cup. Regular c n b's may require a slight change in the P, and how you hold the cup.

there is also another move often used in the Indian c n b's. The cup is slightly upturned and the p. ball is dropped into the c. the c. is turned over as you place it down. This is similar to the most basic cup and balls move with the cups, but in this case is being done with a p. Sometimes you might think all your fun in a routine is over, but this shows me how new tools can really improve a routine.

I am trying to share this without exposing to a non magician. if someone thinks a spec. could figure this out, have the thread moved.

That is the normal Indian cups and balls routine. I've seen a few different Indian videos and they are all very similar. I've also seen a few do the same routines live when I lived in Taiwan and the entertainment park hired a series of magician straight from India to perform there. They were all doing the same routines with the same looking props, with many of the same moves.
On a side note: There is a whole community of Muslim magicians who live in a section of Dehli who have been passing down their routines to their kids and so on. That's why many of them do the same style of false transfer.

On Jan 9, 2021, Al Kazam the Magic Man wrote:
That is the normal Indian cups and balls routine. I've seen a few different Indian videos and they are all very similar. I've also seen a few do the same routines live when I lived in Taiwan and the entertainment park hired a series of magician straight from India to perform there. They were all doing the same routines with the same looking props, with many of the same moves.
On a side note: There is a whole community of Muslim magicians who live in a section of Dehli who have been passing down their routines to their kids and so on. That's why many of them do the same style of false transfer.

Being in Taiwan I d like to know where I could witness those Indian magicians?

Btw I have studied Indian and Chinese cb with some local masters, I m thinking to publish a pamphlet about some of the specificities, not sure which format would be best and if there s really an interest?

On Jan 7, 2021, Chuck Finley wrote:
Abbott's sells a book that is actually the compilations of three books by Eddie Joseph that is a very good resource for this type of thing. He describes it often in the text as using elephant bells but the premise is still the same; very little modification to the handling. Eddie Joseph was a huge fan of the Indian cup and balls and spends a lot of the book discussing it.

Does it cover the specific moves used when sitting in half lotus posture?
Thanks

DrVG,
Great that you're living in Taiwan. I lived there for 16 years from January 1990 the end of 2005. Mostly in Kaohsiung and 1 year in Taipei.
The entertainment park was in Kaohsiung County near where I was living. It's been closed now for some time, but they used to have a lot of different Indian entertainers there. I was told by them directly that in Dehli there is a community of magicians who have been doing magic for a very long time and pass down their teachings to their kids to keep up their life styles. The videos of the performer sitting on the ground with the small stainless steel flat style bowls is very common for this group, as well as the way they do the egg bag with the same style of bag. I saw this many times when I was there. I bought a few of the props from one man before he returned to India. I've also been to India twice for tours of performing magic shows in Goa. Had a fantastic time.
As for a preference for C&B's, I own a couple of Sherwood sets of cups and do my own variation of the Vernon's routine with some bits and pieces from Gazzo thrown in for fun. I'm too old to be sitting on the floor cross legged trying to recite the routine in Tamil (I think) which is pretty hard to learn, plus only Tamils from southern India can understand what you're saying. If I was to try and learn an Indian c&B routine I'd try to learn it in Hindi as at least a huge percentage of the people can understand it. Just the way I'd do it, as I think there's no value is sitting there talking in a language that very few people outside of Tamil Nadu in the south can understand at all.
Al

I believe Nate Staniforth talks about this group of magicians in Delhi in his book "Here Is Real Magic: A Magician's Search for Wonder in the Modern World". It's a great read and you can get it for almost nothing on eBay.

DrVG, I think there would be a lot of interest in material discussing these techniques and routines.

On Jan 7, 2021, Chuck Finley wrote:
Abbott's sells a book that is actually the compilations of three books by Eddie Joseph that is a very good resource for this type of thing. He describes it often in the text as using elephant bells but the premise is still the same; very little modification to the handling. Eddie Joseph was a huge fan of the Indian cup and balls and spends a lot of the book discussing it.

Does it cover the specific moves used when sitting in half lotus posture?
Thanks

Yes Eddie Joseph covers all of it in the book. He was a huge fan and would travel all of India looking for people performing it; he then published his thoughts on it. But it covers so many ideas on cups and balls. This should be on everyone's reading list if they want to do the cups

This youtube clip popped up on my FB page a few minutes back. All the tricks and the way he performs them is exactly the same I've seen several times from different magicians while I was in Taiwan.

Abbott's sells a book that is actually the compilations of three books by Eddie Joseph that is a very good resource for this type of thing. He describes it often in the text as using elephant bells but the premise is still the same; very little modification to the handling. Eddie Joseph was a huge fan of the Indian cup and balls and spends a lot of the book discussing it.

Balancing these different types of cards is essential for a well-rounded and effective deck. In addition to card selection, deck layout also involves card distribution. Players must decide how many copies of each card to include in their deck, taking into account factors such as card rarity, card power level, and personal preference. Including multiple copies of powerful cards increases the chances of drawing them during the game, while a diverse mix of cards can provide flexibility and adaptability in different situations. Furthermore, deck layout also extends to the sideboard, which is a separate set of cards that players can swap in or out of their main deck between games in a match. The sideboard allows players to adapt their deck to counter specific strategies employed by their opponents, providing an extra layer of depth and strategy to the gameplay. In conclusion, a well-structured magic deck layout is essential for a successful and competitive game of Magic: The Gathering. It involves carefully selecting cards, considering card distribution, and utilizing a sideboard to adapt to different gameplay situations. By paying attention to these aspects, players can create decks that are powerful, versatile, and enjoyable to play with..

Reviews for "Winning Strategies: Analyzing Magic Deck Layouts of Pro Players"

1. John - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with the Magic deck layout. It was not at all what I expected. The layout was confusing and difficult to navigate. The cards were not arranged in a logical order, making it hard for me to find the cards I needed during gameplay. I also found that the deck layout lacked organization, further adding to my frustration. Overall, I was not impressed and would not recommend the Magic deck layout to other players.

2. Emily - 1/5 stars - I absolutely hated the Magic deck layout. It was a complete mess. The cards were scattered all over the place and there was no clear structure or organization. It made playing the game incredibly frustrating and took away from the overall enjoyment. I found myself spending more time trying to find the right cards than actually playing the game. I would advise anyone considering using this deck layout to look for something else.

3. Michael - 3/5 stars - I was not overly impressed with the Magic deck layout. While it wasn't terrible, it definitely had its flaws. The layout lacked consistency and some of the cards were not placed in logical positions. It made it difficult to quickly access the cards I needed during gameplay. Additionally, the lack of clear categorization or labeling made it hard to navigate the deck efficiently. Overall, I think there is room for improvement in the Magic deck layout.

4. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I have mixed feelings about the Magic deck layout. On one hand, I appreciate the attempt at creativity and uniqueness. However, in practice, it fell short. The layout was counterintuitive and made the game more challenging than it needed to be. The cards were not arranged in a way that made sense and it disrupted the flow of the game. I found myself constantly having to reorganize the deck to make it more user-friendly. Overall, I don't think the Magic deck layout was worth the effort and would not recommend it to others.

Exploring Different Magic Deck Layout Strategies