Magic Tricks

First of all, if you know your magic, this effect is probably exactly what you think it is. To put it another way, this isn't a magician fooler.

That said, so what? I think there's too much emphasis placed on being able to fool a magician these days. (Thanks, P&T!) For the most part, we all perform for laymen, and this is a great effect for them; it appears something magical happens in their own hands.

The gimmicks are very well made, standard bicycle look and feel. You'll have to provide your own non-gimmicked cards (additional (standard) aces and jokers). You likely have dozens of decks sitting around, so this shouldn't be a problem. And yet... as the video started, I had to go foraging for a red-backed colored joker, and sheesh, I just couldn't find one for the longest time.

The video is just over 32 minutes. Nick is a great teacher. He starts with three handlings, (1) the basic effect, (2) an "advanced" one, and then (3) a very simple handling. These three presentations are taught as a packet trick, For those interested, Nick then goes on to show a handling using a full deck. Then, one step further, he teaches how to employ signed cards in the routine, which seems very strong. (I haven't performed it that way yet.) The signed card "ruins" one of your gimmicks, but as Nick explains, you can use that gimmick again and again. (Instead, you are "ruining" a standard joker, and so you probably know where this is going.)

What's great about all this is that the trick is a bit more flexible than it might appear at first. (The gimmicked cards are so great I can imagine other routines I can do with them, like a variation of McDonald's Aces. Could that signed joker be part of an ambitious card routine that concludes with this GOAT effect? You might find yourself thinking like this.)

I think this effect offers something especially for the beginner or intermediate magician who wants to build their skill set. Sleights? It's hard to call these sleights, really; misdirection is a better word. The more advanced handling does ask a particular move that is taught very well here. And If you don't already know what a break is, it's time to get on board with it! As I say, Nick is a great, patient teacher.

Caveats? This shouldn't be a negative at all, but be aware this takes some practice. Squaring the cards without flashing is something that will take a bit of work if you are new to cards.

Also: The spectator ends clean, but you most certainly do not. My wife is used to being my guinea pig audience, so she's more sophisticated than most. When I performed this for her, almost the first thing she said is "Let me see YOUR cards." You'll have to watch out for this. (Nick teaches a subtlety of pointing with your cards, which is great, but just be aware you may get a spectator wanting to examine everything, and — no can do!)

My only other caveat is that this seems pricy at $20. My all-time favorite, best packet effect is Max Maven's B'wave, which you used to be able to pick up for less than $15. I see that the cost for B'wave nowadays is $20, so maybe this is a standard price nowadays. Still, it feels like you could get more for your money. At the least, how about including the standard (non-gimmicked) cards needed to round out the effect? Perhaps this is just carping; YMMV.

If you like the effect, and feel like you need to move on to another level, Nick will take good care of you. This just might be right for you.