“He possesses that essential factor that separates the outstanding magician from all the others: charm. He will amaze and astonish you but you are so charmed by his personality that you could not possibly resent it.”– Charles Reynolds, GENII

“Great hands, great intelligence, great feeling.”– Juan Tamariz

“Rafael Benatar gently and seductively insinuates his enchantments into an audience’s collective consciousness. He does not pummel audiences with puzzles or vex them with bewilderments.

Instead he gifts them with the wonderments of their own dreams.”– Jon Racherbaumer

“Rafael is not only an excellent performer and entertainer but, even more important, has a thorough understanding of his craft.”– Martin A. Nash

“Rafael has a real flair for presentation and his sleights are smooth as silk. He is well read in card magic, has a fine appearance and a charming personality.”– Michael Skinner

“He does it all better than all the rest.”– Billy McComb

“Rafael Benatar’s ‘Something Special’ was one of the most beautiful and original shows I have ever enjoyed at the world-famous Magic Castle. The combination of gorgeous music and exquisite card magic left the audience spellbound.”– Todd Karr

“Rafael is, without any doubt, a master of that weapon, so difficult to handle, but so greatly efficient, which is timing.”– Arturo de Ascanio

“His work contains an element that is missing in so many contemporary performances – an emotional appeal. Here is a magician who truly applies the theory of magic in his own brand of mystification.”– Jack Birnman

“The subtleties, the delicate touch, and the underlying construction are major advancements. I wish Eddie Marlo was here to see his handling of Devilish Miracle.”– Simon Aronson

“His thinking is superb and his card handling is exquisite.”– Michael Close MAGIC Magazine

What will he teach?

Additional Information- You place three cards face down as predictions, and explain that each of them will predict a feature of a card that has not yet been selected (odd or even, red or black, picture or number) but you will need one more prediction card which will give you the additional information you need.
A spectator freely selects a card and you offer the option to change it and announce that, whatever he decides, you will not change your predictions.
After the card is clearly buried in the center of the deck, you ask the spectator for each of the features predicted and you show all three predictions to be correct. Eventually you look at the “additional information” card and name the exact card selected. As a kicker you show that the additional information card IS the actual card selected. This is Rafael’s handling on a Roy Walton premise, with new original sleights.

TPC-tion- The spectator stops you at a card, you show them and put it in your pocket. When the select another card, it is clearly inserted face up into the center of the deck so everyone can see that it’s really there. After a magic gesture, and without any suspicious actions, you immediately show that the cards have changed places.

Not By Much- Rafael takes Dai Vernon’s The Trick That Cannot Be Reconstructed a step further with an amazing kick ending.

The Only Card that Lies- A routine based on a great principle contributed by Bob Farmer. The spectator looks at a fan of cards and asked to think of one. You shuffle the cards, explaining that all the cards in the deck tell you the truth, but the card the spectator looked at is the only card that lies. You then begin to pick out single cards and pretend to hear something each card whispers to you, making several statements about obvious things and the spectator nods in approval. The statements become gradually less obvious until you begin to reveal some true facts about the card the spectator is thinking of. Eventually you make another statement and you are told you are wrong. “Then this must be your card” you say, and reveal that it is the selected card.

Oil and Water- This is the amazingly clean Kosby-Jennings routine where Rafael contributes his professional presentation and strategies to cover the moves. An Oil and Water routine that doesn’t need a table and uses only 4 Red and 4 Black cards.

Middle Assembly- This is a quick and powerful assembly that takes a different turn: the Aces assemble in the middle of the deck. You show the four Aces and lay them in a row on the table, face down. Another take on a Roy Walton routine that makes it totally impromptu.

A Card Trick Without Cards- This is Rafael’s presentation on a great routine by John Bannon. You offer to do a card trick without cards You show the card case unmistakably empty and leave it in full view. A spectator selects a card, you lose it in the deck and put the whole deck away. As the spectator calls the color and value of the card they looked at, you take the case from the table and shake it to clearly prove that it is empty. A pool ball of the same color and value drops out of the case and falls with a loud thud to the table.

Who is he?