The Mystery Sigil

This is one of my all-time favourite routines that I use regularly in my current close-up performance. This routine is inspired by the Biddle Trick with a bizarre twist!  

This is not the ordinary Biddle Trick that you have read or performed for years. You need a gaff card in performance.

The strength of this routine is the gaffed card serves as an effect and can be handed out for examination or as a souvenir.

If you have been performing the classic Biddle Trick and would like to try something new on this routine, perhaps you would like to try out this routine. As always, my ultimate goal in card magic is to deliver a huge surprise at the end of the routine. This is the routine that I have polished and refined for years. Carry this little miracle for your next show or act and start to astonish people.

Here's what a few of them say:

"I really like the effect. It is a very original take on the classic plot."
-- Raphaël Czaja 

"I've just read it and I really enjoyed it. I think that it's a great idea to use an odd backed card in the effect. And another good thing is that you can give the sigil card to the spectator as a souvenir and your deck remains complete. I can't wait to try the trick on my friends."
-- Jozsef Kovacs

"What a really good effect. Good construction, too. I like this a lot. This would be a real killer for an audience."
-- Peter Duffie

"This is a really good, souped up version of the Biddle Trick! Really nice, Andrew!"
-- Cameron Francis


This e-book is not suitable for beginners. While all the moves are explained clearly but some previous card handling experience is preferable.

Available at: http://www.cardicianden.com

ALSH

The Conjuror Card

This routine is inspired by Roy Walton's "The Overworked Card" and it's not very difficult to do. 

This can be done in a walkaround situation or a group of people. I offer additional three versions that include the elements of Dai Vernon's "Triumph" as well as other interesting revelations on the spectators' selections.

All the routines described can be done with a regular or borrowed deck and best of all, you can hand out the deck for examination.

No advance set up or gimmicked cards involved and it can be done in an impromptu situation.

Here's what a few of them say:

"Very nice tricks! I like them a lot!"

-- Cameron Francis

"These are excellent handlings for this plot."

-- Peter Duffie

"I really like the conjuror card and the non half-pass version is very clever!"
-- Raphaël Czaja 

"I agree with Cameron, very magical, and the magic part happens while a spectator is holding the deck."
-- Michael Cookman 

"I took the opportunity to perform both The Conjuror Card and the one-selection Conjuror Triumph to some people and reactions were very good. One of the things I enjoyed was that I could cleanly "show" and push the face up cards into the face down cards and then of course, ending with the magic in the spectator's hands really seals the deal. And I found that it made it that much more personal when the spectator was able to have a selected card added to this effect as per Conjuror Triumph."
-- Wayne Kong

"I finally took time to work through “The Conjuror Card.” It’s a very nice effect. I like the idea of the card moving from top to bottom and causing the other cards to reverse. Very cool! Keep up the great work."
-- Mike Powers


This e-book is not suitable for beginners. While all the moves are explained clearly but some previous card handling experience is preferable.

Available at: http://www.cardicianden.com

ALSH

TransWave

I came up this effect while I was toying around with a few versions of "B'Wave" and in my version, this is a pure sleight-of-hand approach and there's no equivoque or prediction. 

I put more emphasis on pure card transposition between two packets and a series of magical occurences. In other words, this means that my handling is not related to "B'Wave" at all.

If you enjoy visual card transposition between two packets and nail the spectator at the end for a big kicker, this is the kind of effect that plays very well to lay audience. The kicker implies that the performer reveals the cards have different and various backs in spite of the two packets exchange places in the process! Also included two bonus handlings that are very strong to end this wonderful routine. Best of all, all the cards can be given out for examination.

Here's what a few of them say:

"I think Transwave (excellent title) is a great routine -- one of your best. A lot of magic happens before the final kicker ending that will fry minds."

-- Peter Duffie

"I love the trick! Lots of really strong magic."

-- Cameron Francis

"I like the trick - it is clever to use a discrepancy to add another effect so then everything is clean at the end. This is a beautiful and effective packet effect. Keep'em coming!"

-- Raphaël Czaja

"I have to say that the routine is very well constructed. Andrew turns an unexaminable card trick into an examinable one by using the clean up as an effect! Overall, it's a great transposition routine."

-- John Holt

"Very good trick! The final surprise is a great idea!"
-- Didier Dupré

Last but not least, I also received a not-so-good review from Tom Frame at: http://www.geniimagazine.com

This e-book is not suitable for beginners. While all the moves are explained clearly but some previous card handling experience is preferable.

Available at: http://www.cardicianden.com

ALSH

Business as Usual - My Review

It's good to read some magic stuffs that use business cards and can be given out as souvenirs.

This is what I read another pdf from John Gelasi's "Business as Usual" that I think it's great, which has 7 visual and commercial routines with business cards. I really like the front cover of the pdf, which is nicely done and has 37 pages. The size of this pdf is 2.14MB.

In addition, the pdf has more than 30 colourful photos to support the explanation and some of the effects have a video link that I find very useful especially if you would like to watch the performance before you start your journey on reading each of the effects. The overall layout of the pdf is nicely done.

So, let's start off by reviewing some of my favourite items.

Slider

This is a great little quicky item that basically, you show a misprinted business card and just a few seconds, you magically cause it turns out to be a proper business card that can be given out for examination. This is a good moment to hand out your business card and also serves as an ideal opener for walkaround situation. The handling is surprisingly easy to do! I really like this!

Cap and Trade

Cap is a visual piece of magic that you can do, which you remove a red marker and you visually change it into a black cap. Honestly speaking, I have no much comment on this one but judging the fact that I have seen the clip as performed by the author, the change is visual but I would rather perform "Trade". It's just a matter of my preference. I simply like "Trade" as there is quite a number of magical things happen along the way. You perform a transposition effect that involves a torn business card that bears both the magician's and spectator's signatures. At the end, you fuse or restore the signed pieces and can be handed out as souvenirs. This is a great routine that I see myself using for my next event.   

Sketchy

This is another of my favourite item! The handling is very simple and I can attest that this routine may play well to layman. I really like the overall idea where the performer draws picture that resembles a quarter and then some gesture, the real quarter that you drawn on the business card falls in your hand and you immediately show the the drawn quarter has vanished from the business card! However, I think it would be nice if the business card can be signed by the spectator so that you will come to this "Out to Lunch" principle that look-alike kind of scene. Nice thinking and I think I'll add this item to my repertoire! The author also offers another variation of "Sketchy" that use without force and gimmick. But I prefer the first one.

Portrait Surprise

This is an interesting item that you can do with your own portrait. Again, I think the nature of this routine would play well to any lay audience. I really like the overall idea and the revelation of the selected card in the deck. I think the most interesting idea is where you show a business card that has a prediction of you holding the spectator's selected card. A magical gesture, you show the photo of yours holding the selected card is no longer there! Finally, you end the routine with a nice and simple finish. Nice flow and construction! 

This concludes my review of the above items. I believe you will find some items that may be of interest and most of the routines above would play well to any layman. Most importantly, the routines above are highly practical and the items can be handed out as souvenirs, which create lasting impression to your spectators. I also find that the effects above also serve as good collection of interesting ideas.

Highly recommended!

Available at: http://gelasimagic.weebly.com/

ALSH

Reorder - My Review

This is the second Cameron's pdf that I went through recently and my instinct tells me that this might be another great and strong item.

Basically, this routine is inspired by the "Wild Card" plot and I anticipate that the author must be working something powerful. So, without wasting time by doing other things in the morning, I went through the pdf just after my breakfast because am so excited about the routine.

The pdf contains 6 pages, pdf size is less than 1MB with colourful photos and has a link to watch the author in performance. Before I watched the clip, I decided to give this a good read because I believe by doing so, this is to somehow induce my mind to visualise how the routine looks like in a performance.

So, what's my final verdict? I think you will be thrilled by the author's performance as well as the nature of the routine. I have one word to describe this routine, it's just pure "Awesome!" I really like the construction and flows of the routine. The message is so simple to comprehend and straightforward. You show a few Jokers, one Ace, and each of the Jokers magically transforms into Aces! At the end, you show the Aces have different backs and the Jokers have different with bold letters appear on the backs too! This is quite a shocking revelation! In addition, this routine also ends with a nice display and doesn't take very long to perform.

In a nutshell, this routine is really, really nice and I believe it plays well to any layman. In addition, it's surprisingly easy to do and with just a few cards and sleights, you can start to impress people in no time.

Highly recommended!

Available at: http://www.cameron-francis.com/

ALSH

Fit for Kings, Too! - My Review

John Gelasi is a very young magician and recently, I received a reviewed-copy of his "Fit for Kings, too!" pdf. Basically, this is the second volume of "Fit for Kings" which you can check my previous review in this blog as well.

The pdf contains 18 pages, 6 effects, the size of the pdf is less than 1MB and each of the effects has a video link that you can watch the author in performance at Youtube. There are more than 10 colourful photos to support the explanation.

Most of the routines are not very difficult to do and work with regular deck. Just like his previous volume, the main theme is using the four Kings in all the six effects. I think the author has done a wonderful job in the explanation on each of the routines. So far, I found four items to my liking.

I'll start off by reviewing the four of my favourite items.

Almost Perfect 

This reminds me of Martin Nash's "Title Bout" but the author's approach in this routine is different. This routine focuses on the visual approach in terms of producing the Aces in a rather surprise manner with a transposion throws in for good measure. I like the flow of this routine and basically, it's not very difficult to do. Nice!

Funny Assembly

This is a nice transposition routine between two packets of cards without dupes. This is an excellent piece as I usually like a simple transposition between two packets of cards. This item works with four vs. two as this creates a good contrast during the transposition, which I think it's excellent. I really like this!

Walton-ing Around

I think most of you familiar with Roy Walton's "Oil & Queens" and the author has done a wonderful in applying this concept (very clever!) to determine a spectator's card. The initial handling basically remains the same and somehow at the end, the selection appears in the centre of the deck! It's not very difficult to do and I think it's very effective to layman.

Kangaroo Kings

Another of my favourite items that can be done with more than one spectator. Basically, this routine requires you to engage your spectators and they will do all the work in finding the Kings. The first two Kings are found by the two spectators. However, the author uses a different method for the third phase and I think the last phase is interesting. At least, the spectators think that you ruin the routine but in fact, it's an indicator card and at the end, the performer successfully locates the fourth King to end the routine! It's a nice routine that you can do especially if you have a group of friends, etc.

Overall, I really enjoyed the pdf and as I mentioned earlier, the author is still very young and I really impress of his work. The good thing about this pdf (as I mentioned earlier) is that each of the effects has a link to Youtube and you can watch the author in performance! You may just view the clips and have a clear picture on how the routine looks like in real time. The price of the pdf is $7.50. I think you'll find some items that you'll use in your performance.

In short, very simple but effective card magic!

Available at: http://gelasimagic.weebly.com/

ALSH

Chop the Monte - My Review

Cameron Francis offers his latest pdf "Chop the Monte" with a big knife on the front cover! Well, I think this justifies something in this pdf and as the title says it all, you know what to expect from the author as well as the first routine. The second bonus item is "Self Explanatory", yet another excellent item!

Anyway, I should say that I really enjoyed the two card routines. The pdf contains 9 pages and the file size is less than 1MB.

The overall layout or presentation (as usual Cameron's work) of the pdf seems excellent and the author understands when to include helpful colourful photographs to show the work.

Let me start off by reviewing the first item.

Chop the Monte

This routine requires some set-up but that doesn't bother me because in the effect itself, it sounds excellent and how it plays to lay audience. I give this a try and I should say the flow and construction are really nice! Honestly, each of the phases are much magical than another and at the end, four Aces suddenly emerge out from nowhere and this happens between the performer and spectator's hands! Give this a try and you'll love the reaction from layman. If that doesn't enough, the author also includes a link where you can have the chance to watch the author in performance.

Self Explanatory

This is a very nice and surprisingly easy routine with a built-in great presentation. I read the author's previous works before and one thing I can conclude is that he has the knack of incorporating wonderful and crazy ideas into blank cards! Yes, this routine requires a few double blank cards and the preparation is so easy to do. But I can attest that this is another powerful routine that you can do that will cause layman turns crazy! You'll definitely love performing this because it's so easy to do and believe me or not, it's just one card sleight that does all the work! The revelation of the Aces is just pure mind-boggling! I really enjoyed and this item has gone straight into my repertoire! Again, there's a link to view this routine at Youtube.

Well, that's the end of my review. As I said above, this is an excellent pdf with the two routines alone, I think you'll definitely have a wonderful time with them as they are highly practical and entertaining. To date, I have no idea how much the author would sell this but I'm sure, it's definitely worth to get a copy.

Highly recommended!

Available at: http://www.cameron-francis.com/

ALSH

Card Tricks for the Fractured Mind - My Review

I'm very excited to read Peter Duffie's latest card magic eBook "Card Tricks for the Fractured Mind" (love the title!). This eBook contains excellent collection of entertaining card effects.

It's a 47-page pdf and the file size is less than 1MB. I always enjoyed the author's presentation of his work particularly in terms of each of the effects that is hyperlinked at the table of contents for ease of navigation and there are plenty of colourful photos throughout the eBook. There are 12 card effects and all using a regular deck.

Most of the routines that the author explains are based on his previous refinements that can be found in many sources with excellent credits. You also will find some very clever construction and ideas as well.

Without further ado, let's start off by reviewing some of my favourite or delicious card effects.

K.F.C.

A very nice and novel way of revealing a spectator's selection in the deck by using a ribbon! The handling is very simple and efficient. I really like the revelation where the performer pulls the ribbon and the spectator's selection is attached to the ribbon. This item has gone straight into my repertoire! Everything can be examined!

Misdirection Monte

I really like the neat construction of this routine as well as each of the phases. The key surprise moment is that the performer somehow causes the winning card to transpose with the spectator's selection! In addition, lots of magical happenings in the phases. I really enjoyed this as the handling is very simple and direct! 

From Beyond the Veil

Another excellent routine which is a hands-off approach in finding out two spectators' selections whilst they are doing all the work! This is another great addition to my repertoire. I really like from the beginning until to the end of the routine, everything seems fair and the cards are shuffled by the two spectators. This is one of my favourites!

Dance Steps

This is another great routine inspired by the classic Hofzinser plot. This is my favourite two-phase routine where each of the phases seems entertaining. I really enjoyed the last phase where you show they are mis-match and at the end, with a snap of fingers, the Kings and Queens become match with each other. Again, nice flow and construction! 

Numberville

This is essetially an almost hands-off version of Card at any Number plot. I consider this routine worth the price of the entire eBook! Everything seems very fair and it's a nice addition to my current repertoire.

Populace Revisited

This is a surprise and sudden revelation of three selections in between the face-up Aces! The handling is very easy and again, one of my favourites! 

Post Production

I consider this another invaluable gem that I really enjoyed performing this recently! Basically the plot is inspired by "Chicago Opener" and I really like the idea of using the post-it note to create a wonderful miracle on locating two spectators' selections. I think the author has put the post-it note for good use in this kind of effect! The first phase relies on presentation and the last phase seems more magical. I really like this!

Safe Cracker

This is another visual eye-candy item where the performer shows a four-spot card and you magically separate or crack it open into four Aces! Very nice and I really enjoy playing around with this one!

I didn't realise that I have found 8 items that I personally consider as my favourites! In other words, more than 50% of the material that I will actually use! The card effects in this collection are excellent and highly practical. Most of the routines are not very difficult to do. The price of the eBook is $14.95! I think it's well worth to get a copy and start exploring some nice and entertaining card effects in this collection. By the way, don't miss out the "Summer Madness" that the author is offering at the moment!

Highly recommended!

Available at: http://www.peterduffie.com/

ALSH

Some Things with Cards - My Review

I just read John Holt's "Some Things With Cards" and I would like to say, I enjoyed some of the items in this eBook.

This eBook contains 17 pages (less than 1MB) and with some colourful photos to support the explanation. In addition, the entire presentation or layout of the eBook is neatly done. Most of the routines can be done with a regular deck but only two effects you'll need to make some minor preparation but none of them are difficult to set up.

The credit sources seem excellent and I think the author has done a wonderful in listing the respective sources. Since this eBook contains 7 effects, I will review each of the items based on my liking.

Let's start off by reviewing the first item.

Fourbearers
This is inspired by Roy Walton's "The Collectors" plot. The author also shares an additional handling which is a much bolder approach. I have no much comment on this routine because I prefer a direct approach such as the cards are lost and instantly trap the selections. This version seems a little unique as you cut the three cards and later show the cards are not the selections. Next, you show the Kings trap each of the selections between them in the deck. I think perhaps other reader may fancy this little unique routine.

Fight
A wonderful two-phase routine. This routine has a nice built-in presentation where the performer reveals a spectator's card twice; first as a mind reader and then as a magician! I really like the construction as the author uses an old and familiar method for good use! After the revelation of the selection, the performer is able to perform an impressive stunt by throwing the pack up into the air and produce the spectator's selection, which is a nice finale. This routine uses a normal deck of playing cards and no dupes!

Slippy Sandwich
This is a nice little eye-candy item that incoprates a card transposition between two spectators' selections without the standard loading move. A nice flow between the phases with an excellent control by Troy Hooser. I personally change my handling slightly in terms of the featured control.    

Psychic Mystery Card.... Of Death
The title really scares me! At first I thought it has any linkage with the Tarot Card but I was wrong. Anyway, this effect basically inspired by Frank Everhardt's "Chicago Opener" and I really like the approach as well as the construction. The presentation of this routine is nice and the author is very kind to share additional ideas to make this routine interesting. 

The World's Greatest Card Vanish
This is the most simplest routine in this eBook! A very simple yet effective routine with additional interesting ideas that you can use. I think this effect plays well with lay audience and it's very easy. This routine depends entirely on your presentation that uses a very simple sleight and best of all, the card can be given out as a souvenir.  

One Hand Palm Handling
The author's approach in executing a fair looking one hand top palm. It's not very difficult to do especially if you already know how to do a one-hand top palm. The nice idea on what the author explains is that because of the action in terms of executing the palm that looks strained and cramped. The solution to this is very simple and I think it's well worth to give it a try. 

P.D.S. Transposition
This is a great little gem that uses Gregory Wilson's "Pitch and Ditch" and to be honest, this is my first time to come across this move. I'm not sure how it looks like in appearance but basically, I think John did a wonderful job in explaining the whole move. However, being as a card guy, I believe this routine requires some practice and I can attest that the coin (or any small object) changes to another coin in mid-air is simply great. The great news is that no duplicates required.

Overall, I think the eBook has some interesting card effects, ideas as well as food for thought. If you consider yourself as intermediate card worker, you shouldn't have much problem in learning the material. I also believe that you will actually perform some of the routines as most of them are practical. I think you'll certainly enjoy John's approach in his magic. 

Available at: http://johnholtmagic.wordpress.com/ebooks/

ALSH