Richard Turner - THE card mechanic

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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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