Card Warp Magic Trick – Master This Routine in 10 Minutes
Card Warp, popularized by Roy Walton, is an incredibly visual trick. It isn’t really a card trick even though it uses playing cards.
Audiences are baffled, the trick takes up no space, it’s always ready to go, can be performed silently, there are no bad angles, it can be repeated, and the cards are examinable. It is a great magic trick.
Here you will learn what I consider the simplest, cleanest, easiest, and BEST handling of Card Warp. I will share all the details so you can start performing this miracle today.
Card Warp Tutorial
A playing card visually turns over between the folds of another playing card.
Card Warp Preparation
Grab any two cards knowing you will destroy them. Fold one card in half the short way. Fold the other card in half the long way, yet not exactly in half, just a tiny bit off. This will help conceal the tear. Crease the folds well.
Tear the middle of the slightly shorter side of the long folded card, all the way to the crease.
I am right handed. If you are a lefty switch hands.
Card Warp – Displaying the Cards
“Two cards folded in half.”
Display the faces of the cards with the tear hidden underneath. It is very important to keep this tear concealed.
With your right hand fold the bottom long card in half to the left so the opening is to the left and the tear stays hidden. Hold this card between your right thumb and 1st finger. Your 1st finger covers the tear.
With your left hand, fold the short card in half and hold it with the opening to the left.
If you want to you can turn your hands palm down and flash the other side. It is not necessary, yet if you do it, only do it once.
Card Warp – Folding the Cards
“The cards are interlaced and folded together.”
Place the short folded card into the front half of the long folded card. Keep the cards clamped shut so the tear isn’t seen.
Slide the short folded card toward you underneath the upper ripped half until it sticks out the bottom slightly.
Continue to clamp the cards shut with your right thumb and 1st finger. You are going to open the cards, turning them face up. Keep everything tight and together.
“I’ll do it face up so you can see it happen.”
Slide your left thumb into the fold of the short card. Clamp the torn front half of the long card against the bottom half of the short card with your left thumb and 1st finger. This will keep everything in place.
Press the top half of the long card against the top half of the short card with your right 1st finger to keep it closed. With your right thumb open the short card and fold the cards face up.
Rotate everything 180° so the long card is sticking out toward you.
Card Warp – Card Turns Over
“The card turns over between the folds.”
Hold the short card clamped shut with your right thumb and 1st finger. Turn your hand palm down flashing the other side of the cards.
Slowly push the long card forward with your left thumb until the face-up card is no longer seen. The card will come out face down. Show both sides. Rotate the cards 180°. Push the face-down card forward again. It will come out face up.
Card Warp – Half Face Up
“You can see the exact point where the card turns over.”
With your left thumb and 1st finger slide the long card over and pivot the bottom diagonally to the right. Half the card will be seen face up and half will be seen face down.
Cover the tear with your right thumb and 1st finger. Turn your right hand palm down displaying both sides.
Card Warp – Tearing the Cards
“If I tear the card, I stop the process halfway, and the pieces fit together.”
Slide the card back over so it is centered against the fold. Rotate the folded edges to the top. Tear the cards in half, straight down the middle. Place everything on the table and lift off the top halves. You are clean.
Pro Tips
You start dirty and end clean, which is perfect. Spectators do not know you are concealing a torn card in the beginning.
Practice opening the cards and turning them face up. Use your strength and control so you do not flash the torn card.
I believe you should prepare your cards in advance. It makes it easier to control the tear and prevent it from flashing. No-one cares that the cards are pre-folded.
It is perfectly fine to take two random cards out of your pocket. Since you rip them it makes sense to use extra cards rather than cards from your deck.
I’ve seen magicians do a jumbo version of Card Warp for stand up performances. Imo this is a close up trick and should only be performed the way it is taught here.
I’ve seen magicians hand spectators one of the cards to fold the short way while they fold the ripped card the long way. I don’t feel this adds anything to the trick. Holding both cards is better because it helps conceal the tear.
Sometimes when I tear the cards at the end, the tear isn’t perfectly down the middle, and there is a little bit of the face-down card attached to the face-up card. Don’t mention it, your spectators won’t notice.
At the end, mentioning that the pieces fit together is an important subtlety. Spectators can take it to mean whatever they want. The pieces do fit together.
I prepare a bunch of these sets and keep them in my close up bag so I am always ready to perform this miracle.
Conclusion
The magic trick Card Warp is a terrific one. I have found the simplest method to be the strongest and most magical. Go through my step by step instructions and soon you will be performing this incredible trick.
