Magic Tricks

Buyers of NFW today get several different video tutorials, including some with brand new handlings. Altogether there are three sets of video tutorials you receive access to:

1. Jay Nobelzada tutorials: Firstly there's the original tutorial (3 minutes) which teaches the original handling of NFW, and which comes with a companion tutorial video teaching you how to do the Elmsley Count (3 minutes).

2. Nick Locapo tutorials: Then there's a 22 minute tutorial video by Nick Locapo, which teaches both the original version of NFW using the Elmsley Count, and an updated version which presents the trick quite differently.

3. Rick Lax tutorials: Finally there's two tutorial videos by Rick Lax, teaching his handling of the trick under the name "No Joke" which allows you to do the trick in the spectator's hands (much like the updated version from Nick Locapo). The main instructional video from Rick Lax (Bar Handling) is 13 minutes, while a second instructional video (Coffee Shop Handling) is 5 minutes and has a slightly different handling.

NFW was always good, but the new "No Joke" handling (following Nick Locapo's handling, and possibly ACE from Richard Sanders) eliminates the Twisting of the Aces style turning over of the Jokers. Instead it goes directly to them turning into Aces in the spectators hands, making it arguably more direct than the original version. The original method involved what some considered to be an awkward display of the Jokers at the start, and this alternative handling of the same gaffs solves that by going right into the transformation, plus it also brings the magic into the hands of your spectator. It also makes the trick easier to perform. Instead of feeling like Twisting the Aces with an added transformation kicker, it feels more like Dr Daley's Last Trick with its transposition replaced with a complete four-card transformation. The Rick Lax approach effectively strips the original effect down completely, and by eliminating the Twisting the Aces part of the routine, goes straight into doing the transformation after first showing the cards as Jokers.

NFW is a terrific card trick that will baffle audiences, and is well worth the effort required to learn and perform well. There's good reason that this packet trick has often been mentioned among the greats, because it is one of those jawdropping pieces of magic that never fails to amaze. If anything, the fact that it comes with video tutorials for an alternative and newer "No Joke" handling is all the more reason to get it, because now you have two different routines to choose from, each with its own distinctive feel.

If you're not familiar with this wonderful trick, don't overlook it, because it has aged well, and has just as much potential to create astonished cries of "NFW" today as it has been doing over the past 20 years!