486: Jason Ladanye—Nothing Up His Sleeve
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
4.9 • 40.8K Ratings
🗓️ 26 May 2026
⏱️ 114 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Mike sits down with master card mechanic and sleight-of-hand expert Jason Ladanye, whose impossible demonstrations of gambling moves and psychological deception have earned him a reputation as one of the best card handlers working today.
Jason explains how a childhood obsession with cards—and an influential mentorship with legendary magician Darwin Ortiz—shaped his career performing around the world.
Along the way, Jason shows Mike how magicians secretly track cards through a shuffled deck, demonstrates the art of bottom dealing, and reveals why the real secret behind great magic isn't fast hands—it's storytelling, conviction, and understanding exactly how people think.
And of course, there are several mind-blowing demonstrations of his ability.
Follow Jason on Instagram and see him LIVE at an upcoming show.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, it's Mike Rowe. This is the way I heard it. My guest today is Jason LaDaney. If I sound |
| 0:08.2 | a little nonplussed, it's because I know it's Ladani. I'm just, I'm just saying for paying |
| 0:13.1 | attention. I was totally paying attention, dude. Well, look, the first thing I do is apologize |
| 0:16.6 | to the guy for mispronouncing his name wrong in my mind for the last two years. I think he forgave me. |
| 0:22.2 | This guy, I guess he's a magician. |
| 0:24.7 | Card technician. |
| 0:26.1 | Mechanic. |
| 0:26.7 | The card mechanic. |
| 0:27.6 | I think that's the proper term, yeah. |
| 0:29.4 | Yeah. |
| 0:30.2 | I stumbled across him on the internet on a lazy, rainy Thursday morning a couple years ago, just scrolling around. |
| 0:38.9 | Yeah. |
| 0:39.3 | And I saw him do something with the deck of cards. |
| 0:42.3 | It just defied credulity. |
| 0:45.7 | Yes. |
| 0:46.2 | You know, and you play cards. |
| 0:48.2 | Yeah. |
| 0:48.4 | And I play cards. |
| 0:49.7 | Yep. |
| 0:49.9 | And I know some tricks and whatever. |
| 0:52.2 | I've seen the best. |
| 0:53.4 | I've seen, you know, Richard Turner whatever. I've seen the best. I've seen, you know, Richard Turner and I've seen, I mean, I was just so blown away by his skill and his attitude. |
... |
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