Magic is all about visual impact and showmanship projected to the audience. And these to don't come without countless hours and time spent both practicing the trick itself but the show surrounding the trick as well. A well executed flawless magic trick truly is, at the precise moment, magical to the sitting audience.
Even today a well executed card trick is a favorite of the audience. With most card tricks the audience is closer to the magician in order to be able to see the cards. It is this closeness that the audience thinks will allow them to uncover the magic of the card trick. If for no other reason the magician must execute the card trick without any gaffs.
Because of the familiarity that people have with cards and card tricks, you can see that as a magician you have to be extra prepared and smooth when it comes to performing them. Not only because of the audience's close proximity but also because of their goal to uncover the trick itself.
The underlying mechanism for card tricks is the sleight of hand by the magician. For a veteran magician who has a well polished sleight of hand, card tricks are some of the easiest to perform as well as the biggest crowd pleaser.
The mechanics of the card trick are easy to learn... it's the sleight of hand (legerdemain)is what a beginning must master... and this can only be accomplished with patience and practice. In fact, practicing until the sleight of hand is just like having a conversation. The body movements, and the conversation have to appear completely normal lest you loose your audience; because their eyes are going to watch every movement.
A vital component to a magician's sleight of hand is the redirection of the audiences attention from what they are inevitably trying to catch you doing. By insuring that all of your movement looks completely normal and conversational your actual sleight of hand movements draw no suspicion and the trick is therefore magic in the eyes of the beholder.
So, do your best to engage your audience with conversation, some jokes, and some showmanship so that your audience is not fixated on your hands... in fact when you master this art of misdirection you'll have the foundation for just about any type of magic trick.
