July 2006 Newsletter

Private Council Update

As 21ace grows as a forum and website, there is a need for order and organisation. This task is handled by a select few that oversee the daily running of the site and plan its future. This select few are members of what is called the Private Council and are the most senior members of 21ace. These members bring a mix of skill, knowledge and a love of 21ace. They are nominated and voted in by the members of the Private Forums who select a Council Foreman who then nominates the members he would like to accompany him into the Council.
The members that make up the current Council are Eric, Shadow, DeadPeopleAllOver (Foreman), TheEMan, Jonjo, Sreename and fattyonadiet. Below are some introductions to a few of the members:

ERIC:
My goals for the council are for us to keep the forums cool. I've seen some forums destroyed by many things like egos, stubbornness and other problems. I am hopeful that we will experiment when it makes sense and do what is necessary to keep the community fun. Hopefully we can keep flaming and fighting down to a minimum in the forums.

I see 21ace growing in card flourishes and chip flourishes.

SHADOW:
I think that the goals of the council should be too ensure and improve the quality of the site and the forums. We also need to finish the projects that started during the previous council – custom cards and chips, managing the Private section, moderating the forums, helping with the contests and others. The new council has already brought some its own ideas as well so I think it will be a pleasure to work on better 21ace with them.

DEADPEOPLEALLOVER:
As council foreman, one of the "perks" is being able to select 4 other members to help run the council. I selected people who I thought were the most active and were interested in making 21ace a better place. There were many people choose from, as there are lots of helpful and cool people on 21ace, so the selection was very difficult. Other than selecting the remaining council members, everyone has an equal say as to what goes on here at 21ace.

21ace, in my opinion, is still a great (if not the best) forum because of it's diversity of subjects and members; card flourishes, card magic, chip flourishes, poker, as well as many other topics.

My goals are to increase member activity, keep spam to a minimum, as well as introducing other minor changes to make 21ace better. All members are encouraged to express any ideas that they feel would be helpful to the forums. All suggestions will be taken seriously.

Thanks to all the 21ace members for making this a great forum.

THEEMAN:
My goals are also to keep the coolness in the forum; it’s a very good, mellow ambience which I like a lot. I’ll also try an contribute new stuff and some cool ideas

JONJO:
My goals for the council are to continue to improve the forums so that we can make 21ace the premier chip and card manipulation forum on the web. I also hope to bring collaborations and special features to our members available only through 21ace.

SREENAME:
Hi All! My name is Geert, although most of you know me as Sreename or "Sreen".
I was selected for the 2nd council by the foreman of the council Dead.
I have been around this site for about a year now and I have seen it grow and become more popular. I really feel like it is my second home, because all the people are always nice and willing to help!
My goal, whilst being in this council is to continue having a great site which has information for all level of skilled people, from beginner to pro.
Also I hope to improve the site to a new level in which we can takeover the world!!  Nah kidding, first we take over Europe, then the world!
I really enjoy being picked for the council along with all the others. Who are wonderful members by themselves!

Sreen 

FATTYONADIET:
Hey guys, the names Alex but u can call me fatty (or Alex or Fattyonadiet…I’m not fussed). As one of the 2 new council members I’m excited to be responsible for making the forum (and site) the very best it can be. My goal is to help where help is needed and offer my thoughts on possible improvements. I have many ideas for the future and hopefully they will start to show around 21ace.
That’s it from me, but don’t be afraid to ask for help or suggest ideas to me or any of the other council members.

A Little bit of Asher…

Hi, I am Lee Asher.

For those that have never heard of me, let me introduce myself.

I am a second generation magician, son of an original Al Flosso student. I’ve worked as a professional card artist for the last 10 years of my life, but the art of magic filled my earliest memories. I’ve always breathed magic like air.

At age 15, the Asher Twist (an impromptu four-card effect) permeated the card underground and soon became popular throughout the mainstream card community.

Sure, I have won my fair share of international awards, but my real accolade lies in the fact I survived university in Las Vegas. With teachers like Al Ackerman, Looy Simonoff, and the Las Vegas Strip, my education elevated my art and style.

It was the birth of the CardStar Lifestyle.

Since that time, I have lectured around the world and with the help of a direct style of card handling, created a cult-like following.  There is power in numbers, and it will only be a matter of time before I start making you think differently about your card work. But I digress…

Let me go back to the notion of a CardStar Lifestyle.

I call it the American CardStar Lifestyle because I currently reside in the United States. I am not pushing my nationality on anyone. It could certainly be the English CardStar Lifestyle, or the German CardStar Lifestyle too. My point is to live a lifestyle that will help you use card magic to your benefit, to improve the quality of life around you. Your personality must influence the card work you perform, and your card work will then affect your personality.

Are you beginning to get a sense of the CardStar Lifestyle?

Let’s talk about other elements of this belief system. When you are playing the part of the CardStar, make sure your audience cares.

Do not perform trivial card art. I can’t stress how important this is.

Think like your audience. Go along with the audiences’ assumption of your capabilities.

In my opinion, over two thirds of card art presented today is convoluted and confusing. Nothing can be more distracting than watching a performer fumble through a move that never should have been executed in the first place.

I’m not claiming to be the Bruce Lee of magic; it’s just that he had it right when he displayed the following quote on a small replica gravestone in his Martial Arts school.

"In Memory of a once fluid man crammed and distorted by the classical mess”     –Bruce Lee

This sentence should transcend martial arts – It’s perfect for us in the card world.

It’s as if Bruce Lee lived the Chinese CardStar Lifestyle.

If you infuse more of your personality into your card work, if you give your audience reasons to care, if you make your art direct and less confusing, in short if you start living the (insert your nationality here) CardStar Lifestyle --  then I promise improvement in your life.

“Are you telling me if I perform card art with a CardStar-Lifestyle attitude people will appreciate me more?”

Yes. Yes I am.

Until next newsletter…

Lee Asher

Do you and anyone you know want to continue your journey on the CardStar Lifestyle?
You owe it to yourself to spend a minute signing up for two separate (free) quality e-zines.

Lee Asher’s Announcements
http://www.leeasher.com/join_list.htm

This e-zine is guaranteed to connect you to the new trend in card work.

and

The Magic Mentor
http://www.coinsnatching.com/magic_mentor.html

The Magic Mentor goes beyond tricks and moves, teaching you how to perform. 
People pay money for books on what this e-zine offers for free!

Interview with DeadPeopleAllOver

How did you get your name (and e-mail for that matter)?

How did I know this would come up? Any time I make a user name, whether it’s for a forum, video game, email, or whatever, I usually make up something morbid or creepy. When I first joined 21ace, I didn’t expect to post that much, so I just made another silly user name off the top of my head. In retrospect, I wish I had thought of something different. But most people now know me as “Dead”, and they don’t seem too bothered with it, so that’s good.

How long are you in the XCM / Flourishing trade?

I’ve been into flourishes for about one year now. I thought for sure I’d get bored with it after a month or so, but it still seems to be going pretty strong.

Which Flourish do you enjoy most?

I would have to say the one-handed shuffle because it’s the first flourish I learned. Plus, I like the fact that it can be used when I’m playing poker, or in the middle of a magic routine, etc. For instance, it’s not like a double arm spread would do anybody any good during a poker game, but the one-handed shuffle serves a purpose other than showing off.

Who is/was your idol?

I don’t think I’ve ever had a specific idol. Many different people have influenced me. Of course, De’vo and Jerry Cestkowski had an impact on my progress, but watching amateur videos has also helped me along the way as well.

What is the best book/DVD you saw?

The Encyclopaedia of Playing Card Flourishes by Jerry Cestkowski is the best book available. If I had to pick my favourite DVD it would have to be Generation Extreme by Brian Tudor. It has tons of flourishes as well as sleights. But Jerry’s book is the best tool I have.

Which flourish took you the longest to perfect?

The 4-packet sculpture (aka viereck) by De’vo. Not only is this an extremely difficult move to perform legitimately, it was especially hard because there was no tutorial to go by.

How much time do you spend practicing?

It depends. There have been times when I’ve practiced for hours on end. But sometimes I’ll go weeks without even touching a deck of cards. Usually when I finish making a video, I won’t practice for awhile because I’m burnt out.

Do you have any plans to learn any 2 handed cuts?

Maybe down the road, anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m not a fan of 2-handed cuts for the simple fact that this flourish dominates most of the videos that are out there. I prefer moves that are seldom used. Videos that contain nothing but 2-handed cuts are a little boring to me and one-dimensional, so I try to make videos that have some variety. I’m not knocking anyone who chooses to practice these cuts exclusively; it’s just not my style, that’s all.

 
Why flourishing?

One day, I was searching for some chip tricks on the internet. I thought it would be cool to be able to do some cool stuff with chips while playing poker with the guys. Then I remembered seeing a one-handed shuffle back in the day. So I poked around the internet some more, and stumbled upon Ian Kendall's website. I was able to learn the one-handed shuffle from his tutorial, but eventually I found Superhandz, and I was hooked.

Yay or Nay to Fanning Powder?

I apply fanning powder as soon as I open a new deck of cards. Sure, I could live without it, and my fans and other flourishes would be fine, but fanning powder makes everything just a little bit better. If/when I start practicing card magic; I probably won't use it because I know it makes most sleights a little more difficult.

What advice would you give to beginners?

It’s real easy for beginners to want to dive in head first and practice as many moves as possible. It’s important that you pace yourself and practice only one or two moves at a time or even three at the most. Don’t try to take over the world in one day. Plan your practice sessions around your strengths and weaknesses. For instance, if you’re struggling with card fans, but are really good at one-handed cuts, I would practice one fan, one cut, and maybe pick one other random flourish to practice. But again, I wouldn’t practice any more than three moves at a time. When you master one of these flourishes, add another one to your practice session.

Also, there's nothing wrong with mixing magic and flourishes. There will be some sites/people that will discourage you from combining the two. Pay no attention to these people, as this is just idiocy at its worst.

Have you ever been into magic?

I’ve always been fascinated with magic. In fact, I’m thinking of putting flourishes on hold so that I can practice card magic exclusively. I have lots of material in my possession to learn from, and I know some people who are willing to help me out. I’ve always gotten much bigger reactions with card magic (not that I know a whole lot) than flourishes. I have a lot of respect for magicians.

How do people react to your flourishing?

I've had people roll their eyes and tell me I have too much time on my hands, and  I've also had other people tell me it's the most amazing thing they've ever seen. I usually send all my videos to my family and friends (whom I don't live close to anymore). They usually get a kick out of them.

What would you say to people who might label you a finger flicker?

Before now, I had never even heard of the term "finger flicker". I know there's a "device" that women can buy called a "finger flicker", does that count?

As a well respected and senior member of 21ace, how do you see the site progressing, and what would you like to see here?

I think the site is progressing well. In the last few months there have been some nice changes/additions. We’ve had the addition of the newsletter, the blog section, the private council, and some cool contests, just to name a few. The 21ace poker chips are finished, and hopefully the 21ace cards will soon follow.

What makes 21ace such a good site is the diversity of people and subjects that are discussed. Sure, there are other forums that are decent, but most of them only focus on one area of cards. For instance, Superhandz you’re only allowed to talk about XCM, Dan and Dave specializes in 2-handed cuts for the most part, and Decknique (or as I like to call it, Dan & Dave 2) only focuses on general flourishes (but mostly 2-handed cuts). Again, all these sites are great. But at 21ace you can talk about all types of subjects. Some of these subjects include; card flourishes, card magic, general magic, pool, poker, gambling, or just about anything.

After your video “Fusion” with Anders (TheEMan), are/ will you get into chip tricks?

Well I’ve started learning a few tricks, but nothing major. I can do a half-assed knuckle roll, and I can shuffle chips pretty good. If I ever want to learn any more chip tricks I could just hit TheEMan up. He’s good like that.

What are your favourite cards for flourishing?

For card fans, I would have to say Tally-Ho fan backs are the best. Not only are they awesome-looking, but they last longer than other decks. Another great fanning deck is the Ghost deck. For other flourishes like arm spreads and shuffles I don’t really have a preference.

We know you have a shit load of cards, but exactly how many decks do you have? And what’s you favourite deck?

Right now I have about 200 decks. I don’t plan on buying any more in the near future though. As far as my favourite deck, again, I’d have to say Tally-Ho fan backs or Tally-Ho Vipers.

Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to the 21ace community?

Just wanted to say that I’m glad to be a part of the best forum on the net. There are other great forums out there, but 21ace is still my favourite. I think 21ace will only get bigger and better as time goes on, and hopefully I’ll continue to be a part of it.

Involve the audience with flourishing

I was wondering round town a few days ago and I watched some one flourishing, while not as technically gifted as our fair members, he still had ‘skillz’. After a little bit I noticed I was the only one watching and soon got bored of his antics and it seemed little or no interest was generated from other members of the public. He wasn’t doing it for money (busking) from what I can tell; I guess he was enjoying it himself. But this masturbating with cards can’t be all that good to develop your self?

We all join the forums to share are experience with others and have a medium to perform in. I know with some of the magic work I do I have to draw the audience in and take them on a journey. Surely it’s not too different when flourishing.

Step one Draw them.

Get them to notice you, a friend of mine Owen aka RoadMage wrote a great little e-book on Hit and Run magic and details the importance of step one.

http://www.magictricks.co.uk/prodshow.asp?code=987

Why doesn’t he start by having some one watch him doing a flourish slowly, getting interest, seeing the skill involved to make the cards move, and having people think, I could do that.

Talk to people let them know you can do this without thinking, its natural and ask what they think.

Step Two: Show them your skills.

Now that you have a little interest and people are watching closely, now slowly speed up, people think they might be able to do the flourishing with a bit of practice as they can see how its done, now that you are building up speed its gets more difficult and your face shows it (while its properly easier to do them at speed but no one knows that!). As you get faster and faster you are building up to a finish.

Step three: Your Finish

In magic something has to happen, the card appears in your mouth, or the coin in their coat, watch etc... The same rule applies to the flourishing I think, all this hard work needs a climax, do something amazing to show everyone its over and you defied the laws of gravity, and once done have it end in an applause stance, let people know its over and that’s what their supposed to-do now.

This is just a basic model of how you evolve a routine, but its got to be better than just standing their endlessly performing the same thing at speed, how long do you expect people to watch before they tire? Give them a journey a start and a finish. We know when it’s the end on the webcams as there is a little timer telling us when it’s over.

Its common sense but think about your journey that you’re taking people on and why should they waste their time watching you.

Baz

Pros have it tough!

Playing professionally is not what it's made out to be on TV.

We hear the top professionals say it but many of us don't believe it, I'm here to say it is true. After my first month of doing nothing but playing poker(this was back in May), no school, no obligations other than poker, I have come to realize that it is hard work and takes a lot out of you. It takes a special kind of person to make it as a "Pro" in poker. Being a poker professional is not glamorous AT ALL. I have plenty of examples that have happened to me personally, not second hand stories I hear from friends. These are the kind of thing you might see on "A in the day of the life of ____".

I'll start out with the emotional toughness it takes. In May I went on a +$5k swing in the first 19 days of the month. I had a great run going, was playing great and life was the best it has ever been. Unfortunately, things were not what they seemed and by June 4th I was down $5k. Basically I took a +/- 500bb swing at 5/10. I was only playing 3/6 and 5/10 when this all happened so you can't say these are the smallest swings in poker, they are huge. Anyways, on the way up life was great to me, I knew this is what I should be doing, on the way down life sucked, I questioned my ability to play winning poker. I questioned if that's what I should be doing for a living, maybe the fact that the money you see come and go you could easily use to put food in your mouth, your family's mouths, you could pay off your credit cards, thinking along these lines is what makes the difference between seeing poker as fun and seeing it as a job. When it is a job you have in the back of your mind the extra burden to make money. When you try and force the issue, bad things can happen, this is just one more added thing to poker you most keep in check to make it as a professional, and poker is no longer "fun" to some. I have seen many people turn pro that loved the game but didn't like it as much when they were forced to play every day, no matter how they felt or if they wanted to. I think that's why mentally it can be a strong burden on the minds of many poker professionals and why so many try and fail.

Obligations. The fewer obligations you have the easier it is to become a big time professional, or just a professional period. I have heard many players talk about bank roll management and it's EXTREMELY important for any player that wants to win. However for a professional there is a lot more behind-the-scene type bank roll management that takes place. Professionals have to keep what I call "paper work". They have to keep 6 months to a year living expenses behind it all in case they have a bad losing month. They have to play 40 to 50k hands a month averaging 30-40 hours a week min, dealing with outside factors that come along with poker itself (I will get into this more detailed in the next paragraph). The fewer what I call obligations you have outside of poker the easier it is to become a professional. This life is not easy at all, it might look great for a player like Doyle Brunson, Ted Forrest, Barry Greenstein, or any other big named professional, but they had to come up the ladder just like the rest of us and they had to grind it out just like the rest of us. They have just been playing for YEARS, some of them a lifetime. I challenge you to name one professional that plays 4k/8k that is under 25. I don't know of any. When you have obligations like a wife/ husband, mortgage, car payments, children, jobs, whatever your obligations might be the more you have the less you should think about going professional. Mason Malmuth wrote in one of 3 Poker essay books: The best scenario for someone to become a professional poker, are that the person must be young, single, and have low monthly expenses. I believe this to be completely true. And this is why I say obligations starting as a professional can not be high.

This leads me into my next thought, I said playing professional has side effects outside of poker. I have been dating here and there a few chicks that had no idea what I did for money and how I was planning to take them out to dinner, or wherever we went. I was at dinner with a good looking, really sweet, and intelligent young lady, when the check came and I happened to have a wad of $100 bills on me. I had just come back from the casino not 2 days ago and hadn't had chance to go to the bank yet. I pulled out that wad looking for a couple of $20s in the wad when I found them I set them down and put the money back in my pocket. I then looked up and saw her giving me the famous what the hell type look. I knew what she was going to ask me, she politely says "what do you do for a living?" this is a nice way of asking why a 22 year old had $1k in his pocket. I said, "I play poker for a living, well not exactly, I'm still in college I just don't have another "real job" as you might think of it." Hence to say, I aome to find out this girl was completely religious and didn't believe it was good that I was a "gambler". I haven't talked to her since. Playing poker professionally can have bad side effects on your personal life outside of poker. Remember, never pay with cash if you have a lot on you. Use the credit card so you look a bit more normal till she gets to know you a lot better and you have time to explain your occupation.

Another side effect I have noticed is that I have a complete disregard for money. I only start to feel the effects of a loss if it's like $1000 or more. Even when I was playing 5/10 and a little 10/20, $1k didn't mean much to me. Most of my friends and any normal human that is not completely loaded might have trouble sleeping at night if they dropped like $1k or more in a day. Not so for a poker professional, even the sickest down swings. For example during my -$5k I still went to bed, no problems. I wasn't real happy with the situation but nonetheless I'm passed it already. It's only a week passed the whole thing, as I write this article. Honestly I don't like it but $100 to me is like $1 to many. To be successful as a professional you develop many good and bad qualities, as Doyle Brunson once said about all the players in the big game, "we are all a bunch of degenerate gamblers. We are just lucky enough to find something we could beat."

Playing professional is not what TV makes it out to be, it's a lot of hard work, only very few make it to the biggest games in the world, and even fewer can make it over years and years as a professional. It sounds like a great dream, and a glamorous one but I am here to tell you it is far from that. Playing professionally has great advantages but just as many disadvantages I'll list a few of both briefly below:

Good Things:
- You make your own hours.
- Answer to yourself, no bosses.
- Follow a dream.
- The harder you work the more you can make.
- You get to write off travel expenses.

Bad Things:
- You can't get loans at a good rate, you must have the cash.
- You don't have befits as a regular job: heath, dental, est.
- You have to pay higher taxes on your income, IRS wants their cut.
- You have to keep a lot of records of your hours played and money won and lost.
- Your social life will decline a bit given that poker is not exactly widely accepted morally.

This list could easily go on but as Newton said, "For every action there is an equal and upstate reaction." I think it goes without saying that this can be applied to more than just physics.

Pokerfanatic01

Members Welcome

Without members a forum would be pretty boring. Without new members a forum would not improve thus adding to its boringness. So this is just the little piece of the newsletter that allows us, the members of 21ace, to extend a heart felt welcome to all those that have joined the 21ace community this month.

 
- frontmill    Posts:7
- saragaska    Posts:1
- debt_consolidation    Posts:1
- shlushkka    Posts:1
- pokereddie6196    Posts:1
- studentik    Posts:1
- jenifferka    Posts:1
- Cam07    Posts:4
- MrMcManaman    Posts:1
- J_Wess    Posts:8
- FRANKYBEE12    Posts:1
- frutty    Posts:1
- kelsycash    Posts:1
- midnightblue    Posts:2
- lis1182    Posts:2
- looq--eu    Posts:1
- lerts    Posts:1
- khayoz    Posts:2
- estrella57    Posts:4
- XSVPAINTBALL    Posts:18
- strahan    Posts:1
- DougieFresh    Posts:3
- vita123.1    Posts:1
- tralisali    Posts:1
- james123    Posts:1
- Frederic12    Posts:1
- bowflex    Posts:1
- TommyClock    Posts:1
- MKashew    Posts:3
- roxikas    Posts:1
- sagamaska    Posts:1
- costashark    Posts:1
- barantula106    Posts:1
- CarIn2006    Posts:1
- christian_co    Posts:1
- GuygbK87    Posts:1
- Farmatseft666    Posts:1
- adobewarez    Posts:1
- philalex    Posts:1
- buy-prozac-online    Posts:1
- wwwgetfunherecom    Posts:1
- route91    Posts:1
- Moneyball    Posts:5
- commaanders    Posts:1
- maximkasg    Posts:1
- seowarez    Posts:1
- PokerZion    Posts:1
- GeNe    Posts:29
- fantalltheweb    Posts:1
- tulleh    Posts:3
- jiona55    Posts:1
- viagra-shop    Posts:1
- alevtin    Posts:1
- guysmilie    Posts:1
- mortgage_loan_s123q1    Posts:1
- Dernik552    Posts:1
- lilo    Posts:1
- OEMsoft69    Posts:1
- MickaMause    Posts:1
- VasyaPupkinJiv    Posts:1
- baran1    Posts:1
- auto-kaufen    Posts:1
- MoeGreen    Posts:1
- CardStudent2006    Posts:10
- Muxy    Posts:2
- Nebuchadnezzar    Posts:1
- mrtgage123r    Posts:1
- Hernik023    Posts:1
- missmischess    Posts:1
- Jarwin675    Posts:1
- abveew    Posts:1
- amnesac28    Posts:1
- G3lom12    Posts:1
- masddter    Posts:1
- ahabanana75    Posts:1
- Brazilgirl    Posts:1
- amoxicilin    Posts:1
- tm4free    Posts:1
- MedVedODJoG    Posts:1
- bennybcn    Posts:1
- dysentery01    Posts:4
- ProxRB    Posts:1
- GrineWolf75    Posts:1
- ShortBE    Posts:1
- Hardan    Posts:1
- weekendfr    Posts:1
- MixMusicGirl    Posts:1
- Lonpodey33    Posts:1
- PokeHerFiend    Posts:27
- BennyBTraveler    Posts:1
- Flower shop A    Posts:1
- 123emoney43    Posts:1
- uretre    Posts:1
- Moldergin    Posts:1
- Ndb7byv    Posts:1
- Ashtray77    Posts:2
- rustyshackleford    Posts:1
- magicmaker14    Posts:9
- SickCertMax    Posts:1
- Golbasnikjv    Posts:1
- madagascar821783    Posts:1
- Samanta Thomson    Posts:1
 

CREDITS

The people that contributed to the making of this newsletter include:

Eric and Shadow – Technical Support.

Fattyonadiet – Editor.

Lee Asher, Pokerfanatic01, Baz, Shadow, Eric, Jonjo, Sreename, Fattyonadiet, TheEMan– Authors.

Also; a big thanks goes to DeadPeopleAllOver for allowing us to interview him.