How Good Is Richard Turner REALLY?

[@BruceSamboy44]

Eduard: As a friend of Richard’s that monitors his KZbin page I saw your video yesterday and emailed the link to Richard, knowing that he’d have to get someone to play him the video so he could listen to the audio. His wife played him your video and he enjoyed your analysis but disagrees slightly. Here’s what Rick wrote me this morning: “Regarding what Eduard said. I 100% agree with him regarding mechanic and magician he is just not phrasing things right. So this is how I state what Eduard is trying to say. “My show is not a magic show but it is very “magical.” I use all gambling techniques demonstrating putting pat hands together or dealing black jack or stacking but under very tight conditions that when viewed as an audience member seems impossible or in other words “magical.” So I agree with him that it can seem like a magic show, but it is a magic show that some of the best magicians have no clue what is going on. But he was not right when he stated it is a magic trick when I shuffle cards back into order or I say I’m false dealing when I am not.”

[@EduardTodor]

Hey Bruce, thanks for setting that up! I hope Richard found the video entertaining at least :) While I think he may have misunderstood a couple of my ideas (or I might have miscommunicated them) I'm in no way going to argue with the greatest of all time 😁🤣 He's 100% right in saying that magicians have no clue what he's doing haha. I hope he's doing well 🙂

[@BruceSamboy44]

@@EduardTodor You’re welcome; I can’t copy the text of your message but I will email Richard your sentiments. While he can only listen to a KZbin video if someone plays it for him, he did indeed enjoy listening to yours because he rarely gets to hear or “read” the comments that people make about him using his computer when I forward him the text to such comments in an email message so his computer program’s voice feature can read the text to him. He will enjoy reading your response, too...thanks on Richard’s behalf for your kind words!

[@MrFangyPants]

@Bruce Simbuck As a sports massage therapist seeing what Richard Turner can do, and the level of skill that he has with his hands has actually inspired me to be better massage therapist. While I use my hands every day to gain sensitivity he is on another level that I will never be able to replicate, but will strive for the rest of my life. What I think most people fail to see is that he makes all his effort look effortless and it's something I have tried to get good enough to do in my own business, and in my humble opinion is what true masters of their craft are able to do. I think what Eduard (and correct me if I'm wrong) was saying wasn't that Richard turner isn't specifically a card magician, but the theater and charisma that goes into what he does makes him a performance artist of sorts. So he has the flavor of a card magician while actually being a true card mechanic that has spent decades of hard work and skill to do what he does. While I wouldn't describe him as a card magician, I would say when looking at the performance aspect of his craft/art the closest a layman would think of, in terms of razzle dazzle, would be a card magician over a card mechanic (despite the fact that Richard Turner is a card mechanic through and through.) @Eduard it's important though to remember the terminology is important. It is like when someone calls me a masseuse instead of a massage therapist. Masseuse as a word has become associated with sex work, and so when people call me that I find myself saying "Please call me a massage therapist from now on." I think the difference between card magician and card mechanic to someone like Richard Turner is a very very important difference. *edit* He doesn't cheat though. I think his sensitivity and the work he has put him onto a completely different level. I believe it is a big misconception since it's really hard to understand how sensitive your fingers are as most people don't really train themselves to that degree. Aka the entirety of my job is doing that, and even with the ten years I've put into it every single day I'm nothing compared to his training. It's also important to note he is also fully and completely blind, but used to be able to use his peripherals.

[@BruceSamboy44]

@@MrFangyPants I enjoyed really reading your insight as a massage therapist who recognizes Richard’s reliance on his hands, although one element that few people are fully aware of is the incredible hand-strength that he has developed over his many decades of weightlifting, martial arts training, and his incessant card-work on a daily basis. Sitting at many a card table - and at Richard’s kitchen table that is covered with custom-made felt - I have always been dumbfounded by the extreme pressure that he exerts on his decks of cards as he breaks them in with his vice-gripping fingers powered by strong wrists and Popeye-like forearms. As a massage therapist that relies on strong hands I am sure that you’ll understand the stress and toil that such exertion has had on his hands requiring numerous delicate surgeries to permit him to perform at his age. For example, a few of the bones in his hand once “flipped” as the ligaments were stretched to their limits, and he had three bones in one of his hands removed to allow reattachment of those ligaments. (I know this because my wife was informed by a hand surgeon that he could not reattach the ligament in her right hand without removing three bones and, never hearing about such surgery - and knowing that Richard had extensive surgery on his hands I called him to see if he had heard of it. His reply was, “Yes I’ve heard of it and, in fact, I’m having that surgery next Monday.”) I recall Richard telling me ten years ago that he went to a surgeon that told him he should have been examined years ago due to the extensive damage, and that there was nothing she could do for him now. Undaunted, he sought-out one of the leading hand surgeons in the country - a doctor who successfully reattached fingers severed in accidents - and that surgeon was able to keep Richard performing ever since. Your comments to Eduard that “terminology is important” and that “the difference between card magician and card mechanic to someone like Richard Turner is a very, very important difference” are spot-on: Richard does not like to be called a magician and does indeed refer to himself as “card mechanic” but, I’ve had numerous conversations with him lately wherein I’ve told him that his “act” has evolved so much over the last half century that he is now a world class entertainer whose card mechanics are “magical” to witness…a description that he now accepts. Your citing his “charisma” is also spot-on. Thank you, on Richard’s behalf, for your insightful post!

[@MrFangyPants]

​@@BruceSamboy44 Thank you so much! I really appreciate you telling me some of the crazy things he has done to allow himself to keep performing at the level he cares to. For me as a massage therapist I always hated it when people would say what I did was magical or I had "magic hands." To me magic is the unexplainable, or something has no metric to measure with. It undercuts every moment of every hour I've tried to improve and understand how to be the best I can be at my craft. The realization that the mind and body are interlinked, the years I spent training my fingers to be sensitive to touching muscle, and how I've learned to become more efficient at the work itself. If I'm able to take care of someone's leg pain they have had for a few years sometimes in just a minute or two it was because of how hard I've worked. In trying to strive to be the best at what I do every day. I had to let that frustration go, because it's meant to be a compliment in the way that they can't understand how it works the way it does. While it's measurable to me to them it's something that is to skilled to grasp. Interestingly enough I've actually watched a few of his videos over and over again and not looked at his hands or tricks but what he is saying. It's a bummer since I feel that many people don't quite grasp the level of how he performs and the knowledge he tries to impart. Many people talk about the "laziness and procrastination" line, but to me the one that matches up well with my way of thinking is when he talks about how hard being a card mechanic was/is, and how one mistake could be fatal so being flawless is important. A saying I live by is "I'm only as good as my last client" and I'm sure, in Richard's mind as well, he would also believe he is only as good as the last time he performs. I strive to always get to the point where you are so good at the intricate and tricky nature of the work that it becomes second nature. Something that was so hard becomes something so easy that you could tell any story, or talk about anything you wished as you perform something that looks so easy, but is actually extremely complex work. I think it's frustrating not being seen. To know that other people see something and not spend the time to really understand the effort put into it all. For me even if I'm able to be the best at what I do I still want to be better. I want to be able to look back on myself from six months ago at any time in my life and think "That guy? That guy sucked. I'm way better than that guy now." in terms of my work. I know this sounds cheesy but one day I hope I'm lucky enough to meet him, and let him know how much the mastery of his craft has allowed me to see what being a true master of one's craft looks like.

[@letalis6771]

Well to be perfectly honest, in my humble opinion, of course without offending anyone who thinks differently from my point of view, but also by looking into this matter in a different perspective and without being condemning of one's view's and by trying to make it objectified, and by considering each and every one's valid opinion, I honestly believe that I completely forgot what I was going to say..

[@EduardTodor]

XD

[@Sixstringman]

Political correctness will do that.

[@germagic2]

love it

[@lifefulnight3311]

Im stealing this comment to use on arguments I don’t care for.

[@rheadog9546]

hmmm.....You have learned much from Trump, Biden, and Twitter

[@KN-op3et]

"Magic" is what the audience feels after watching the performance. Richard Turner definitely makes people feel that way.

[@meeeee3527]

Last summer I had the privilege of me and my father spending close to 5 hours with him at his home in Texas. We got to discuss moves and some of the great card men that he worked with such as Dai Vernon and Ed Marlo. Got to meet his very kind wife who was so gracious to a couple of strangers she had never met. The one thing I will say about Richard is that he really is as passionate about cards as videos of him portrays. He is always working with them and I can tell it brings a great deal of joy to him. That day has been by far the most amazing experience in my life and has really challenged me to get my own skill to a point that will get others to be astonished, just like how I am astonished by him.

[@carltaylor2975]

How did you go about spending 5 hours in the house of a famous man you've never met? Not saying you didn't I'm just curious how that came to be.

[@meeeee3527]

@@carltaylor2975 Well my father at the time actually emailed him and told him that I was a huge fan of him and was hoping that we could meet him after a show possibly. Being beyond generous he actually invited me and my father to his home which was only a few hour drive from us at the time. My dad surprised me with this news a few days after. We were only suppose to be there for an hour but I kept asking more questions and he was more than willing to answer any question I could come up with. Got to meet his son and we even got to stay a bit longer to meet his wife. He even gifted me with a few decks from his collection and was just so gracious. Sorry for the long reply man. But yeah he is a super generous guy and I was definitely shocked that he took the time to email us back too.

[@comedygeek]

"Do you really need someone to ask that question?" Yet you still got 15 minutes of content out of it. So I'd say YES! Haha.

[@EduardTodor]

True 😂😂

[@comedygeek]

Also, to answer your question at the end: you should totally do Penn & Teller next! It would be fun to see you analyze their career in-depth. Or to bring it to someone from my hometown of Winnipeg, I'll throw a suggestion for Doug Henning.

[@Rom0.5]

Love how he's so good at what he does that there is still a very small doubt on the fact that he's not able to tell the difference of weight between two card due to their ink.

[@Constant.Connell]

Dude! How about "How good are Penn & Teller really?" 😁

[@EduardTodor]

Noted!

[@Constant.Connell]

@@EduardTodor Well, it seems that they are really accepted as the litmus test for other magicians with "Fool Us", so I thought maybe an examination on whether they're good enough to be able to make the call might be entertaining/insightful.

[@shubhsaxena8745]

@@Constant.Connell richard turner has the best sleight of hand in the world and if people think magicians like shin lim and leNNART GREEN have the best sleight of hand. LET ME GIVE U ONE ADVICE CHEATING IN POKER IS WAY MORE DIFFICULT THAN MAGIC TRICKS

[@eclipseshineswhite]

Agree!

[@MexieMex]

How good are Penn and Teller can also be framed as how good are Teller and his Juggler mate? LOL

[@TheHookBoy]

I watched his documentary around a year ago and I found his life story amazing and inspirational yet very dark and sad in certain areas. In the end, I can easily agree that he is a great magician and can perform some amazing tricks. However, through his strength and dedication, I feel that he is magic.

[@stephen-ng]

Richard Turner is not a "magician". He's a card mechanic.

[@TheHookBoy]

@@stephen-ng You are correct. He is a card mechanic, but he does far more than just that.

[@captaincaptaincaptainaller8937]

A few people mentioned it already but to sum it up: in a lot of interviews and his documentary it is stated that his eye loss was progressively. During his combat training he still had some peripheral vision but was considered "legally blind". Nowadays there is no light reception left in his eyes so he is completely blind. He still sees conscious images due to his Charles Bonet Syndrome (CBS) though. The rest of your review is damn accurate 👌🏼

[@wavingwaters6107]

Dude out here like the next daredevil

[@stevengriffin1406]

Eduard, I don't know if you remember me but I critiqued a video once and told you that you need to study the real masters, or something like that. You made a vid. and said my name and responded to it. You have come a long way with your magic and knowledge of it. You are on point with this one! Keep these coming.

[@xtort92]

He doesn’t have peripheral vision anymore he is completely 100% blind now and has been for years

[@MexieMex]

Turner is a living god! and if anybody hasn't seen it yet, go watch Delt!

[@CalmDownJack]

thank you!

[@geno1974ross]

Agreed!!! The number #1 literally in card mechanics and blind at that, just WOW!!!

[@flamecrew9atroblox958]

Short answer yes, hes a god! He cant see yet he can see better then most.

[@halfbee7886]

That opening is so sick! More of this, please.

[@EduardTodor]

Thank you!

[@JoeySonal]

Never thought about the fact that he'd have to learn the eye contact thing... That's actually crazy if you think about it. Loving this series btw

[@EduardTodor]

Thank you!

[@BruceSamboy44]

Richard was taught to follow voices by Steve Terrell, his acting teacher with the Lambs Players. Richard explained that to me the first time we met, when I told him I was certain he was looking me in the eyes.

[@elmerfudd5650]

I have watched Richard T. many times on TV. He is incredible! But, my question is; who was sitting beside him while he was practicing all that time to let him know if he did the cards right?

[@chrisjung7139]

Btw, loved the intro. Showing a little on how stuff is done then playing us with your way.

[@solitude208]

He’s completely blind. That went completely black. He then saw “shapes” and now it’s darkness. Turner is the GOAT

[@chriswright8114]

really? he's not COMPLETELY blind. the rest is almost true, except it makes no sense. completely blind, that went completely black, THEN shapes, THEN total darkness? did you even read what you wrote? it was normal vision, followed by scarlet fever that left his vision impaired, and now degraded to the point of only seeing shadows. he's amazing. but he's only the best at the few things that he has practiced for longer than anyone else. he's not special in that way. it's just that almost anyone that can see normally wouldn't put in the amount of practice on the few moves that he has. they would split it between these moves and the ones that he doesn't do. again, Turner is outstanding. but there's nothing about it that's only once in a lifetime.

[@solitude208]

I watched his documentary along with many other videos. Yes you’re correct in terms of how his blindness progressed. If I’m mistaken then shame on me. I remember that part from his documentary Dealt when his wife mentioned that when he completely lost his sight he had trouble accepting it. Just watch and listen to his stories before you jump all over me. My point being is that if he wasn’t the GOAT then why is he so respected from the founders in Dai Turner to Pen & Teller & recently Shin Lim mentioned Turners skills to be at “god level”. Accomplish that with the other things and to do so while blind is a feat that only one in a generation could pull off. Just paying respect while not trying to push others down. Have a wonderful day

[@solitude208]

chris wright here’s the quote: “In “Dealt,” Turner says he was completely blind for a full year before he realized it. That’s because his syndrome created the hallucination of a hand waving in front of his face when someone actually did wave a hand in front of him. It was only after a year that Turner realized he wasn’t literally seeing the person’s hand - only a sensory memory of it.

[@Whocares1987]

Jason Ladanye

[@DrMBej]

One thing about him to remember is the fact that he is known as 'THE CHEAT' and that actually I think reveals hell of a lot about everything he does and says ;)

[@clow0123]

Richard is amazing, his old videos are the best ones. Where he meets other "card man" and they share the moves. He misses a few tricks, but you can sense how good he already is.

[@mrborgeusborg9164]

As someone that loves magic, and from time to time practices simple tricks. I'm no magician. Just a fan. Richard Turner is a magician using card mechanics to do his tricks. I strongly believe he is so good that he can keep track of all 52 cards, knows where everyone of the card is and can in his shuffle stack the cards in the order he wants. I believe as a fan he is that good!! I also heard something about filing codes on the side of the cards so he can feel on the side of the card what card it is. Because he is blind, he has enhanced touch senses so people that aren't blind can't feel these "barcodes". I say plausible to that. He is one of the greatest, and a man to look up to. I love the interviews with him, and I love fool us with Turner. It is the best thing ever.

[@rheadog9546]

ah, very interesting how you say he can keep track of all 52 cards. That I buy into more than how he can feel what card it is. If he could do that his act would be simple. He would just ask people to pick a card put it in his hand face down and he tells you what the card is. 1 by 1. I have not seen him do that?

[@danuttall]

6:00 I think that is known as a Colour Change, because it is more obvious when you swap cards of two colours.

[@AngelicusImmortus]

Different folk talk about him with cards. Five companies gave him five different decks with mixed up inks. He sorted them all into new deck order and into the “right” decks every time. One company has given him a lifetime supply of cards. All five go to him whenever they change their dyes or labels, prints etc. The guy is simply incredible and unmatched.

[@yommmrr]

I want to know how he practiced 20hrs on cards he didn't know were what. Also regarding how he differs cards from each other now. I've heard how the edges are filed but how can you file a deck 52 different ways?

[@josepereznarvaez4923]

His performances remind me of a type of performance René Lavand used to do, simulating a poker game, but with a magical context

[@rparker8761]

loved your enthusiasm about him

[@andyauten628]

If he can't feel the cards how would he deal after someone else shuffles the deck?

[@FusionDeveloper]

My only issue, is when he riffle shuffles, you can obviously see he never pushes them together, and pushes them past to the opposite sides and pulls them apart, making the riffle shuffle nullified. Other than that, I can't follow anything else he does. I have a feeling, if he wasn't blind, he could correct the movements to make them invisible.

[@GabrielZudeck]

I know this video is a bit old. However at 5:55 that is a Daniel Macmillan Switch if I am not mistaken. Good analysis by the way. Thought I subbed to your channel a while ago ..... Apparently not until now. :)

[@nightowl5673]

Unbelievable how great is this what an inspiring man awesome video brother

[@amadensor]

My Hwa Rang Do instructor was blind, and he could still block anything we the at him. I'm not sure how, but I've seen it, and it can be done.

[@richards.5964]

He says he's not a magician, but what I find interesting (in addition to what you said about "merging" the concepts, which is a great point) is that he actually knows a LOT about magic. He's done plenty of work on common card magic plots such as Do-As-I-Do, Open Travelers, and The Signed Card. Hell, he even got quite a bit of clout for doing Triumph with one hand for years. For many magicians, this reputation is usually reversed; they display their skills as a magician, and show off mechanical stuff on the side. For Turner, his expertise usually outshines his overall knowledge. I think Marlo summed it up best: "Technicians as a rule are not usually good actors or entertainers. Richard Turner is all three." As you said, there's an aspect of intrigue and entertainment that puts him beyond that of just a mechanic, who are often one-trick performers who get a singular feature in a magazine before fading away from the entertainment scene. I like this topic of video. At first, I was skeptical if it was somewhat of a clickbait but you really do address the reality of the performer, through not only a layman perspective but also from one who has practiced/performed a lot. I think a good subject for a similar video would be Juan Tamariz. In terms of card magic (not just handling, in the case of Turner), I think he's the best magician alive today, and he is unfortunately under-represented outside of Spain. Not only does he show a very distinct persona while performing, his work is nothing short of genius. He applies both theory and technique in a way that no other performer alive has. Regardless of my input, great video!

[@rheadog9546]

I don't agree he's a good entertainer. I just think he is a real and genuine person. He is just very likable and interested in others. So, in turn, he is fun to be around.

[@Mahlercougar]

We know how you feel about Richard Turner(he's a phenom. I stumbled across his video a couple of years ago and I was mesmerized..in awe!) In your opinion, how good is Shin Lim?

[@hudders11]

I really enjoyed what I assume is the LDS at the beginning with a riffle alongside. I never thought of that, really does strengthen the image of where the card comes from

[@EduardTodor]

Yep, I learnt that subtlety from George Iglesias

[@FlatStan1l]

Interesting to hear some insight on Turner from a magician, always wondered about him after seeing the penn and teller act

[@halohero147]

How good is Chris Ramsey Really? *video starts* Eduard shrugs “meh” 15 minutes of black screen.

[@EduardTodor]

lmao he's dope

[@halohero147]

Eduard Todor agreed

[@xtort92]

He’s okay

[@YuriyDavygora]

Eduard, how good do you think Paul Wilson from The Real Hustle is? (v=DQHMv0Lfhyo)

[@tullochgorum6323]

It's important to understand that few people who are registered blind have zero vision. Most have some restricted vision - which is presumably how Turner could win a black belt in a striking sport.

[@evansphenomenal]

The most amazing card trick is the one where the performer allows the spectator to pick a card, shuffle the deck without having to steal the selected card from the deck, and somehow manages to locate the selected card, that's what Richard does. Imo, the more bizarre the effect, the more suspicious it is.

[@onehotseat]

Turner was not always blind, start with that. He had perfect vision up to age 9. His vision deteriorated due to scarlet fever, but it only impacted his forward vision. He got his black belt when his peripheral vision was sufficiently good to know where large objects were located. Over the years his vision has steadily declined, and only today nearing age 70 has his vision gotten so bad that he can't even tell the difference between sunlight and darkness. The idea that he spent his life in complete darkness, no vision whatsoever, is not right. Could he qualify for a black belt today? No chance.

[@rheadog9546]

I was thrilled to see this analasis, because I was thinking the same thing. It is astounding what Richard does but some of the explanations you hear from mostly other people but even some from Richard himself make no sense. I agree 100% that there is quite a lot of magic and or slight of hand going on in his preformances. I mean common sense will tell you he can trick anyone with slight of hand right in front of their face just by knowing what he can do. Now, of course Richard wont reveal all he is doing. But, I wont buy that he knows the card by the weight of the card and amount of ink, or that he can feel the print on the card. These are silly un-realistic assumptions that only a very gullible person would believe. in magic there is usually a more simple answer. That being said Eduard is not to bad at what he does either.

[@cynthia-op8rx]

The way I see it is like: He's a card mechanic that also does magic acts that are branded as card mechanics. Which is not a bad thing! You've gotta have a brand or a hook that makes you stand out, his is applying card mechanics to magic acts.

[@eye4eyelights]

Another great video man! By the way, that move for switching the cards that you didn’t know the name of is called mucking

[@EduardTodor]

Thank you!

[@ar_xiv]

The one thing that it seemed like he was doing that seemed a bit obvious in the penn and teller vid was the riffle and cut. After the riffle, he never squared the deck, and was able to pull the same two halves back apart. This feels almost attainable as a skill to me. But then pulling four kings out after the “wash” shuffle…. I have no clue. Side note: as far as mathematical level of randomness goes, the riffle (a real one) results in a very low amount of reorganization, and the casino wash results in the highest level of reorganization. A well shuffled deck of cards can be in one of 52 factorial possible combinations. This means that a good shuffle will result in a combination which has likely never occurred in the history of the universe.

[@letsssgooo4618]

Totally agree

[@meeeee3527]

Oh and to answer how he competed in karate, for the longest time he was legally blind, so he could see but it was mostly just shadows and outlines. Compared to how he is completely blind now, due to the fact that his sight has been slowly deteriorating throughout his life. But yeah totally insane that he competed like that.

[@houseofaction]

plenty of blind people can do martial arts. even ones born blind

[@charlesshrem4875]

I agree with you but I thought your video was a bit too long. You repeated a lot of things over and over. I like what you had to say and I will subscribe

[@SpellsOfTruth]

10:22 Are you familiar with 'feeling color'? You can teach yourself to recognize color from touch alone within 30 mins. You get a red post-it, green post-it, and blue post-it. Note the location of each post-it, put on a blindfold, and then touch each post-it running it through your hands, make note of how each color felt. Then shuffle the post-its randomly and attempt to identify the color of the post-it with touch alone. After about 30 mins of practice you will be be able to do this with very high accuracy. Thats just in 30 mins, imagine doing this for years. This is how he could feasibly determine red or black on touch alone. Feeling color is a very easily learned thing. If we are easily capable of feeling the subtle differences in color, why wouldn't we also be able to tell the subtle differences in weight of the 52 different cards. If the guy is blind then he's been practicing for years with his sense of touch. He likely CAN tell the difference through weight of the cards and I suspect with enough practice anyone could do this. With insane stuff like this people seem to assume the insane skill or feat was learned all at once, like Turner just started memorizing all 52 card weight, but often times that is not the case. You start small and slowly build upon it, start with just the clubs, then hearts, then clubs and spades, then clubs, spades and hearts, then full deck. He could start by comparing the weight of an Ace with every other card in the suit. Then comparing the weight of a King with every other card in the suit, then queen, jack, etc. Very methodical, slowly building until its as automatic as breathing over the course of hours, weeks, months, years etc.

[@MrWhat-uc4bp]

i agree, the thing is he is not just an insane card mechanic but also a magician.

[@ilia7083]

I remember two years ago when I was home alone for 2 weeks, it was summer and I didn’t have anything to do. I remember I watched a movie about a blind person, and then I decided its so cool. I didn’t turn any light on at nights. When u can’t see, thats when you can really feel. You can hear the sound of wind, feel any little detail of the carpet. I know I sound like a creep, but only if you try you will then understand that when he says he can really feel how many cards are in his hand. Every cards has a different weight and thickness. I tried it myself. I can tell the difference in thickness of 1,2,3 and 4 cards. When I can do it, what makes you think he can’t? And about him being a magician as well, I kinda agree but not so much. All the things we see from him are his shows. Show’s gotta be entertaining. He can’t sit down and just play poker with himself and that be the show. I agree that in that point it is really more magic themed, but when you see his demonstration of dealing a winning poker hand when the cards are being shuffled every-time and he is just dealing with a portion of the deck, I mean that’s the ultimate cheating isn’t it?

[@ΘάνοςΓαρίδας]

Joshua jay on fool us , i finally have a pretty good idea how he did that ... Have you figure it out?

[@EduardTodor]

Haven't really thought about it to be honest haha

[@mar__k]

Can he shuffle the same order of cards twice? If there's someone who could break the 52! rule its him.

[@serafim194]

Alba neagră, mișto, cultura româniei în finețea ei, good video, soooo good video and videos !!!

[@jrcolonial98]

That last bit at 14:00 or so is a beautiful story

[@stephenboyes5189]

hes the greatest and an inspiration to the human race on so many levels..

[@dannyvizor3403]

I don't think him knowing the cards has anything to do with ink or weight either because in some interviews and other things of him I've seen he mentions about the thickness of the cards and the edges and how many millimetres thick they are so I'm assuming that's how he can tell. He's also mentioned before how he actually works and collaborates with the United States playing card company (the traditional bicycle playing card). He was performing somewhere once and either the spectator didn't put all the cards back or one was upside down, the deck was given back and when he felt the sides he could immediately tell and asked if all the cards were actually there or not and were the right way round so I assume its the way the sides feel and where he's blind and has an addiction to practice he's developed a superhuman touch with cards. Ps. Found your channel recently and I've binge watched all the old fool us reactions they're great and love the videos keep it up 👌

[@EduardTodor]

Yeah that doesn't surprise me, when I used to use the same deck for weeks I would be able to tell if cards were missing by feel. Thank you!

[@chrisjung7139]

His MIT exhibition video shows that the number of cards in hand. Even telling a MIT helper that she didn't give him enough for the number she wanted. Funniest bit was talking about his wife getting romantic with him and hearing a one handed deck shuffle during their passion.

[@dannyvizor3403]

@@chrisjung7139 That was the video I was on about I think! I couldn't remember what it was called but yeah he knew immediately

[@rockywaters9592]

Yep, that's pretty close to what he really does, Richard uses a lot of crimps and nicks in his cards to tell them apart. One thing old gamblers used to do to high value cards is put a pin prick in the index corners and they could be felt by the thumb whilst doing what's called a punch deal, and they would use false deals whilst regular dealing as a way to deal them into their own or partners hand. Richards cards are heavily rigged, he could not do the vast majority of his act with someone else's deck, and if you know about breather crimps and punch dealing it's very easy to figure out how Richard achieves his demonstrations. He is an excellent magician that plays the "part" of a card mechanic, because unless he was using his own cards or was allowed to spend time with the cards "in play," he would not be able to do the kind of card table deception that would REALLY get you the money. He is not a "genuine" card mechanic, he just has an act that's convincing enough to make you think he is.

[@Jutols]

Richard Turner is my inspiration

[@douglascarducci6977]

His claim of "mechanic" is a misdirect in itself..but that guy is phenomenal no matter how you slice it

[@alexandrekassel3794]

bro why didn't put the automatic captions on ? its hard for hearing impaired like me to understand. please add them, thanks.

[@EduardTodor]

Hey bro, it might take some time to generate. as far as I know there are no ways to manually turn auto captions on or off. Hopefully they'll pop up in a couple hours or something! I'll check back to see if it does either way.

[@billyjeffersoniv4344]

Oh crap, is that right? He only sees shadows peripherally? I stand corrected! By the way, glad I found your channel. Subbed.

[@BruceSamboy44]

Richard has been completely blind for years.

[@Robster-gs2cr]

Just spotted your channel, nice content, and yes this guys is amazing, but you've got talent too buddy, keep it up 👊😎

[@SamTattooArtist]

He's doing everything (In perfect miracle order) He's insane and he's totally not normal person! He's my best favorite magician! 🙌🏻❤️

[@o0KugelkaktuS0o]

I really like to watch you do magic before you get to the topic of the video! How about you audition for fool us? I would really like to see you there :-)

[@nejm612]

Love the shirt and the jacket

[@michaelharrington75]

If he can't see how does he know what cards he dealing? It seems to me if you hand a blind man a deck of shuffled cards he wouldn't stand a chance of organizing them in any way. Unless the cards were marked somehow that he could feel the cards? Would be interesting to see someone when he hands the deck for them to shuffle, if they switched the deck for cards he didn't bring.

[@johnanderson3731]

He was given 5 random decks totally shuffled and put them into new deck order. Apparently he can feel the different prints on each card as his touch is so sensitive

[@rikkirikki4892]

Richard Turner can detect moisture more accurately than a computer and is hired for that purpose -- that is the ONLY reason I believe he can possibly detect weight. If his ability to sense touch is that precisely calibrated then I don't see why not, you know? Watching him rearrange cards that another person has (badly) shuffled seems so random yet precise that I just can't see how else it could be done without sight, but then again I only have an understanding of the basics of magic and don't really do any (well) myself, so there are almost certainly possible methods I am missing. But the fact that he's literally hired to detect moisture in cards because he's more accurate than moisture sensors makes me think that the ink detection by weight is possible -- that he can feel the difference between ink on the card or plain cardstock when touching the *face* of the card is almost certain though.

[@kujo734]

Re: Richard Turner on Penn and Teller. He shows 4 Kings because face cards have more ink on them so they weigh more.

[@chrismurray2978]

Eduard,you have it 100 percent correct, of course he can't feel the ink etc, but this is typical "magician " patter and I was reminded of watching a video of the great American guitaristDoc Watson, who was totally blind within months of birth, and yet became one of the US's most revered pickers and I thought " well at least no one can say that he didn't learn to play by ear!" So things like doing a move without looking would actually be an advantage because he wouldn't have to unlearn the bad habit and would always do evefghing by feel, so it would be more natural than the average sighted person. Of course he lies, misdirected, and misrepresents his abilities because he can and is an entertainer so of course he is a magician.As s guitarist myself I often struggle to decipher written music and just as s picture is worth a thousand words,the sound of a piece is much easier to work from for me than for some more mechanically competent brains, and Gavin's to rely on other than visual readings of reality could actually be an advantage(in the end ) for a magician too.sorry for atrocious typing by the way( and I'm sighted but just don't know how to edit this stuff right!All the best and keep up the cool vids.. maybe more performance tips rather than trick tutorials?

[@chrisjung7139]

From wiki. Gambling regulatory supervisor and playing card enthusiast Bruce T. Samboy advised in November 2006, after watching Turner during five performances at The Magic Castle and later in private sessions, "The world's best cardmen practice the moves until they do them right. Richard Turner practices the moves until he can't do them wrong." As you said, he can see shadowing in his peripheral vision, so that is how he knows where to strike. At 13 he had 20/400 vision, twice legal blindness. And got worse after that.

[@BruceSamboy44]

Richard has been totally blind for years.

[@chrisjung7139]

@@BruceSamboy44 I saw on another section, that you know him and deal with his page. Glad he has someone dealing with that for him, thank you. I was just repeating off of wikipedia about him, not ever having the pleasure of seeing him in person. Does he still do martial arts? I was guessing he did MA when he still had peripheral shadowing. If he has still doing that when the total blindness finally came upon him, even more mad respect to him. Please let him know of my appreciation of his skill and his philosophical musings during his shows. And I wish him the best of health during these trying times.

[@BruceSamboy44]

@@chrisjung7139 I will relay your kind comments to Rick; he will surely appreciate “reading” them. He is truly an amazing man and while he hasn’t sparred un years, he and Kim are still active in Martial Arts, and I recall his earning his Sixth Degree Black Belt - and the title Master Turner. If you are really inspired and want to learn more, go to www.RichardTurner52 and check out his bio vlogs. I assisted Magic Historian/Author Jon Racherbaumer and Richard writer his biography and, when Richard couldn’t find a publisher, he decided to use it as a way to share (for free) his life story. Here’s a trailer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2e4mpxnadiBebc

[@TEN89_jburney]

Agreed

[@MrJambot]

"Pounded by fresh dudes"

[@susieromano7001]

You mentioned that he still has some vision and that's not true he said that he lost that peripheral vision.

[@tk20channel]

I literally said aloud "you dickhead" when you turned over those aces. Lol. Sorry, I meant it in a respectful way. 😆

[@oldgoat8861]

The Architect PLANNED the building EXACTLY. The Contracter CONSTRUCTED the building to THE PLAN. Who built the building...??...From Concept to Final variables ALWAYS divert from the original plan. The Contracter/MECHANIC makes reality from mere concept !!!

[@FellixNoAmatsu]

So basically your saying that he IS that guy. He's the GOAT!

[@silentstorm5757]

While there's plenty of reason to admire Richard Turner, I do feel like he exaggerates his own status to an extent. His stories about the mafia are nothing short of nonsensical, they sound straight out of a Hollywood movie. It also should be noted that while he claims to be a card mechanic, he does at times use gimmicked decks. His Penn and Teller performance for example contains a move which makes no sense unless he was using a stripper deck. I would not be surprised at all if the 'weighing of the ink' was something similar.

[@Cavemanx007]

Amazing!! Can you do something on TROY? Big fan of yours😁

[@EduardTodor]

Thank you! Noted :)

[@houseofaction]

you don't actually need to see someone to strike them. when you are blind you have better hearing, and better sence of touch, even smell.

[@jeffhope171]

Can you do Daniel Madison?

[@AleksandarIvanov69]

If a serious businessman (although criminal) like a mafioso wants to pay somebody for their service, you can be sure that what they do, they can do very very well.

[@mikegriffin756]

richard is the best sees with his fingers can pick up any amount of cards and can tell you how much it is by weight

[@jonymacarroni6782]

bill malone, top of the line for sure

[@brandt7569]

I just want to find a tutorial for the trick in the beginning

[@u.v.s.5583]

In the classical music circles there is a legend about the man who practices the violin 40 hours a day. His name is Ling Ling and he does not exist. The funny thing about Richard Turner is that he does exist, and that's nuts!

[@luka6257]

I'm guessing he's using LOTS of crimps and nicking. ((apparently) It's been proven that his fingers are super sensitive, so yeah...) (his deck has to be in perfect condition too (why do you think he opens 1-3 decks a day) (a deck doesn't get wear out in one day))

[@anonymousunknown7845]

In the beginning I was right about where the black card is.

[@halohero147]

Controversy: How good is Daniel Madison really?

[@JoseSanchez-yo2co]

Insane technician

[@sageinit]

This video is about twice the length it should be

[@stevensallsorts]

Pretty damn good, that's the statement right there

[@FlipAndLand]

Are you seriously telling me in all the many hours of Richard Turner videos I've watched, he's been doing that 5:56 and I haven't noticed? I know it's because he's that good, but I still feel like an idiot.

[@garymusicgk]

Does he play always with his deck of cards.I think he marks them somehow.

[@davidgrandel7592]

In his documentary he has thousands of new decks of cards and he practices with them constantly

[@Daveglorious]

Really good video. :)

[@FusionDeveloper]

He is good, but even without me being a magician and being fooled by most Fool Us magicians, I can easily see him doing false shuffles, which would be insanely risky with high money stakes. I think even if you don't know what a false shuffle looks like, when you see him do it, it seems weird and could draw attention and be told to shuffle differently. However, I think if he suddenly gained his eyesight, he would improve, possibly to a level that seems impossible. . I want to add, that I have never tried to do anything he can do, so in no way am I trying to say I am better or that anything he does uses any specific level of difficulty.

[@mykeday]

You're right but he never claims to do anything different. His whole act is look how good I am at manipulating the cards. It's no different than watching a juggler. I know how they do it they are just throwing the balls and catching them. But could I do it as effortlessly as them? When you are as good as him you can say exactly how you do it you can show me how you do it, and it's still amazing.

[@dank6617]

I think Richard would disagree with the statement of "actually he is a magician", and I don't believe he would think in terms of "marketing" or branding. I think it falls in the definition of what is magic, and I think the key is that it must create an *illusion of something impossible.* Say, stabbing an icepick through your hand, is that magic? It depends. It becomes magical if the audience believes that they are witnessing an impossible event, not just a display of extraordinary skills. If Blaine actually revealed that he is _actually_ stabbing himself, it would just become an extraordinary stunt, but not impossible magic act. Richard Turner doesn't care about creating an illusion of an impossible phenomena, he is just demonstrating an extraordinary skill without any claims of being impossible or supernatural. He doesn't really care about "visual" effects like double lifts, he only cares about maintaining absolute control of the cards because that is exactly what a card mechanic does. In short, his focus is only centered in the methods and doesn't care about "effects", it is not about creating illusions but about cheating in games.

[@EduardTodor]

I would argue he creates the illusion of his skillset being of a higher level than perceived. And he definitely thinks in terms of branding, moreso persona. If you're at the highest level of performance you have to consider everything or else someone else will. Interesting points though, thanks for your thoughts!

[@BruceSamboy44]

Your opinions are far closer to how Richard views himself than anyone else’s Dan K!

[@coltonpugh9669]

Well said dude. Richard has made the exact same points in various interviews throughout the years. He makes it very clear and easy to understand when he draws the distinction between what he does and what a magician does.

[@dylanchrisman5725]

You should do a how good on Ricky Jay.

[@MrYamchu]

Richard makes card mechanics and magicians ponder how on earth he does things and they cant replicate it even if he told them.

[@NetAndyCz]

Richard Turner is really REALLY good:)

[@mkrichey1]

Lovely intro!

[@EduardTodor]

I'm glad you like it :)

[@thesmuggest6680]

So basically he's not using a cheat code... HE IS THE CHEAT CODE.