Definition: Flourishes are flashy, attention-getting moves that magicians often perform as part of a routine. Most flourishes are performed with playing cards and include: fancy cuts and shuffles, card fans and more. Beginning magic books often include lessons for a few basic flourishes.
A branch of magic known as XCM, which stands for extreme card manipulation, is dedicated to the performance of difficult card flourishes. The best known XCM artists include: The Buck Twins, Jerry Cestkowski, De'vo and Brian Tudor.
Examples: The magician captured the audience's attention with a series of flourishes with playing cards.
