We’ll jump straight into the tricks first of all before making some more general comments.

Your thoughts are mine – John Carey
You reveal a spectator’s thought of card which then magically turns face up in the deck and turns out to be from a different pack. There are some nice touches here but for me it was one of the less striking effects on the disk – which makes it a shame that it is most likely the first one you’ll see.

Compatability – Wayne Dobson
Here’s a clever effect with a nice premise – testing your compatibility with the spectator. Despite an incredibly fair looking procedure you and the spectator end up having signed the same card without knowing it. Can be done with a borrowed shuffled deck. There’s a little bit of mental maths to do – but with a bit of practise you’ll be baffling your audiences.

Wayne Man – Wayne Dobson
This is a fantastic pseudo-memorised deck presentation which is incredibly easy to do – but if you can sell it you will absolutely knock their socks off. I love the simplicity of this and directness – and it can be done with a borrowed shuffled deck. This probably won’t fool magicians but is a brilliant application of an under-used principle.

Future Deck – Jack Vosburgh
From a classic book (Scarne on Card Tricks) this is an effective prediction trick where a freely chosen card matches one you previously set aside in the card box. It requires a bit of set up (and will be a one trick deck) but all this preparation makes it incredibly easy to do.

Automatic Ace Triumph – Kuniyasu Fujiwara
This is an unusual effect (originally published in the well named Japanese Ingenious) in which having mixed the aces up in amongst a larger packet of cards, some face up and some face down, in the fairest possible way the cards instantly right themselves leaving only the Aces face up. Now I know how it works, I still don’t know how it works! It’s a little bit ‘procedural’ but in the right context it could work. You’ve got to try it out!

Emotional Reaction – Dai Vernon
A subtle little routine, as you’d expect from Vernon, using a very well known technique but in a very well hidden way. This enables you to locate a card the spectator has peeked and lost in the fairest (looking!) possible way. Reveal it in your favourite way. Again this can be done with a borrowed and shuffled deck.

Power of Thought – Paul Curry
This is a very powerful coincidence effect with two decks of cards. The spectator thinks of a card from the first deck – and it turns out to be the only one which matches with the second deck as they are dealt out together. This fooled me first time – which is quite rare – and the method is so simple yet devious you’ll love it. Some set up required but re-sets quite easily for subsequent performances. (Paul Curry is clearly a genius – if you liked this, check out Worlds Beyond, the book it comes from – full of more Curry magic)

What a Turn Up – Kaymar Magic
A small packet ‘do as I do’ – where you and the spectator both turn over a single card in a packet behind your back and they are found to match. Not a massive puzzler – but easy to do and a nice kicker at the end when all the other cards are seen to be jokers. It has the benefit of slipping in your pocket or wallet when you need a no-pressure trick to perform.

Route 1 – Dave Forrest
This is a very clever and fair looking ACAAN effect utilising two decks of cards. I love the sneaky and subtle method here – a great example of Dave Forrest’s lateral thinking. You will need to do a bit of work to set this up but it is well worth the effort. A few variations are suggested too.

Double Salto – William B Gibson
You and the spectator have half the deck each, then each choose a card and return it in the other person’s half. In an instant both cards reverse themselves in the re-assembled deck. Super simple to do – but with a strong impact on your spectator. You can do this any time with a one second setup. This is a classic effect.

Further than that – Stewart James
You read the spectator’s mind, spell to their card, produce the aces and a straight royal flush. Quite a lot of magic for almost no effort! There’s a setup (of course) but otherwise self-working – though a false cut or shuffle will significantly improve the impact of this. A great little trick.

So is it really awesome?

Yes – I think it is. The list of contributors alone should be enough to tell you that! The DVD is as usual very well produced. It has been shot in a variety of locations with a range of performers and the usual good-looking ladies to assist! Explanations are all clear and concise and for the most part the effects really are self working – in the sense of requiring no sleight of hand.

I keep wondering when they will run out of material for these kinds of disks, but I have to say that this feels like one of the strongest releases yet. They seem to have plumbed a few of the more classic routines which many newer magicians may have missed and made them more accessible by making a DVD of them. So I’m highly impressed by the collection – although one or two effects feel less strong I could see me using almost all of them in the right setting.

Highly recommended – and available direct from Merchant of Magic – £23.99

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This is a stonkingly good discount on a great DVD. Liam’s magic is usually very visual and within the reach of most performers and includes lots of card stuff. Recommended – and especially at about 75% off! Only £5.88

I’m going to be honest. Not many of you are going to buy this. But those who do will have years’ worth of wonderful treasure to travel through. Stewart James was an absolute legend and this comprehensive set contains an vast wealth of material – largely unpublished – including variations on his ideas by other clever magical thinkers. Pure delight. But a serious investment! £99.99

We haven’t mentioned an actual deck of Bicycle cards on our Trick of the Month for a long time. I suppose technically it isn’t a trick! But lots are possible with this rather unusual Propaganda Deck which is produced on Tally Ho stock and has a rather striking black design. £4.99

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