Magazine Reviews
THE TWISTER, SILVER WHERE?
and PYRAMID
Reviewed by Mark Leveridge
in magicseen
Issue 5

THE TWISTER - Stephen Tucker's effects are often short, visual and cunning! TWISTER is a perfect example of his thinking. A pile of four face down cards are spread to reveal that the bottom card is a face up JS. The pile is squared and twisted 180 degrees before being spread again to reveal that now the bottom face up card has changed to the JD! Another twist and the JH, and following that the JC, are seen to be the face up bottom card. Reaching into his pocket the magician removes four further cards explaining that these are the four Aces. However, on dealing them out on to the table, they are seen to be the four Jacks! So what does the performer have in his hands? Not the four Jacks as just shown but the four Aces which are dealt out one at a time. All the cards can be examined.

This routine is based on an effect called 'Drunken Black Jack' by Bob King and Stephen's version is made possible by a simple little card gimmick. Armed with this and a few regular Bicycle cards (you need to supply all the regular cards), you are set to work this surprising routine. There are some bad angles at one point and so if you intend to work this commercially you may need to consider your surroundings before trying it, but for any performance where the audience is seated in front of you there should be no problems. Only one sleight and one small move are required, so you just need to be able to handle a few cards confidently and cleanly. The fact that all the cards on the table at the finish are examinable is a strong point and you are left with nothing to conceal. You can work this standing or sitting.

The method is clearly explained in the one page of A4 instructions which includes a sprinkling of colour diagrams. The fact that this routine can be described on one A4 side of paper shows that the handling is not very complex. This is a quick and surprising card effect that should please those who buy it. (£12.00)

SILVER WHERE? - This is a great title for a trick in which a spoon and a fork magically change places! There have been one or two variations on this theme and most require gimmicks which are fixed in position by magnets. Unfortunately, this leads to some unwanted 'talking' at vital moments in the routine, and so Stephen Tucker has come up with a really simple yet very practical method which eliminates all talk and yet which still does exactly the job required.

You are supplied with a nice quality matching stainless steel fork and spoon, plus a gimmick. This gimmick will allow you to apparently show that the fork is the spoon and yet quickly and easily it can be 'converted' back into a fork leaving everything to be examined. There is virtually no re-set and it would be ideal for work in restaurants as it might look as if you have picked up a fork and spoon from one of the tables in the venue to perform with, thus reducing the suspicion that the fork and spoon are special in any way. It's also great for table work as the effect is quick and visible since everything happens up in the hands.

You will learn this effect in a few minutes and should be able to perform it for an audience after a relatively short period of practice. The main thing to look out for in performance is to ensure that the audience clearly understand the exact positions of the fork and spoon prior to their transposition, because if this is not stressed enough at the outset, the audience will fail to understand what has happened.

The instructions accurately describe on a single A4 sheet the handling required and there are 5 line diagrams to help with the explanation. All in all I think, this is a good product which could well be useful to both amateur and professional performers. (£15.00)

(NEW!) PYRAMID - Here is a very easy to do lightweight mental effect using unusual props. Three plastic jeweller's ring boxes are placed out on the table. Three laminated cards are displayed without showing their faces and one of the cards is slipped into the performer's pocket by way of a prediction. A spectator mixes up the ring boxes on the table while the performer looks away and then indicates a box which he is handed. Reaching into his pocket the performer removes the prediction card placed there earlier and turns it over to reveal a picture of a ring on it. When the spectator opens his chosen box he finds inside a ring! The other two boxes are opened to reveal a pyramid in one and a dice in the other. The performer says he is glad the spectator chose the ring because he can't draw pyramids or dice - and the other two prediction cards are flipped over to reveal that they are totally blank.

Despite the fact that there is no force of box, the prediction is always correct and the method is extremely simple. All the props are supplied and while perhaps not being of the very highest quality, are adequate for the job. There is no re-set. It's debatable whether you would want to carry this around with you for table work as the boxes are quite large (about 1.5 inches square) and there are three of them. Also one jacket pocket needs to be reasonably free to hold the cards during the presentation. But as a performance piece I can imagine the hobbyist magician being very happy with the ease of method and the novelty of the props.

The instructions are supplied on a single sheet of A4 paper and perfectly adequately describe all that you need to know to perform this effect. Not a world beating mystery, but a nice new effect to entertain the family and friends. (£15.00)

Internet Forum Review
E-OMEGA
Reviewed by John Clarkson
(Palm Springs, California; USA)
on MagicBunny.co.uk
(England's Premier Magic Forum)

http://www.magicbunny.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=213528#213528

Examinable: Yes.
Difficulty: Very easy.
Out of 10: 9/10.

Comments: (I realize after I wrote my comments that they sound like an advertisement. They aren't. I have no financial or personal interest in Omega. I just think it's a great trick. Those of you who know me realize I am not usually effusive with praise. OK, I'm a bit dour at times, to be truthful. You may ask why I only gave it a 9 out of 10. The answer is simple: I only award 10s if sexual favors are provided.)

I love it! I even have a use for it. This one definitely will not sit in the drawer. It is easy enough that I can focus on presentation, but requires just enough very simple sleight of hand that I actually feel like I have earned the applause I get at the end of the effect. It's one of those tricks that's not just amazing to the audience; it's also fun to perform. I've presented it to half a dozen medium-sized groups and about a dozen individuals or couples. Each time I have gotten either audible gasps or spontaneous applause. That simply doesn't happen often with card tricks.

The description is accurate. There are no gaffs or gimmicks. You end up completely clean. The directions you receive when you purchase Omega include several variations. One of the things I appreciate about Omega is that it lets you easily modify it to fit your own taste. For example, I use ideas from the first variation (Omega Plus, provided with the instructions) and only show a reversed card in the first packet but do not show that the reversed card has a different colored back or that the face can "disappear." I present Omega as a demonstration of the difference between a trick and a miracle. The packet that is put out of sight is the trick (and, therefore, I de-emphasize it somewhat); the packet that has been in full sight and untouched from the beginning (I.e., before the spectator reveals which card (s)he has thought of) is the miracle.

I ordered the e-version to save myself a few pounds and because I wanted to receive it (by e-mail) quickly. If you order the full version, you will be supplied the directions and the necessary cards. Since the cards are completely normal (four regular Bike aces, one Bee (all-over backed card) and five Blank-face cards on Bike stock), I'd suggest you order the e-version and use the money you save to buy an entire deck (or two) of blank-face cards.

Don't pass this one up. You'll have fun with it, and, just as importantly, you will please your audience with Omega. (e-version... £10.00)

(Mail order version supplied with 10 cards... £15.00)

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