Nick Trost Archives - Bicycle Cards

Mr Pearl – Brix – review

Phil Sweeting — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 22:06:07 +0000

Brix is a brilliant re-working of a Nick Trost idea (Quadraplex) with a superbly topical Lego theme. As a lifelong Lego fan as well as a magic nut you can imagine I couldn’t wait to review Brix!

The Effect

A spectator shuffles a small pack of cards which are printed with different Lego minifigure body parts. The cards are then dealt on the table and according to the spectator’s choices ‘folded’ up into a packet of face up and face down cards. Nevertheless, your prediction about the number of cards face up and down is correct. You have also predicted the very (unusual!) combination of body parts which have shown up. And in a final kicker, the minifigure ‘pops’ off the card (which is now blank) and materialises in the spectators’ hands.

This is a really fun, quirky effect which would play for adults or children. Lego is always current, and the routine is both interactive and amusing.

Mr Pearl teaches two methods. The first will require you to think a little harder, but seems impossibly fair. The second is a simpler ‘procedure’ from your point of view, but gives the spectator somewhat less freedom (and requires a setup). But neither require what you would call sleights – so this is a very easy effect to perform.

To produce the minifigure will require a very easy bit of sleight of hand. But you have an enormous amount of cover since from the spectator’s perspective the trick is already over.

Explanations are clear – though if you are an English speaker like me you will need to follow the subtitles. There is also a live performance which is always a bonus.

Pros and Cons

As you will have gathered I like this effect a lot. The cards look like the sort of thing my children often play with and the Minifigure is perfect. If I had to be picky, the cards feel a little on the flimsy side, but you could laminate them if you were worried. Or just buy another set when they wear our since Brix is very reasonably priced. The whole thing takes up little room in your pocket and promises to be a great addition to your set.

We think Brix is a real worker. And I have no hesitation in saying it is the best trick I’ve looked at this year!

Brix is available from MagicShop.co.uk for £32.99 (at the time of writing).

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

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John Carey – Impossible Location Card Tricks – Review

Phil Sweeting — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 19:24:31 +0000

When I picked up Impossible Location Card Tricks – I was expecting something totally different! I was envisaging ‘location’ as a noun – and expected a DVD full of effects in which chosen cards appeared in impossible locations. In fact, ‘location’ was functioning as a verb – so the DVD is crammed full of chosen cards which are located by the magician in impossible ways.

If I thought that then someone else probably will, right? Or am I just very odd? Don’t answer that.

The tricks

Anyway, let me tell you about the tricks. Although John’s name is on the project and he does the teaching, a good number of the tricks have been contributed by others. Here’s the skinny…

Entrapped – John Carey
Spectator chooses a card from a shuffled deck which is lost in a packet of 5. Two queens are added to the packet. The queens ‘whisper’ the name of their card and then trap the chosen card in a sandwich. Easy to do and with some presentation skills could be an entertaining little routine.

The 7 Card 21 Card Trick – Mike Powers
The venerable 21 card trick meets a truth telling dealing effect. And the spectator’s card is located. The questions/dealing procedure takes this away from the trick that everyone’s grandad taught them – and it does seem impossible. But it is a little procedural for me – which will also affect the kind of audience you might want to perform it for.

Bake Off – Jack Tighe
A card is chosen and lost in the deck. You can reveal the card – and then (in spite of the pack being shuffled and cut) locate the card by touch in your pocket. One of the few effects on the deck which requires some set-up/preparation. But a strong effect nonetheless.

Impossible – Larry Jennings
A Jennings classic – in spite of losing a card with a high degree of fairness – the spectator locates their own card by spelling the word ‘impossible’. There’s a reason it’s a classic. Pretty easy to do and very fooling.

Bloody Amazing – Steve Bryant
A rework of Steve Bryant’s trick with toned down language for the UK market! Again it is spelling the title of the trick which helps locate the spectator’s chosen card. Some might still be uncomfortable with the toned down language – but with only a little thought you could change that too…

Lost and Found – Nick Trost
Nick Trost’s name is usually a guarantee of quality and often of ease of performance. A card is selected by the spectator and returned in the middle of the deck which is then fairly shuffled and cut. And yet you can still locate their card. A bit of set up needed – but a strong effect with very little effort on your part.

Counting on You – John Carey
Spectator thinks of a number and deals that number of cards down from a shuffled deck and remembers the card at that number. The cards are cut and mixed, then the performer cuts a selection of cards from the deck. The spectator then reveals the number they’re thinking of – and you’ve cut that many cards – and amazingly you’ve located their actual card. Again, easy to do and simply constructed, yet quite baffling to a layman.

Princess in my Pocket – John Carey
A card is thought of and shuffled away into a small packet. The cards are then put in your packet and you are still able to locate their chosen card. A very straightforward effect – easy to do.

Waikiki Location – Bill Morata
A deck is shuffled and divided into three sections. The spectator chooses one and selects a card and the cards are reassembled face up and down. After a cut and a mix, you are able to reveal their chosen card. I found this one distinctly underwhelming – the method seeming entirely obvious to me. But then I’ve been doing card magic for over 30 years. I suspect a layperson would be more baffled.

Emotional Reaction Plus – Dai Vernon
This is a nice twist on the Dai Vernon classic, using such a simple technique, and yet providing a strong piece of magic. A deck is shuffled, and the spectator takes them and chooses a card and cuts it into the midst of the packet. You can then locate the card in whatever way you please. A lovely cheeky set up and a strong effect. Definitely worth keeping this in your impromptu repertoire.

Anything else?

The DVD also includes a short ‘interview’ with John Carey. He speaks to camera answering questions which appear on the screen. I love how straightforward and down the line he is. An answer which may be of particular interest for the readers of this site – how much is too much for a pack of cards?!

BBM always put out decent DVDs that are well produced with good content. Quite a few effects on this DVD rely on specific procedures and as such will require careful instruction and handling of spectators. I don’t think there are man ‘magician foolers’ on Impossible Location Card Tricks – but it contains many effects which would be helpful for the beginner or newcomer.

If you’ll forgive a slightly ‘old man rant’ – there does seem to be a bit of a trend to put out DVDs of tricks which can be found in books all over the place. The host then becomes like a guide to the treasures of the magic library world to those who can’t be bothered to invest the time digging. I’m really grateful for the way they do this – and they often ‘mine’ some wonderful magic. But I feel that something is lost if you don’t go digging yourself.

So in conclusion, Impossible Location Card Tricks is not my favourite BBM release ever, but nonetheless, is full of routines which are strong and accessible.

You can pick up Impossible Location Card Tricks from the Merchant of Magic for £22.92 (at the time of writing) or just a fraction less as an instant download.

Review copy kindly supplied by BigBlindMedia.

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Daryl – Master Course in Cups and Balls – Review

Phil Sweeting — Mon, 14 May 2018 23:01:48 +0000

The Master Course in Cups and Balls is a 2 DVD (or download) training course featuring the much lamented Daryl. Our review is going to cover both volumes to give you a flavour of the set. The DVDs are dubbed in English, Spanish and Chinese which probably covers a good number of viewers!

First impressions… not the best

I must admit that when I first started watching I felt like the course was a bit confused about its level. Daryl was at pains to point out this was a master course and that you should first watch a ‘basic’ course (presumably this companion disc).

However, in spite of that, the first 20 minutes or so is spent showing you different types of props you could use and even classifying them. It felt slightly pointless and slightly pretentious – but the saving grace is that Daryl is such a good communicator that it isn’t too wearing. And the somewhat portentous cymbal roll for each main title screen made me chuckle!

The definitions section was more obviously useful – since it is helpful to be able accurately to describe moves etc. And the discussion on misdirection was also helpful.

Moves and more

Daryl then takes you through all the basic moves you can imagine: how to load cups, how to palm balls, fake transfers and shuttle passes etc. etc. But it is not just the basic moves – many more advanced techniques are taught and useful moves like the Charlie Miller move. And all the classic bits of business – like cup through cup (and some nice finesses on that) or deeper on the inside than outside, or wand through cup.

The teaching is excellent and clear – with multiple camera angles being used where that is helpful. And at this point I want to suggest that it is actually an excellent starting point in and of itself – there is no need to watch a primer first.

In addition to teaching the moves, there are plenty of tips along the way and it is here that Daryl’s enormous knowledge and research come in to play. There are tips from Slydini and Michael Ammar. Insights on different performing conditions. And many references to routines and performances by other great magicians (Tommy Wonder, David Williamson, Dai Vernon and Jay Marshall to name just a few) – which would give you a ton of further work to research if you are serious about developing your routine.

Daryl’s Routine

The final element on the first DVD is Daryl’s routine. Now although this is a great routine, I was a little disappointed. Because on a DVD titled Master Course in Cups and Balls you might have expected a full on 3 cup routine. But Daryl’s routine is more akin to a Chop Cup routine – with one cup – albeit an ungimmicked one. It is a super routine, but I was looking forward to seeing Daryl’s own unique take on a 3 cup routine. But maybe that’s just me.

The nice thing about his routine is it is more or less impromptu. This is great because with only minimal preparation you can borrow all the key elements. It is well structured and there is some really helpful coverage and reflection on the final loads.

Master Course in Cups and Balls Volume 2

The second disk definitely assumes you have seen the first since it contains less detail on the individual moves and elements. Instead it simply teaches three routines. A nice touch is the way they are taught with see through glasses so you can see what is going on!

First up is Nick Trost’s essentially sleight free routine. I didn’t even know Nick Trost had done a cups and balls routine! If I’m honest it felt a trifle long to me – a few too many phases – but nonetheless it would make a great routine to start with and includes some nice subtleties.

Next up is the big daddy – Dai Vernon’s routine. So many modern routines based on this. There’s a reason it’s a classic. And Daryl performs it beautifully. Everything is clearly explained, again with clear glasses.

In a nice touch there is a second performance after the explanation to help you learn the timing of the thing.

The third routine was new to me – to my shame – since it is apparently in the Stars of Magic book (it is – I just checked my original edition!). It is Dai Vernon’s impromptu routine. It has a certain amount of overlap with his normal routine but some interesting variations.

Again, there are lots of tips on audience interaction and handling – even the type of clothing you should wear! Daryl knows what he’s talking about and so this is full of gems.

At £14.99 a volume these are a very good value introduction to this classic of the magic world which helpfully brings together both the essential moves and some classic routines from different places. The Master Course in Cups and Balls would be an excellent place to start your voyage of discovery and a handy reference even for those who have been performing for a while.

You can purchase the Master Course in Cups and Balls Volume 1 and Volume 2 from our friends at MagicShop.co.uk.

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

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Nick Trost – Subtle Card Creations Volume 6 – review

Phil Sweeting — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 23:01:47 +0000

When I first acquired the original Nick Trost Subtle Card Creations book, I had no idea it would launch such an exhaustive series. We’re now up to Volume 6 – and they’re still well worth your attention. Here’s our review.

Between the covers

Produced in a design which matches the first five Subtle Card Creations volumes, this is a lovely hard-backed book of more than 230 pages containing over 100 tricks in 13 chapters. Effects are grouped by theme and cover an enormous range of card magic – including 4-Ace tricks, tricks using Court Cards, Poker and Gambling Tricks, ESP tricks, etc.

I didn’t spot any that used anything other than an ordinary deck of cards (though a couple did require some special dice) – so you can pretty much sit down, deck in hand, and dig in.

The word ‘Subtle’ in the title does imply that careful thought has gone into the methods to avoid them relying on much in the way of sleight of hand. However, many of the routines do require basic card handling – false shuffles, double undercuts, counts etc. – this isn’t a completely ‘self-working’ volume.

Like me, as you work your way through the amazing variety of effects, you will learn or be reminded of some subtle forces and sneaky procedures. Trost (who died in 2008) was clearly extraordinarily well-read. In fact, these volumes would be a great way of surveying the wider card magic literature with Nick Trost as your guide or curator to lead you to the gems. He appears to have read everything written on card magic since around the 1940s! He is also fastidious in his crediting/attribution which always wins bonus points with me.

A few minor niggles

One small frustration is that moves already described in earlier volumes aren’t always described again – so if you don’t have the whole set you may have to look things up elsewhere. The writing style is straightforward and clear – but not particularly engaging. Some magic books are just a joy to read – this is much more functional – clear and informative rather than entertaining in style.

From my perspective it contained a very high number of poker and other card games or gambling-based tricks. Although I love playing Cribbage on occasion, I’m not sure a cribbage based trick would appeal to many of my audiences. And effects themed around Gin-Rummy/Euchre/Casino even less so.

Trost also tends to take a principle and work it to death – in fact I think we get an insight into his creative process here. He will often take someone else’s effect and try to streamline or simplify it by applying some of his enormous repertoire of principles.

Final thoughts

That being said, there are some real gems in here. In this quantity of tricks you wouldn’t expect them all to be of the same quality/interest. As always with a decent magic book, the price per trick value rating is fabulous! And if you were to collect the whole set you would find yourself with an extraordinary resource and a lifetime of study. I’ve still got a couple of volumes missing from my set – so I better get saving…

The Subtle Card Creations of Nick Trost Volume 6 is available from the Merchant of Magic for £39.50 (at the time of writing).

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

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Trick of the Month – May 2017 Edition

admin — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 23:01:05 +0000

This site caters for many different kind of readers and magicians – and our selections this month will reflect that…

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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Ultimate Self-Working Card Tricks Volume 3 – Review

Phil Sweeting — Sun, 25 May 2014 13:04:25 +0000

So there’s an ongoing debate about the use of the word ‘ultimate’ in the title of something with more than one volume. Is it the ultimate or are they amongst the ultimate? But ultimately, who cares – this is nit-picking and if I’m honest I’ve been impressed by the consistently high standard of the magic on these 3 volumes (you can read our reviews of volume 1 and volume 2). The line-up of creators on volume 3 is enough to make any magician salivate. But let’s get straight on to the tricks…

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?

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