Ask almost any magician how they started out in magic and they will have received a magic set for Christmas. Some, like me, just persisted with it. So if you’re trying to encourage a newcomer to magic you could do a lot worse than the Marvin’s Magc iMagic set. This really tries to bring the humble magic set into the 21st century – and includes some tricks you can perform with your smartphone. £35.99

(For a more ‘traditional’ set – which is endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Magicians – the Ultimate Magic Legends set also looks very good.)

I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for ring and rope routines – it is very visual and elegant magic. Muse Rope has recently been released and looks like an excellent addition to this genre. It looks fantastic and promises to be easy to do. We haven’t had a chance to have a play yet, but it could make a great gift for the magician in your life. Or yourself! £32.50

If, like me, you like nothing better than curling up with a good magic book (in fact, there are things I like better – but it is definitely something I enjoy greatly!) – then this final work by Eugene Burger is definitely worth a look. Eugene’s passing has been much lamented in the magic community – he was an outstanding magician, thinker and teacher. And so I would expect Teaching Magic to become a ‘modern classic.’ £30.99

In a lighter, but potentially no less useful, vein, AbracaDAMMIT tells the stories of mistakes made by some of the big names. A chance to learn from their mistakes instead of your own! A fun read for £16.99

We have a pile of great new releases to review over the coming weeks – but our rate might slow down a bit over Christmas! Pile in if you have things you would like us to review, or features you’d like us to add…

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The effect – a spectator makes 5 free choices to choose some ESP cards. Not only have you predicted the order of the symbols they have chosen, but each card has a random number on it and you have predicted (in an amusing way) the total.

What do you get?

You get a link to a 27 min streaming video. Some nicely printed ESP cards in a cardboard box which declares itself an ESP Ability Test and a printed ‘prediction card.’

Our rambling thoughts…

As a long-time magician and mathematical/analytical thinker this is one of those effects which is difficult to review since it is very hard to imagine its impact for a layperson. The principle was immediately obvious to me when I watched the performance for the first time.

However, my suspicion is (and I haven’t yet had a chance to try it out on a normal person!) that this would fly past most non-magicians. Bannon has taken an old principle and given it something of a new lease of life by changing the way in which it is applied.

The wonderful thing is that the clever principle makes this entirely self-working. You simply have to follow the procedure to make it work.

It would seem best to do it as a one-off – since the best way to help to disguise the working is to mess up the ‘discard piles’ after they have made their selections. I also think (but may be overthinking – due to magician’s guilt!) – that the effect would be massively strengthened if you were able to do a convincing false-shuffle at the beginning of the effect.

ESP By the numbers is easy to do with a strong and clear effect and nicely printed cards. I have a couple of tiny questions about the box the cards come in. I love the way it is printed to add ‘authenticity’ to the effect, but the downside is that it is not like a standard card box. Now you may think this makes it even more convincing – but it also makes it a bit larger than is strictly necessary. It might be possible to turn this very tiny quibble into a plus – if you had a whole close up mentalism routine with very minimal props which all fitted into the box!

Although reset is simple it will take a few minutes – so as mentioned above this might be better off as a one off trick.

And there’s more

But explaining all this takes less than 15 minutes. So as if this were not enough, the rest of the download covers an additional effect called Matrix Reloaded.

This is another application of the principle in ESP By the Numbers. I was momentarily distracted at the start of this effect as I watched it and so I was actually fooled by this the first time since I thought the spectator had shuffled the whole deck at the start! This is a good sign! There’s a good chance that as the spectator tries to reconstruct this in their head the effect will get even more impossible.

The presentation given involves the performer predicting the mate of a card arrived at in an apparently incredibly fair and random manner.

The procedure is just a little on the long side – but if you keep it moving that should be ok. And the effect itself is utterly baffling. Once you’ve got your head around how these two effects work you will find that you can come up with variations on the theme – indeed Bannon mentions possible presentation idea during the course of the explanation.

All in all I think this is a great value release which packs a powerful punch. Another Bannon triumph!

ESP By the Numbers is available from MagicShop.co.uk for £22.99 (at the time of writing).

(With thanks to BBM who supplied the review copy.)

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If you are a fan of top quality card magic then you should be VERY excited that The Complete Walton Volume 3 is now available! Roy Walton is an absolute legend in card magic and volumes one and two of this series are essential reading for any card magician. There are 96 effects in this new volume (55p each!) some previously unpublished – so even without reading it this would get my highest recommendation. £52.99

And if one book isn’t enough, then check out Less is More which I venture to suggest is likely to be another modern classic full of Ben Earl’s wisdom and strong effects. £38.99

Magic videos don’t often make me stop and stare, but if Expansion is even half as good as its video demo then it is a phenomenal effect! In effect you stretch a small whole into a long slot and then return it in an instant – and the signed card can then be handed out as a momento. Eye-popping visual magic. £27.99 (also available in blue)

Although I haven’t seen this, when Juan Tamariz recommends something I sit up and take note. Triple C is a method of controlling a card or several cards which will enable you to perform a whole host of powerful magic. £27.99 (also available in red – strangely for 51 pence more!)

Lots more new playing cards out – and sorry not to get round to the round up last month – I was too busy celebrating my birthday! But the Neoclassic Playing Cards have caught my eye this month. Follow the link for more pictures, but a classy blend of old and new with a pleasing back design and some very striking court cards. £9.99

And finally, let’s not forget those humble accessories which sometimes make our magic easier and always make it more of a pleasure. The humble close up matt doesn’t get much attention, but this new range from JM Authentics look rather fine and come highly recommended. Check them out!

I’m pleased to say that I have now acquired to of the books I mentioned in last month’s trick of the month – so more detailed reviews will be following soon. For now, have a great month!

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Many of our crew enjoy the self-working kind of magic, and for them Fortuity by David Jonathan may be worth a look. The plot is loosely based on the classic Duel Match type effect – but the method and detail have been changed – leaving an easy to do prediction effect. £34.99

But we never forget that we started out as a sight entirely focused on playing cards for magic. So here’s a heads-up on some rather good looking cards. The Whispering Imps are a striking set of cards which would work particularly well in any gambling-themed routine. They feature a minimalist back design, and dual-orientation indices. As well as the Red and Black versions (£10.50) which have been available for a while, the Green Limited Edition deck is now available individually (it was previously only available in a wooden collectors box set) for £37.50.

I have a significant birthday this month, so am going to indulge by mentioning a whole shelf-full of wonderful magic books.

Nick Trost’s Subtle Card Creations series have been ram-packed with wonderful magic, often requiring little sleight of hand. So volume 6 is a must read. £38.99. Anything with Robert Neale’s name on it is also worth reading – he has an incredibly creative take on story-telling magic and his books always stimulate ideas. Why not pick up Magic Matters ready for some ideal holiday reading? Like Neale, but often more provocative, is Jamy Ian Swiss. I loved Shattering Illusions so have no hesitation recommending Preserving Mystery without even having laid my hands upon it. [UPDATE – we have now read and done a full review of Preserving Mystery – it is Superb!]  [And if anyone wants to buy me something for my 40th then this beautiful collectors edition of his complete works would be a nice idea :-)]

And last, but not least, here’s a welcome re-release. Marc Oberon’s Bang On has always been, to my mind, one of the best solutions to the thought of card in envelope plot. I have seen many variations over the years and have performed several, but there is something about the direct simplicity of Marc’s version which makes it very strong. It’s been re-released on Bicycle stock, and I gather there may be a few other refinements – though I haven’t picked up a copy yet. £96.50

That’s all for now. Have a great month, and check back in for a stack of new reviews – including the latest Bannon DVD – coming soon…

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Enter our giveaway here.

And keep your eyes peeled for lots more magic news, reviews, giveaways and joy!

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Let’s kick straight off with Trick Soup. A confession – I’ve not clapped eyes on this twin DVD set. However, everything that Gary Jones and Chris Congreave put out is worth looking at. They are two top class working pros and have released some superb magic over the years. So I have no hesitation recommending this sight unseen, and look forward to getting hold of my copy! £34.50

Next up is a lovely twist (did you see what I did there?!) on the old Paul Harris Reality Twister (without the lens) and the latest in a long line of effects using the humble sharpie marker. In Spiralled the barrel of a Sharpie Pen becomes tightly twisted leaving a wonderful visual effect. £14.72

I’m a die hard Chop Cup fan, and I love the thinking behind Alan Hudson’s Chop Glass. This is a way of performing the classic chop cup routine but with a glass you pick up from the table you’re working at. This both makes it seem utterly fair and saves pocket space. A genius idea for anyone who does lots of wedding or walkaround gigs. £48.50 (For another, really unusual, new take on the chop cup idea check out the Transformer Chop Cup by Sean Yang – though I’m less convinced by the look of this one!)

Nicholas Einhorn is a wonderfully understated gentleman of magic who also puts out some cracking effects. Just when you thought there could be no more variations on the bill switch a fantastic new alternative comes along. A receipt from a store is folded into 8ths and immediately turns into a banknote. Insta-Change is a great effect and well thought out idea. £34.50 (We’ve linked to the UK currency version. It is also available in Dollars and Euros.)

There have been a spate of new decks out too – so many that I’ll try and do a feature later in the month – but here’s just one of the releases to keep you going which is close to my magical heart. The Hocus Pocus playing cards have been commissioned to celebrate a wonderful US-based bricks and mortar shop – of the kind for which I have a great fondness. A bit of slightly nostalgic yet classy design, in a deep regal purple which is one of my favourite colours. What’s not to like? £12.99

As if all this were not enough, watch out for our (somewhat delayed) giveaway – which will be live soon! Have a great month.

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First up is a lovely effect by the marvellous Matthew Wright. He has a knack of coming up with workable magic – often with a mental magic theme. Visions combines a prediction of a card and a thought of image. His instructional material is always worth learning from – he has a wealth of real-world performing experience to back it up. Available any day (depending on when you read this!) for £29.50.

We’ve enjoyed a number of releases by the clever American magician Ryan Schlutz and so Lifto is certainly worth a look (we hope to do a proper review shortly). In brief – a chosen card lost is in the pack. Then a bunch of cards stick to your hand – and then fall off leaving only the chosen card there. Only £21.50

Another new release which seems to have had quite an impact is Angelo Carbone’s The Gift – an exceptionally clean looking prediction effect using a lovely gift box as a prop. It’s getting some wow reviews (and again, we hope to do our own soon) but if you can’t wait, is available for £71.99.

We’re planning to do another feature on the latest bunch of Bicycle cards released in the UK, but just to wet your appetite, why not have a look at Deck One – Industrial Edition by Theory 11. This is a re-release of an earlier deck, but in a new and stronger tuck case which emphasises the orginal vision. A nice deck and reasonably priced at £9.99.

We hope these ideas get you going through the murky month of March. Watch out, too, for our February competition, which with breathtaking originality we’ve decided to run in March!

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First up is a new take on the classic marked deck – the DMC Elites Rouge Marked Deck. And for our money it is a super version. Produced by UK magician Drummond Money-Coutts they are both a great-looking deck and ingeniously marked which will have no end of applications in magic. The tuck case looks super elegant, so unless you’re bothered about advertising another magician (!) I think these would be a great purchase. £19.99

I love it when someone takes a classic of magic and gives it a contemporary twist. Silk to egg is just such an effect – perhaps its popularity comes from the fragility of an egg – well this new version by Sean Yang has really caught my imagination. The effect is silk to Ferrero Rocher – the iconic luxury chocolate treat. The benefits are that you could hand out the chocolate to eat afterwards (not such a good idea with an egg!) and other effects are possible too. I haven’t seen them ‘in the flesh’ yet – but they look very realistic on the images. £24.50

If you often perform in walkaround situations like I do, then a recurring question is the best way to store your props. Joshua Jay has put out a new version of his Pro-Carrier Deluxe – which enables you to carry a couple of decks of cards (it looks great here with a couple of Dapper Decks in it!) and some coins and other small items. It will clip to your belt, or stand on the table and is made of high quality leather. Well worth a look. £34.50

Finally, here’s a deck in honour of Valentine’s Day! The LPV Deck is the deck that says ‘I do’! It has an ordinary Bicycle Rider Back, but various features bring out the theme of love, especially the lovely tuck case. £7.50

Let us know what new magic has caught your eye, or if there is anything in particular you would like us to review in coming months.

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First up is Ox Bender. We haven’t yet been able to get our hands (well, I suppose technically hand!) on this – but Ox Bender sounds to deal with one of those central issues with a coin bending routine – that historically have pretty much all needed two hands to do the ‘magic’.

As we’ve written elsewhere there is little more powerful in close up magic than making a spectator’s coin bend in their hand – and it also leaves you with an amazing souvenir of the magic. Well worth a look when it ships in a few days. £97.72

We haven’t focused on many new decks for a while, so allow us to indulge our love of a new deck of cards with several recent releases.

The Makers Playing Cards by Dan and Dave are exactly the kind of deck I love. They ooze luxury and I love the custom court cards and bold pips, gorgeous detail on the back design and impressive tuck case. £14.99

I think the Lost Wax Playing Cards are appealing at the moment mainly because I’m so cold! As I write the fan heater is trying desperately to keep my body temperature above zero but the Lost Wax cards bring associations of Africa and warmth in their beautiful orange and gold colour scheme. Ideal for collectors and art enthusiasts alike. £14.99

The Magic Notebook Deck is ideal for magic nuts like me and collectors alike (since each colour is a limited run of only 1200). It is a very minimalist solid colour back design and the tuck case contains a quote from Dai Vernon – in whose honour the cards have been produced. The bold-coloured solid Ace of Spades brings interest. £7.99

We love mentalism here at bicycle-cards.co.uk so we’re always on the look out for new utility devices which can be incorporated into our performances.The Jar is just such a device – but doesn’t just have applications in mentalism – it would make a fantastic card to impossible location effect – and just looks so innocent. Lots of possibilities here I think. £48.99 (PS this link is for the US version – though I suspect that is only related to a ‘special’ coin included – which could easily be replaced with a UK coin if you wanted it for that particular application – we’ll update the link as and when a UK version is here).

And finally, here’s a book which will make you think. We love good magic books – and over Christmas increased our own personal collection by three weighty tomes. In Grips Lines and Looks Marc Oberon has written a book which will help you think about the way you perform your magic and how you can make it more powerful. Who wouldn’t want to do that. It also includes a DVD. £40.99

We hope this gets you off to a good start to 2017. Do keep checking in to read all the latest magic reviews. Happy New Year!

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We’ll be taking a little time off posting until the new year, but we’ll be back then with more great close up and card magic reviews, news and competitions.  In the meantime we hope you have a wonderful and magical Christmas…

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