The plot, of course, is familiar – the spectator names the only card in an envelope in your wallet. Presentational possibilities are various – but the suggested one works well. No real surprises here.

And the same could be said of method. You are not buying a radically new idea here. If you have been in magic any time at all you will likely be familiar with the various elements of the method. However, they work really well together! There is some good thinking here, and some subtleties which, in my mind at least, make this a stronger effect for the spectator than some of the alternatives. The method is straightforward, which means you can concentrate on selling it – which is the way I like it! I am fully expecting to put this into my ‘working routine’.

A word on the supplied props. The wallet supplied is of a good quality and will readily slip into use as an every day wallet. You don’t have to use this wallet – but it works well for the requirements. Can’t say more than that. The envelopes are fine – and could be replaced if you preferred a different colour. I was a little disappointed with the quality of the cards – but not to such an extent that it would put me off using them.

The bottom line is I think this is a great little effect. If you like strong card magic with a mental leaning grab it’s time to get On the Mark now!

Without you even touching the deck a spectator thinks of any card and removes it from the deck and hides it in their pocket. You then take another deck and claim that you are going to try and choose the same card that the
spectator has hidden in their pocket. You remove one card and the spectator removes the card from their pocket, however it is NOT the same card. You ask for a Second Chance to prove that you have chosen the same card. Turning over your card it is seen that the spectators ‘Thought of Card’ is written on the back, proving that it is the Same Card! Sounds impossible? It’s that good! Comes with an eight page booklet containing two other bonus routines – £10.00.

Our friends at Merlins of Wakefield are offering to supply the two Bicycle Decks needed for this effect, fully made up and ready to go for just £12.95. Just mention Bicycle-Cards.co.uk when you order.

How does it play?

The effect is certainly very clean, if ever-so-slightly contrived (by this I just mean, if you really could predict someone’s choice of card, would drawing the value and the suit on the back of two other cards be the way you would do this – but to be honest quite a lot of magic falls into this category!). The advertising is correct that it requires no memory work or forcing etc. etc. and so it is essentially self-working.  There are lots of things which make this appeal to me very much. It can be done ‘in the hands’ so is good for walk-around.

The deck is obviously ‘prepared’ and so requires some preparation time. However, this won’t take too long and is very clearly explained on the DVD, and once it is done it is done. The trick requires a very simple re-set which can be done easily.

Two variations on the original effect are provided. Total Annihilation seems to be the way Cameron prefers to perform it (there are 3 demo performances of this on the DVD!) and is essentially the same effect, but with the added element of ‘introducing’ the prediction cards at the beginning of the effect. Red Hot Annihilation is a variation in which the prediction cards have a contrasting back colour.

I like the effect, but for me, some of the extra effects on the DVD are even stronger. Do as I Predict is a kind of one deck do-as-I-do, where you and the spectator both freely select a card from a genuinely shuffled deck. Not only do your cards match, but they also match a pair of prediction cards from a contrasting deck which were in open view from the beginning. This is very neat, and requires only minimal sleight of hand, and the deck can be used freely in other effects before and after. It does require use of a table.

Red Lite is another self-working prediction effect in which two cards freely chosen by two spectators are found to predict a ‘randomly’ arrived at card in the deck. This is a clever bringing together of some principles you may already know and I think a strong effect.

But my favourite effect is called Convergence. Regular readers will know of my particular fondness for ACAAN type effects, and that is what we have here. And I love it. Here’s how it looks (BBM’s description):

The magician proposes an experiment in fate as he introduces two decks of card; one red & one blue. The blue deck is placed in front of a spectator and the magician never touches it again. The red deck is removed from its case and shown to have a different number written on the back of each card. A second spectator then names ANY card (Really!). We’ll say it’s the Two of Diamonds. This card is removed from the red deck. Another card is randomly selected, and the number on it’s back is noted (let’s say the number is 29). The spectator now uncases the blue deck. He counts down 29 cards… The 29th card is the Two of Diamonds!

I think this is really strong. The decks can be examined, no memorization or cribs needed, no real sleight of hand and it resets instantly. Obviously you will have to set up the decks which will take a little time, but it seems to me a real worker. I know that it is common place in magic adverts to say ‘worth the price of the whole dvd/book’ but I really do think this one is.

What do you get?

All the effects are explained on a DVD made to BBM’s usual high standards. Some will be annoyed by the graphics and the music, but I personally find them easy to watch and well shot. Some of the ‘subtitles’ made me laugh out loud and I enjoy Cameron’s slightly quirky way. Explanations are all very clear. There are some extra adverts/plugs (including regular references to the Karnival Decks!) – but most of these are in the ‘extras’ section, so you don’t have to watch them. You also get a free deck of Bicycle Cards so you can make up the basic effect straight away.

At only £15.99 direct from BBM I think this is great value. And I’ll be making up Convergence as soon as possible…

[you can also purchase if (at the same price) from Alakazam if you want to collect their points!]

I like John Bannon’s work (I came clean on that one when I reviewed Bullets After Dark) so it is probably no surprise that I enjoyed this book, which was first released at Blackpool earlier this year.

It’s 75 pages long and contains 7 tricks (all cards, all ‘packet tricks’) – so it is only just over £1 a trick which is a bargain. They are part of his ‘fractal magic’ thinking – packet tricks which end clean and examinable (like Duplicity or Spin Doctor). Here are my thoughts on the routines.

Mega ‘Wave – is a close cousin of Steven Tucker’s Omega series of routines (in its latest incarnation that is available in another BBM DVD – Alpha to Omega) which in itself has some links to Max Maven’s B’Wave. The plot is a bit like Twisted Sisters but ends clean, and unlike Omega requires no palming. I will probably say this again, but much of the value here comes in reading Bannon’s thinking on plot, effect and method. Learn from this man! But it is a great trick and not too difficult to do.

Fractal Re-Call – a no-gaff version of his Call of the Wild effect – or Wild Card with a rationale (and some extra magic!). A few more moves here though still do-able. I like the plot but am not convinced that the original Wild Card presentation was as week as Bannon suggests. Also, it is a bit of a set-up to go into from a normal deck (which to my mind is necessary for the presentation he suggests). So for me, this is not one of the strongest items in the book.

Short Attention Scam – this is a re-mix of his Royal Scam. In brief, from a set of 9 red-backed Ace of Spades, 5 turn into a royal flush, and the other 4 get completely different back designs. I love this routine – lots of magic in a short time, and not too difficult to do. It uses the same set of cards as Royal Scam so if you already have that you are on to a winner.

Mag-7 – a streamlined handling of The Magnificent Seven (from Smoke and Mirrors) which is essentially a no-gaff Wild Card routine. Not much to say here. It builds on a number of the concepts in the previous effects and works well.

Poker Pairadox – a re-working of Nick Trost’s classic Matching Court Cards. This is not the most mystifying effect for the audience, but it has a nice patter and routine and is all but self-working making it very clean from a presentation point of view. My only real gripe would be it isn’t an instant re-set (though the re-set isn’t difficult) – so not ideal for walkaround.

Fractal Jacks – almost an oil and water routine where the Jacks keep on returning to the performer’s hand (in spite of being dealt into two hands) – with the kicker of the other cards being the four aces, and as usual all examinable. For me, this wasn’t too magical. It did contain an interesting digression on why Bannon didn’t go with Simon Aronson and David Solomon on a plot variation here. I think I’m with them…

Wicked – this is a transposition effect where a card travels from between two black queens to between two red queens. I have mixed feelings about this one. It is a pretty clean transposition. But in the first phase, the ‘extra’ card (the one which transposes) is not actually shown until after the transposition has taken place. Given Bannon’s own comment that “in any transposition, it’s important that the spectators know which cards are where” this seems like a bit of a problem. On the other hand, I like the fact that the second phase ‘happens in reverse’ – since it is always good to keep the spectators guessing!

General Thoughts

There are seven effects here – I think most people would find at least a couple that would suit them. Several of the effects require a table which may be a problem for some contexts. Some require a set-up (though with the more truly ‘packet trick’ ones – that is to be expected). As ever, I enjoy Bannon’s thinking and discussion of the evolution of the effects almost as much as the effects themselves. They will, I hope, help you think more about your own magic – the why and the how.

For the price I think it’s a bit of a no-brainer. Get it! Especially while BBM are throwing in some free cards. And if, like me, you are a bit of a book collector, the you’ll want to get one before they’re all gone!

And if you want an idea for something to earn points on, if you are obsessed with magic wallets (like me!) – then the Real Man’s Wallet is a great card to wallet trick which seems to have been very popular with the reviewers. It will get you 45 loyalty points (worth £2.25!).

The good news is that the VAT rise doesn’t seem to have made a lot of difference yet. Only one price rise since the last check. Though sadly a couple of smaller dealers no longer seem to have websites so have possibly felt the crunch.

Hope you’re continuing to enjoy your card magic. If you want to take part in a survey to find the best card trick – follow this link to Vanishing Inc.

I was delighted when a review copy of this Bannon two-disc set landed on my desk (well, technically it landed on my floor having come through the letter box). One of the reasons it has taken me so long to write this review is because I have been busy. The other, is because I didn’t want anyone else to know how good it is.

At the outset it is worth saying that the discs are produced to the usual high BBM standards, though I detect that Bannon’s influence may have toned down the overall design. The title menu picks up the DVD title with words appearing to the sound of gunshots.

The introduction is miss-able, unless you have a liking for quotes, so I will get straight on to the effects.

Dead Reckoning
This is a spelling card location after a very fair looking selection and mix. You will love or hate Bannon’s presentational style, but he certainly thinks carefully about his plots and patter. The very clever ‘layering’ of different techniques produces an almost self-working miracle. Brilliant! (originally published in Dear Mister Fantasy)

Dawn Patrol
This is a card sandwich effect that looks unbelievably fair. It does require a perfect faro (on which he has some comments) – which makes it one of the more technically demanding effects on the set. (originally published in Dear Mister Fantasy)

Doctored Daley
This isn’t a new trick, simply Bannon’s presentational premise for The Last Trick of Dr Daley. I can’t really say more than that without spoiling it. But I like it and it works!

Power of Poker
A brilliant self-working effect where in spite of 10 free choices of the spectator, the performer’s poker hand always wins. Again, clever construction removes the need for complicated sleights.

Counterpunch/Four Faces North
This routine starts with a nice little in the hands variation of the cross cut force which then gets you into a clever 4 ace location where they appear reversed in the deck. That sets you up for a second phase where 3 of the aces disappear leaving only their ‘selected’ one. This immediately leads into a Triumph type finish where again the aces appear reversed in the deck. A little more handling is required for this routine than some, but it is still within the reach of all but the terminally incompetent cardician. During the explanation, some helpful subtleties on handling are described.

Watching the Detectives/New Jax/Full Circle
This is another sandwich type effect where the spectator is led up the garden path before the magic happens. An ace is selected and lost in the deck, and then located between a pair of Jacks. It incorporates a very clever little switch which is dead easy to do. The lead into the next part of the routine does require a multiple shift which may put some off. If you can perform the multiple shift then the routine cleverly moves straight into a further sandwich effect which has some relationship to the One Eyed Jack sandwich of Harry Lorayne (I first saw this in My Favourite Card Tricks – now reprinted with several other books in Classic Collection). The whole thing is then ‘cleaned up’ by locating all four aces again.

Origami Prediction
This is a prediction effect where the spectator makes lots of choices and shuffles, including an ingenious ‘folding procedure’(hence the name) yet the magician predicts the final outcome. Some set up is required. It is more or less self-working though, as with any effect, you need to remember the order of handling. He explains a nice little false cut to start with. This is a streamlined ‘final’ (?) version of a principle explored in the excellent Dear Mister Fantasy. At the end of the trick Bannon briefly defends the use of maths in magic – though I think the trick actually speaks for itself in this regard.

The Einstein Overkill
I first encountered this principle in the Koran Jackpoint Coins presentation (which I first saw on an old Paul Daniels show in the 80s/90s – sorry – end of nostalgia trip). I hadn’t realised this was itself based on a principle that was old even at the time of the classic Greater Magic. This is a clever prediction effect with an extra kicker at the end, though for some people the ‘mathematical’ nature of the presentation may not appeal. I do think the principle has more appeal in a money-based presentation, though the use of cards does mean it can be performed anywhere.

Bullet Train – Iconoclastic Aces/Syncopated Aces/Interrobang Aces
The ‘title track’ and for me one of the strongest sequences in the set. Essentially 3 versions of the ‘4 Ace Trick’ but with all the magic happening before you expect it. Extremely direct, classic Bannon routineing, and not even that difficult to perform. Wonderful. (These also appeared first in Dear Mister Fantasy)

J.B. Flytrap False Cut
As its name suggests, this is a false cut. This one is entirely in the hands, doesn’t look too showy, and maintains whole deck order. It is very clearly and carefully explained in Bannon’s usual succinct way.

Bannon Triumph
Do we need another version? In a sense, this isn’t another version, but a 20-year-old version first published under a different name in Impossibilia. It requires some set-up and Bannon gives some discussion of suitable false shuffles to use at the start of the effect. Instead of ‘righting’ a face-up and face-down deck (with the exception of the spectator’s card) as in the classic Triumph routine, this effect ‘rights’ all but one suit of the deck – which then reveals the spectator’s choice as the only missing card in the sequence. Because of the slightly different plot, it enables the ‘Triumph’ part of the routine to look particularly fair.

Some Concluding Observations

Bannon’s style wont be to everyone’s taste. Nothing ever is. He has a very ‘measured’ performance approach – perhaps something to do with his legal background? – but it suits him. His cleverness often lies in very careful routineing to eliminate difficult sleights, but there is an occasional payoff as routines sometimes feel slightly ‘procedurally’ heavy. On the other hand, if you are interested in developing your own routines (and I hope you are) then his comments on the thinking behind the construction of several of the routines is very stimulating and helpful.

I very much appreciate his honesty in attributing influences and sources from which particular routines have been developed. If I had one criticism, it would be that (as you will see above) quite a lot of the material has been released before, in print. So if you are familiar with his books you may crave some more new material. On the other hand, it is always good to see how the originator performs his effects, and some of the effects have ‘matured’ since publication.

The bottom line is that there is some really excellent magic on these DVDs. For me, I think I will always slightly prefer the books – especially his quirky way of often describing effects as a kind of dialogue between himself and another magician. But the clarity which is a major strength of the books is demonstrated in spades on the DVDs.

Buy it. Learn from it. You will certainly use some of the routines. But please think carefully about your own personality and how you might shape the routines. I don’t want to start meeting a series of poor Bannon clones…

It isn’t possible to review in detail the whole DVD set since it contains 47 tricks (covered in almost 5 hours), but I will start with a few general observations. Some of the live performance segments will be familiar to you if you have seen Paul’s earlier set ‘Live in Action’ but it is great to see how a lay audience reacts to Paul’s magic. The explanations, however, have been newly recorded.

Without doubt, a large part of the magic of Paul Gordon is Paul Gordon. So there is real value in watching him in action before real people. His personality and rapport with the audience is excellent, and even without the explanations of the tricks, most of us could learn about making card magic entertaining from watching him. (I am not, obviously, saying we should all copy his lines and mannerisms – we need to work within our own personalities and characters – but there are principles here we can learn from.)

Secondly, Paul’s explanations are very clear. They have been filmed in a nice uncluttered set with little to distract. Occasionally the camera work doesn’t quite keep up with Paul’s explanation – so sometimes we hear him explaining a different view he is giving us before we actually see it. But this is a minor niggle and doesn’t get in the way of the explanation. It goes without saying that Paul is an extremely accomplished card-man, so he makes all the moves seem very easy. He does repeat moves multiple times to facilitate learning, but if you are a beginner you may still need to watch segments more than once. But that is the beauty of DVD.

A word on style. Although I am quite a fan of the ‘high concept’ DVDs being put out by people like BigBlindMedia, there is something pleasing about the simplicity of the production on this set. There is no unnecessary filling or fancy editing – after a brief introduction it is straight into the magic. And there really is a lot of it! The title menu is presented on the face of a blank deck of cards held over a card-table, and contains the inevitable plug for the website.

What about the tricks? If you’re familiar with Paul’s books then there will be plenty of material you’ve seen before – but as much as I love books, there are times when seeing a move and an effect is a distinct advantage. Old favourites like Diminishing? Not Likely! (I do like this one) and Easy Ace Estimation re-appear, but there is plenty of newer material too.

The ‘difficulty’ of the material ranges from the virtually self-working (like the Bannon-esque Carbon Footprints) to material which requires a reasonable familiarity with standard card moves. Almost without exception Paul performs with an regular (borrowed) deck – and so there are a few more technical demands than with some other creators.

A few highlights

I particularly liked Totally Baffling Card Control, which though apparently an old trick was new to me. (I think it is in Protean Card Magic – which I do own – a reminder how easy it is to miss ‘goodies’ in a book – see comments below!)

Emulsion Cards is a really nice oil and water routine. For a similar effect with a kicker ending see Fry Them with Oil and Water. Powerhouse is a really clever card revelation – it has two good twists, can be performed with a borrowed and shuffled deck, and is technically very straightforward. Shocked Aces is a largely self-working but entertaining little routine involving the location of the 4 aces and two spectators’ chosen cards.

There are also some handy sleights and moves. The Four-Way False Cut and Control is particularly useful (and straightforward) – which does what it says on the tin – a four-way cut which maintains deck order and can also be used to control a chosen card to the top of the deck.

There are also a few performance only effects, most of which are marketed separately – Corner Of Picadilly, The Gordon Diary Trick, Laymen Assembly, Dazzler. Some of these are live performances where the quality of the filming is less good – but then you’re seeing a real performance – you can’t have everything!

One of the interesting things for me, was to see how Paul takes a method and plays with it and creates a family of effects from the same starting point. As you watch more of Paul’s work (and there is plenty here!) you will see something of this ‘evolution’ in play.

The final disc ends with an interesting interview slot. It includes a bit of Paul’s personal history including some of the performers who have inspired him. He also talks briefly about how he goes about creating an effect. There is a defence of mathematical tricks – with Paul’s motto that it’s the performance that matters. Non-mathematical tricks can be dull when performed badly and vice-versa.

As a fellow magic book collector and enthusiast I enjoyed his comments on buying and reading magic books. However, his insistence that you should make time to read and try everything in every book (easily done in a couple of hours a day for a week he says!) is a luxury the amateur may not have.

That being said, we often have a bit more time at home at Christmas, so I think this 3-disc set would be an ideal way to while away that post-Christmas lull! Buy it for anyone who enjoys good quality card magic.

You can buy the set directly from Paul and he has some special offers on the set too. The base price is only £38 which on a £/trick basis is a bargain!