Die-Abolical V5

“Die-Abolical” is a mentalism effect using 6 colour dice.

In effect, 6 different colour translucent dice are shown. Thay are placed inside an opaque black velvet bag.

A spectator closes the bag and shakes it to mix up the dice inside. She reaches inside the bag, and without looking at the dice, removes any 3. These are then placed away. 3 other dice remain inside the bag.

She removes the last 3 dice from the bag and stacks them up in order. She is asked to note the middle dice. Let us say that the middle dice is a blue dice. The spectator confirms that all the choices she made up to this point are truly random and entirely on her own, and are not influenced by the performer.

The performer draws the audience’s attention to a small black prediction box placed conspicuously on the table at the start of the performance. He opens the lid slightly to take out one dice – it is the blue dice, the same colour as the middle one of 3 dice stacked by the spectator. Knowing that the audience may be suspicious of the presence of other colour dice inside the box, the performer takes the lid completely off the box only to reveal that the rest of the 5 dice inside the box are all of the same colour – blue! The performer states that he knows all along that the middle dice is going to be the blue dice. He turns the box over to show that on the bottom of the box is a picture depicting that the middle dice of 3 dice is blue in colour!

You receive the 6 different colour translucent dice, 6 blue dice, the prediction box, the black velvet bag, and a link to a video tutorial taught by Peter Nardi of Alakazam.

The spectator does have a free choice of dice. The selection procedure is so well structured that it is almost impossible for anyone to backtrack and find out the method.

Peter Nardi himself prefers a more serious reveal rather than the comedy 6 blue dice ending. To this end, he provides a special foam insert for the box so that the box can be shown to contain only one dice instead of all 6 dice.

As noted in the name of the product, this effect has undergone 4 revisions. The first version was used by Wayne Dobson in his TV special. In this latest version, the presentation is so well thought out that the spectator has free choices all the way, and yet the revelation is truly baffling, even for seasoned mentalists.

The props provided (4 blue and 1 red dice and the black bag) can also be used for Max Maven’s popular “Kurotsuke” effect. (Rated 5/5 stars).

PIP MATRIX by Jeki Yoo

The “coin matrix”, using 4 coins and 4 playing cards, has become a classic magic effect. In its original form, it uses no gimmicked coins or cards, only sleight-of- hand, to accomplish the coin assembly effect. Although the sleight-of-hand is not particular difficult, there are versions that use gimmicked coins to enable the effect to look more magical.

Jeki Yoo, a young magician from South Korea, and of America’s Got Talent fame, came up with a novel matrix effect using the pips of a playing card instead of coins.

In effect, the performer lays out 4 red heart pips, 3 of them towards the audience and the last pip towards himself.

He shows 4 playing cards to have blank faces. He then proceeds to cover each pip with a blank card.

He causes one of the 3 pips nearest to the audience to vanish from underneath the card, and to magically appear alongside the pip underneath the card nearest to him.

In the same manner, he causes another pip to disappear underneath the second card nearest to the audience. This pip reappears under the card nearest to the performer, alongside the other 2 pips there.

Finally, the third card nearest the audience is lifted up and the pip underneath it vanishes. However, when the card nearest to the performer is lifted up, instead of seeing all 4 pips on the mat, there is nothing beneath the card. When this card is turned around, instead of a blank face, it shows the 4 of hearts printed on it. The 4 pips have vanished altogether and become printed onto the last blank card as the 4 of hearts! All the 4 cards can be examined.

You are supplied with the 4 playing cards, the 4 specially manufactured red heart pips, and a special something to enable the vanish of each of the pips to look magical. You are also given a link to a video tutorial.

Thanks to the special gimmick supplied, the effect is fairly easy to do, although you need to develop a knack of using it. The vanish of each pip is truly instantaneous and clean. The performing angle is quite wide but there must not be anyone directly behind the performer.

The red pips contrast very well with your black or dark colour close-up mat and the white blank face playing cards. For this reason, the black pips such as spades and clubs are not available. Red diamond pips are available as an alternative. You need to specify whether you want the heart or diamond pips when you place order.

A wonderfully visual and novel matrix effect which can be used as a lead-in to card magic. (Rated 5/5 stars)

WILD CARD

Manufactured by: Magic Makers (USA)

To purchase or reserve the product(s), read the conditions above.

To be called “the ultimate card trick”, as stated on the product package, is not an exagerration. Peter Kane/Frank Garcia’s “Wild Card” stands alongside other great card classics such as “Colour Monte”, “Out Of This World”, “Card Warp” and other great card tricks.

In effect, nine cards are displayed to consist of eight

9 of spades and one queen of hearts. With the queen of hearts as the “wild card”, this card magically causes all the other eight 9 of spades to change into queen of hearts. The transformation is quite visual as apparently both the faces and backs of all cards are shown. The effect has to be seen to appreciate its visual impact on the audience.

In this version by Maker Makers, you receive the nine special cards comprising 9 of spades and queen of hearts in red bicycle rider backs, a tutorial DVD and a niely printed sheet of visual instructions. The cards come with a nice vinyl carrying case.

The almost one-hour DVD features magician Gerry Griffin. He teaches:

1. The Classic Effect – a straight-forward

transformation of eight 9 of spades into queen of hearts.

2. The Classic Sequel – it is not known why this is called the sequel. It has the same effect as the classic except presented a little differently. Still, it should not be performed after the classic because of the similarity of the first effect.

3. 7 Card Stud – as the name suggests, only seven cards are involved. Once again, all the six 9 of spades are changed into the queen of hearts.

4. Gypsy Curse – same effect as the 7 Card Stud but with an interesting presentational story. A gypsy was swindled by a card crook and she put a curse on these 7 cards and all six 9 of spades become the queen of hearts. At the conclusion of the trick, the faces and backs of all the seven cards can be “freely” shown.

5. Flip Flash – four cards are shown to consist of three 9 of spades and one queen of hearts. Magically they become three queen of hearts and one 9 of spades. Finally the lone 9 of spades changes into the queen of hearts.

6. Quick Switch – four 9 of spades change into the queen of hearts one card at a time.

7. Acrobats – same effect as the Classic, but presented a little differently.

8. The final sectionof the DVD features the following sleights used in the various versions of the Wild Card. They include the Hamman Count, the Flustration Move, the Elmsley Count, and the Tunnel or “Through The Fist” Flourish. It does not include the Glide, which was taught briefly in the explanation of “The Classic Sequel”.

This is a worthwhile investment as you are supplied with all the props as well as taught all the necessary sleights needed to put together your own version of the classic card effect “Wild Card”. You may want to see Peter Samuelson’s emotional presentation where he relates the story of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

I love the “Wild Card” and I have my own version of this effect. It appeared in the September issue of The Quantum Ring. If you cannot locate this issue, contact me and I will give you the instructions in pdf.

Highly Recommended!

4 DIMENSIONAL TUNNEL by Trix

A long thin box-like tunnel has a slot running perpendicularly through its middle.

A bill is folded into sixths width-wise, and put through the slot in the middle of the tunnel. In this manner, a coin put through the opening at the top of the tunnel cannot fall right through because of the folded bill.

3 coins are dropped into the tunnel from the top. None of the coins fall through the tunnel because they are retained by the folded bill in the middle.

A magical gesture is made, and one coin falls

through the tunnel onto the table. The remaining 2 coins are poured out of the other end of the tunnel.

The 2 coins are picked up and put back into the tunnel from the top. Another magical gesture is made and one coin falls through. The last coin is poured out of the other end of the tunnel.

Once again, the final coin is dropped into the tunnel from the top. A magical gesture and it too falls through the tunnel.

3 coins, one at a time, penetrate the folded bill! At the end of the peformance, everything can be examined. Although the tunnel is gimmicked, no one can discover the secret even if it is closely examined.

You receive the well-made solid thin tunnel with a slot in the middle. Instructions are in the form of 2 printed sheets of paper. The bill and coins can be borrowed.

The tunnel does all the work for you. Once you get used to handling the tunnel, the illusion of the coins going through the folded bill is quite amazing. You only need to play with the tunnel for a short while and you will get the knack of using it.

The effect can be performed almost surrounded.

(Rated 4/5 stars).

THE BLUR by Mathieu Bich & Garrett Thomas

You will rub your eyes with disbelief after you have watched a performance of “The Blur”. So what is “The Blur”?

The effect in brief is that all the faces of the 51 cards in the deck become blur except for a freely chosen card, and then they turn back to become normal looking again.

Here is the effect in greater detail as the audience see it, so that you can decide if you like it.

The performer shows that a deck of cards consists of 52 different cards. He has a spectator touch any one of the face-up cards.

The spectator is told to focus on her chosen card. Suddenly, all the cards in the deck is shown to be blur looking, except for the chosen card, and the back design of the cards. There is even a blur Joker card. This card is taken out and put aside.

It is time for the performer to put things right. The deck of cards is held face downwards and the blur Joker is inserted into the middle of the deck in a perpendicular direction to the deck. The performer flicks his fingers onto the protruding Joker and it falls onto the table. When it lands on the table, the Joker face changes back to looking normal. The entire deck is turned face up and all the 52 cards now go back to looking normal.

You receive a specially printed deck of cards and an illustrated printed sheet of instructions.

The effect is easy to perform and does not require any sleight-of-hand. The spectator has quite a wide range of different cards to choose from. Except for the chosen card, all the other 51 cards can be shown to be blur. The 52 different cards can be shown to be normally printed at the start. The change of the faces of the cards is quite instanteous and visual.

Resetting the deck is easy. This, together with the fact that a spectator can choose different cards each time, make “The Blur” a very good trick to perform in table hopping.

The fact that people have never seen a blurry printed card makes “The Blur’ a novel effect to the audience. You are bound to get a very good reaction from your audience.

The negatives for “The Blur” is the deck itself. The deck is a one trick pony and cannot be used to perform other card tricks. The back design of this deck is proprietory to Tenyo. This means it is not possible to switch to a popular deck such as the bicycle deck used by most magicians so that they can continue performing other card effects after performing “The Blur”.

(Rated 4.5/5 starts)

DRAGSTER by Magic Smith

Dragster is a specially designed Hot Rod paddle effect.

The performer displays a small translucent rod that has 4 sides. There are 6 different colour spots on each of the 4 sides.

A spectator names any number from 1 to 6. The performer counts to the colour spot at that number. It is a red spot.

With a flick of the rod, all the 6 spots now turn to red in colour, on each of the 4 sides.

With another shake of the rod, they change back to the 6 different colours. Another move with the rod and the spots all change back to red colour. The rod is taken into the fist of one hand. When the hand is opened, the rod has vanished! It is reproduced from the performer’s pocket. This rod, with all the spots in red colour on 4 sides, can be given out for examination.

You receive the special 4 sided translucent rod, and another similar rod with red spots on all 4 sides to be switched out for examination at the end of the performance. You also receive a printed sheet of instructions as well as a video CD.

This “hot rod” is different from the classical hot rod in the following ways:

1. The audience can see the colour spots on all 4 sides. In the usual hot rod, the colour spots are on the front and back of the rod only.

2. There is no need for the spell force. The spectator can freely name any number from 1 to 6, including “1” and “6”, and they will get the force colour.

3. There is a switch-out rod for examination.

This specially designed rod is constructed based on Lubor Fielder’s principle used in his Shock Dice. The illusion that you can see all 4 sides is truly fantastic.

With this specially constructed rod, all the usual moves you use with a paddle, such as the paddle move, rotation change, shake change, and snap change, take on the a new level of deception. These various moves are explained in the short video CD. You use them in performing Dragster.

A most wonderful prop that enhances the paddle effect.

(Rated 5/5 stars).