First of all, let me say that I find this to be an awesome and creative product. What a fantastic
way to refresh a classic system of magic.
Having said that, I reserve 5 stars for the very
best products out there, and this comes just shy of that. Having now performed it a few times live,
let me elaborate the good and not so.
The good:
-the front designs are beautiful and
almost flawless in my opinion.
-The box is well designed and looks super legit.
-The marking
system is close to invisible, BUT I will say I prefer how Evoke or Nyx are marked. These are a
little more obvious, and I would have liked the "indifferent" cards to have unique markings as well.
-The classic Koran routine is even better with pictures than cards!
-The main routine taught
is excellent EXCEPT for the finale (IMO of course)
The bad:
-I wish these specialty
decks were printed in plastic. These are not practical for walkaround just because of how fast
they'll get wrecked, especially with all the dealing procedure that's done in the main routine.
-Again, the markings come up a tad short vs. Evoke and others.
-The main routine's finale
where the homonym cards are used is, in my opinion, pretty weak and problematic. First, spectators
ALWAYS question the "you" and "choose" cards, and since they come at the end, it kills a lot of
momentum. There really should have been better cards chosen, like "ewe" (ie a sheep) and "pick" (ie
an ice pick or something). The audience is smart and WILL think its odd even if they dont say
anything. Second, having obvious "magic" cards in the deck tips off the fact that its a trick deck
(not to mention the box reveal). Thus, all the other routines suddenly fall under fire. The ACAAN
(which is great) and the first phase all suddenly look suspect. So while most of the main routine is
strong, I recommend ditching the last phase completely. Those last few cards should have been used
for a different, subtler, effect.
Overall: I do think its a good product deserving of the
marketing hype. It has flaws that can be addressed in how you routine it. I still think SNAPS is the
better picture deck but this is a close second or third.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
I'll be updating this later, after I've performed it into the ground as I've barely had it a day and
can't resist performing different effects for any customer that will let me.
The deck this
is inspired by in many different forms is something I've gotten a lot of mileage out of over the
past 5 or so years. My feelings are mixed, as now one of my best buried secrets is front and center,
but I am also incredibly happy that others will see how deadly this principle can be. Don't sleep on
this effect, as the tools given can be a reputation-maker in the hands of a beginner, a magician, or
a seasoned hobbyist.
Obviously, Craig Petty is one of the foremost minds in revitalizing
killer concepts and squeezing out their maximum potential; this is no different. On top of that, the
involvement of Lloyd Barnes, David Jonathan, and Phil Smith gives you damn near a Mount Rushmore of
modern effect producers. I wish I could afford a brick, as I will 100% be using this effect for the
rest of my life.
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
This is definitely a great deck, I love of, has a lot of potential
So simple, clever, my brain is on fire with ideas.BTW I am only a hobbiest so im sure my review
doesn't carry much weight. That being said, this relieves all my fears and lets me work on
presentation and performance. Gets me comfortable in front of ppl. Something I struggle with when
doing "tricks". Thanks Craig, Thanks Lloyd Thanks Penguin. This is perfect for someone like me who
needs flight time in front of ppl.
Another ingenious effect by Craig Petty and Lloyd Barnes! I love the fact that all the effects
contained in this deck use innocent looking picture cards rather than a regular deck of cards. As an
additional feature, both men teach other card manipulations like false counts, false shuffles, etc
through their extensive tutorials. Considering all this, the deck is a bargain for the price. I'm
satisfied.
To hear these two very capable magicians talk about the art work that went into the back of the
cards, you'd think they were praising Leonardo DaVinci for the Mona Lisa. I have pretty decent
eyes, sometimes enhanced with strong cheaters for extra difficult , barely detectable print, and
throw in a magnifying glass for extra measure, and I STILL could not read those numeric symbols.
I have bought quite a number of Craig Petty's effects, but this one is absolutely impossisble.
I use memdecks frequently, and about the only saving grace with this one is that I won't have any
trouble memorizing the faces and the numbers. I have shown this deck to a number of laypeople, told
them exactly where to look and they squint and stare. I think the graphics are just plain awful.
I’ve gotten both “Evoke” and “Mind Blox” this year. This adds yet another option what I consider my
“arsenal” of non-ESP options. I love having options to demonstrate something intimate and personal
that seems so impromptu. Like his other projects this isn’t necessarily meant to be used alongside
other tricks.
The excellent video instruction is another mammoth collection of information that
you can pour over at your leisure. You get a (killer) base presentation and then the options become
limitless. I would have preferred more Lloyd Barnes, but that’s a small thing.
Again, one of the main reasons I decided to purchase this trick, was the lengthy explanation video
on exactly what was incorporated with the Infinity deck and how it can be used. Like Snaps, and
MindBlox, this deck isn’t a single trick, but a utility that can be used in several routines. There
are a few negatives for me, but the pros far outweigh the cons and that’s why I gave it five stars.
No one ever says anything about the packaging, but for me, the box that some of these tricks arrive
in, as spectacular as they are, seem to be a bit overkill. The packaging is no longer needed once
the deck is removed (other than the address and password required to see the stored online
instructional.) I know the packaging costs money, so my point is, while it may look good on a shelf,
or video trailer, I would rather lose the packaging and be able to purchase the item at a reduced
rate instead. That’s me, though, others may disagree.
As for the trick itself, there are
so many different routines that you can use this deck for, even if it is out of Koran Stack order,
which by the way works brilliantly with pictures. Some routines are time-consuming, but the best is
when you incorporate an ordinary deck, such as a CANN routine which then segues into effects with a
standard deck.
If you are performing for a small group, you could easily do a half-hour,
if you’re table hopping, then some of the routines, as good as they are, might be too long.
Some routines, such as spelling out the phrase on the box, are a bit of a stretch for me, so I
don’t think I would use it, but the way they organized the pictures, you will quickly think of
several routines that suit your style of performing within days of opening the tuck box.
Kudos to Craig Petty, Lloyd Barnes, and bonus routines by David Jonathan
Today, when you order "Infinity Deck by Craig Petty and Lloyd Barnes", you'll instantly be emailed a Penguin Magic gift certificate. You can spend it on anything you like at Penguin, just like cash. Just complete your order as normal, and within seconds you'll get an email with your gift certificate.
$5 FLAT-RATE SHIPPING TO UNITED STATES. FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $100.
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