How to Make Teller Laugh

When Markobi started his act on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, something interesting happened. A few seconds in, Teller bursts out laughing.

Not a polite smile. Not a courtesy laugh. A real, uncontrollable laugh.

For a magician, that's a remarkable reaction. And it raises a fascinating question: what actually makes magic work?

In How to Make Teller Laugh, Markobi explores magic from a perspective that is often talked about, yet is still somehow overlooked: what the audience actually experiences.

Great magic isn't just about mechanics. It's about rhythm, atmosphere, humor, tension, surprise, and knowing when to let the impossible breathe. It's about creating moments where the audience stops analyzing and simply experiences something they can't explain.

Drawing on years of performance and his experience as a world champion of card magic, Markobi shares his approach to creating magic that feels more alive. He embraces risk, unpredictability, and the unexpected, showing how these elements can turn a technically sound trick into something far more memorable.

You'll also go behind the scenes of one of Markobi's favorite card routines. But rather than simply teaching you the method, he'll explore the decisions, intentions, and subtleties that make the routine genuinely connect with real audiences.

The book concludes with a collection of "Booster Packs": raw ideas, concepts, lines, and creative sparks designed to get you thinking and help you develop your own magic.

If you're looking for another move to add to your repertoire, this probably isn't the book for you. But if you want to rethink how you perform, construct, and experience magic, Markobi has something genuinely interesting to share.