TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD by Tony D’Amico
This is a visual effect based on a clever card trick but does not use a deck of playing cards.
In effect, a box of picture cards of a card game called “Travel Around The World” is shown to contain photo cards that form several popular monuments from around the world. 2 spectators are involved. Each of them is given half the deck. They mix their own packet of cards face-up and face-down. Then they exchange some of their cards and further mix them face-up and face-down. Finally, the mixed up cards are re-assembled back into the complete deck. All the face-up cards are separated from the face- down cards. The face-up cards are found to form 5 partially completed monuments. They are the Big Ben of London, Christ The Redeemer Statue of Rio De Janeiro, Eiffel Tower of Paris, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Staue Of Liberty of New York. However, they are all predicted, in their exact partially completed states, in a folded prediction placed conspicuously on the table at the start of the performance. There is an unexpected climax as 4 of the monuments form an appropriate English word.
You receive the stack of 54 monument photo cards in a clear box, the folded prediction, and a link to a video tutorial.
The cards are in poker size and are marked on the backs. The prediction, when folded, is A5 size. When fully open, the prediction measures approximately 23.4 inches x 8.3 inches. It is large and colourful and is fully laminated. The cards and the prediction are very well produced. When handled with care, they should last for a very long time.
The video tutorial is also very well produced and easy to understand. Tony D’Amico brings you through the performance, the deck set-up, and the deceptive mixing procedure. Luca Volpe, who produced the effect, joins Tony and contributes several different effects using the deck of special photo cards.
If you are looking for something that packs small and plays large, this effect is it. It is also colourful and has an interesting travel theme. It is based on Simon Aronson’s “Shuffle Bored”, and the seemingly haphazard face-up face-down mixing of the cards is very convincing.
(Rated 4/5 stars)