I've been working professionally and semi-professionally for 40 years. I've seen a lot. I actually
worked in Hollywood for years at the Magic Corner retail shop. This particular effect is a stunner.
I like it a lot because it is easy to do, easy to follow for the spectator, makes the Magi look
fantastic and - maybe a favorite here - it takes up TIME in a set with lots of bangs. We live in a
world of fast tricks. Half my effects are over in 20 seconds. It is GREAT to have an effect that
is solid and LONG to add time to a set. Sure you can do it fast too - but dragging this one out and
milking it is also GRAT. Amar never disappoints with his teaching style. Really easy to follow.
This is a WORKER and a keeper! Buy it friends!
9 of 10 magicians found this helpful.
Gosh. I hate giving two stars to Michael Ammar. But. Let’s Face it and say that : that is a
beginners trick... not for beginners. Yes, it’s simple. Easy ? Yes, if you can manage an audience.
this trick would have been better with a false shuffle. You can always do it but you have to
learn it elsewhere than in this video.
Is this a closer ? Absolutely not. Why ? Do you often
close with a deck that hasn’t been shuffled ? (And yes you can switch the deck. But if I have to
carry another deck on me and switch it I just do it for much better than that. Sorry.)
PS : I
still have a man crush on you Michael Ammar.
9 of 13 magicians found this helpful.
Easy to do, great effect. As usual good teaching from Michael, I like these series as it's not a 30
min video for something that can be said in 10 minutes.
5 of 6 magicians found this helpful.
This is a masterpiece to watch. Michael as usual is a great teacher (legend). This effect just
keeps getting better. After a seeming random cut to 4 aces, the suspense builds with a free
spectator shuffle before producing 4 jacks. Now the mathematician and even those who hate math but
can count to 11 are going to love what comes next as you produce the aces and the suits in separate
piles. This is a winner.
4 of 4 magicians found this helpful.
I love the Super Closer trick. As others have said, it is easy to do - with one exception. Michael
makes the double fan look easy. It is not. I do not have the dexterity to make that work. The trick
would be better if he gave us another alternative that we could use for that portion of the
presentation so that the production of the jacks would be effective (maybe not as pretty as the
double fan, but at least effective). Because of that issue, I cannot give it a 5.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
No excuse for Ammar's teaching because he is a wonderful teacher. The double fan reveal is not easy
and I have a decent proficiency with cards. Ammar should have provided another reveal. I don't get
this omission, especially given the quality guy that Ammar is. This is an aggressive oversight. To
characterize the split fan reveal as easy is simply a lie.
As a postscript I eventually
can do a variation of the reveal but it's by no means smooth because of the absence of detailed
instructions of the mechanics.
4 of 6 magicians found this helpful.
Great trick with a good response but only gave it 4 stars because Ammar's teaching is sub-par.
Besides, I feel Josh Jay's Big Deal is far superior.
For instance, when you remove the
cards from the box, employ a few false cuts, either in your hands or onto the table. There are some
very simple false cuts which, to the lay person, are very deceiving and add to the effect that
you're using a mixed-up deck, not something pre-arranged.
Ammar doesn't go into any of the
subtleties of the double-handed fan when depositing the 4 Jacks onto the table. It's not an easy
move, the camera angle doesn't show anything teachable and he glosses over the entire sleight, as if
to say that everyone should know how to do it. All-around poor teaching from a professional of his
caliber, in my opinion.
This is my critique of his tutorial. He omits a lot of words which
would help greatly in matching up to the visuals presented. I don't think Penguin will allow me to
go into further detail without giving away the method here.
A helpful hint here is to not
split the deck showing the faces to the audience because they'll see the four Jacks in plain view. I
believe very strongly that it reduces the surprise in the spectator's mind that says, "Hey, where
did those four Jacks come from?"
Also, I highly recommend using a new deck in order to
accomplish the double fan he shows, along with Paul Harris's "Open Production", which he says is
very simple, but it's not simple at all. A used deck will make the cards stick together too much and
increases the difficulty, if not making it impossible altogether in accomplishing the fan itself,
not to mention the end result of the fan in relation to the four Jacks' sudden appearance. The
camera angle, being on top, completely hides the action of the fingers underneath the fan. Terrible
filming.
After the Jacks are produced, he quickly reassembles the remaining cards and sets
them down without explaining which pile goes on top of which. You need to rewind too many times to
see what he's doing because he doesn't take the little time necessary to explain this crucial
placement. Again, I can't go into further detail.
He shows the order of the stack but
doesn't inform the viewer that the cards are arranged in CHaSeD order, a common order in magic
tricks. Tsk tsk, Michael.
Also, when he explains the Free Cut Principle, he doesn't go
into enough detail concerning the placement of the "cut" cards. He never uses the correct
terminology which should be, "You PLACE the cut cards onto the adjacent pile. He runs through it too
quickly and doesn't elaborate on those cuts. Bad teaching...in my opinion.
When he counts
the 11 cards, he simply counts. There's no imagination employed here. I use the Blackjack theme
since you're matching Aces to Jacks. C'mon Michael, it's not too hard to come up with that idea. It
adds so much more to the trick.
I have to say, though, to his credit, he does give an
over-the-shoulder performer's view, which most magicians still haven't been able to grasp the
enormous potential of this view. It eliminates soooo much difficulty in learning any trick.
I know this is a long review and I hope I didn't give away any of the trick's secrets, but the
main reason I spoke so long is because Ammar is a world-renowned professional for whom I have a
great deal of admiration and respect. But sadly, he fell far short of delivering on this one. Still,
a very good trick and I highly recommend it. But, like I said, Josh Jay's Big Deal is a lot better
and gets much better reactions. Having said all that, add to cart now.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
Once again, one of my personal hero’s in Magic, Michael Ammar, presents an incredible effect that
TOTALLY FOOLED ME! Michael’s effortless presentation absolutely sold me. I’ve been a fan (and
student of his videos) for many years, but he ALWAYS gets me.
Super Closer delivers one
kicker after another after ANOTHER!
Only “con” (still 5 stars) is that even though it’s
called “Super Closer”, it should either be done first, or you’ll need to switch out the deck to use
it as a closer. That said, this effect is strong enough to just perform, drop the mic and walk away.
It’s seriously that good.
Thank you Michael and Penguin for another outstanding effect and
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
Just when you think the card tricks in this series couldn't get any better, along comes J.C.'s Super
Closer !!! You cannot go wrong with the superior teaching of Michael Ammar and the impact of this
trick. Yesterday I brought out "Close-Up Illusion" and "Counter Intuitive" to the public and I was
thrilled with the reactions. I expect the same or better results with J.C.'s Super Closer. This type
of quality teaching and tricks is phenomenal.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
I'd forgotten how good this routine really is! After being introduced to JC Wagner via Paul Harris'
books and then loving JC's own book there are so many gems of his that I sometimes forget really
awesome routines like this one. Thanks, Michael Ammar for bringing this legendary routine back for
more magicians to enjoy and more audiences to experience the amazement it produces!
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.