Topping the Deck: The Perfect Move by Jamy Ian Swiss

A comprehensive exploration of one of the most important and valuable moves in card magic unlike anything the magic community has ever seen.

In 1941, Dai Vernon changed the course of card magic forever with the launch of Select Secrets. While this pamphlet offered 12 different effects and sleights, there was one particular move that magicians would eventually dedicate their entire lives to studying. We are referring to Topping the Deck, and Jamy Ian Swiss is among the lifelong students of this iconic move who not only believe it is the best way to palm a single card from the top of the deck, but also the most perfectly-designed and choreographed move in magic.

Dr. Jacob Daley once famously noted that “every good trick has a discrepancy.” To paraphrase, there is no single core sleight of hand move in card magic—from the classic pass to the side steal or even double lift—that offers the perfect solution to the problem it’s designed to solve. That is, of course, except for Topping the Deck.

As Vernon once succinctly summarized in a letter to Sam Horowitz: “It approaches perfection as nearly as any move I know.”

Topping the Deck: The Perfect Move by Jamy Ian Swiss is a one-of-a-kind book dedicated to exploring Topping the Deck in the comprehensive level of detail it deserves. It features a lifetime’s worth of knowledge that can help magicians of all skill levels.

If you already use Topping the Deck, this book will help you uncover opportunities to improve your technique and make it the most powerful tool in your arsenal. If you’ve never studied the move, or palming in general, there is no better place to start.

Jamy learned from the greatest exponents of Topping the Deck; not only Vernon himself, but from his first line of expert protégés and exemplars of this particular technique, including Howard Schwarzman, Bob White, Harry Riser, and Johnny Thompson. In turn, he has been teaching this technique to private students, amateurs and professionals alike, for more than 35 years.

While Vernon’s original publication of the move was spread across just a few thin paragraphs, The Perfect Move covers every tiny nuance you could ever need. This includes the inspiration and origins of the move, the mechanics, and even finesses from Vernon’s aforementioned students. Jamy also offers a crystal-clear approach to identifying and overcoming common pitfalls. Simply plut, it’s everything you need to perfect The Perfect Move.

Unlike Vernon’s explanation, which had just one scant illustration, there’s also a plethora of photographs accompanying the detailed text. Everything is perfectly laid out across the 60 pages of this gorgeous softcover book.

Topping the Deck is one of the most important and powerful moves a card magican can learn. There’s no better way to master it than with The Perfect Move by Jamy Ian Swiss. This is a must-read for any serious student of card magic.