Conjuring Archive

With some notable exceptions, magicians looking for a means of making money at their craft tend to back into mentalism as a kind of last resort. Finding they are not successful at straight magic, having had indifferent luck at comedy magic, realizing they can't learn sleights and hate to practice anyway, they look to mentalism as an oasis where self-working trick follows self-working trick, where a winning smile and sincere personality count most, where charm and delivery replace hard work and practice as the key to success.

If they fumble while handling a deck of cards, that's completely acceptable and in character. The problem is that they also fumble the billet switch, the nail writer, plaming the stolen center, and anything else requiring practice and attention to detail.

Karl Fulves
Close-Up Mental Magic, 1974, p. 43