Quidnunc Plus – Disc 1

Jeepers Creepers on Heat – is a packet trick related to his commercially released Jeepers Creepers. It’s a very magical change of 5 cards from 5 of a kind to a royal flush with rainbow backs. Strong and clever and not too difficult to do!
Dudeney’s Baby Boy – a self-working prediction which appears to give the spectator lots of choices but always ends up with the right result. Similar to a principle explored by John Bannon from Dear Mr Fantasy onwards… And Paul explores it himself in his Gold Dust book.
Ace in the Hole – a great transposition effect where two aces from your hand join two aces under the spectator’s hand in an instant. This is ‘knacky’ rather than difficult – and I like it a lot!
Balducci Aces – another nice simple effect where a spectator cuts to a card which matches your prediction and then the other two turn up on the bottom of the two cut piles. The name will tip most of the method – and its a great easy to do impromptu effect.
Spectrum – another packet trick which has been released separately. I know it is odd to call the premise of a magic trick illogical – all magic is on some level! But this one is slightly odd to me. You start with 5 cards which are printed with the same face on front and back. They then turn into cards with normal backs. And then the backs all change to different colours. Ends clean – if you like it you’ll like it …
Travelling Light – a sneaky and punchy cards to pocket effect where four signed cards repeatedly leap into your pocket. This is really nicely routined, and although it does require some palming, it is well within the reach of most performers with a little practise.
Easy Collectors Two – based on an Ed Marlo idea – three selections are lost in the deck and instantly appear interspersed between the four aces which have been on the table throughout. Some really nice touches in this routine which has obviously evolved over many years of use.
Darned Pain in the Neck – A spelling card appears to keep going wrong with the same card turning up each time but all is righted at the end when the Aces appear on the top of four discarded piles. This is an amusing and unusual plot with a good kicker ending.
Worker Supreme – (sidenote – does anyone outside of the magic world use the word supreme?) A card transposition and a chosen card to wallet all rolled in to one. Ironically though you don’t need to palm the card into the wallet, you do need to palm a card! But you have plenty of misdirection at that point… A great little routine.
Perfect Prediction Premonition – a very old force given a new lease of life. A spectator thinks of a card at a number corresponding to a small packet they have freely cut off. You have predicted it. Paul’s version requires straddle pharaoh’s – but you could do it without them if you go for a different setup.
75% Confident – based on a Jack Parker routine. You remove two cards from a shuffled deck. You then remove some other cards from the top of the deck and they turn into the mates of the first card. Then in an instant they turn into a royal flush. Can’t quite work out what I think of this one – it feels like a slightly odd plot to me.

Quidnunc Plus – Disc 2

Rising Damp – this is a nice ‘from the deck’ packet trick. A Jack (or some other card) repeatedly rises to the top of a four card packet. Then all the cards change to the same value. Then they change to four of a kind. Lots of magic in a short time. This is really nice.
The Churchill Crown – this is a sort of sucker prediction effect where a card is predicted on a sticker under a coin. I’ve watched this a few times and I’m still finding the actual effect a little confusing –but that’s probably down to lack of sleep…
Bluff ACAAN – exactly what it says on the tin – a really cheeky ACAAN. The card is chosen rather than thought of – and then returned to the deck. Easy to do and surprisingly effective.
Dream Away – a nice take on the dream card effect – where a card that is in your pocket from the beginning (with a different coloured back) turns out to be the actual card chosen and signed by the spectator. No gaff cards needed but a little bit of setup. Great strong effect as long as you can do one move…
Ultimate Transposition – this is a great four card transposition where the cards appear to move one by one. A bit of work to get this one under the fingers but well worth the investment.
Ace Tumblers – the four aces locate the chosen and lost card – and turn themselves over in the process. A nice quicky.
Tally-Ho Simplified – A spelling routine utilising a Tally Ho! Deck to a quirky patter idea. I’m not a great fan of spelling tricks and don’t tend to use Tally Ho! Decks – so a bit of a non-starter for me this one.
Unusual Method Oil&Water – another trick title which is specific if not catchy! It’s a self-working packet trick version of the oil and water effect. I thought this was a one of the weaker effects on the set – quite procedural.
Witch Mountain Revisited – based on an Alex Elmsley routine (which is always a good start…) It’s like a slow motion four ace trick but with queens – i.e. the four queens travel one at a time from four piles into one chosen by the spectator.
Q&A – there’s a roughly half an hour long Q&A with Paul in which he teaches a few ideas and answers some really practical questions about starting out in magic, approaching tables, and interacting with spectators. This was a great little addition to the DVD and as well as being full of useful tips, gave a nice insight into Paul’s character.

What do we think?

There are so many effects on this set that you are bound to find several that suit you. I love the variety of plots and of skill levels – there really is something for everyone. His explanations are clear and contain just the right level of detail.

Paul’s capacity to create and perhaps more amazingly to remember this much magic is astonishing! He clearly has an excellent memory! This plays out, amongst other ways, in good crediting which I always appreciate.

His trademark ‘energy’ is evident – even when performing to magicians in a studio. A nice foil for Dave’s trademark gormless expressions!

Quidnunc Plus would make a great Christmas present for yourself or for the magician in your life. And I think I’ll be looking out for a copy of the Quidnunc book too. You can pick up the DVD from MagicShop.co.uk for only £10.39 (at the time of writing – but it looks to be in a sale so that price might go up soon!).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

Paul Gordon – Quidnunc Plus – review

4.3 / 5 Reviewer

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The post Paul Gordon – Quidnunc Plus – review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

For those of you that like the history (and I’m in that category) it is probably apparent that this is a distant cousin of Alex Elmsley’s classic Dazzle (which can be found in his sadly out of print Collected Works Vol 2 – or is taught on The Tahoe Sessions Vol 1 DVD). But as Liam Montier says Sizzle is like “Dazzle on steroids.” Bannon has done his usual job of clever routining and structuring to remove most of the moves, and leave you ending clean – putting it much more into the orbit of most magicians.

What do you get?

Sizzle comes with all the necessary Bicycle cards you need to perform the effect and a DVD to teach you. The DVD is nicely produced and easy to navigate. It has a few performances – although I would say none count as ‘truly’ live – which for me means with normal people in a non-studio location. This isn’t a major gripe, and the reaction of the muggle girls (!) on the final studio performance is suitably impressive – but it would be wouldn’t it?!

One thing I really like about the teaching on the DVD is that there is a ‘Magician’s explanation’ as well as a more detailed explanation. I really appreciated this since it cuts you to the chase if you already know the component moves. Within just a few minutes I understood the routine. Liam Montier does a great job of explaining everything clearly – and in the more detailed explanation takes you through all the moves on the way.

There is also a third explanation called the bullet point explanation (which BBM have introduced on a few of their recent DVDs) which is an even more compressed explanation – ideal for practicing with or refreshing your memory. Atmosphere is added by a spooky shadow on the left hand side of the screen! One thing I would have really liked to see here is a very quick explanation of the setup/stack at the start of this. There is a separate set up section but this also introduces all the cards and is ever so slightly more laboured than it would need to be if, for instance, I was coming back to refresh my memory on the trick after a while. But again, this is a minor quibble.

There is also a slightly different handling given which some may prefer.

Sizzle-ing extras?

The DVD includes a bonus effect called Banhilation. This is a self-working full deck prediction effect. It didn’t rock my world, but as you would expect with Bannon there are some nice little subtleties as he works with a principle you almost certainly know. Not to be sniffed at, but I’ve seen better bonuses!

The final elements of the DVD are separate explanations of the different counts used in the effect – this time taught by Bannnon rather than Montier. I think Liam’s explanations are easier to follow, but these have the advantage of being easily located on the DVD.

All in all this is a great little trick. An enormous amount of magic takes place with cards changing colour and value multiple times. It is not difficult to do and ends beautifully clean. I’m not sure I would use it when gigging since reset would take a moment or two longer than can sometimes be afforded in the real world, but a great one-off trick to have in your pocket.

Highly recommended and available from Merchant of Magic (with thanks to BBM who kindly provided our review copy) for £17.99.

The post John Bannon Sizzle – review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

Armchair Mindreading – Caleb Wiles

I recently picked up a copy of Caleb’s High Spots book so was pleased to see first item on disk was his. Spectator freely cuts to a card in the deck then shuffles their cards (and puts the rest of the deck out of sight in the card box). You then successfully read your spectator’s mind and reveal their card. Some set up required but a really sneaky method which you will love to perform.

Self Control – Simon Aronson

It’s quite rare for me to be completely fooled by a magic trick – but I didn’t have a clue what was going on here. Encouragingly neither, apparently, did James Went or Liam Montier when they explained it! There is a mathematical principle at work but it is not as ‘procedural’ as this kind of effect sometimes is. It looks very fair and is a real fooler.

Rising Card – Daryl

This is a really visual rising card effect which pretty much works itself. It looks great and is very easy to work. As Liam comments on the introduction, it is rare for a self-worker to be so visually impressive. You have to try this one out.

Memory Opener – Sal Piacente

A pseudo-memorised deck routine – nicely constructed with three phases. I feel like Ryan Schultz overplays this in performance but it is a great effect. There is a set up required, but it would (as its name implies) make a great opener because of that.

Casino Clock – David Solomon

Solomon’s twist on the classic ‘Clock Trick’ (you can find it in The Wisdom of Solomon) with a slight gambling theme. It brings it out of the ‘puzzle’ category and gives it a bit more justification. If you can deal cards you can do this one and there’s a nice (and very cheeky!) extra ‘prediction’ which makes the effect even stronger.

Quadruuple Matchup – Nick Trost

A brilliant example of Trost’s cunning – the spectator has a very free selection and yet manages to locate 3 cards which form a set with your prediction set down earlier. You can work it from a borrowed shuffled deck. Love it. (Well worth checking out his books if you like this).

The Stapled Card – John Scarne

This is a really clever routine where a chosen card swaps places with a joker and ends up stapled to another joker. There’s a lot of magic going on here – far more than seems possible for a self-worker. We liked it last week when we read it in Liam’s Shazam and it is still good!

Devestation – Geoff Williams

This really does look completely fair – the spectator seems to make all the decisions to choose and lose a card (with a borrowed and shuffled deck) and you can still locate it. Uses a principle you probably read about in your first magic book, but so well disguised this is a genuine killer! This goes straight in to my impromptu set.

Impossible Divination – Larry Jennings

A classic from Jennings 67 – this is almost entirely hands off, and yet you manage to locate a card selected by the spectator from a borrowed shuffled deck. It shares many of the strengths of Devestation, but feels slightly more procedural to me.

The Red and The Blue – Alex Elmsley

In this clever effect from Alex Elmsley a card chosen by you and the spectator swap places by magic – or rather the decks containing them do! And the set up is accomplished by performing the venerable ‘Do as I do’ effect. Not only does the ‘Do as I do’ set you up it creates a routine which builds together nicely.

Final Thoughts

It is hard to make absolute comparisons, but I felt the material on here was slightly stronger than the material in volume 2. There are some cracking effects which require nothing in the way of sleight of hand allowing you to concentrate on the presentation. As the quote from the legendary Dai Vernon (which appears on the cover) says: “In magic, today as always, the effect is what counts. The methods used are always purely secondary.” Well you get some GREAT effects which require very little technical effort. If you’ve got an ounce of performing skill you will be getting some brilliant reactions from this material.

Highly recommended and available from MagicShop.co.uk (with thanks to BBM who kindly supplied our review copy).

And as our summer competition we’re offering you the chance to win all 3 volumes of the Ultimate Self-Working Card Tricks series – so what are you waiting for?

The post Ultimate Self-Working Card Tricks Volume 3 – Review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

Giobbi Aces

Is a nice little opener for a 4 ace routine. In it the spectator cuts to the Ace of Spades, which repeatedly jumps to the top of further packets the spectator has cut, and then all the other aces are discovered on the top of the piles. This is a pleasing little routine which makes a change from just going straight in to a 4 ace effect. The main move required is clearly explained and illustrated (though a few other moves – like getting breaks etc. aren’t described). If I had a criticism it is that you use the same procedure 3 times on the trot (although to be fair he does suggest, though not explain a different move which could be used last time).

Cheese Melt

After a ‘twisting the aces’ type sequence two of the aces swap places with two selections which have been put aside later. This is a good example of something Liam does very well – combining bits of different routines to produce a pleasing overall effect. There’s a lot of magic in this one and it requires only moderate card handling skills (and could be done impromptu). Nice.

Sneak

This is an ace assembly type effect combined with the idea of an invisible palm routine. It is well constructed – building nicely to its climax – but is one of the more technically demanding routines in the booklet.

One Across

This is a sort of thought of cards across routine – where only a single chosen card travels. It disappears from a group of cards in the card box and reappears between two face up jokers in the main deck – appearing there before the thought of card has actually been named. There are some lovely subtleties in the way this has been put together. Although it requires a little memory work and some intermediate card-handling the strength of the effect is out of proportion to its difficulty.

Over Eat

This is a nice little twist on the classic ‘cannibal cards’ plot. 3 cards are ‘eaten’ by the four Kings, and then the Kings turn into 10s at the unexpected conclusion. This is not too movey and can be done more or less impromptu. From a non-magical point of view, this one would have benefited from some slightly more careful editing – since the instructions/patter suggestions overlap a little.

Mambo #5

This is a variation on an Aldo Columbini routine. The spectator chooses a card, then you offer to find it with the help of the four Jacks. These turn into Jokers one at a time, and then into the three aces – which match the spectator’s initial selection. There are a number of different counts and displayed used here, but all are clearly explained. It assumes you know how to force a card. But you do, don’t you?!

Pinch

This is a sandwich effect where both the ‘bread’ and the ‘filling’ are isolated in separate sections of the pack – but still come together to make that sandwich! I can’t quite make my mind up on this one. Liam suggests it might fit as part of a longer routine but I’m just not sure it does much for me. The separation of the elements of the sandwich ought to make this effect more impressive, but for my money I think something of the simplicity of many alternatives is lost in this handling.

Disburse

A kind of ‘reverse collectors’ effect – three chosen cards, sandwiched between 4 of a kind, vanish and return to the deck face up and spread throughout the pack. Requiring only basic sleight of hand and a bit of careful choreography this is a direct (if not earth-shattering) little effect.

Remix

I don’t know the original Bob King effect (Rematch) on which this is based, but the effect, briefly, is as follows. 2 sets of cards are removed from a (can be borrowed) deck – 4 red, 4 black and a joker with each packet. These are mixed up in a spelling procedure where the spectator makes the choices, and surprisingly a pair of jokers turns up. As an extra kicker the other pairs of cards now match (even though originally there were no other matching pairs at all).

Birthday Card

In this effect the spectator deals cards based on their birthday and then creates a playing card based on two cards dealt to. You have predicted the card, and have also discovered their birthday along the way (without them telling you) providing an additional kicker to the prediction.

Diamond Cutter

This is Liam’s take on an Alex Elmsley plot. All the cards of one suit are mixed according to the spectator’s instructions, then they choose one of them and a joker is waved over the packet. In a flash, the cards sort themselves into the right order and a card is seen to be reversed in the centre of the spread. This turns out to be the joker and the original selection is now in your hand! It’s a neat little effect which is probably harder to explain than to do. Worth a look.

Staple Diet

This is a really nice variation on John Scarne’s stapled card. There are some clever subtleties in the routine which you could incorporate into other ideas even if you don’t use the routine. In brief, a pair of jokers which have been stapled together locate a selected card which then swaps places with one of the jokers and ends up stabled to the other one – everything is clean at the end. This requires some preparation but the very strong effect more than makes up for that!

Final thoughts

There’s lots to like about this ebook. Credits are always clearly given and it is well illustrated throughout. Explanations are clear – and patter is even suggested – though to be honest it may well suit Liam’s style but not mine at all! It felt to me like a couple of the effects were ‘filler’ – but there’s still lots of good magic here. The only thing I would have liked to see is a fully hyperlinked index to the book so it is easier to navigate.

Available direct from TrickTastic.com (who kindly provided the review copy) – and currently on sale making it even better value at £8 (instead of £10).

You can get a taste of the contents in this video:

The post Shazam – Liam Montier – Review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

Contact Colours (Aldo Colombini)

This is apparently one of Iain Moran’s favourites. A pack is shuffled, then a chosen card is found in the fairest way, and is compounded by a 4 ace discovery and a separation of the pack into the colours. Needs a table, some set up and a bit of drawn out dealing, but a nice and impressive looking effect.

Impossible (Mike Austin)

A ridiculously fair looking card location where the spectator seems to do all the work. Quite likely to fool any magicians that haven’t watched this DVD too! A really neat, also genuinely impromptu effect.

Shuffling Lesson (Chad Long)

Unfortunately the explanation button for this one takes you to the explantaion for Shuffleboard! The boys at BBM have been informed and I believe they may re-issue it.[UPDATE 12/07 – BBM tell me these have now been replaced] But you can actually get to it by using ‘play all’ and skipping through the chapters. This is a really cool effect (previously published in the classic Art of Astonishment Vol 3). Under a story of explaining how to handle cards and loads of fair mixing, the spectator manages to locate the 4 aces. And they won’t have a clue how they have done it. A small set up is required (and a table needed) – but the payoff is massive! Love it.

Henry Sugar (Liam Montier)

This is one of the newer tricks on the collection! It has a nice hook/story and an impressive feat of ‘seeing without seeing’ – all looking very fair. Well constructed routine with a big finish – and essentially moveless. A bit of set up required, but again a very strong effect which is worth it.

Pre-prefiguration (Larry Jennings/Mark Elsdon)

Spectator finds 4 of a kind from a borrowed shuffled deck. I particularly love the cheeky (and highly efficient) way the set up is done before their eyes. It does need a table but I just love this. In fact by this point on the DVD I am struggling to decide which is my favourite routine!

Your Aces are Marked (Terry Lagerould)

This is a triumph-esque effect with a 4 ace finish. It is very visual and really convincing. The routine easily lends itself to a patter line and is easy to set-up. A table is needed but this is very strong and ridiculously easy to do.

Shufflebored (Simon Aronson)

Shufflebored is one of the most well known effects on the disk (originally published in a booklet of its own, then re-published in Bound To Please). An amazing effect where in spite of very fair shuffling and mixing you have predicted the final state of a deck of cards. Needs a bit of space to perform, but will leave them floored.

The 716 Club (Alex Elmsley)

This is a clever little prediction effect where the spectator does all the work. For me it is a little ‘procedural’, but it is the sort of trick that you will fool yourself with. Easily set up on the fly. In the right place and with a lively presentation this could be a winner.

Impossible (Larry Jennings)
As Iain Morain says – Larry Jennings is not a name you usually associate with self-workers – but this is a blinder! Like the previous effect, it is slightly procedural. However, for my money the impact is much greater than 716 Club. (You can see this in print in The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings)

4,5,6 (Al Thatcher)

This is a really fair looking card reveal. A spectator freely cuts to a card which is lost in the pack. Cards are dealt into some playing card hands and you can then locate their selection. It uses a borrowed, shuffled deck – with no set up. But there’s a lot of dealing going on, so you will need some good audience management to keep the interest going. You won’t really understand how it works even when you know how it works!

Unbelievable (Bascomb Jones Jr/Michael Shields)

An intution testing effect. A shuffled deck is separated into two sections by suit which are then dealt out and end up in pairs. Takes a lot of space, requires a lot of setup, there is a lot of dealing and a time-consuming separation of the pack.. This is really the only trick on the DVD that doesn’t tick any boxes for me. I may be guilty of not reating like a lay-person here, but this one isn’t for me. Liam and Owen keep telling me it’s a killer but…

Extras
Some false cuts and shuffles are taught so you can add conviction to any routines which require a setup. There is also an interview/tip sections which address some of the concerns folks might have about ‘self-working’ tricks. There is a good emphasis on the need to put in thought and practise on the presentation in order to sell them. Don’t ignore this section – there is some key information here – especially if you are new to performing magic. Lots of valuable tips from a variety of performers.

Anything else to say?…
I really like the titles on the disk, but the nit-picker in me spotted that there are some variations in the way names are spelled etc. [UPDATE – I double checked this and in fact there is only one name which is spelled differently between the menu and titles] It doesn’t really matter, but combined with the wrong link on the menu for Shuffling Lesson this just makes me feel like there wasn’t quite enough attention to detail. But these are really very small niggles, and the quality of the magic more than makes up for it. I also appreciate the way that most of the effects have a brief introduction about their inventor. There is also a tantalising credit at the end about returning (volume 2?) with a Bannon!

For me this is one of the stand-out releases of 2012. Loads of good magic that is within the reach of magicians of all standards. But please take the time to come up with a decent presentation so that you don’t squander the goods…

Available direct from the Merchant of Magic (£19.99) or all your favourite dealers…

The post Ultimate Self Working Card Tricks – review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

We’ve been sitting on this 2 disk DVD set for a while – but it was well worth waiting for. Though it hurts us to say this on bicycle-cards.co.uk, I should warn you at the outset, that Liam uses Aviator cards all the way through! And whilst we’re on full disclosure he has a slightly unsightly plaster on his left hand thumb nail which I found slightly distracting as I watched. But don’t let these things put you off!

The Elmsley Count is undoubtedly an important move in card magic. But Liam argues that as a group, we magicians have often done it without thinking carefully about it. So he has researched lots of the literature on the move, and tried to bring together lots of tips and his own experiences to explain the move exhaustively.

So after a short history of the move, he moves on to teach it. The count is taught in painstaking detail – with each tiny step explained and analysed. Every beat of the count has its own menu entry so it is easy to come back to the details. There is a helpful discussion of the movement of your hands, rhythm (which is usually the ONLY thing talked about), and the use of the count with larger and smaller packets.

The next section looks at a number of variations on the count. Each one is first demonstrated, and then explained carefully.

Ed Marlo’s Opec Count is a kind of ‘out of position’ Elmsely.

Jack Parker’s Outjogged Elmsley – I’d not seen this one before and it is a very fair looking variation.

Pinch Grip – this is the version I first learned in my first trick with the count – Walton’s classic Rainbow Cascade. On a slightly geeky magic note, Liam says this was originally a Jack Avis handling with jumbo cards – but I first saw it in Ed Victor’s EYE trick – which I think might have predated, and possibly been part of the inspiration for the Elmsley count. But either way, Liam clearly doesn’t like it!

Snap Count – this is an Elmsley with sound effects! Particularly useful when you are emphasising the number of cards.

Dai Vernon’s Twist Grip – to avoid some of the problems of repositioning cards between different count grips. [If you listen carefully on this explanation you can hear someone’s kids in the background!]

Underground Elmsley – leaves packet in original position. (good for practising)

Vertical Elmsley – a variation for use when seated at a table – I’ve also used it with jumbo cards when standing up.

The next section includes some Other Counts

Jordan – this classic goes with the Elmsley like horse and carriage.

Spirit – this is more related to the Jordan count and shows 2 as 4.

Discrepancy City Display (Bannon) is used in one of my favourite impromptu tricks (which is explained later on the disk).

Siva Count (Jack Avis) sort of a combination of the Elmsley and Jordan counts.

Bullet Party Display (Bannon) – this displays 1 odd card and 3 duplicates whilst actually concealing 2 faces.

In all this is a really useful set of counts and variations. Time for a quick bit of nostalgia by way of approving of this disc. One of my earliest and most treasured books was the classic counts, cuts, moves & subtleties. It was about 20 years ago I first laid my hands on that and it was a fantastic way to learn some of the most useful moves in card magic. If I was starting all over again, this section of the DVD would be a really serious alternative – especially for those that don’t like books so much.

Disk 2

After a brief tutorial on making multiple lifts in a small packet (using a Bro John Hammon technique) we get into some really strong tricks which utilise the count.

Four Card Trick – Alex Elmsley’s classic. If I am honest, I didn’t really enjoy Liam’s presentation of this. But it remains a great trick with a kicker ending and ends clean. You can also enjoy the sound of sheep bleating in the background of this and many of the following effects!

Twisting the Aces – Dai Vernon’s classic. A wonderful economical effect. Hard to know what to say, except everyone should know this routine.

The Odd Man Out – Liam Montier – I’d not seen this before. But it is a nice engaging presentation with lots of magic. And it ends clean. Great stuff.

One Too Many – George McBride – close up version of classic 6 card repeat. This is a whole pack trick not a packet one and can therefore be performed anywhere. It’s a great routine – and in Liam’s version has no need for palming. A real worker.

Que Sera Sera – John Bannon – this is one of my favourite impromptu effects. A really cheeky (in method!) prediction effect which is strong in performance and easy to do. I can’t remember where or when I learnt this – but the presentation on this disk works better than the one I had remembered from before!

Jacks in the Box – David Solomon – here’s a clever sandwich and transposition effect which all takes place in the card box! Some clever routining enables a lot of magic to take place with very little work on your part.

Whisperstition – Liam Montier – this is another clever bit of routining, which shows you the power of the Elmsley count in the context of a whole deck routine. You get 2 revelations of selected cards plus a clever transposition in this conjoining of a number of different effects.

Jazz Aces – Peter Kane – another classic routine – the aces transpose with 4 indifferent cards in the cleanest possible way. A variant handling is also included.

In Conclusion

I have always loved packet tricks. This set has got me to revisit the wonderful world. Although I often think of the Elmsley count as something to use with a special set of gaff cards, some of these really strong and impromptu effects show how versatile this count is.

The explanations are very clear, and a pdf is supplied with all the credits for the routines (though it does reference one trick ‘The Montinator’ which does seem to have made it to the final cut of the DVD!).

Whilst this would be a brilliant set for someone just starting out in card magic and wanting to learn the move, I think even experienced magicians would pick up some useful tips, or learn a couple of strong routines from this. So it comes highly recommended.

Available from MagicShop.co.uk for £22.99 (at the time of writing). Many thanks to BBM who suppplied the review copy.

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