Rick Smith Jr

Rick Smith Jr. was born on March 5, 1981, in Lyndhurst, Ohio. He began his magic career at age 7, dedicating hours to learning and developing illusions while his peers engaged in traditional childhood sports. He honed his skills by performing for friends and family in his basement, eventually progressing to local parties where he charged a fee for his stage acts. During his teenage years, Smith actively promoted his magic through flyers and business cards, securing regular bookings for children’s birthday parties and family events while still attending high school. He later enrolled at Cleveland State University to study marketing and business management, where he also pitched for the CSU baseball team, showcasing a 90-mile-per-hour fastball.

While at Cleveland State University, a playful incident involving throwing a card at a teammate revealed Smith’s extraordinary talent for card throwing. This led him to pursue and achieve a Guinness World Record on March 21, 2002, for the farthest throw of a playing card, reaching 216 feet, 4 inches, at the Wolstein Center. Following this achievement, Smith gained national attention, leading to appearances on television shows such as *Ripley’s Believe It or Not!*, *The Ellen DeGeneres Show*, *Shark Tank*, *The Tonight Show*, and *America’s Got Talent*. He has also collaborated with prominent YouTube creators like Dude Perfect and The Slo Mo Guys. Smith performs over 600 shows annually for both individual clients and national corporations across the United States. His performances combine magic with interactive card throwing stunts, often featuring audience participation. He has also released instructional films on card throwing and magic, including *Xtreme Beginnerz Card Handling Skills*, *The Art of Card Throwing with Rick Smith Jr.*, and *Velocity* (in collaboration with Murphy’s Magic).

Beyond his entertainment career, Rick Smith Jr. founded and directs Magic Gives Back, an organization that utilizes magic to raise funds for school systems across the nation. Through this initiative, Smith and other performers collaborate with school districts to support education-related projects. He currently holds three Guinness World Records: the farthest throw of a playing card (65.96 meters or 216 feet, 4 inches, achieved March 21, 2002); the highest throw of a playing card (21.41 meters or 70 feet, 3 inches, achieved March 14, 2015); and the most playing cards consecutively thrown into a horizontal target (139, achieved October 17, 2022). His career exemplifies a unique blend of athletic precision, entrepreneurial spirit, and a commitment to both entertainment and philanthropy.