I’m not putting my name on this because I love Dan and he’s a phenomenal performer who knows way
more about magic than most people on the inside. That said, I was a bit disappointed with this. I
expected an elaborate gimmick with sticky stuff or flaps or even a double face card. What I
discovered made me slap myself in the face. I’ve worked with gimmicks like this before but it fooled
me BADLY!! I suppose I’m more disappointed in myself that I was so fooled by something I knew so
well. Why am I giving this three stars? It’s good. But as another reviewer put it, the card can not
be signed. That is a major selling point of Ambitious Card. Also, there is a chance the gimmick will
be found. A bit risky. All in all the routine is solid and Dan of course is a great teacher. Just
would be nice to have the card signed.
Learn magic history before doing reviews. The Ambitious Card routines of Dai Vernon, Harry Lorayne, Bill Malone, don’t have the Ambitious Card signed. When you understand why, you can avoid childish, uneducated, anonymous reviews.
just because those guys didnt use the ambitous card signed does it mean that i or anyone have to do that?
Magic evolves, Vernon has gone, dont talk about magic history, history is made everyday, nowadays ACR use the signed card.
That being said he can review what he wants, how he wants and he just pointed out 1 NEGATIVE.
Do me and the magic communitty a favor and go read Vernon Books and keep thisstupid answers to yourself ,IF HE WANTS THE CARD SIGNED IT IS HIS PROBLEM, NOT YOURES, NOT VERNON, NOT EVEN MALONE´S.
BTW cant annonymous ppl give reviews?
I feel a little odd adding to this thread since I am not actually reviewing the product that is for sale. However, I have been doing the ACR for decades, so I have a few insights I think might be worth sharing. I have tried multiple different versions of the ACR in different contexts. I have tried the Vernon, Lorayne, and Malone routines. I've also tried other's routines.
In my experience, it is possible to do an effective ACR without having the card signed in some contexts. If the audience is very attentive and focused on the performance, and you are not rushed for time, you can spread a deck of cards face-up to have one chosen while showing the audience that there is only one whatever-card-is-chosen in the deck. Doing an ACR in this context can be very powerful. Anyone who suspects a duplicate will typically eliminate that solution themselves. You can help them do that be reminding everyone that the card was freely chosen, that we know there is only one whatever-card-is-chosen in the deck, etc.
On the other hand, in most situations where I (pre-pandemic) was hired to perform close-up magic, having a card signed definitely seemed like the way to go. In a strolling situation, it can be more challenging to get the audience to focus as strongly on the magic. It is much easier for people who have been drinking or might be easily distracted to realize you aren't using a duplicate if you have the card signed. It is also easier for them to instantly realize the card has come to the top because of the signature. Without the signature, they have to remember that the chosen card is the whatever-card-is-chosen, and then they have to realize it is there. That slight delay while their brain processes what happened can dilute the feeling of magic (at least, in my experience, that seems to be what can happen).
For those who might be interested, in strolling situations, after trying dozens of different ACR routines, I've always gone back to a personalization of Ammar's ACR on the ETMCM DVDs. Ammar's routine seems just about perfect for strolling work. It's not too long, the magic is strong, and you can do it FASDIU. I have changed the routine slightly. In the phase that uses the Wesley James Add-on Move, I (pre-pandemic) would load the signed card to my mouth so that I would hold the card by the corner with my lips. In the future, I might stick it to my forehead. And, in the final phase, I don't use the pop-up move. I essentially do a two-card transposition so that the signed card appears in the spectator's hand.
I just reread my post, and I realize one of the sentences may not have been clear. When I wrote, "Without the signature, they have to remember that the chosen card is the whatever-card-is-chosen, and then they have to realize it is there," I probably should have written it this way instead: "Without the signature, they have to remember that the just revealed top card is the whatever-card-is-chosen, and then they have to realize it is now on top (where it shouldn't be)."
I also forgot mention one of the best reasons why the Ammar ACR routine is good for strolling -- it can be done all in-the-hands. No table required.
Add a comment
Gone! No sticky stuff!
Report this review
