Magic Review - Any Shuffled Deck, Self Working, Impromptu Miracles By Liam Montier
Title: Any Shuffled Deck, Self Working, Impromptu Miracles Format: DVD/Download Creator: Liam Montier Cost: $30.00 Skill Level: Beginner Run Time: 127 Min or 2 hours 7 min Available from: http://bigblindmedia.com/ Magicians Choice Rating: 3.5 – 4
At this point it should be obvious that I pretty much love everything that Liam Montier puts out. This DVD is no exception.
There are 10 effects on this DVD all taught by Liam Montier. The production quality is fantastic as usual. Each effect is broken down into 3 sections. Performance, explanation, and there is a notes section after the explanation of each effect where Liam gives tips regarding the performance and crediting of the effect. I think this is a great addition to the project. Liam is an excellent teacher and he demonstrates that again here.
Every routine starts from a borrowed shuffled deck, and the material as taught is all self working.
I don’t normally compare one DVD to another but I am finding it hard to not compare this to the Move Zero DVDs. The material on the project is great, and there are a few here that I will use. If you already own the Move Zero DVDs, or Destination Zero by John Bannon, and you are looking for more quality self working material to add to your repertoire, then you should pick this up.
My recommendation is that if you are looking for self working material to add to your repertoire, and you do not have any of John Bannon’s self working material, then pick that up first, then move on to this project. I say that because I think that the quality of trick construction and method used in John Bannon’s work is stronger.
I don’t want it to sounds as if I don’t like this DVD. I do like it, and I have been having fun sharing some of these effects with friends. The material is solid and easy to do. By putting the limitations of any shuffled deck, and self working on this project you there has to be a little trade off to get to the ending you want.
Some of the effect have a little more dealing than I like, and I believe that is just to make the effect fit into the restrictions that Liam has put on this project. Sometimes when you take all the sleight of hand out of an effect, you must deal the cards, or setup the deck, and that can sometimes take some of the POW out of the effect. Liam has managed to keep these effects strong AND have them fit into the restrictions. Great Job Liam!
My favorite effects from this DVD are:
Mates
Jacks Poker
Salto Triumph
These are just the ones that stood out to me and that I have been playing around with the most.
Overall this is solid project with good material that I think you will enjoy. I gave a 3.5 because I am comparing it to John Bannon’s Move Zero DVD and his Destination Zero Book. By itself I think it is a 4 out of 5. When you have the time check this project out.
Contents:
Interstellar OOTW
This starts out as a simple card location, but after the performer identifies the selected card, the two spectators identify and separate all the red and black cards. This is an attempt to get into Paul Curry’s OOTW from a borrowed shuffled deck. This is a quite bold setup that happens in front of the spectators after the first card is selected.
Mates
The deck is shuffled and 3 predictions are reversed in the deck. A card is selected and the 3 reversed cards tell the magician what the selected card is. They also tell the performer how far away the mates are in each pile. At the end a 4 of a kind has been located from a shuffled deck.
This is one of the best effects on this DVD.
Gemini Location
Three spectators deal down to cards and remember their card. Though techniques used for mind reading the cards are found. The first spectator’s card is found based on based on body language, the second from the sound of their voice, and the third a combination of the two previous methods.
Silly Questions
Through a set of random questions, and the plunger principle, the selected card is located.
Wheel of Fortune
Using the playing cards to tell fortunes. The deck is shuffled. The performer removes a card and places it in the card box. The spectator deal cards into a circle. Spectator picks a number. The card box is moved around the circle of cards equal to the number and a reading is given for the card at that number. A second prediction is made to tell the future. The card box is moved around the circle the opposite way and a reading is given on that card. In the end the 2 cards in the box match the cards stopped at by the spectator. Nice effect, it seems a little easy to back track for me.
Jacks Poker
Deck is shuffled. Performer drops groups of cards to the table until the spectator says stop. Once stopped the performer takes the next 5 cards and gives them to the spectator as a poker hand. The spectator looks at the cards and thinks of the one card that would improve their hand.
Salto Triumph
From a shuffled deck the cards are cut into two piles. A pile for the spectator and a pile for the performer. A card is chosen from each pack and returned to the opposite pack. The cards are shuffled face up into face down. The cards are spread to reveal that all the cards are facing the same way, except the 2 selections. Very easy, and very magical.
Last to turn up
Spectator deals 3 hands of 5 cards, and then selects a card. The card is placed onto one of the packets. The piles are gathered up into one pile. Cards are dealt face up and face down, until there is only one card remaining. It is the selected card.
Invisible Dice
The cards are shuffled and the performer sets one card aside. The performer introduces an invisible die for the spectator to roll to determine a number. Cards are shown to the spectator and they are to remember the card that was at the random number that was rolled on the invisible die. The cards are then put back into the deck, and the deck is shuffled. The performer reveals the card that they previously set aside and the spectator decided where that card should be returned. The remembered card is next to where the performers card was returned in the deck.
One over the eight
3 spectators are invited to shuffle the deck. The performer places a card off to the side. Through a series of shuffles, selections, and dealing the group arrives at a card. The card they arrive at is the mate of the predicted card. This is a nice effect but there is a lot of dealing and shuffling going on.