Richard Turner is the best card mechanic (card shark) in the world and one of the best close-up magicians. He has entertained millions of people around the world and won several prestigious awards for his achievements in magic.
The highly-rated documentary about him, which is called Dealt is one of the best documentaries that I’ve ever seen. Richard’s life, his achievements, his adventures are very inspiring, it is impressive that one man can achieve so much. And there are many more remarkable things about him that we didn’t even mention yet.
In this conversation, Richard shares fascinating stories about his life, about the ways a card mechanic can control the deck, how easy it is to cheat in a live poker game, some of the stories about how the mob has approached him with offers to work for them in some private poker games. We also talk about his remarkable work ethic, his approach to perfecting a skill. How the legendary Dai Vernon tricked Richard into developing seemingly impossible moves and techniques. And there’s so much more.
Note that the first 30 seconds is the audio taken from the official trailer of the fantastic documentary about Richard Turner - DEALT. I highly recommend it: https://amzn.to/2ZUqIzc
The YouTube version of this episode features a lot of visual material demonstrating Richard's technique, so I'd check it out if you get a chance and make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay informed about new videos https://www.youtube.com/RunchuksPoker?sub_confirmation=1
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iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/mt/podcast/the-runchuks-podcast/id1511439478&ls=1
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3noSXKdBtcqqGWOpE4tsWR
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1511439478/the-runchuks-podcast
Google Podcast: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL3J1bmNodWtzL2ZlZWQueG1s
Richard Turner:
http://www.RichardTurner52.com
DEALT - the movie: https://amzn.to/2ZUqIzc
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Extract from DEALT official trailer
00:00:32 Introduction
00:02:36 Richard Turner, THE card mechanic
00:05:26 Perfect practice makes you perfect
00:08:09 My job is to control the outcome of the game
00:10:28 Dai Vernon
00:12:27 Fixing the game in front of everyone's eyes
00:16:10 What an average card mechanic is able to do
00:20:24 Signaling
00:23:38 Casino security
00:25:16 Richard's take on Phil Ivey case
00:26:06 Organized crime and rigged games
00:32:41 An offer from the Middle East
00:35:04 Mr. Diamond full story
00:47:18 Why Richard always turned down the offers, tips, and gifts
00:49:49 Lawyers and bankers rigged game story
00:55:03 Is the deck marked?
00:56:14 Business card story
00:58:26 Touch analyst for the US Playing Card Company
01:00:37 Why Richard Turner is a superhuman
01:02:45 Practical advice to avoid being cheated
01:05:47 Shuffling machines
01:08:09 Players shuffling
01:09:29 Technologies
01:10:17 Hustlers who got used 100%
01:12:12 Full dedication to mastering a skill
01:13:21 Shuffling the cards for 1h and…
01:13:49 RichardTurner52
01:14:21 A film about Richard Turner film
01:15:00 Shark Showdown and Texas Showdown
01:17:21 Extreme lifestyle
01:21:37 Not missing a workout session in 49 years
01:22:13 Shuffling blank cards at funerals
01:23:28 Taking a step further
01:26:12 I want the end result but it's the journey that I love
01:29:44 Creating new card mechanic techniques and unique style
01:34:42 Dai Vernon obsession
01:35:31 Fooling Mr. Jerk in front of his eyes
01:42:10 Invitation to cheat by their rules
01:44:54 Don't learn how to play a song, learn all the scales
01:46:26 It can't be done until someone does it
01:48:36 How Richard Turner practices
01:51:44 When the practice is finished?
01:52:33 Why the second deal is so hard
01:55:06 One of the most fascinating people that I know of
01:58:43 More on the upcoming movie
02:00:57 I'm not going down
02:02:39 Hand injury right before going to Penn & Teller: Fool Us
02:05:58 A full year for the thumbnail to grow back
02:07:11 Not even injuries or surgeries can stop Richard Turner
02:14:24 Doing a show right after a cardiac ablation procedure
02:17:31 Won the match but lost the war
02:18:01 Fishing huge fish (not poker related) right after shoulder surgery
02:19:48 Bringing Richard Turner to a new audience
02:20:39 Runchuks card mechanics story
02:23:39 Wrapping up and always cut the deck
