Geno Ploeger: AGT 2026 Runner-Up Magician (Bio, Facts and Career)

Geno Ploeger is a close-up magician from Hartland, Wisconsin, now based in Arizona, who finished as runner-up on America's Got Talent Season 21 in 2026. He was 21 at his audition. A two-time International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) Close-Up champion, he's known for fast, personal card magic built around storytelling, and for a career inspired by AGT winner Mat Franco.

Watch Geno on AGT

Geno's AGT 2026 finale performance (official America's Got Talent video).

More official AGT videos: Quarterfinals · Semifinals · Finale duet with Mat Franco

Quick facts

Name	Geno Ploeger
Style	Close-up card and coin magic, storytelling
Hometown	Hartland, Wisconsin
Based in	Phoenix area, Arizona
Age at AGT audition	21
Started magic	Age 5
TV	America's Got Talent, Season 21 (2026): runner-up
Awards	IBM Youth Close-Up Champion (2019); IBM Adult Close-Up Champion (2024); Society of American Magicians "Stars of Tomorrow"
Mentors	Brian LeBoeuf; interned for Mat Franco
Online	@genoploegermagic

How it started: a card trick at Thanksgiving

Geno's magic began at age five, when his grandfather performed a card trick at a Thanksgiving dinner. By eight, he was taking weekly lessons at Big Guy's Magic Shop in Wisconsin under mentor Brian LeBoeuf, and by ten he was performing at conventions and birthday parties. When he was 13, his family moved from Wisconsin to Arizona, where he rebuilt his audience from scratch.

The Mat Franco connection

Watching Mat Franco win AGT in 2014 inspired Geno to pursue magic seriously. He later interned for Franco, and the two performed together in the 2026 AGT finale, a full-circle moment for a young magician who grew up watching his idol win the same show.

Competition success before TV

Geno won the IBM youth close-up competition in 2019, then returned to win the organization's adult Close-Up Championship in 2024. He was named one of the Society of American Magicians' "Stars of Tomorrow" and is a member of Hollywood's Magic Castle. During the pandemic, he moved his act online, performing virtual shows for corporate clients.

His AGT 2026 run

• Audition: a sleight-of-hand card routine with Simon Cowell and Mel B, told as the story of his journey in magic. Four yeses.
• Quarterfinals: a routine built around his grandfather earned a standing ovation.
• Semifinals: a school-themed close-up routine; he advanced to the finale in the results show.
• Finale (September 23, 2026): runner-up, behind singer Nene Royal, in a final where two of the top three acts were magicians. The Korean group Hundred Fingers finished third.

Style: why his magic works

Geno's act is close-up card work with a personal story at its core. The magic serves the story, whether it's about his grandfather or his own journey, which is why audiences connect emotionally, not just intellectually. It's a reminder that practising your presentation matters as much as practising your moves.

What's next

Geno is a senior at Arizona State University, double-majoring in acting and marketing. He continues to perform at corporate events and private shows, and shares close-up magic with a large following on social media.

Inspired by Geno? Start here

• Is card magic hard to learn? A realistic timeline
• Card magic basics
• Card magic tricks and sleight of hand magic
• More TV magicians: magicians on AGT, BGT and Fool Us

Frequently asked questions