The Effect

A spectator chooses and signs a card which is lost in the deck. The performer then shows the Joker – which visually vanishes from its card (leaving a ‘blank Joker’ card) and is found to have travelled through the deck and landed on the back of the spectator’s chosen card. Just as quickly the Joker vanishes from the back of their card again.

What do you get?

The slim package contains the gimmicked cards you will need to perform Runaway Joker, and a card with a link to some online instructions. You need to supply your own regular red Bicycle deck. The gimmicks are nicely printed and should last well.

The online instructions run to around 25 minutes and clearly explain the essence of the effect. Nardi covers two different handlings – one ‘at the table’ and one ‘in the hands’ (more suitable for walkaround. Both versions are pretty easy to do. There’s no live performance here which would have been nice.

The instructions are clear, though a little more detail would have been nice (for the beginner) on some of the moves. Three different possible handlings of the visual ‘vanish’ of the Joker are taught in some detail, but there are a couple of other basic sleights in use which are only briefly covered.

If you’ve been around in card magic for any length of time I suspect you will have no problems at all, but I mention it for completeness. Nardi also offers some nice little tips on handling – I particularly liked his idea so the spectator can watch the Joker cycling through the deck!

He also explains a couple of ideas if you want the Joker to come back. But I’m not sure I’d bother – since the whole premise of the trick is that he runs away…

As usual with Alakazam products, your purchase gives you access to other ideas available for free via the Alakazam website. Though at the time of writing none have been uploaded!

A Runaway Success?

Runaway Joker is a fun little effect. The engaging premise and very visual effect should appeal to a wide range of audiences. And it is easy to do with minimal re-set. Well worth a look – especially at the current reduced price!

Runaway Joker is available from MagicShop.co.uk for £7.92 at time of writing (it is in a sale which finishes in a couple of days! Normal price £20.50)

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

Peter Nardi – Runaway Joker 2nd Edition – review

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The post Peter Nardi – Runaway Joker 2nd Edition – review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

I’ll be honest – this fooled me the first time I saw this. Peter bills it as a magician fooler and in this instance it certainly did. The principle involved apparently goes back to the 1940s, but I’ve not seen in before, and Peter brings to it an interesting presentation device, based on the Butterfly Effect principle.

There have been some discussions about originality – since it is apparently similar to some other published effects. I have not seen the other effects myself, so am going to trust Peter on this one and try to avoid wading into unnecessary controversy.

Some set-up is involved, but the setup gives you what is, in effect, an incredibly fair looking force. It is essentially self-working, though the ability to give a false shuffle or cut makes it even stronger (a false shuffle is very briefly explained on the DVD – but if you want to go into more detail on these techniques we highly recommend the False Shuffles and Cuts Project).

What’s in the box?

The DVD runs to 32 minutes and clearly explains not only the basic effect but some variations. A nice parlour version is taught and the DVD contains the necessary artwork for you to print if you would like to use this version. There are also some presentational variations for the close up performer.

Included with the DVD are a couple of cards which help you to perform the original version and a small business card with an alternative (more deceptive) setup which makes the effect even more fooling.

I really like this. As Peter says, the challenge will be to make the presentation interesting and to provide a proper rationale for what could be a reasonably lengthly dealing procedure. He does give a number of ideas of ways to reduce the procedure and also a number of alternative presentations. I think most readers of this site would have no problems coming up with these things.

Re-set is not quite instant, but nor is it very arduous. You could probably get away with doing it in front of spectators, though I would probably see this more as a one off effect. I’m not convinced I would ever use the ‘gaff’ cards provided for the revelation – though I really like the parlour options or the variation he suggests with ‘aged’ cards.

It’s a great little release – with the right presentation you will have both a fooling and an entertaining set piece.

The Butterfly Effect is available from the Merchant of Magic for £22.99 at the time of writing.

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

The post Peter Nardi – the Butterfly Effect – review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

Dean Dill’s Sports is a neat little close up effect. You show five cards with pictures of different sports balls on them. One is chosen by the spectator and you ‘snap’ the ball out of the card leaving a regular ball and a blank card. The picture probably gives you a clue about which ball is ‘chosen’! A cute trick. £39.99

Next up is a new release from the ever-inventive Peter Nardi. It is a little difficult to get a description of the actual effect – but the Butterfly Effect appears to be a very clever impromptu prediction effect, playing with the ideas of chaos and fate, which is virtually self-working. We’ll try and get a copy in to review, but it looks worth a punt – Peter’s material is always strong and Titanas (who granted, may be biased) describes it as his “favourite ever impromptu effect” – which is quite a claim! £21.99

If you’re mainly here for the playing cards, then here are a couple of decks worth a peek.  The Victoria Deck has some striking design work  with custom pips, jokers and court cards. It also has a subtle one-way feature – handy for magicians, as is the unusual order of the deck which means it is only one faro away from the Mnemonica stack.  £8.99  Another very different, but very beautiful, release is the Verana Deck by Alex Chin. £14.50.

A quick mention for quirky little release we spotted.  Riveted Monte is yet another take on the Monte effect – but this time, inspired by an Angelo Carbone idea, the cards are all riveted together in the corner – but still the odd one out moves around the selection in a mysterious way. £13.50.

If, like me, there’s nothing you’d rather do in the summer than curl up in the sun with a good magic book, the intriguingly titled Applesauce by Patrick Redford looks well worth a look.  It’s a good-looking book, and is named after his special take on the ACAAN plot. 13 routines, 156 pages, hours of fun. £42.50.

That’s all for now. Let us know if you’ve seen anything interesting in the magic world…

The post Trick of the Month – July 2016 – sports, butterflies and applesauce! appeared first on Bicycle Cards.