You have to love this trick, simply because you don't see the kicker coming. If you're a jaded card guy, you'd look at this routine and let out a yawn as you're thinking, "Big deal, you can do an Elmsley Count. Do we really need another version of a Sympathetic Card routine??" But then when you realize they were 4 aces, it's hard not to laugh and think, "Ok, you got me!"

So yes, this will get really good reactions... and it's not that hard to do at all. As implied above, you just need to be able to do an Elmsley Count, and you need to remember the brief handling sequence. The only problem is that you only end 3/4 clean. And after just having "seen" 4 jokers turn into 4 aces, the spectators are really going to want to see the cards. It helps that you can toss the cards around casually and show both sides. This will deflect a LOT of heat from the gaff, so for this reason, the lack of examinability is far less of an issue here than in other effects.

Generally, I'm not a huge fan of packet tricks, but this one is just so good, so surprising, and almost so clean, it won me over easily.

This effect is truely awesome. One by one four Jokers turn face down then into Aces. An amazing effect. Though this effect does require the emsley count which may be difficult for beginners, it's really easy to perform. I got this trick after mastering the emsley so it was easy for me. The only draw-back is you can't hand out the card for examination. Three of the cards are clean so you can easily top change or something for the other. I've only been asked to let them examine one card so I've been ok. Great effect for beginners or pros, just practice your elmsleys.

This requires a lot of practice to do correctly and smoothly, so be aware that you will have to practice and practice if you're a beginner (editorial deletion to protect secret). But once practiced, this is a fine piece of card work, and I recommend it... the final payoff is big, and it resets quickly. Works to a lot of different patters and jokes, and I like the very clean and surprising ending.

This is a great packet trick that I've done many many times, and it's always gotten me great reaction. Four jokers are shown face up and one by one they are turned face down. In the end, the cards are turned face up again but this time they are all aces. All four cards are cleanly shown front and back. This trick is almost instantly repeatable. There is one small move you need to do but nothing hard. Eventually the gimmick may wear out but you can easily replace it.

Buyers of NFW today get several different video tutorials, including some with brand new handlings. Altogether there are three sets of video tutorials you receive access to:

1. Jay Nobelzada tutorials: Firstly there's the original tutorial (3 minutes) which teaches the original handling of NFW, and which comes with a companion tutorial video teaching you how to do the Elmsley Count (3 minutes).

2. Nick Locapo tutorials: Then there's a 22 minute tutorial video by Nick Locapo, which teaches both the original version of NFW using the Elmsley Count, and an updated version which presents the trick quite differently.

3. Rick Lax tutorials: Finally there's two tutorial videos by Rick Lax, teaching his handling of the trick under the name "No Joke" which allows you to do the trick in the spectator's hands (much like the updated version from Nick Locapo). The main instructional video from Rick Lax (Bar Handling) is 13 minutes, while a second instructional video (Coffee Shop Handling) is 5 minutes and has a slightly different handling.

NFW was always good, but the new "No Joke" handling (following Nick Locapo's handling, and possibly ACE from Richard Sanders) eliminates the Twisting of the Aces style turning over of the Jokers. Instead it goes directly to them turning into Aces in the spectators hands, making it arguably more direct than the original version. The original method involved what some considered to be an awkward display of the Jokers at the start, and this alternative handling of the same gaffs solves that by going right into the transformation, plus it also brings the magic into the hands of your spectator. It also makes the trick easier to perform. Instead of feeling like Twisting the Aces with an added transformation kicker, it feels more like Dr Daley's Last Trick with its transposition replaced with a complete four-card transformation. The Rick Lax approach effectively strips the original effect down completely, and by eliminating the Twisting the Aces part of the routine, goes straight into doing the transformation after first showing the cards as Jokers.

NFW is a terrific card trick that will baffle audiences, and is well worth the effort required to learn and perform well. There's good reason that this packet trick has often been mentioned among the greats, because it is one of those jawdropping pieces of magic that never fails to amaze. If anything, the fact that it comes with video tutorials for an alternative and newer "No Joke" handling is all the more reason to get it, because now you have two different routines to choose from, each with its own distinctive feel.

If you're not familiar with this wonderful trick, don't overlook it, because it has aged well, and has just as much potential to create astonished cries of "NFW" today as it has been doing over the past 20 years!

This trick is great! Takes a LOT of practice to show the 4 jokers... but the "turning cards" version is VERY easy (as long as you are comfortable with the Elmsley Count)! Very smooth, great reactions from the crowd! Everyone is blown away! Highly recommend this trick! Only drawback is I wish it could be inspected after the trick.

My copy arrived damaged and customer service said that I should go out any buy something that would fix it. My assumption was that I had already paid for what I would need.

I took two stars off for the extremely poor customer service. No reflection on the effect, however.

1. Use removable type gimmick. The permanant type can leave residue after awhile making the cards hard to handle.
2. Practice elmsley with other cards. If you practice with the supplied set do so without the removable gimmick.
This is an amazing effect if you practice it to perfection.
You will put this into your routine 100% of the time.
It is that good and packs a huge punch at the end.

The name says it all, (and if you don't know...well, think about it for awhile). This is a nice trick. I've owned this one for years, and to this day I still find myself keeping it nearby, just for that extra punch. Be warned, this trick does take a bit of practice to perform well, but once learned, this one can really knock their socks off. I feel this trick is best as what I call a "kick them when their down" effect: when you've already dazzled, perplexed, or put the fear in the spectators...but you want to hit them with more. The effect is excellent, and they won't believe their eyes. Their are some limitations to this effect, which is why this trick is not included in my favorites arsenal, but it ranks highly in my book. If you want a card effect that looks out of this world, and don't mind the practice to make it so...this one's for you. I give this effect a B in my book.

Aside from the Mystery Box, this has to be my favorite card routine so far. As other reviewers have written, it does require some difficult handling in order to show all four jokers in the beginning, but it is worth the extra practice. The gimmick is diabolically simple and is guaranteed to blow people away every time. The finish is totally unexpected. This trick looks great even when you know how it's done! Definitely the best packet trick out there.