Ok, so this trick has a lot of potential. I mean, it really is an "impossible" trick... to suddenly have in your hand a signed card that was in a box wrapped up by rubberbands and placed into your pocket. And the great thing is: this trick is as easy as heck for any beginner with a little practice.

When I watched the demo though, I wondered if the spectators were really understanding what they were seeing. I feel like the actual banter and presentation didn't do this trick justice and get the applause it deserves. Joel does the trick first without the bands around the box, and then with... So let's think about this... a magician places a signed card in a card box and CLOSES the box and puts it in his pocket. In seconds, he pulls the card out! Do you realize how awesome that it? But the problem is, they don't seem to be amazed until they realize that it's their signed card. Wait. So let's back up... you see the problem? They totally missed the awesome fact that he was able to pull ANY card out of that freakin' box, let alone the right one! And then he does it with the box all rubberbanded up!

I think the problem is that the spectator's focus wasn't amply placed on the impossibility of the actual trick. I thought this the whole time I watched video until he finally said a suggestion from Dee Christopher that I came up with independently within the first couple minutes of the explanation: Don't use just rubber bands... use masking tape. Use plastic wrap. Use whatever overkill you want to emphasize the impossibility of getting ANYTHING out of that card box.

I was glad he gave these suggestions later. It's important to put the focus, not on the fact that it was the right card... but that to get ANY card out is impossible. The fact that it's the correct card is an awesome kicker; the cherry on top.

Joel does a fine job teaching. Near the end, he gives some ideas of how to make this better for the stage, including Dee's suggestions.

I like this trick. I do. I highly recommend it. There are no gimmicks, setup is very quick, and it's a trick any magician can do. I do dock .25 off for presentation though. The banter about timing the card retrieval, i feel, seems like the wrong direction. That focuses the spectator, again, away from the impossibility. Instead, it makes that impossibility a possibility, an assumption, and turns this into more of a time challenge, with the actual OOOH coming from the fact that it's the signed card instead of the fact that he just pulled it from an impossible location.

That's just my opinion. I'd defiinitely get this trick. It's simple (head slappingly simple) but effective... with the right presentation. 3.75 stars out of 5 (I only award 5 stars to mindnumbing grey matter exploding tricks... 4 stars is a really top-notch rating for me. I took that quarter star off for the actual presentation.)

(By the way, I always try to be honest and straightforward in my reviews, while being respectful to the magician. If you appreciate my reviews, can you please click the "Yes" button below beside the question, "Did this review help you?" It's not like I actually benefit in any way by your clicking it... but it would be nice to see if my reviews are helpful or not. I hope they are. If you ever have suggestions or comments or questions about my reviews, please feel free to leave me a constructive comment. I'm just trying to be helpful. I love the Penguin community and hope that I can someday contribute my own product. :-) Thanks for reading and for any (hopefully positive, but either way, at least kind) feedback!)

I am not really big on reviews especially since most of the tricks I have bought from penguin have been extremely good. This trick fits in that category and I really like it. I was already performing the first part of the trick long before this trick came out. The reason I gave it a 4 stars is because it is not worth 10$. 10$ is cheap but this trick should have def been around 5 bucks. The reason for that is because once you see the full performance you most likely won't have to watch the remaining of the video because as a magician you will figure the trick out instantly. This is definitely not a magician fooler and will not really work on anybody that is suspicious. I definitely think that people made a bigger del out of this trick than it actually is. If I were to ask you to come up with a concept to do this trick, this is exactly how you would put it together as well. It is really nothing to impressive. I will definitely try it out on people but there is a moment where the spectator cannot see their card and if they ask you to see it then, the whole trick is ruined. It is 4 stars for me because it is pretty good but it is really not all that.

I'll admit it, I was fooled by the trailer. But I am fooled by a lot of card tricks. What I like about this is, while it is a pick a card and I'll find it, ain't I great? type of trick, there is no way you should be able to do it. Then the repeat is even better.

Handling is easy, I picked up a deck and followed along with the explanation and was ready to start practicing.And it is impromptu d can be done with a borrowed, incomplete deck if you want.

One caveat, if you wear tight slacks you may have a little problem, but if you can easily put a deck in and take it out you should be fine.

Buy this, it will become a goto effect.

This is a trick I love to perform! Why? I get to sit back and enjoy the pure magical effect the same as the spectators because the handling is so simple and pure.

There are NO unnatural moves! You are literally doing everything exactly as you would if you were truly doing real magic.

You have a card freely selected from a shuffled deck and signed.

You cleanly place it in the middle of the deck.

You cleanly and place the deck in its box.

The closed and bound box goes in your pocket.

Out comes the signed card!

As a kicker, you pull the bound box back out of your pocket.

It all happens just as described.

It's a two phase routine that builds to the climax, too.

No brainer. Get this. DO IT!

"Bound" is a strong trick that gives a tremendous effect for relatively little skill. The method is so delightfully simple that you'll be tempted not to give it the necessary practice and rehearsal. Don't fall into that trap. With a bit of work, you'll have a real reputation-maker.

You'll want to locate the necessary rubber bands (they are available in silicone as well for those of us with a latex allergy), and I do like the idea of using bright yellow, which reads well in low light and on stage. Practice the moves until they are second nature. Then work on the timing, as there is a small amount of audience management required.

While the challenge presentation on the video strikes me as more of a stunt than magic; if that's your cup of tea, then enjoy. However, the effect lends itself to numerous presentations, and I encourage you to come up with your own.

This sort of thing goes way back to the early 1950s, when Hen Fetch (one of Baltimore's "Unholy Trinity") did a great deal of work with rubber-banded decks.

All you need is a deck of cards, a sharpie and some rubber bands, that’s it, that’s all. Nothing to make or buy, isn’t that nice for a change? I really like this one as you can do it close-up, parlor or stage, very flexible. There are only two minor moves to do which you can perfect very quickly whether you are a pro or a novice. If you already work with cards, you already know them or have at some point used them in your routines. Joel teaches a few great subtitles that add to the illusion of this effect and teaches some bonus techniques and presentations for the stage. The camera work, closeups and explanations are great. I already do a pickpocketing card trick and will now add this to my act immediately. This is a winner!

He don't show the full performance on the video it's not as clean as it seems, it's a two phase routine, first time without the rubber bands and second time with rubber bands. Not bad but not as good as it seems

Where do you guys find this stuff ??? This is amazing !!! With about an hour of practice you can have not just a trick, but a routine that is superb for strolling or stage. It requires a couple simple moves and the rest basically works for itself. Joel's teaching is excellent, you can't go wrong. It's a steal at the price, one of the best Instant Downloads I've seen in a very long time.

This is one of those effects that when you see how it’s done, you think that it’s too easy to figure out, but the method flies right past the spectator. This little gem is definitely worth learning. But as he says in the video, don’t do this effect in the same set as ambitious card or the spectator will “figure out the secret” and not be as impresssed.

I have beendoing Oz Pearlman's Clutch on and off for years. This is a bold new development and highly recommended.