Bringing It All to The Table

Fooling someone from the distance of a traditional stage is one thing. Fooling someone sitting directly in front of you is much more difficult—and astounding. I discovered this when I was ten years old, during my magic trick phase. I spent hours carefully practicing card tricks from books, and yet my demonstrations failed to elicit the awe that I hoped for from my family. In The Unfair Advantage at Seattle Rep, Australian card shark and magician Harry Milas has mastered the ability to fool and amaze his audience up close.

Using a simple but effective format, Milas exposes techniques used to cheat at cards. First, he demonstrates an awe-inspiring card trick, then—unless the trick is strictly for the sake of magic—he explains the secret behind it. Along the way, he sprinkles in anecdotes from his personal magic journey. Audience members must sign a confidentiality agreement before the hour-long show, which is followed by an optional Q&A session. I admit that the NDA made me dubious, but as I soon discovered, The Unfair Advantage is not just a tell-all. Instead, Milas reveals the methods used by card sharks while still preserving the mystery and quiet wonder associated with magic.

The show takes place in a small, softly lit room with a single table surrounded by two rows of chairs. I was one of about 25 people in the audience. Those seated closest to Milas were only a few feet away from him. I immediately noticed the simplicity of the setup. Milas’ only props were a deck of cards and four coins. No music, flashing lights, or decorations. This allowed the skill and, once he revealed it, the method behind each trick to shine without any distractions. There is none of the fast-paced entertainment that the internet has made many of us accustomed to. Instead, the show requires the audience to focus intently, listen, and think.

Throughout the show, Milas strikes a balance between being casual and performative. His tone is conversational, and he interacts frequently with the audience, fielding questions and involving people in demonstrations. Although every gesture and word is undoubtedly precise and intentional, he does not present as overly theatrical or scripted. Instead, he speaks comfortably, using storytelling to create suspense with well-placed pauses and eye contact.

Milas maintains a sense of magic by distinguishing between magic tricks and gambling tricks. Revealing how a magic trick works would only detract from the audience’s enjoyment, whereas gambling tricks take advantage of people, and thus, learning how they work is useful. For this reason, although Milas performs some coin tricks, the show focuses on false shuffles, false deals, and card counting.

The tricks seemed to fall into two categories: sleight-of-hand tricks and memory tricks. The sleight-of-hand tricks, though flawlessly executed, were what I expected from a magic show: half dexterous handling of the cards and half misdirection. The memory tricks were what truly floored me. Using mnemonics, Milas performed seemingly impossible feats like memorizing the order, position, and suit of every card in the deck. After he explained the method behind the tricks, they became only more extraordinary. Understanding the incredible skill and effort required to master them made me realize that the technique was just as impressive as the illusion itself.

The Unfair Advantage is a unique experience because although it entertains, it also possesses an educational aspect. For instance, Milas spends several minutes describing how mnemonics improve your memory and why many people fail to remember things in their daily lives. I had to pay close attention to understand his systems for memorization, so make sure you come prepared to learn.

Milas also conveys a deeper message about time. He argues that if you dedicate enough time to one task, like he has, you can master it. It took him four years to remember all the positions of the cards in a randomly shuffled deck in under two minutes. The question he asks the audience is this: how will you choose to spend your time? This message is essential for young people. We often get caught up in the busyness of life and never pause to ask ourselves how we truly want to spend our time. Milas chose to spend his time on his passion for magic tricks, and he has built a successful career. As someone whose passion is art and writing, I found this message inspirational.

Deceptively simple, The Unfair Advantage is rich in both entertainment and educational value. If you gamble or, like me, just love storytelling and magic, you will feel perfectly at home. Using the audience’s proximity to his advantage, Milas weaves a veil of awe and mystery over his small table. As I sat a few feet away, I felt myself returning to my ten-year-old self. That is the true magic of Milas’ performance—for an hour, he allows you to experience childlike wonder again. He tells not all, but just enough to teach you something while preserving the feeling of awe that accompanies every good magic show.

Lead photo: Harry Milas in The Unfair Advantage. Photo by Rich Soublet.

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