Richard Turner

Richard Turner, born in 1954 in San Diego, California, famously referred to that year as "the year of the full deck," a nod to the standard 52-card deck plus two jokers. His fascination with magic and card tricks ignited at the tender age of seven, spurred by the television series Maverick.

At nine years old, after overcoming scarlet fever, Turner faced a significant challenge as his eyesight began to fail. By thirteen, his vision had deteriorated to 20/400, and over time, he lost the ability to discern between light and darkness entirely.

Turner attended a specialized school for the visually impaired in Santee, California, where he made the unconventional decision to forgo learning Braille. Instead, he found a passion for martial arts, inspired by his younger brother's karate lessons. In 1971, he began training in Wado-Kai karate under Master John Murphy, the discipline's founder in the U.S., ultimately achieving a sixth-degree black belt.

In 1972, Turner auditioned for a local theater company run by actor Steve Terrell, joining the "Lamb's Players Theatre" for a six-year stint. Terrell helped him develop techniques to engage with audiences, allowing him to mask his visual impairment effectively.

His journey led him to stuntman Bobby Yerkes, who taught him various acrobatic skills, including trapeze swinging and tightrope walking. Today, Richard Turner is celebrated as one of the greatest card mechanics in history, renowned for his extraordinary talent and contributions to the world of magic.