Want to learn how to do magic like Shin Lim?
I don’t blame you! This magician is currently making huge headlines all over the world for his absolutely incredible sleight of hand magic on America’s Got Talent.
Who wouldn’t want to be able to wow people like Shin Lim? I know I would!
Today I’ll be talking about how you (yes, YOU) can pull off some magic tricks that would make Shin Lim proud.
PLUS, if you stick around to the end, I’ll be showing you how you can learn the EXACT methods Shin uses in his magic (HINT: you can find Shin’s secrets at Amazon!).
Let’s dive right into it!
First of all, a word of encouragement.
While Shin Lim might seem like some kind of superhuman, I’m here to tell you that ANYONE can do this level of magic with the right practice.
In fact, magic wasn’t even Shin’s main focus until college.
The key 100% lies in daily practice. It doesn’t matter if it’s only 10 or 20 minutes a day, but as long as you keep on doing it everyday you’ll soon be mastering magic.
Getting started: what’s your level?
If you’re reading this, you’re either a complete beginner or have some experience in card magic.
For the beginners, awesome that you’ve chosen to try your hand at magic! It is an incredible hobby and most of all, tons of fun. Don’t worry, I’ll be covering the basics and upwards here so just sit back and enjoy.
For magicians with a bit of experience, you might want to skip this first section and jump into the ‘moving it up’ section!
So, you’re completely new to this whole exciting world of magic but you have no idea where to start. Not to worry! I got you covered.
As a beginner, my main advice would be to AVOID at all costs splashing loads of cash on magic tricks. There are some really awesome tricks available online and trust me, I know just how tempting it can be to just spend a little here and there, but it really does stack up!
The only investment that you need to make right now is just a simple deck of playing cards. Chances are, you might already have a deck of cards lying around the house that you can pick up.
If not, it’s super easy to order some through Amazon. You can get Bicycle cards (the same type Shin uses) in packs of two for around 5 bucks, which is a great deal. To read more about choosing your playing cards for magic, click here for my full list of different card types and which are best.
Once you have a deck of cards you are ready to go! I promise that 90% of what you need to learn to do magic like Shin Lim can be learnt on a regular set of playing cards.
So keep that wallet closed and learn how you can discover a WEALTH of free magic online in the next step…
Getting to know the ropes: All the magic you need online
Let’s talk about YouTube for a minute. If you’re anything like me, you probably use YouTube all the time.
But did you know that you can learn LOADS of magic tricks and techniques from professional magicians there?
Including Shin Lim himself! That’s right, Shin has a YouTube channel and even teaches his magic there. But more on that later…
For an absolute amateur, the best channel to figure out the basics is 52Kards.
Who is 52Kards?
What started out as a homemade set of videos teaching people the occasional shuffle or card trick on YouTube has turned into one of the industry leading magic trick teaching resources, and for good reason.
52Kards is an amazing place to learn magic for free. They have tons of videos available on YouTube that are targeted at beginners specifically.
You’ll learn how to hold a deck of cards properly, shuffle them, and gradually over time be introduced to more and more impressive sleights and techniques.
Here’s a video of Asad (from 52Kards) performing a magic routine using pure sleight of hand.
EVERYTHING you need to learn to be able to perform exactly the same routine is provided at 52Kards for no cost! For me, as a magician, that is crazy good value.
You can either watch them on YouTube or through their website here.
There are loads of awesome resources like this on YouTube that teach you coin tricks or even how to make a card float. All for free! Don’t underestimate the power of this resource.
But that looks like a bunch of hard work, doesn’t it?
After all, who wants to spend hours practicing complicated sleight of hand techniques when you can buy a trick deck from Amazon for a couple of dollars?
People who want to be able to do magic like Shin Lim, is the answer. If you’re serious about this, sleight of hand magic is the way forward.
Sure, trick decks are fun and can come in useful now and again, but they shouldn’t be your focus. There’s nothing wrong with them (I personally use a couple of trick decks every now and again, such as The Invisible Deck) but they just don’t measure up to the skills you gain through learning some real sleight of hand.
For example, imagine you visited a friend’s house and spotted a deck of cards. If you only ever relied on trick decks, you wouldn’t be able to do anything.
But if you could do some great sleight of hand you would be able to pick up their cards and fool their socks off! And yes, I have done this myself many times.
If you’re struggling to stay motivated or just are finding it WAY too difficult to carry on, I would suggest rewatching Shin Lim’s performances. For me, they’re super inspirational and make me want to crack down even harder on improving my own sleight of hand so that I’m a little bit closer to being able to achieve the same level of magic.
Once you have the fundamentals of card magic down (and this can be achieved purely through 52Kards) you’re ready for the next step…
Moving on up: Taking your magic to another level
Sure, you can now do some really cool sleight of hand, but that isn’t everything.
What’s the point of being able to do a super clean double lift if your audience isn’t watching?
I’m talking about you audience or PEOPLE skills.
People always underestimate the importance of developing good people skills in magic, but it is absolutely vital. I’ve personally seen loads of magicians perform incredibly hard sleight of hand really well, but their audience wasn’t impressed because they weren’t INTERESTED in the trick.
So in order to take your magic to the next level, you need to double down on your people skills.
This really isn’t as hard as it sounds. Unless you live in the middle of Alaska in a hut, chances are you’re seeing people everyday. This is your chance to improve.
And by that, I don’t even mean magic. Don’t walk up to people and offer to show them a trick, just try to walk up to them and start a conversation.
While you’re talking, try to work on maintaining eye contact and responding enthusiastically. If you do this every day, your communication skills will naturally rise.
And communication skills are a super valuable asset in magic! Think about it; if a magician was mumbling his way through a trick, how likely do you think it is that his audience would be engaged?
On the other hand, if he was speaking clearly and enthusiastically, maintaining eye contact, and asking questions, the odds are that his audience would be WAY more receptive to his magic.
That really is the ‘secret’ to being a good magician. If you think the best magicians are the ones who can do the best sleight of hand, you’re wrong. The best magicians are the ones who can make people THINK they can do the best sleight of hand through their performance.
The best way to develop your own style as a magician is simply to go out there and practice. As you perform to people, you’ll naturally find things that work for you and things that don’t.
For me, I can’t do the whole ‘serious’ magician thing. So instead, I try to keep things light and casual. That works for me!
But it might not work for you; the only way to find out is to get some experience performing for people.
Shin Lim, on the other hand, is really good at the ‘serious’ magician style. He turns the magic he does into an art form, and it is a really effective style.
So you see, each magician will vary and there’s no hard and fast rule to it. Just see what works best for you!
That’s pretty much all there is to it. To recap:
– Buy a deck of cards (and nothing else)
– Learn all the techniques at YouTube or through 52Kards
– Work on improving your people skills and narrowing down your ‘style’
If you want to read in more depth about this process, check out my how to learn magic tricks guide.
For now, I’m going to instead finish by talking to you about how to learn Shin Lim’s magic (his EXACT magic routine)
Where you can learn the same magic as Shin Lim…
You can learn the exact methods Shin Lim uses right over at Amazon! (See below for the link…)
Shin Lim is currently selling the secrets to his magic in a couple of products, one of which is available on Amazon. 
52 Shades of Red is what Shin Lim used during his audition and on Penn and Teller, the same card trick he used to win the world championship of magic… (and yes, YOU can buy it). This is the better option for beginners in my opinion as it is MUCH cheaper than the Dream Act.
The Dream Act is what Shin Lim used in the semi-final of America’s Got Talent to make it into the final.
Which is a better investment?
I personally prefer The Dream Act, but when it comes down to it they are both of similar value. You’re going to learn similar techniques either way, it’s just a matter of your personal preference on which looks better. 52 Shades of Red is a little cheaper too, and can be found on Amazon (through the link above.)
YouTube
Did you know Shin Lim has his own YouTube channel??
If you haven’t watched any of his videos yet, I would highly recommend checking him out. He comes across as not only a great magician, but all round great guy!
PLUS, he even teaches you some of his sleight of hand techniques for free. Check it out!
So there you are! How to do magic like Shin Lim, my step by step walkthrough of the process. I hope it was useful!
If you enjoyed this post, please do share it with your friends using the icons over to the left. Click here for more of my magic tutorials!
If you still have any questions, feedback or comments, feel free to go ahead and leave them in the comment section down below and I will be sure to get back to you within 24 hours! If you still have any other questions, please do get in touch using the contact form at the bottom of the page.
I love coming to your site, I even have it bookmarked!! Keep up the awesome articles and as always, thanks for sharing,
Laura
Thank you Laura!
This article is dope!
I like everything about the way you lay things out for the different levels for your magic skills. Very interesting. I recently started watching videos featuring Shin Lim his great. Thanks again!
Cheers!
Thank you! Shin Lim has some awesome videos out, have you checked out his YouTube channel?
Such a great site to learn so many cool things- I bookmarked this site from my 1st visit and my grandson is about to get your URL as he loves magic so thank you so much
Thanks for the great comment! Hope he enjoys it.
This is great information! I’ve never done magic before but have always been curious to try. It just seems daunting getting into it and you have broken it down so well and provided a ton of great resource! I can’t wait to get started. Thanks!
Yeah it seems much harder than it is! A lot of the best magic tricks aren’t actually very ‘difficult’ – just clever! Thank you.
I used to loveeeee magic this brings back so many memories you have to stay disciplined and encouraged to dominate at magic this is great!
That’s exactly right! Thanks for your comment.
Wow! I am glad to hear that even an absolute beginner can do what Shin Lim does every time he performs. All it takes is everyday practice. Now I just have to set aside the time to make that happen. I think that’s a bit more tricky than a card trick. Lol!
I do have a question though. It’s a lot easier to make casual conversation with someone than to be communicative on stage. That’s super scary! How do you make conversation on stage in front of a large audience? It’s quite a step up from talking to the cashier clerk.
Thank you for sharing and I hope you make it a great day!
Sure, but like you say, all it takes is practicing and improving every single day! That’s true, which is why you get REALLY good at making casual conversation. The better you are at casual conversation with one person, the easier the transition will be to a bigger audience. No matter how good your people skills are though, it’s always going to be scary to begin with; but you soon get used to it.
Cool site. My husband would love this. He taught me some magic tricks. I love to pull tricks and pranks on my family. Thanks for this.
Thanks for the comment! Magic tricks are a great way to impress your family.
What a cool idea! Teaching the world magic…it needs someone like you. Your post is so well laid out and so clear! I am impressed by your communication skills. Adding videos is such a great idea. I enjoyed watching the “4 aces” demonstration…very smooth. Keep up the good work.
Thank you! 52Kards (the YouTuber) is a great magician and it really shows in that video.
My son is really interested in learning magic and i would just like to thank you for making this information & links available. We got some playing cards today and I cannot get Pierre away from the tube 🙂
Is there a certain brand of trick cards that you propose we buy as he also wants trick cards as a beginner?
Thanks for the comment! That’s a great idea. I would recommend just some regular Bicycle cards, but you can read my full guide on choosing your playing cards here! Hope this helps you out.
What a great idea! I’m going to send my daughter the link to this; so informative and interesting
Glad you found it helpful!
I’ve heard of Shin Lim many times and always wondered how we does his magic tricks. Thanks for clearing everything up for me. I want to learn the 52K cards trick because I am an absolute amateur want to to learn the ropes before moving to the more difficult stuff. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge!
That’s the right way to do it; start with the smaller stuff and move on up gradually! You’ll be the next Shin Lim before you know it…
Hi Benji,
Who among us as kids did not have a magic set as a kid! Everyone loves magic and do to it like the magician herein would be amazing. Anyone looking to on how to do magic like Shin Lim will have to spend thousands of hours in front of a mirror and practice incredibly hard until you even fool yourself. It has to be flawless.
I find all magicians fascinating and almost supernatural, which is a sign of a great magician, when they leave you in wonder like a child. Its a beautiful art form and I am delighted I am stumbled across your article Benji 🙂 .
Thanks.
~Philip
You’re spot on; magic kits for kids are a great way to get them into a fun hobby young. I think you’re bang on there; but if you break that thousands of hours down into manageable chunks§ like 30 minutes a day, you’ll soon get there! Thanks for the comment Philip.
Hi Benji. Thanks for the information. I’m happy to know that with practice I will soon be able to do some amazing tricks. You are right when you say that developing people skills is a really important part of the magic trick. What is the point of doing the trick if nobody is interested?
Thanks for the information.
Kind regards
Andrew
Absolutely spot on there Andrew! You sound like you’re off to a good start.
Card tricks are like the basis and entry level of magic. Even though you can do some insane tricks with cards once you become more advanced, they are a good place to start. Becoming sleight of hand is key, and I’ve heard from many successful magicians now that when they were first starting they would just walk around with a deck of cards in their hands and practice the smoothness of maneuvering cards.
Yep, I agree. Card tricks are the classic image that everyone pictures when they imagine magic. I can definitely confirm the last bit; we always have a deck of cards in our hands!
Hey Benji!
This was a very good guide! After I found your website it gave me the courage to try out some tricks again. Last time I was a child 15 years ago. I can’t wait to visit my nephews for some magic! These tutorial videos blow my mind. I seem so hard, but when you see how it’s done it looks so simple.What is your favorite magic trick?
Øystein
Thanks for the comment Øystein! Good question. My favorite magic trick is probably the one Shin Lim performed during his first performance on Penn and Teller.
Shin Lim was amazing on America’s Got Talent! To put it generously, I am a beginner when it comes to magic. I love magic in all senses, but had no idea where to look as I thought magicians hide their tricks. I clicked on the You Tube channel you linked for 52 Kards about the 4 Ace trick and I think I have it down!
I love how sleight of hand mixed with people skills is so important with magic – it has sparked the interest in magic all over again! Great post!
Really? That’s impressive. That’s the great thing about magic, it requires such a variety of skills! Thanks for the comment.
Always wanted to do magic as a kid. I think Shin Lim is magic. If that is all slight of hand, he must have practiced night and day.
Maybe a pianists hands helped him.
I think “magic” is one of the most beautiful forms of entertainment, especially sleight of hand, It is so personal.
You have inspired me to start practicing again, just for fun. I would probably end up more like Tommy Cooper than Shin Lim, but hell, even he was entertaining.
Where are those cards?
What would you recommend to start with to get the hands moving? I mean what sort of trick should I begin with?
Oh I can confirm that Shin Lim has definitely done his fair share of practice. Definitely. That’s a good point; he probably found the dexterity beneficial. Tommy Cooper is a great role model to aspire to be! Which cards? In the tricks Shin uses Bicycle cards, but he also has his own playing cards that you can buy from his site. For a beginner, I would recommend checking out the 52Kards YouTube channel. Thanks!
Wow, this actually made me look into who Shin Lim is. Impressive tricks he has got. You post makes me want to buy a deck of cards and learn some tricks again. I only know one trick with a tissue and a fork and that is more to impress the kids around the dinner table, but I think that by now they have figured it out. Very inspiring and I would like to give it a try. thanks for inspiring me
You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment. Shin Lim is very impressive.
Hey Benji;
What an awesome post! And, so easy to follow.
I love to watch magicians, and I remember Shin Lim from America’s Got Talent. My first reaction was to show this to my husband who loves to fool his students with card tricks. He thinks he’s so clever. Lol
But my next thought was, why don’t I learn some magic and surprise him? It would be such fun to see him looking stumped for once. Your post is just what I need. It’s going to be such fun. Probably a great way for me to relax and unwind from writing, too.
Thanks for the great info and tips! 🙂
Thanks for the comment! That’s a great idea, magic is an awesome way to relax and chill out!
Hi Benji! I watched the video with the Ace trick. It’s amazing how magic works. I don’t know if you consider it a trick of the eyes or a trick of the mind, but magic is interesting. I had never heard of Shin Lim before seeing this article, but I’ll be sure to check him out now
I would definitely consider it as a bit of both! Magic works because it’s so good at tricking both the eyes AND the mind. That’s what makes it so impressive!
Shin Lim is simply amazing and I love that you shared a step by step guide on how to do similar magic tricks just like Shin does. I don’t have a lot of cash to spend on buying things for magic tricks so I’m glad to hear you say that really the only thing that is needed at this point is a simple deck of cards. I really do want to learn how to do magic tricks with cards to this is just perfect. I’m definitely a beginner so I will want to work my way up. Thank you for sharing this as well as 52Kards so I can watch videos to learn magic for free. What’s your favorite magic trick that you’ve seen Shin Lim do?
Glad you found this article useful! Yep, that’s exactly right. There’s absolutely no need to worry about price at this stage; just enjoy yourself. My favorite Shin Lim trick would be the Dream Act, as shown on Penn and Teller in his first appearance there!
I was google-ing to learn to do some simple magic tricks for my children and I ended up on your site.
Wow, I din’t expect to learn to do magic same as Shin Lim, to be honest never thought that it could be possible for anyone learn how to do magic same as a magician. Maybe I don’t want to learn so much, wanna still feel fascinated by magician in infantile way.
If you would prefer just watching magic, that’s cool too! Magic is a great hobby because it’s equally fun for both the spectator’s and the magician.