I don't understand where he other reviewers got their opinions, ad I'm not disagreeing with them entirely, but let's be thorough,.. And I bought this and watched it all, unlike 2 other reviewers.

The Transpo on there is one of my favorites and is a pretty nice one,.. IF you're working with cards on a table. I will definitely give it a go the next time I actually have some table space to work with.

His "Triumph" routine, I would give a 2 star rating. Not that it's bad, it's just another Triumph routine to add to the couple hundred I know already. This one is nothing special and the kicker ending didn't seem to have any motivation. His thinking is solid and seems to work well for him, but it's not something I'd ever use.

The "Torched & Restored" Routine is great, and when you have the situation to perform "Bullseye" with a dart board, then it's killer. I'm a bit disappointed that they were included in the "7 Routines" considering I have owned the Torched & Restored" download for quite some time which I already spent money on, as well as the "Bullseye" DVD so in my opinion this material was filler and could have been replaced with something newer, or even left out completely. 5 routines and a couple sleights for the $20 would have been just fine. $39.95 though???? For some of the same old material released on individual productions?? Um,.. NO!!!

There is a "Thought of Card" routine on there that again is solid, but to put it in perspective, it's in reality a combo of some completely time tested and honored routines that have no reason to be put together, they are perfect the way they are in their original form, and let me add the fact that Vernon's original approach to Out of Sight, Out of Mind, is so powerful when done correctly that there's no need to make so-called "improvements", NOR does it require any fishing. I understand altering for personal touches and routining, to have your own structure that fits you,.. However, there's just no need to fix things that aren't broken. Don't get me wrong here please! I'm not knocking it, it's a great routine, it's just not for me.

His ACAAN, is a 3 star effect. It requires a switch in, and switch out, unless you're using it as a stand alone piece. Again, there are so many great approaches to this plot, that this one is not something I'd ever use, and I can't lie to you all by claiming that it's at all practical, it's not. Unless you're on stage or parlor, AS BRENT STATES (I commend him for his honesty. And although I think I could figure out a way to lose the table and do it standing in the hands, it's just not a good enough variation of ACAAN to put that effort into it.

Ball through table, again, severely situational and totally impractical. If you can find yourself in that situation, and you happen to have a pair of balls necessary (no pun intended) then yay, take your one opportunity you may ever have to try it out.

There are a couple decent sleights and tips taught that some people may find useful. I did not, because I'm no beginner.

Overall, this download was not terrible, It was quite good for the most part, just terribly impractical. And nothing new, some of it was literally repeated from other published effects previously released here on Penguin. Shame is that I was excited due to the previous work put out by Brent, and that part was a let down.

Quote from the description:

Perfected over 10 YEARS of working in the loudest, most chaotic venues.

"If you work at all in demanding circumstances, you're gonna appreciate what a godsend this is." -Jack Carpenter

Brent Braun is the real deal. He works in the TOUGHEST venues. Loud, chaotic bars. He needs visual, POWERFUL tricks that blow the roof off.

These are the some of the only environments I perform in personally, and I just don't see the connection. Most of the material here requires a table, and much of it requires verbal interaction that is just not that simple, and sometimes even impossible in "loud, chaotic" places. Maybe if you're a bartender working behind the bar like Doc Eason or something, but when you're in chaotic places, Most of these effects would not fly! Some wouldn't even be able to be communicated properly to set your atmosphere. With the exception of "Bullseye" and "Torched & Restored". Which again, I already owned for a while now and didn't need to purchase again!

Sorry if any of this seems harsh, and I really do enjoy much of the material, but I can't help being honest!
I purchase a lot from Penguin, but I'm beginning to lose trust. It seems sometimes you guys will endorse anything just to put it out for sale, and I'm getting a bit weary f it lately. Sorry Penguin, you're still my favorite dealer and I love you guys, but some of your one-off productions are lacking luster for me lately.

~SkypeX "The Stealth"

I already own the Torched and Restored download which is the best and most practical T and R effect for workers that I've come across. I made this purchase in search of strong/practical impromptu card effects, and initially had my eyes on the transposition effect.

The transposition is clever but is not for me, as it pretty much requires a close-up pad or similar surface for it to work reliably. However the triumph effect is a perfect, practical, and snappy piece of magic for a tabled setting using a normal deck of cards. I don't typically think Triumph is an engaging effect for a laymen, but in my opinion Brent's version and Back in Time by Jay Sankey are the only non-color changing Triumphs someone who performs for real people should put their time into. Little effort, maximum return, and easily attainable within an hour for any intermediate card magician.

Other notable effects for me were the Ball Through Glass and Dartboard effects. Again, very clever and easy to do, they are just for very specific moments.

Brent's additional moves and tips were a great addition. His tips on the top change were great. I missed the cool box special of $20 and paid $30. I'm happy with my investment for the triumph effect and inspiration alone. Brent is a great thinker and a great teacher. If you are in search of a T n' R effect and also are interested in card magic you will have no problem paying the full price of $40 for is product.

4.5 stars.

This is a must have for card magicians, close up or restaurant perfomers. Like the title of my review says, one of the best compliments from an audience member is that he has great magic and is not cheesy. I've seen many cheesy magicians in my day as well as many arrogant ones. I've met doctors who are saving lives on a daily basis with more humility than some magicians I've seen but I'll save that rant and tirade for another forum. Brent is neither and his stuff is dynamite. Some awesome, not so hard to learn sleights as well as some kick butt commercial effects. I've only looked at 4 of his effects on the download but torched and restored and thought of card not only floor laymen but seasoned magi as well. I've bought hundreds of effects on Penguin and this ranks as one of the top 5 for sure. Very usable and killer stuff. Kudos Brent Braun!!!!!!

If you're unfamiliar with Brent Braun, then please take my word... He's a master of magic. He understands what works, how it works, and WHY it works. But more so than his masterery of the craft, he's easily the BEST teacher I've ever seen. You may know some of these effects, maybe not, but if you want to really wrap your brain around magic, I mean really expand your understanding of it, and stretch your thinking... Get this or any other Brent Braun effect. I can't recommend him enough!

This download is packed with clever ideas and strong presentations. The instruction is clear and detailed, and the material includes a variety of gimmicked, impromptu, and other material. The thinking and motivation behind the routines is also explained thoroughly. Finally, lots of "elements" of these different routines can be extracted and applied in different situations, or even as stand alone effects. Really good value.

These are some great tricks. I have had this for a week and i already have used the "burnt, and restored" trick several times. the other tricks are great and the way he shows you how to do them is very simple and well explained, which is great because i'm a visual learner.

Torched and Restored itself gets your money back. I promise. IF he sold the Torched and restored card for $19.99 I will still buy it without any regret.

I procrastinated in buying (Position Impossible) by Brent. When I decided to buy it was SOLD out. I bought this DVD and found 5 killer effects, including POSITION IMPOSSIBLE. I am very fortunate I found this DVD.

I picked this up at a live event this weekend.

I follow dozens of youtube channels of magicians and have picked up a lot of card handling and tricks from those. There is a great market of free stuff. Every card trick on this DVD was something several levels above the things I have picked up for free or from talking to other amateurs.

The explanations go into depth about both the tricks themselves and the background / psychology / presentation and even alternate presentations in a way that is incredibly relatable. At no point does it feel like Brent is talking down to the viewer, it feels very much like he is talking to the viewer. Highly recommend.

Just fabulous. Brent may be the best teacher out there. What a great video. Great effects, careful choreography, painstaking attention to detail. I'm an intermediate card guy, and this stuff is all easily in my reach, but still lets me up my game with a few new moves.