In a previous post Highvoltage asked the question about what to do when a spectator asks to examine his deck. He indicated that he has many tricks in which he uses gimmicked cards and letting the spectator examine the cards is not possible. I very rarely use gimmicked cards and I'm curious as to what card tricks using gimmicked cards that people consider indispensable. So please list the trick and what the effect is. Tricks such as Brainwave, Twisted Sister, Skinner's Monte, Cardtoon and the Invisible Deck, are pretty well known so I wouldn't need you to describe the effect but if it is a rather recent invention or perhaps not that well known, please list the effect. I would also be interested in what type of situation you use the effect, close up, stage, walk-around, etc.

Steve

Hey Steve!
While it might not be indispensible, I've been using a routine from Mark Mason's company http://www.jbtv.co.uk/ called Matchbox, which has been a lot of fun to do in strolling situations. I went so far as to buy a new one after I accidentally put a mercury fold into the gaff. I guess that says something about how much I like it. You can view a video of the routine at the above website.
See you soon!
Ed

Hmm.. I do lots... almost to inumberable to count.. but my favorites..

De Ja Vu Deck - David Regal.
Magicians Poker - Martin Harris.
Direct Current - My own.
NFW - Gary Freed.
Strangers Gallery - John Bannon.
Twisted Sister - John Bannon.

Those are just some. They are all walk around, or close-up.

In my mind there are no gaffs that are truly indispensable. Nothing against gaffs; many are well worth carrying around and switching out for, etc. But none are actual necessities.

Just double facers for Aniversary Waltz and McDonalds Aces. The only other gaff cards I take out at the moment are the Invisible Deck, now that one is truly indispensible. Ooh, and Twisted Sisters, so B'wave too.
But I'm learning Quartet (Guy Hollingworths gimmicked card, with a variety of routines) at the moment, and I imagine I'll be living with that one too.
Paul

How about Michael Skinner's Ultimate 3 Card Monte!

Nobody uses josh jays overlap?

There so much you can do with just one little card....

I have to agree with Scorch. Some gimmicks are fantastic but ideally, good magicians should be able to survive without.

Having said that, I am not a professional performing magician by any stretch of the imagination. If I were, I think I'd always have an Invisible Deck with me as a backup for when I screw up!

Syd

The only one I use (and wouldn't do without) is Ultimate 3 card monte (and no one has *ever* asked to see the cards... I think they're just too amazed).

Regards, Steve

Hello Steve,

There is no doubt that gaffs can produce some wonderful card magic. I'm thinking of MacDonalds Aces, some of Gerry Griffin's effects from his 'Lucky 7's DVD's and a gaffed set of cards called Rainbow Cascade. This is a colourful version of Roy Waltons Cascade card mystery and it looks very magical. But for all that, I still value sleight of hand card magic from a shuffled deck in use above any gaffs. Relying on sleights you can still use a small packet from the deck for magical effects like Bro' Hammonds Gemini Twins, Hoffzingers All Backs and Paul Harris's Reset. These can be performed without a gaff in sight. And its all examinable afterwards of course.

Best Regards,

Paul H

Wild Card. A friend who is a very skilled and clever sleight-of-hand man was telling me about a performance for a private party. I asked him what the audience liked best. The answer: Wild Card.

Wild card is an essential effect that can only be done well with gaffs.

My favorite version is "Seven Card Monte" from Garcias's Wild Card book. It is stunning visually and you seem to show all of the fronts and backs at the end. I have also been fooling with Dean Dill's handling where all cards can be examined at the end. I also do "Wada Wild Card" as a quicky part of a rountine that leads into "Paradigm Shift", which is examinable.

Best regards,
Glenn Godsey

Hi Glenn,

As I'm sure you know, Gerry Griffin has since evolved paradigm shift into 'Queens Out Of Control'. Gerry sent me Paradigm shift and Queens Out Of Control. They both produce a great sequence of magical surprises, at least in my opinion. As you say, they are fully examinable at the end and a worthy addition to a magical routine. Thanks for reminding me.

In some ways, producing a wallet containing a small packet of gaffed card gets round the problem of the 'can I examine the cards please?'. Firstly, the fact that they appear from a wallet suggests they are special and this can, of itself, inhibit the question. Secondly, use of the wallet allows for a trick wallet to be used where a very easy switch can be utilised. This is one way of dealing with a tricky situation.

Regards,

Paul H

I agree whole heartedly agree about Wild Card. (of course!!) Through all the research I had done (and continue to do) prior to developing and releasing my handling, I have yet to find a non-gimmicked handling that can match the stunning effect you get by using gimmicked cards.One magic luminary after seeing my routine (someone who was fairly recently the guset of honor on the Café) commented that "you'd swear you've seen both sides of every card. Can you do that again?" You can't do wild card anywhere near as cleanly with any non-gimmicked of the non-gimmicked routines I have found.

I believe to use whatever it takes to get the job done. a true gaft can not or should not be noticed or it wouldn't be a gaft. Guy Hallingsworth's Quartette is a killer that really does the job.

I agree that Queens out of Control is great, and I like the Bannon version of Wild Card, Call of the Wild....

Hi Tom,

If I'm not much mistaken, you have developed an 'in the hands' version of Wild Card. I purchased it a few days ago and am eagerly awaiting delivery especially after all the great press.

Regards,

Paul H

Paul H.

First of all thanks for purchasing the DVD and yes you are correct about it being an in the hands version of wild card. David Acer has a nice synopsis of the routine in his review on the my lovely assitant web site.

Please let me know what you think of the routine when you get it. Thanks again.- Tom

B*Wave - Phil Goldstein

I carry "Queens Out of Control" and "Visible Invisibility" everywhere I go, and a gaff effect I created called "ZipperCard", which is just a pretty lookin revelation. Ellusionist's black tiger gaff deck has a little voodoo doll card(s) I use often as well, but that involves "swallowing" nails and destroying a card. Probably one of the strongest card effects I do, though.
Cheers!

I carry "Kickback" which as an effect I find suprisingly strong, despite it being simple

Im getting NFW soon too, so that may very well join my list