i use it as well from time to time, but i do it twice, starting and ending with the card on top, make more sense imo( the only time where it starts in the middle and make sense to me is if i imitate Lenart Green's style and my hands shake like crazy as i handle cards messily), the people here don't react to magic being magical( as in, having no chance of occurring, like a card that was just in the middle suddenly appear on top without any shuffles) as well as they do to magic being illogical( as in, having so little chance of occurring it's not likely i could make it happen).

Well, I look at the Hindu Shuffle as the "traditional shuffle" for laymen. They always use something similar to it while playing cards. I believe that if a false shuffle is to be used, the Hindu would be the best one. Even though there is a motion while controlling it, they may disregard it because it is the one thing they are always used to seeing and doing themselves, rather than double undercuts and whatnot.

The best way to convince people that the card is really lost in the deck when shuffled is to let them shuffle it. Every time I've let them do that, they never questioned me or tried to heckle me as much, if they intended to that in the first place. Now that works fine if you know what their card is beforehand :D

I can do one plaming technique (top palm) and what I like to do is control the card to the top using some method generally a pass and then palm the card while I hand the deck to them for shuffling. I then take it back and in the process of taking it back add the card back on top.

One of my favourite method! :D

Bold and daring, but when it works, it's like a party in your brain, where it's like your inner demons are plotting ways to deceive the hell out of people :D

agreed, i once used that to scare people into thinking they've been cursed( little prank for Halloween last year), but still it's more fun to have it in your wallet, ready to be used, i have all the time in the world.

As mark said, and my main qualm with the video, is that any time you fiddle with the deck more than necessary (in the bottom control in the video), the spectator will just think oh, he controlled a card in that action, even if you didn't. Even after losing a card fairly and giving it some cuts (for a mentalism effect, so no card control), I've had some spectators just assume I've cut it to the top.

Now to the original question: My absolute favorite top control is the Convincing Control

which is that? and i find that if you shuffle on a table top instead of in the hand, your spectators suspect less, i've done so many sloppy control on the table with me actually FINGERING for a break, and i STILL get a very very good reaction( something like "wow... how did you do that" is good enough for me)

in general i like to use controls where the card is controlled before it is even pushed into the deck like marlos convincing control to the bottom and the subtle pass to the top

the venus trap that punch water taught conbined with the allerton change albert taught(i feel like an adult when i call albert albert instead of trickster ap):awesome: take that alberts smiley face muhahahahahahahahahhahaha.

I prefer to call him AVoriginations, or Starscream, or Magic Man. Or Alby. Or Albertasaurus Rex... Yeah.

For Table work: Automatic Rear Jog
For in the hands work: Cascade control


XD

Table work:
-Shuffled: cheater's top stock retention shuffle sequence
-Unshuffled: Dribble Pass and Spread
In the hand:
-Shuffled: all kinds
-Unshuffled: Palm and Slap or Switches

I dont belive I have answered this one, I think my all time favourit method would be doing a pass usally a classic pass or invisible pass as you may call it.

Fan Control
 

I like the Fan Control, crimp. Let them Shuffle, take the cards back and make one cut, done, the card is on top. This is extremely convincing as you hardly handled the cards at all and they shuffled as much as they want and you're getting them involved and putting it in their hands.

Great video Tommy.

I guess the harder the control the more satisfied we as magicians will feel knowing it was completed successfully. I would.

Anyways, definitely the spread pass for me, because all the actions feel appropriately motivated. Also, with the step ahead principle, having a card in the opposite direction (unknown to the spectators) and adding the selected card to it for a double.

I have been playing with this: dbl backer on top, DL, loose the dbl backer in the deck. Quickest and cleanest (to the spectator) ACR prob.

Findini showed me a lil something that fooled me before. :smile:

Lastly, Highrise but more so Blind Square for it's convincing factor.

The other night Mark repeatedly fooled me with the simplest one card control ever; it's easy as a magician to make things difficult for yourself, when often its the simple moves which are the best.

Guyz!!!1
da shinobi control iz really a good control guyz
it foolz the magigians when i do it

I find lousy shuffles (quick too) very convincing.

One thing I find works as well is having the audience [whoever] confirm misdirection, like when you perform certain moves, ask them "Do you see the card there?" and give them a thought that there is no sleight, I find that people actually buy into that quite easily and it helps with the actual misdirection lol