It's Uncanny by Doug Edwards

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 13, Number 12 December 1990
Page 1867 et seq.

Personal Comment: There is nothing special about the ambitious card part of the routine, but the color change has something nice. Something that is worth checking out. I think this could be great in a routine where you "wipe off" the pip of a card, by changing the three to a two of the same suit.

Difficulty 3/5

Ambitious Blacks by Roxy

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 8, Number 5 May 1985
Page 1066 et seq.

Personal Comment: Technically there is only one sleight. So this is easy. But maybe a bit too boring by itself. If you have a compelling story or premise for this, then go ahead. Is it deceptive... I think it is. Feels very "Phil Goldsteinish" to me.

Difficulty 2/5

The Obliging Card

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 322

Personal Comment: Let's be honest here. The effect is nothing of great importance or impact. But it is a cute interlude. Because the plot makes it interesting. Succeeding, then falsely assuming failure is pretty much the opposite of the usual "magician in trouble plot" so it will be experienced in a very nice way. It is a nice little throw away filler. Really nice.

Difficulty: 2/5

The Omnipresent Eight

Expert Card Technique: Close-Up Table Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
Page 287 et seq.

Personal Comment: This goes a bit away from the Ambitious Card plot and shows off more of what a specific card can do. We go a color change, a card rise and a nice little transposition. So what we got is a true routine. I guess if you gonna learn just one routine this could actually serve you for the rest of your life.

Difficulty: 2/5

Ambitious Card by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page to be added

Personal Comment: This is personal. Look at the structure. This is not geared to be liked by every magician. Just Jim I guess. But the last phase has something to it. And you got this build in three times conditioning thing, which kind of helps to get away with the last move. I don't like it too much, but I don't have to to appreciate the structure and the practicability.

Difficulty: 4/5

The Ambitious Card by Gustav Alberti

Drawing Room Conjuring by Professor Hoffmann 1887
Page 38 et seq.

Personal Comment: Talk about old school. This is the first publication of the Ambitious Card, that I know of. Professor Louis Hoffmann clearly credits the French magician Gustav Alberti. There is this theory, that an even older publication (1854) "Nouvelle Magie Blanche Devoilée" by the French magician Jean-Nicolas Ponsin contains a similar idea. And from there it gets fuzzy. Anyway, as you can see it's very basic. Passes mainly. The routine has come a long way. I decided to include this for the historians. As a side note: I like it!

Difficulty 5/5

Rise and Switch by Bill Simon and Roberto Giobbi

Card College 3 by Roberto Giobbi
Page 590 et seq.

Personal Comment: Could be included in almost any existing ACR. The method is solid and the "indicator" card really help to make it easy to remember what is going on. I would file this under "Nice, but not my cup of tea" as again there is the issue with the table space, limiting it's real world use drastically. I can imagine, letting others hold the indicator cards and placing the selection on top of those. That would transform the bit into a "in the hands" item making this much more attractive. In face now thinking about it, it probably is the best approach. Just place the indicator card into the spectators hand. Face up. Then place the selection on that card Face down. Follow quickly with half the pack, then let them remove the indicator card from the bottom of the pack to be placed on top of the pack, telling them that the selection will now follow. During the second phase you make the two spectators switch the indicator cards. I assume you can even prompt them to do so. So it seems to be their idea, making this much stronger.

Difficulty 1/5

Ultra-ambitious by Roberto Giobbi

Card College 4 by Roberto Giobbi
Page 1005 et seq.
Page 948 et seq. in the German Edition

Personal Comment: I have a hard time believing that I have not chosen more Ambitious Card sequences for the Daily Card Trick. But this is the first one. Personally too much for my taste. But my opinion shouldn't count, as I threw my ambitious card out of my working repertoire a long time ago. It is pretty complex compared to the "single phase modular thinking" usually associated with the Ambitious Card. But if you are the type of performer that sticks to his handling and doesn't improvise a lot this might be for you.

Difficulty 4/5

The Overworked Card by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 24 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is cute and good. It gets to the point quickly and is a well put together hybrid of an ambitious card and a triumph. Based upon a published effect by Bill Simon this is a true worker that is easy to do.

Difficulty 1/5