I'll confess that I'm somewhat obsessed with the Three-card Monte and love to study different
variants of it. Paul's routine has been around for some time, and you can see some top magicians
raving about it in the ad copy. (I don't know how Paul Gordon keeps coming out with so many
commercial workers!)
What's great about this new release is that these cards are so much
more visible (approx. 2.75" x 4.75") than standard playing cards. And the linen finish is so silky
smooth. Also, the "vintage style" cards are very unique conversation pieces. So it's something
refreshingly different than merely displaying a few cards from a Bicycle deck.
The price
point of $29.95 is a good price point, but Penguin tops other dealers by offering this gem of a
routine at only $23.06, which is a steal!
You can see by watching Paul's presentation how
commercial this routine is (the kicker really is fantastic). If you have not seen it already, you
should also check out Craig Petty's YouTube video where he performs this at a wedding reception. The
spectators are really gobsmacked!
I will note this: If you are a beginner to card magic,
Paul does not teach a certain move by Mr. Elmsley that is necessary for this effect. But this move
is taught in many other resources (by Elmsley, Daryl, Robert Giobbi, Jerry Mentzer, Aldo Colombini,
etc.) that you will be able to learn it from many other sources.
In sum: Even though I
enjoy performing other versions of this classic "short con," I'm glad to also have The Corner of
Piccadilly in my arsenal.