Nick Trost


Nick Trost has created some amazing card magic. He has published dozens of books on card magic as well as many popular packet tricks.

Trost wrote and edited a column on card magic in The New Tops from May 1961 until December 1994.

He had a Hocus Pocus Parade in Linking Ring, Vol. 34, No. 12 (February 1955) and received the award for Originality of a Card Effect at the IBMConvention in Pittsburgh, PA that same year.

He may be remembered for one of his most notable creations the "eight card brainwave".

This is really a brilliant creation. Clever construction combined with Marlo's "olram display" move sequence.

In this classic effect you show eight cards and the spectator can think of, or name anyone. It's a free choice. Then you cleanly show that every single card is blue except for the one they chose which has a red back.

I have published a version of this trick using 8 credit cards. They choose any one. And then you show that all the cards are stamped with the words "declined" except for the one they chose.

In the 1970s and 80s and even the early part of the 90s "packet tricks" were very popular amongst magic shops and dealers.

(A packet trick is basically a card trick that just uses a small packet of 4 to 10 cards. Often times using a gaff or specially printed cards)

This style of card trick was highly marketed by magic shops and mail order magic stores.

When I worked at the Cuckoo's Nest magic shop during college in Pittsburgh I would often demonstrate his packet Trick "fly circus", it was a lot of fun to perform and very off beat.

You can find a list of many of his books and packet trick creations at Magicpedia.  Interested students should look up all of his material but a good place to start is The Card Magic Of Nick Trost.

Today I would like to bring your attention to a lesser known booklet of Nick's.

'CARD Problems' is the name of the booklet and it contains 12 impromptu card routines.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

"Two card transposition"
In Nick's handling he uses an odd backed card so it's very easy to follow the transposition because the cards have different backs. This is a transposition with a kicker ending. And is all accomplished with nothing more than a double lift

"cards in pocket mystery"
This is my favorite trick in the book. While you're back is turned and you are on the other side of the room......you have the spectator shuffle about half the deck. After some simple instructions they select a card and you have them divide the cards they have shuffled into colors placing them in different pockets.

You are NOW able to tell them how many red cards are in their pocket, how many black cards are in the other pocket. And you are able to tell them the card they are thinking of!

And it's self working!!!!

There is another hidden gem in this book. A very strong packet trick where you clearly show the four Queens and the four Kings. The Kings are dropped on top of the Queens and immediately you can cleanly deal through the cards showing that they have all paired up instantly!!!!!

Honestly if you just search the Internet for anything by Nick Trost. Just get it. You'll be happy you did. Many of those booklets are out of print and hard to find but it will be worth the search. And luckily most of his material has been reprinted in the recent release of his "subtle card miracle" series.

Enjoy!!!!