Routines

166 entries in Cards / Effect Themes / Penetration / Ambitious Card Theme / Routines
Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
C. Vogel Die Karte als Streber "Die Kartenschule von Carl Willmann"
top card pushed in center, shown back on top, repeated multiple times, top change
 		July 1898 Die Zauberwelt (Vol. 4 No. 7) 99
Jack Merlin The Pass as a Trick no passes, to fool those familiar with passes, ambitious card plot
 		1927/28 Merlin's Master Manipulations 6
Jack Merlin Here There and Everywhere ambitious card, then stop trick, twice the card is at the stopped position
 		1927/28 Merlin's Master Miracles 15
Ralph W. Hull Hull's "Eye Popper"
1932 "Eye-Openers" 4
Tom Sellers On the Top four phases
 		1934 Card Tricks That Work 5
Lin Searles An Amusing Reversal ambitious card, then chosen card turns over, double backer
Related to 1936 The Jinx 1-50 (Issue Summer Extra 1936) 134
Theodore Annemann The Ambitious Card end stripper deck
Also published here 1937 Encyclopedia of Card Tricks 282
Jess E. Mills The Super Eye Popper ambitious type routine with duplicate (king of clubs with one spade pip)
 		1937 The Jinx 1-50 (Issue Winter Extra 1936/37) 181
Dai Vernon, Sam Leo Horowitz, Arthur Finley The Ambitious Card with double backer
Related to 1938 Greater Magic 481
Unknown Das fliegende Ass Ace is spun in the air and placed in the center, ends up on top, optical illusion
Also published here
  • "Magikeren" January 1939.
 1939 Hokus Pokus (Vol. 1 No. 2) 14
Unknown The Omnipresent Eight
1940 Expert Card Technique 287
Laurie Ireland Deuces and Trays sucker ambitious twice, deuces shown as threes and transform in threes when spectator protests
 		1940 Ireland's Yearbooks (Issue Yearbook 1940) 15
Arthur H. Buckley The Ambitious Card Experiment No. 23
 		1946 Card Control 177
James G. Thompson Jr. Thompson's Discontented Card
1946 The Phoenix 101-150 (Issue 105) 422
Bert Allerton Pump Room Phantasy two Aces appear on top and bottom
Related to 1947 Stars of Magic (Vol. 3 No. 1) 39
Unknown Ambitious Card including push-through sequence
 		1948 The Royal Road to Card Magic 147
Dai Vernon Ambitious Card
1949 Stars of Magic (Vol. 5 No. 2) 76
Edward Marlo Ambitious Card Routine roughed duplicate
 		1951 Unknown 11
Bill Simon The Ambitious Card cards travel from center to the top and back to the center
 		1952 Effective Card Magic 66
Bill Simon The Thought-Of Ace thought of ace (or all aces) rise to top
 		1952 Effective Card Magic 109
Dai Vernon The Unambitious Card card travels down from top one card at a time, for magicians
 		1952 The Phoenix 251 — 300 (Issue 253) 1010
Bruce Elliott, Dai Vernon The Ambitious Card! last phase in spectator's hands (Vernon)
Related to 1953 Classic Secrets of Magic 160
Cy Endfield The Ambitious Card
1955 Cy Endfield's Entertaining Card Magic — Part III 5
J. B. Bobo The Traveling Joker one black card placed among twenty-six red cards always ends up on top, then card travels from packet to packet
Also published here 1956 Top Secrets of Magic 22
Bert Allerton The Eye Popper
1958 The Close-Up Magician 24
Russell "Rusduck" Duck Ambitious 52 cards come to the top in order, mates are always on the bottom
 		1958 The Cardiste (Issue 6) 15
Max Malini Card Jumps to Top single phase Ambitious Card
 		1961 The Magic of Charles Earle Miller 55
Harry Lorayne Lorayne's Ambitious Card Routine
1962 Close-up Card Magic 51
Frank Garcia The Apex Ace Aces vanish on pack, Ace of Spades comes to top three times, aces reappear face up
Related toVariations 1962 Close-up Card Magic 88
Edward Marlo Ambitious Routine
1962 The K. M. Move 7
Nate Leipzig Leipzig's Opener card comes to the bottom of the deck several times, then penetrates performer's hand
Variations 1963 Dai Vernon's Tribute to Nate Leipzig 156
Tom Batchelor The Ambitious Kings
1968 Ireland's Yearbooks (Issue Yearbook 1967-68) 91
Aldini Roughly Ambitious Ambitious Card routine with packet of twenty cards
 		1969 Roughingly Yours 7
Mike Rogers Still Avid color changing back kicker
 		1971 Kabbala — Volume 1 (Vol. 1 No. 2) 10
Jerry K. Hartman Ahead of the Pack multi-phased Ambitious Card
 		1971 Odd Lifts 21
Edward Marlo They're All Alike ambitious type routine shown, people think they're all the same, but they're all blank
 		1972 Kabbala — Volume 1 (Vol. 1 No. 8) 62
Neal Elias Ambitious Get Ready "Get Ready For Braue After Zingone" (see next trick)
Inspired by Jan. 1972 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 7 No. 3) 477
James G. Thompson Jr. The Ambitious Card short routine with Braue Pop-Up Card finish
 		1972 The Living End 12
Jack Avis Topsy Turvy triumph with ambitious phases and four-of-a-kind kicker
 		1973 Epilogue (Issue 18) 163
Frederick Braue Ambitious Variation
May 1973 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 8 No. 7) 626
Alex Elmsley Der ehrgeizige Fremde ambitious card has different back, in the end deck changes color
Also published here Jan. 1974 Intermagic (Vol. 1 No. 3) 60
Edward Marlo Ambitious Card Routine roughed duplicate
 		1976 Early Marlo (Issue Oddity & Other Miracles) 128
Paul Harris Solid Deception
VariationsAlso published here 1976 Paul Harris Reveals Some Of His Most Intimate Secrets 1
Olof Jonsson, Al Mann Levitation chosen card appears on top of the deck after spectator shuffled the deck, psy presentation
 		1976 The Third Ecstasy 32
Harvey Rosenthal Ambitious Delight several phases
 		1976 Close-Up Sampler — Part 2 4
Martin A. Nash Queens Uprageous see p. 447 for additional crediting
Related to 1977 Any Second Now 197
Jerry Mentzer Ambitious Red Back color changing backs kicker
 		1977 Card Cavalcade Four 76
Dai Vernon Single Ambition three phases
Related to 1977 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 9-10 (Vol. 10 No. Close-Up Folio #7) 989
J. B. Bobo The Traveling Joker one black card placed among twenty-six red cards always ends up on top, then card travels from packet to packet
Also published here 1977 Innovative Magic No. 1 8
Harry Lorayne The Ambitious Card
1977 The Magic Book 130
Theodore Annemann Die Ehrgeizige Karte (ambitious card) using End-Stripper Deck
Also published here 1978 Einfach Wunderbar — Wunderbar Einfach 115
Jerry Mentzer Ambitious Red Back color changing backs kicker of ambitious card
 		1979 Card Cavalcade Finale 21
Jerry Mentzer Ambitious Card
1979 Card Cavalcade Finale 28
Harry Lorayne Lorayne's Invisible Pass Routine first single cards come to top, then all aces (presented as invisible pass demonstration)
Variations 1979 Quantum Leaps 116
Juan Tamariz, Fred Robinson The Tamariz Ambitious Double
Related to Dec. 1979 Pabular (Vol. 5 No. 12) 776
Jim Ryan Misdirection and Manipulation
1981 Jim Ryan Close-Up: Sensational Stunners 15
Karl Fulves Half Ambitious
1981 Milennium Aces 57
Jackie McClements Ambition Accomplished as John McClements, two Aces are produced, Ambitious Card phase with both cards, then selection appears sandwiched between Aces
Related to 1982 Spell-Binder (Vol. 2 No. 18) 344
Michael Ammar Yeast Card ambitious card with card to match book finale, folded
 		1983 Encore III 24
Michael Powers Color Ambitious ambitious card with color changing back kicker
 		1983 Powerful Magic 27
Edward Marlo Ambitious Marlo
  • Ambitious II
 		1983 Powerful Magic 56
José Carroll The Card-Culator ambitious card, card to number, stop trick, card folded to calculator
Also published here 1983 Effects and Presentations 10
Stephen Tucker Rock Around Ambitious card, but deck is then revealed to be wrapped in rubberbands around all the edges (Paul Harris's Solid Deception ending, with rubberbands)
Inspired by 1984 The Card-Mad-gic of Stephen Tucker 17
Unknown Routine routine outline:
  • Surprise Spell
  • Card turns over
  • Ambitious
  • Rub a Dub Dub
Related to 1985 The Fred Braue Notebooks (Issue 5) 18
David Britland Room at the Top "Nobody does it better, except the spectator!"
Ambitious Card with King, other Kings show up and then change to Aces
 		1985 Equinox 46
Daryl Martinez The Routine famous long FISM Routine
 		1985/87 Daryl's Ambitious Card Omnibus 1
Larry Jennings 7-Up
1986 The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings 56
Jay Sankey Hotfoot ambitious sequence with signed card, then with second card, fusion
Related toVariations 1986 Sankey Panky 76
Ben Harris Killer Ambitious Multi phase Ambitious card routine
 		1986 Killer Klose-Up 42
Randy Wakeman R.W. Ambitious Card Routine
1987 Special Effects 30
Edward Marlo Marlo Ambitious Card Routine
1987 Special Effects 63
John Carney Etherial Pack joker shows up again and again instead of selection, deck vanishes except selection
 		1987 Lecture Notes Collection (Issue Carney Up Close) 6
Steve Draun Midnight Ambitious Card very few multiple lifts, to pocket climax
Also published here 1987 The Magic of Steve Draun 1
Peter Duffie Envelope Prediction after Ambitious Card sequence, an odd-backed card in an envelope turns out to be signed selection
Related to
  • "Black Envelope" (Bob Kohler)
 1987 Inspirations 13
Thomas Hierling C.C. Ambitious Card "color changing ambitious card", ambitious card changes back color as finale
 		1987 New Wave Close-Up 19
Karl Fulves Point of Conversion Ace of Diamonds put in center, it comes to top with the Two of Diamonds underneath which is tabled, repeated and Ace brings Three to Five to top as well, then Ace of Spades is on top and the tabled Diamonds change to Royal Flush cards
 		1987 Secret Session — Part Two 31
José Carroll Torn Ambition ambitious card has a corner torn off, is torn and restored at the end (minus corner)
Related toAlso published here 1988 52 Lovers 65
Edward Marlo Tip - Ambitious Bit #5 little routine
 		1988 Marlo's Magazine Volume 6 134
Juan Tamariz The Ambitious Card
1988 The Magic Way 46
Christoph Borer Thought Rise thought of card ends up on top of the deck
Also published here 1988 Seminarheft 4
Karrell Fox An Ambitious Commercial blank card with company name for ambitious card, trade shows
 		1988 My Latest Book 125
Sam Leo Horowitz Ambitious Card Sequence duplicates
 		1989 The Vernon Chronicles — Volume 3 xvii
Jerry Sadowitz Ambitious Spots card travels to top twice, then one pip at a time (2 -> 3 -> 4 ->...)
 		1989 Cards on the Table 57
Jerry Sadowitz Ambitious Spots 11 second method, card travels to top twice, then one pip at a time (2 -> 3 -> 4 ->...)
 		1989 Cards on the Table 60
John Bannon Ambitchin' ambitious card routine with wallet finale
 		1989 Avant Carde I 7
Juan Tamariz Double Ambitious full routine with two ambitious cards
Inspired by 1989/91 Sonata 119
Gary Kurtz Hypothetical Possibilities ambitious card, signature vanishes and reappears, wallet
Variations 1990 Unexplainable Acts 11
Gary Kurtz Wishful Thinking effect combination
 		1990 Unexplainable Acts 25
Ken Simmons A Wallet Routine routine with ambitious card, transposition with one card in wallet, card to wallet, Bendix Bombshell, two duplicates
 		1990 Finally! 3
Gary Ouellet The Ambitios Card general remarks and tips
 		1990 Close Up Illusions 183
Johnny "J.J." Johnston J. J's Ehrgeizige Karte Plus with blank-faced deck, changes into regular deck as climax
 		1990 Laid Back in Graz 1990 25
Alex Elmsley Ambitious Stranger ambitious card has different back, in the end deck changes color
VariationsAlso published here 1991 The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley — Volume 1 299
John Carney Ethereal Pack joker shows up again and again instead of selection, deck vanishes except selection
 		1991 Carneycopia 43
Carlos Schoenrich Under the Spectator's Control "control theme"
 		June 1992 Apocalypse Vol. 11-15 (Vol. 15 No. 6) 2086
Gary Kurtz Hypothetical Possibilities ambitious card, signature vanishes and reappears, wallet, revised handling
Inspired by 1992 Prinzipien in der Praxis 7
Gary Kurtz A Detailed Example: An Ambitious Card Routine five phases
 		1992 Leading with your Head 30
Steve Draun Midnight Ambitious Card very few multiple lifts, to pocket climax
Also published here 1993 Secrets Draun from Underground 110
Paul Gertner The Card in the Candy Box
1994 Steel and Silver 131
Doug Edwards Tabled Ambitious
Feb. 1995 Apocalypse Vol. 16-20 (Vol. 18 No. 2) 2463
Joe Rindfleisch Overly Ambitious Ace
May 1995 Apocalypse Vol. 16-20 (Vol. 18 No. 5) 2499
Martin Gardner Quad Rise using tilt
 		1995 Arcane (Issue 14) 202
John Riggs Ambitious Card with Blank Deck
Variations 1995 The Magic of John Riggs 31
Karl Fulves Top Flight "An Impromptu Card Paradox"
card selected via riffle procedure in center of deck, then top card is shown to be selection, presented as a card being in two places at same time, repeated
Related to 1995 The Fine Print (Issue 2) 29
Paul Cummins The Trick that never happened only small part ambitious card
Inspired by 1996 from a shuffled deck in use... Part One 7
Steve Rogers, Paul Cummins Blushing Ambition color changing back kicker
 		Aug. 1996 Apocalypse Vol. 16-20 (Vol. 19 No. 8) 2684
Unknown The Ambitious Card
1996 Card College — Volume 2 337
Paul Harris Solid Deception short ambitious card sequence, deck is glued to single solid block climax
Also published here 1996 The Art of Astonishment — Book 1 (Issue Paul Harris Reveals some of his most Int...) 107
Michael Kaminskas Case Closed blue backed ambitious card, then signed card is found in red deck which is in new deck order and card's back changes to red too
 		1996 Miracle Material 43
Karl Fulves Parallel Time two decks, red-backed JS on face of blue-backed deck, spectator inserts JS in center behind her back but it's back on face, repeated with other deck, repeated but it now jumps back to other deck, "ambitions card done with the deck in the spectator's hands"
 		1997 The Vampire Papers 94
Peter Duffie Thinking and Sinking Two Jokers penetrate and sink to bottom of two packets, selections are found on top of each packet
 		1997 Effortless Card Magic 98
Richard Bartram, Jr. Drawing a Blank ambitious card with signed card from a double blank deck, named card appears on back of selection
Inspired by 1997 Trephine 23
Simon Lovell Sambitious Card
1997 Simon Says! 168
James G. Thompson Jr. Die umherreisende Karte twenty-six red cards and one black card, black card travels to top
 		1998 Intermagic (Vol. 22 No. 3) 114
Steve Mayhew, Toby Wessel Dolores in a Meadow ambitious card, in the end hole deck are double backers
 		1999 Impressing Jodie Foster 3
Milton Kort Second Banana Ambitious Card effect with odd-colored card (card rises to second from top repeatedly), climax with deck changing to duplicates of selection, and selection becoming Joker (first published in Genii, vol. 32, no. 4, Dec 1967)
Related to
  • "Milt Kort's Card Trick" (Milt Kort, Teral Garrett's Psycho-gizmo, no. 39, Aug 1964)
  • "Ambitious-like" (Milt Kort, Off-color Card Tricks, 1970)
 1999 Kort 55
Joshua Jay The Remote Control Ambitious Card routine with remote control presentation, ends with card appearing folded in battery compartment
 		1999 Magic Atlas 139
Ellis Stanyon Trying to Lose a Card No. 21, ambitious card routine, presentation about trying to lose the card and failing
 		1999 Ellis Stanyon's Best Card Tricks 266
Unknown Ultra-ambitious
Related to 2000 Card College — Volume 4 1005
Daryl X-tal Backstage ambitious card with card with missing corner, card to pocket and eventually card to plastic pass holder
 		2000 Concertos for Pasteboard 223
Steve Bedwell Ambitious Card Sequence using thick card
 		2000 Thick Schtick! 13
Wesley James An Ambitious Undertaking thoughts on the plot
  • Iterations
  • Pace
  • Departures
 		2000 Ambitious Undertaking 3
Wesley James My Ambitious Card Routine wallet finale
 		2000 Ambitious Undertaking 9
Tony Bartolotta Synchro Thot do-as-I-do ambitious card, spectator's card rises to top of performer's half and vice versa
 		2000 Latter Day Secrets (Issue 2) 38
Justin Hanes Ambitious Card introduction and comments
 		2000 Action 3
John Hostler Pressure Point ambitious card, then thumb and first finger melt through pack until they can grab out selection, leaving a cut-out in whole rest of deck
Variations 2000 Card File Two 78
Jerry Mentzer Blank Ambition ambitious card routine with double blank deck
  • The Bluff
  • Really Ambitious
Related to
  • concept in "Riggs - The Magic of John Riggs" (Magic Methods)
 2000 Card File Two 154
Neal Elias An Ambitious Card Routine five phases
 		2001 New Card Controls 80
Marc DeSouza Social Climbing
2001 DeSouza's DeCeptions 121
Gordon Bean The Standing Challenge spectator mentally selects if the card will rise to the top or the bottom
Inspired byVariations 2002 The Paper Engine 114
Darwin Ortiz Darwin's Ambitious Card
2002 Scams & Fantasies with Cards 148
Peter Duffie, Robin Robertson Ambitious and Overworked
Inspired by 2003 Card Conspiracy — Vol. 2 55
Wesley James My Ambitious Card Routine "final", wallet finale
 		2004 Enchantments 170
William Duncan An Ambitious Young Man
2004 Tribute 15
Jay Sankey Lightning Bolt deck of card bolted together with bolt at the end
Inspired by 2004 Sankey Unleashed 114
Tyler Wilson Post Boredom Post-It note with "TOP" and spectator's initials brings selection to top repeatedly, torn and restored note with text transformation as finale
Variations 2005 Twisting To The Acers 15
Tyler Wilson Compost It Post-It note with "TOP" and spectator's initials brings selection to top repeatedly, when adding a S for "STOP" the deck vanishes except selection
Inspired byAlso published here 2005 Just be Glad my Name isn't Greg 26
Karl Fulves Final Cut deck immune to cutting, somewhat a presentation for ambitious card
 		2005 Latter Day Secrets (Issue 10) 420
Christoph Borer Thought Rise thought of card ends up on top of the deck
Also published here 2006 Compilation 89
Tyler Wilson Compost-It Post-It note with "TOP" and spectator's initials brings selection to top repeatedly, when adding a S for "STOP" the deck vanishes except selection
Also published here 2006 Dominatricks 41
Jack Parker Double Barrelled Shotgun Jack of Hearts keeps jumping to the top. Then, deck is spread and four Jacks are face up in the deck.
Related to 2007 52 Memories 98
Nick Trost, Larry Pringle Ambitious Deuce Sandwich sandwich-ambitious card combo
 		2008 Subtle Card Creations — Volume 1 146
Arturo de Ascanio The Ambitious Ace several phases
 		2008 The Magic of Ascanio — More Studies of Card Magic 193
Arturo de Ascanio Stranger Ambitious Card ambitious card has different back, in the end deck changes color
Inspired by 2008 The Magic of Ascanio — More Studies of Card Magic 212
Fred Robinson Ambitious Card - Snap, Crackle and Pop four phases
 		2009 The Magic of Fred Robinson 230
David Solomon The Ambitious Card
Related to 2009 Solomon's Notes 7
Dai Vernon, Howard Hamburg Ambiciosa original
2009 El Manuscrito (Vol. 2 No. 8) 188
Dani DaOrtiz Ambiciosa progresiva multiple ambitious card phase, with multiple ambitious finale
 		2009 El Manuscrito (Vol. 2 No. 8) 189
Roberto Giobbi Ambitious Problem plot problem, ambitious phase with three piles, ace production climax
 		2010 Secret Agenda (Issue Aug 10) 239
John Rule Top Shelf combination of Ambitious Card with a transposition finale
 		2010 Prolix (Issue 7) 445
Steve Mayhew, Gordon Bean The Standing Demonstration card comes to top, instead of to bottom the deck reverses
Inspired by 2011 Full Frontal Mayhew 11
Steve Mayhew Look at Me, Look at Me selection jumps to top, middle, bottom as desired, then Aces are produced
 		2011 Full Frontal Mayhew 18
Jason Ladanye Ladanye's Ambitious Card four-of-a-kind production finale, for alternate ending see page 59
 		2013 Confident Deceptions 45
Kiko Pastur Dejazz Vu with Deja Vu presentation, using a watch where handles are always back to zero
 		2014 El Puente Invisible 120
Agustin Tash Pet Trick Ambitious Card routine with pet dog drawn on card
 		2015 The Saturday Morning Session 47
Benjamin Earl Memento card signed on both sides, card jumps around, one signature changes into performer's name
Inspired by 2016 Eye Candy 12
John Hostler The Rauschenberg Effect ambitious card, then Triumph and all cards become blank except selection
 		2016 Magnum Opossum 47
John Hostler Dim Mak (Pressure Point 2.0) ambitious card, then thumb and first finger melt through pack until they can grab out selection, leaving a cut-out in whole rest of deck
Inspired by 2016 Magnum Opossum 52
Frank Shields Ambitious Card Routine avoiding too many double lifts, from Genii, April 1948
 		2017 Facsimile (Issue 6) 9
Johnny Thompson The Ambilipstrous Card five phases
 		2018 The Magic of Johnny Thompson (Issue 1) 67
Christoph Borer Die ehrgeizigen Engel ambitious card with angel deck
 		2018 Mentale Notizen 239
Jason Ladanye Dead Center multiple phase center deal demonstration with an Ace, then a signed named card, has ambitious card feeling to it, matching values produced as finale
 		2018 Game Changer 169
David Solomon Ambitious Card
Related to 2018 Solomon's Secrets 12
Yves Carbonnier Dur Dur! card comes to the top, changes into blank card and is found in the deck again, repeated, then deck ends up in two glued blocks
Inspired by 2019 Grand Livre de Cartomagie 112
Benjamin Earl M-Theory ambitious card, signature vanishes and reappears
Inspired by 2019 The Shift #2 23
José Carroll Torn Ambition ambitious card has a corner torn off, is torn and restored at the end (minus corner)
Also published here 2019 52 Lovers — Through the Looking-Glass 122
José Carroll The Cardculator ambitious card, card to number, stop trick, card folded to calculator
Also published here 2019 52 Lovers — Through the Looking-Glass 130
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