Easiest Card Control (Alternative to the Classic Pass)

In this video tutorial below, you will learn what I think is one of the easiest, if not THE easiest card control in all of card magic that I know.

Although the Classic Pass is one of the hardest sleights to learn and ultimately master in all of card magic, this pass here is one of the easiest sleight of hand moves in card magic you can learn. And they accomplish many of the same things! (You can learn all the basics of card magic sleight of hand at Card Sleight of Hand Basics – Everything You Need to Know)

This card control is great for getting a selected card to the top of the deck (known as “controlling the card”) in an easy manner, which looks like you are just shuffling the deck and mixing and losing the card further. This is perfect for card tricks that require you to get a selected card to the top of the deck, which is common in a lot of sleight of hand card tricks.

However, depending on the trick, there are some instances where you might want to use the Classic Pass instead. But, if you are just looking to use the Classic Pass as a card control and to basically get a selected card to the top of the deck, then this pass will do the same thing. And, it will look like you are just shuffling the deck at the same time!

(The time when you may want to use the Classic Pass instead, is if you are trying to look like you are not shuffling the cards, or “losing the card” in the deck. The Classic Pass can look like you just placed the card in the center of the deck and left it there without altering the position of any of the cards)

This pass involves keeping a pinky break when you place the top packet back on top of the selected card which has been returned on top of the bottom half of the card deck that you hold in your hands. You then left the packet back up at the break, essentially doing almost a turnover pass, and then overhand shuffling the cards on top. The selected card will now be on top.

This pass is sometimes referred to as the Mahatma Pass.