Magic Tricks

Like everything Phill Smith does, this is a beautiful product with a unique approach. You receive a made-up game presented as a nostalgic thrift store find complete with a carrying box, some small cards, a game piece, and a 20-sided die. Nothing is gimmicked. Phill is a professional graphic designer, and it shows.

The cards are laid out, and your spectator rolls the die to genuinely select a number. (They can actually just name a number out loud, but the die is a better approach for several reasons including the board game plot.) Based on the number, an initial card is arrived at. Each card then directs what happens next, until the final reveal that predicted everything in advance.

Having performed this several times now, it's been somewhat more charming than amazing. Think "head scratcher" more than "pants wetter." I'm going to play around a little with the patter to see if I can punch up the reveal. And despite being presented as a board game that "works every time," it can't really be repeated for the same audience. (To be clear, though, it does work every time. It's just that repeating it would likely tip a key part of the method.)

I think this is a great trick to use as a change of pace in a close-up performance or an informal gathering, especially to transition from magic to mentalism. It's also perfect to leave on your coffee table at home when guests come over.
It's participatory (spectators roll the die, move the game piece, and turn over the cards) and suspenseful, easy to do, completely examinable, and you could even carry the cards in your wallet if you wanted to do without the box.

The method is based on Phill's published work, but even if you're familiar with it this is an application with high quality props. So you're also essentially getting a method that can be applied in many seemingly unrelated effects without using the board game props or plot. If you want more explanation of the method or lots of other effects, the book (mentioned in the tutorial video but not named here to avoid exposing the method) is well worth it.

Given the combination of originality, production quality, charm, utility, portability, and ease of performance, this gem is well worth the price.