But you want to know about the tricks first, right?

ESPionage – Gary Jones has come up with a really simple but effective use of an old principle which provides you with a super-clean miracle. Essentially in spite of a really (genuinely!) fair mixing and selection process, you can reveal which ESP symbol a spectator has chosen. In the routine taught you do this twice under increasingly astonishing conditions.

The same principle is also adapted for a variation Steven Tucker’s Visa Cabaret routine – where you can predict which coloured card ends up in which of the spectator’s pockets. This requires a little bit of one-off craft work to make the necessary – but it is very straightforward and only takes 5 minutes. I believe Full 52 are also selling the cards ready made up if you prefer. Super little effect.

A-Can – This is Dave’s twist on the old barcode gag which takes it to the next level. The spectator chooses a card from a whole stack of cards which have different grocery products on the front. You reveal your prediction to be a barcode – and after the groan show that the barcode does actually contain the name of the product. In a final kicker ending you then produce a tin of the product from the (previously obviously flat) prediction envelope. Great fun, easy to do. Love it.

Dobson’s Diddle – a clever prediction effect based on a Wayne Dobson idea. Despite some very fair looking choices you reveal that you have predicted the outcome of a spectator’s free choices about where to place various objects. This is very easy to do, but will require you to think about the procedure on the fly. A couple of subtleties lead to a very fair looking outcome.

Arty Farty – this is a different sort of a prediction effect. The spectator chooses the name of a famous piece of artwork from a selection of many. You make a drawing (‘forgery’ in the clever plotline!) to reveal their choice – but it just looks like a load of scribble. But when some heat is applied, the spectator’s chosen image is revealed. This is a fun and different take on a prediction effect. Easy to do, though a small bit of preparation needed. Quirky.

Fruit Loop – this could be my favourite effect on the DVD. The spectator (genuinely) freely chooses a card from a selection of cards bearing the names of different fruits. You show that you have predicted not just that choice, but the cards either side of it – in a very funny and visual way. I don’t want to spoil the fun by telling you the detailed scenario – but you’ll have a lot of fun performing this entertaining and very easy effect.

Any Tome, Anywhere – this is a book test where you can reveal the word or words at the top of a page in any book. This essentially relies on a mathematical principle to do the dirty work for you. For me, the process the spectator goes through in order to get to a ‘random’ number is a little bit involved. There are some nice subtleties in Dave’s handling of the revelation, but for me this wasn’t a highlight.

Purple Monkey – in this routine you appear to read a spectator’s mind and reveal a random image they have simply created in their mind. Lots of nice things about this one – it is genuinely easy to do, takes up little space, and gives them a nice takeaway too. And again there are some great subtleties which obscure what is going on here. Brilliant.

Positive Change – the spectator places three coins on the table according to various free choices and then chooses one which they ‘flip’ behind their back. Your prediction shows you knew both which coin and which way up it was going to be. Building on some previously released ideas this is a neat semi-impromptu effect. For me this wasn’t earth-shattering, but with good presentation skills it would certainly impress a spectator.

RPS Extreme – in this effect you appear to be able to predict the outcome of several games of Rock, Paper Scissors. The first phase is impressive but the second knocks your socks off. Gary is clear that he has combined ideas of others to make the routine work, but it is a fantastic idea with good audience involvement.

The Secret is not so much a magic trick as a puzzle, which I first saw on an earlier Full 52 release – David Regal in the UK – though its history is much older. To an interesting story you trade ‘bank notes’ and pints of beer and everyone is puzzled by the outcome. It seems to me this would work really well in certain settings, but if I’m honest I’m unlikely to use this one myself. The necessary ‘notes’ are available as pdfs on the DVD to print your own.

As if this were not enough – there is also a free download of two extra missing effects which didn’t fit on the DVD. The tricks are:

Pageboy – this is a sort of ‘book test’ but with an unexpected extra ending. This is something called the Pegasus Book Test (not sure of the creator) – not only can you predict the word on the page they freely choose, as an extra kicker, when they look at the book again the page they looked at has been torn out – and is found in a prediction which the other spectator was holding from the outset. You will need to make up a couple of things to perform this – but the effect is so strong that it is well worth the effort.

Call the Chops – a series of number cards are freely mixed based on choices made by the spectator and end up predicting your phone number! This is based on an old principle but makes a nice way of giving out a business card or passing on your number…

The whole thing is well produced – although there were a couple of glitches in the sound level when I watched (which may just have been to do with my computer but I haven’t had the time to check) – though this didn’t get in the way of understanding.

Explanations are very clear and easy to follow. And I, personally, enjoy the banter between Dave and Gary. It’s great to see two magicians who get on well together and respect each other and who chuck in ideas on the fly and discuss wrinkles and subtleties as they go. They are both real performers and are worth listening to.

It’s hard to compare different releases with each other – was this the strongest of the set? Possibly. I really could see myself using all but one or two of these effects in the real world, and will definitely be making some of them up to use. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of manufacturing some of the items, Full 52 are (as in the past) selling some of the accessories you will need.

Highly recommended. What are you waiting for?

Automata 3 is available direct from Merchant of Magic for £21.98 (at the time of writing).

And if you’d like to be in with the chance of winning one, then enter our giveaway!

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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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Departure Point

A freely chosen card vanishes from between a pair of Jacks and re-appears face up in the middle of the deck.

Sandwich Trick

An extra phase to an ambitious card routine where the spectator’s card jumps between a pair of cards on one side. Only basic card handling needed – and makes a good follow on to Departure Point.

Flip

This is an ungimmicked version of a trick released in a gimmicked form elsewhere. A spectator’s card swaps places with one of the queens in a packet of four – and the corresponding queen ends up face down in the middle of the deck. (This is the first time this routine has been published – it’s not even in the epic Definitive Collection)

Continuous Do as I Do

You and the spectator each shuffle and cut your cards – and the top cards of your packets repeatedly match. An amusing rather than an earth-shattering mystery.

Coins in glass

Four coins jump into a glass, one at a time, very cleanly with no gimmicks. A bit of handling practise needed to get this one smooth.

Lightening Matrix

What it says on the can – 4 coins arranged in a square rapidly assemble in one corner.

Razor and Invisible Card

A nice combination of effects. Two spectators choose cards. The first is removed ‘invisibly’ – correctly identified and then instantly ‘becomes visible’ on the table. The second is located by an invisible razor – which chops up all the other cards in the card box except the spectator’s chosen card. I particularly like the quirky razor finish. Like a number of routines on the DVD this one really needs a table.

Cap and pence

A prop/routine you don’t see done much these days. A stack of coins appear and disappear under a small leather cone. You’ll need some props which aren’t so easy to get hold of (though a clever alternative is suggested for one of these).

What do we think?

Mike Sullivan’s explanations are clear but sometimes a little minimal – there are occasions where a bit more detail would be useful. The sound is a bit dodgy on some of the old clips – but not in a way that is a problem – it simply isn’t up to the standards we are used to today – but given the age of the footage that is hardly surprising.

There are a few fun extras: an “interview” (more of a chat) with Wayne – which showcases his infectious humour! Also his ice bucket challenge. He is a good sport!

In conclusion

There is nothing earth-shattering here. They are all solid routines, but in the main they are what I would call classic plots with little distinctively Dobson about them. I’m a massive Dobson fan – but I was a little disappointed by this collection. If your only exposure to Wayne Dobson is his virtually sleight free magic of recent years, be warned, this will need more work.

If you already have versions of these classics, you wouldn’t necessarily want another one, but there are always things to learn from watching someone as good as Wayne at work. And the gaff-less Flip, and nice Razor routine tip the overall verdict into a positive one for me.

Available from the Merchant of Magic for £22.50 (at time of writing)

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

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April is here but our suggestions are far from foolish!  Why not take a look…

We love packet tricks here at bicycle-cards.co.uk and Rainbow Connection is the latest on from Mathieu Bich – a fine creator of strong card magic. 4 red cards turn into 4 blue cards then they all turn into aces with different coloured backs. The effect has been designed to be a strong opener to draw people into your set. Though there are many variations on this theme, this one looks like it is worth a look. £18.99

Wayne Dobson is one of our cleverest magical thinkers and inventors and here in Second Chance you have a fantastic example of his self-working yet very strong effects. A spectator has a genuninely free choice of card – it looks like your prediction has gone wrong until you turn it over and their card is written on the back. £17.99

Numb is an interesting new effect which combines a prediction and a magic square all in one. A couple of predictions are made at the beginning, and then 4 spectators choose cards from a deck which has different numbers printed on the back. The numbers are added up and match the first prediction, whilst the second has each individual number written on it. (Also available in Parlour Size Cards).

That’s all for now. Watch this space for loads more card and close up magic reviews and news…

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The underlying effect is based on Simon Aronson’s Shufflebored (we saw another cracking variation on this theme in the Ryan Shultz DVD we reviewed earlier this year) – but as with most of Wayne Dobson’s recent work this is a completely ‘hands off presentation’.

What do you get?

A nicely printed prediction booklet (about which more later) and a DVD featuring a performance by Michael Sullivan and all the explanation you could possibly need.  The DVD uses simple but elegant graphics and is very easy to navigate.  You need to supply your own (regular) deck of cards.

What do we think?

This is effectively a self-working trick.  It does requires some set up –  but all this is  very clearly explained on the DVD.  And once you’ve set up, reset is quick (though not quite instant).  The nature of the effect means anyone can do it – you just need a little practise to get the procedure right (and this is covered several times on the DVD).

You really need a table to perform this and it takes a little time.  The slightly ‘procedural’ nature may put some off and there is a certain amount of counting and dealing involved.  However, the novelty of the little printed book and the premise of the story (‘Once Upon a time…’) really helps here – so assuming you have an ounce of presentation skills I think this would play well for a lay audience.

As mentioned earlier, this principle can be seen in other effects, so in many ways what you are paying for here is the nicely printed prop and the presentational ‘hook’ of a story book.  The printing is of good quality and on a nice glossy paper – so with careful handling it will last a reasonable length of time.  If you are performing a lot, it might be worth getting a back up copy since this will eventually tear or deteriorate.

Costas’ explanation is always clear and careful.  For my money he almost gives you more information than you need for what is essentially a self-worker.  But actually sometimes it is the simplest things we need to go through carefully.  There is a useful little tips section which covers a couple of handling points to look out for.

Does the story end well?

Yes!  We can see ourselves getting some use out of this.  If you don’t already have access to a version of Shufflebored then this is definitely worth a look.  If you already use it and like the presentation angle here, then it is very reasonably priced to get you the prop and the DVD.  A big thumbs up from Bicycle-cards.co.uk

Once Upon a Time is available from MagicShop.co.uk (with thanks to MagicTao who kindly supplied the review copy) for only £12.99 (at the time of writing).

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Marked for Life is the latest offering from the inimitable Wayne Dobson. Wayne has an uncanny knack of simplifying magic to its most elegant level and also has a superb sense of what plays well for an audience. If you’ve had a marked deck for a while and never known what to do with it, you’re bound to find some good ideas and a bit of light holiday reading here! £14.50

We’ve seen quite a few novel magic ideas with sharpies over the years, but the idea of Steve Fearson’s G-Sharp is new to us – an anti-gravity sharpie! Or more accurately, one which defies the normal rules of gravity. Some neat effects look to be possible with this innocent looking prop. £19.99

When it comes to playing card, it goes without saying that we normally promote Bicycle Cards, but we’re also quite fond of Tally Hos – and we thought these limited edition Silver backed Tallys might be of interest to our readers. Only 2000 have been printed – so you better get in quick! £8.99

Hope you get some magical holidays…

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Merlins of Wakefield have a special offer on a nice little Wayne Dobson ESP effect called ESP! 30% off for a limited time.

The Bicycle Gargoyle Deck is reduced to only £6 at The Card Collection

10% off at MagicTricks.co.uk using the code ‘Halloween12’ valid until October 31st.

And in case you’ve never come across these, Jamie Grant does some great video reviews of magic tricks based on real world performing on a Friday! He now posts them all on Facebook.

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This neat new effect from Wayne Dobson does utilise cards – but not playing cards. Instead you are supplied with 16 good-quality plastic cards which feature a food item on one side and a shopping receipt on the back. It is essentially a ‘mind reading’ effect where you can reveal the item the spectator freely chooses, though there is a bonus idea included to add an extra kicker ‘prediction’.

As ever, with Wayne Dobson material, the method is extremely easy in execution allowing you to concentrate on the presentation. It is virtually self-working. The shopping theme should allow a range of different presentations depending on your personality – and is something which most people can identify with easily.

I can see myself using this regularly and the cards look like they will withstand a decent amount of wear. The DVD is very clear and explains everything thoroughly. If I had one small criticism, the screen printing on the cards looks slightly blurry on the glossy (picture) side, but I really don’t think this would be an issue in real performance.

If you pushed me, I think I would like to see the price of this dropped slightly, but this is a worker and I would recommend it.

Available direct from MagicTao for £25

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As someone who does a lot of walkaround magic the vexed question of where to store your set is always coming up. I have pockets all over the place, but the idea of a discreet but stylish belt-pouch specifically designed with magic in mind really appeals. The Kangaroo Pouch has a place for a TT, deck of cards and coins, and apparently also has a built in ‘effect’ – haven’t handled in person but looks worth a look. £41.99

In at number 2 (!) this month is a trick from the creative mind of Wayne Dobson – one of the foremost creators of easy to do yet powerful magic in the business at the moment. Add-ict is a very clean prediction effect with a couple of presentation angles – including card-at-any-number. £24.99

You really should have a look at the video of this latest piece of strange from Paul Harris Presents. 4 pieces of a playing card visibly move and restore themselves in this crazy new effect. Animate and Restore is available middle of the month – pre-order now for £33.50

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Our friends at MagicTricks.co.uk are offering a 10% discount on most items with the code ‘CARDSPEC11’

Alternatively, if you are a fan of Wayne Dobson’s magic like we are, get along to eMagicTricks who have got a 50% off sale on his magic. Have a look here for some fantastic reductions. And do give us a mention if you get the chance!

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