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Paul Brook – Cool Beans – review

Phil Sweeting — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 00:01:37 +0000

Cool Beans is another example of Paul Brook’s clever thinking on ‘invisible prop’ mentalism. The ‘secrets’ are hidden in plain sight in a small pack of 5 coffee shop loyalty cards. But these enable you to perform some strong mind-reading.

What’s in the box?

You receive a really nicely printed set of coffee shop loyalty cards. A lot of attention to detail has gone into these – they are different shapes and sizes and colours – and have even been hand-stamped to add authenticity. No one is going to question these.

You also get access to a 21 minute instructional video which you can watch online or download, and a pdf download which contains detailed written instructions in Paul’s usual clear and easy to read style. The video-based teaching covers very much the same ground but for those who prefer to watch!

The routines

The basic routine is a mind-reading one where you can reveal which card the spectator has chosen. But there are multiple ways for the performer to discern this information – which gives you some scope for creativity.
There are some helpful tips on performing this routine – which would also have relevance for other routines you may perform.

Hidden in the cards are some other features which can be used to force numbers which might be used in other effects – for example a book test. There are also colour variations in the cards which could be used as the basis for a cold reading.

I’m sure other ideas will present themselves with use.

Like Paul, I’m a big fan of magic which can be done with innocent looking ‘props’ which you would quite naturally carry around. The nature of this effect means you can jazz your presentation a bit to fit your context. It takes up very little space in your pocket and could get a decent reaction for not much effort. Recommended.

Cool Beans is available from the Merchant of Magic for £27.50 (at the time of writing).

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

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