> To do that would be breaking the magician's code, and apparently, you don't break the code. Long-time magician here. The "don't break the code" thing is rea

> To do that would be breaking the magician's code, and apparently, you don't break the code. Long-time magician here. The "don't break the code" thing is really just a fun fiction to maintain, mostly for kids. There are a variety of excellent reasons most magicians rarely reveal a trick. 1. It's no fun. Not only for the magician but, surprisingly, for the person you tell. This is because the method behind a trick is usually far, far less interesting and more mundane than the effect. People usually aren't happy or even really satisfied if you describe the method to them. 2. It's unproductive. Describing the method to a layperson enough to expose the trick usually doesn't put the person any closer to being able to do the trick. It especially won't put a novice any closer to even understanding why the trick works - which is actually the interesting and often quite subtle part. 3. It's boring. Truly understanding the principles behind why a particular trick that a performer has perfected to the point of working really well, in fact works so well, is usually not only complicated but complex. The "meta" behind magic is something non-magicians (and even some less experienced magicians) are completely unaware of. It's this hidden structure and deep theory that's actually the fun part. But learning what magicians call "the real work" behind an effect takes a significant amount of time. For example, I wanted to start getting into the deep work behind one card effect magicians call ACAAN. The plot is simple. A randomly named card appears at a randomly named number of cards down in a shuffled deck. The effect is over a hundred years old and there are well over a dozen books focused solely on it (I own several). There are hundreds of different "methods" which can be used to accomplish that one "effect". I can already do a serviceable ACAAN effect several different ways. Yet I went to an intensive three day workshop focused on teaching nothing but ACAAN. After those three days I now feel like I have a good start on really mastering the effect but I still have a long way to go - and honestly, now that I have insight into the deep work on ACAAN taught directly by one of the greatest living masters of ACAAN, I'm not sure I'm willing to put the level of work into it required to take my ACAAN to a level I'd enjoy performing. Finally, far from being some kind of secretive fraternity, most magicians would be delighted to teach you how to create an effect yourself because many of us are worried magic is a dying art form. However, that requires someone interested enough to devote at least a couple hours to it. Even if you never perform what you learn, you'll get some understanding of how and why magic can be such fun to study and develop - and maybe get bitten by the bug. But if you just want a one sentence drive-by "quickie" exposure of one method of one effect - most magicians have learned the kindest thing we can do in response to such temporary and fleeting curiosity is a polite fiction about some "Magicians Code."