My response to this review:

1. Nowhere in the book do you have to deal out three piles of cards nine times.

2. Each face of the Tarot cards is a large graphic that is the same size of the card. The images are easy to see. No effect requires 11 deals.

3. The book was edited by Matt Field one of the most experienced and respected editors in the field.

4. If there are typos missed, please let me know where they are so they can be corrected.

5. None of the photos are upside down: please advise which photos you are referring to and on what pages.

6. Expert memorized deck users (e.g., Mike Close, Nick Pudar and others) all agree this method stacks the deck much faster than any other.

Here's what another has to say:

Another unsolcited rave review from a purchaser:

"There's some high octane, mind boggling mambo-jumbo cooking between the covers of this treatise. Seriously. I received my copy a couple of weeks back and am properly impressed with what Mr. Farmer hath wrought. It has taken me some time to absorb the material and I am currently awaiting the arrival of a certain something that is recommended-but-not-required to facilitate feats of fantastical mind-frying magic. Oh, and since I never jumped on board when Tsunami first hit the shores way on way back when, I find myself wondering why not... Must have been in a coma that day. Glad I got better and that Bob tucked it inside as a bonus."

1. In tarodiction, deal pentacles 1x, deal swords 3x, pentacles 2x, pentacles 3x = 9
2. The card graphic is not clearly seen ribbon spread left to right. To see clearly, you need to spread with any overlap or singularly. The other option I used was to spread front to back, audience to performer, this way the text of the card is visible. Unfortunately that font is not very clear so you have to step through each card to show the match.
Correct it does not require 11 deals. It requires 9. My other option to spreading cards was to deal the two suits one at a time face up, performer and audience member. That's two more deals. =11
3 No disrespect intended to the editor. My comments are objective.
4 Tarodiction remains a good example. Page 34, step 4. I believe you mean pentacles not swords.
5 Page 32, the 8 card is upside down.
6. It is faster but at what cost. I can give away the cards at the end of a memorized sequence but not with cards marked like this. However, I do appreciate the info on types of markers to use, color, brand etc.

1. I repeat: nowhere in the book do you have to deal out three piles of cards 9 times or 11 times. Your math is very odd.

2. They are tarot cards not playing cards, so you work with what they require, i.e., showing each face.

3. You said there was no editor, even though his name appears prominently on the first page. What else have you missed or misread? Your comments are obviously not objective, they are your opinion and that's subjective. Your assessment is the only negative comment I've received. Perhaps this trick is just not for you. It happens. There are tricks that just don't work for me.

4. No idea what you mean.

5. The cards are marked at each end. It's obvious each end is different. You said there were numerous typos and mistakes. So far, you haven't been able to support that claim. I don't mind criticism, but it should be based in facts not inflated claims of error.

6. I guess if giving away cards is a key part of the trick, you're right.

When someone claims, as you did, that an objective assessment reveals the entire book is poorly written, it's fair to ask whether your assessment of poor writing is credible.

You wrote, "The card graphic is not clearly seen ribbon spread left to right."

What you meant to say was, "When the tarot cards are ribbon spread left to right, the full face of the card cannot be seen."

Yes, that's true--they are tarot cards, after all.

Then you wrote, "To see clearly, you need to spread with any overlap or singularly."

You meant to say, "To see each tarot card clearly, the cards must be spread without any overlap." I have no idea what you meant when you said they must be spread, "with any overlap or singularity."

Perhaps, English is not your first language: if so, I can make an allowance for that, but you should inform your reader that's the case.

Whatever dude. I'm not the one selling a book

Potential buyers should also know that if you mark the deck to stack for a memorized deck, that is the only thing you can accomplish. You can't perform any of the effects in the book. For that, you would need a second deck marked accordingly.

Hint: It's also an amazing way to pack other stack/s that haven't been memorized into a deck.
Another possibility is half stack work.

The Dude abides.

Jeff Bridges is here?


Dave

Just to note, since it's something I'm doing: it's possible to have multiple effect on the same deck. Bob gives his marking methods which, if you don't get creative about it, yeah... the marks likely utilize the same area of the card. But all one really needs to convey is "which pile does it go in?" It took only a few minutes for me to come up with alternate markings for various effects that could work in tandem: the 2 deal/8 pile full deck sort (to take my deck to stack); a full deck 4 deal/3 pile sort (to take my deck to a different full-deck order); and 10 cards are additionally coded for something of my own making.

My two additional marking strategies (beyond the 2 deal/8 pile one Bob mentions, which I use for that one) are subtle enough that, surprisingly, they don't really make the work any more noticeable.

That's a great idea! Less information is needed for the piles and more information is needed for the value/suit. In my next book, due out next week, The Bammo Gaffus Maximus, I've included, "Markus Maximus," a marking system for value, suit and stack number. Combining that with the line system (placed elsewhere on the back), you'd have a lot of information.

The question for me when it comes to marked decks is, are the marks easy to see for the performer who is unable to see tiny marks at a quick glance as with many of the older marking systems ?

The marks he suggested aren't as fine as, say, the Ultimate Marked Deck. And there are a few different marking methods presented in the book and addendum. Some are more obvious than others. But, the thing to note is: it's the concept that is the huge help. Once you have that down (and have purchased the recommended markers or come up with an alternate way of marking--although the markers are fantastic) then you can make whatever marks you want, however large you want, wherever you want--as long s said marks relate the necessary information.

I have an even more advanced marking system, "Markus Maximus," which allows for value, suit and stack number. It's in my new book, The Bammo Gaffus Maximus--details to follow soon.

As to whether the marks are obvious: they are obvious to the performer, but not to the audience. Why is this? See:

http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/videos.html

Yuki Kadoya, one of Japan's leading magicians, has done a review of The Bammo Tarodiction Toolbox. With his kind permission, it follows.


Few weeks ago, I received Canada’s unique and innovative magic creator, Mr. Bob Farmer’s latest work “The Bammo Tarodiction Tool Box” (Every Trick in the Book, Inc, 2017).

He is the man who no needs an introduction in magic world. Even he is a lawyer by profession, he created many good effects last 3 decades like “The Bammo Monte Monster” “The Bammo Card Walloper” “Alice’s Revenge” “Cyclops” “Hand O’Doom” “Headhunter” “Deja-VooDoo” “Nothing to lose”……too many to count.His last book, 400+ pages Encyclopedia of “10 Card Poker Deal” named “The Bammo Ten Card Deal Dossier”(Magicana, 2015) became a topic of conversation in magician’s world.

His 27-year-old booklet on cheating “Beat 'Em, Cheat 'Em, Leave 'Em Bleedin’ " (Every Trick in the Book, Inc., Distributed by Magic City, 1994) also really good. (He published this booklet under a pseudonym as “Mr. Big ’N’ Fast Bobby Knuckles”. This contents-rich booklet is a steal - just $5).

In first place, I really like his advertisement for this book. Whenever he releases his works, he created really strange and hilarious advertisement as Mr. Doc Dixon once wrote like this “I feel Bob Farmer is the J.Peterman of magic”. This book is no exception, too.This book’s ad. (he uses this ad. for front cover of this book, too) that designed by Liz Kaufman (Art Director of Genii magazine) looks so cool, but we can’t understand what is effect from his ad!

In this 131 pages book, he fully explains brand-new and ingenious system for secret card sorting process with some mathematical principle right in front of the spectator’s noses really quickly and devilishly, even spectator shuffled cards really well.
(When I read the introduction, one question pops in my mind - “Whoever realize that now-trendy Rubic cube magic can turn into card magic?”).

He explains this mathematical principle fully in Part 2 of this book (really interesting reading, even you don’t like math like me), but actually no need to understand this principle for performance. You just have to follow super easy card dealing / assembling maneuver, then miracle automatically happens. Period. No mental acrobatics, No sleight of hands, No calculations. You just concentrate on presentation and good audience management.

Once you try “A Simple Demonstration”, you’ll be amazed. Well-mixed face-down 5 cards (Ace to 5 of Diamonds) can sort into numerical order with quick card dealing process without looking face of cards. This demo looks like magic. Yes, I know that you feel really bored from this writing, but this is unbelievably fascinating practice session.

He (and contributors like Mr. Pate McCabe) created original 14 effects (and many interesting tips and ideas) with playing cards, ESP cards and tarot cards and explains everything clearly with his own fun and entertaining writing style.
He offers a broad range of effects - from Mock Gambling Demo, The Sympathetic Cards, Triumph to Bizarre-taste prediction. All effects are fun, amazing and really deceptive.

We are required to put secret “mark” on these cards for performance, but his clever and new marking method is really subtle. He offers all essential information about card marking that you can use for other purposes.

Yes, you need to do hustle for card marking, but you have to do this only once. He also offers treatment method for these cards fully so I believe you can use your prepared cards for a long time with his treatment method.

As you are aware, we need some space on the performance table for dealing cards, but he also offers “in-the-hands” mishmash style “shuffle” instead of “dealing cards” (this is a variation of Harry Lorayne and Lennart Green’s idea), so actually you don’t need for any table space for many effects.

All effects use not more than 15 cards, so dealing process is very quick. And presentation and clever construction of effect erase some fishy “mathematical” smell clearly. Apparently, possibility of this system is unlimited.
Maybe these effects are not suited for a restaurant gig or walk-around, but suited for formal performance and casual session with your magician friends.

I believe he and some clever minds in magic will create new amazing effects and applications with this unique principle in a very near future. All purchasers will receive future discoveries directly from Mr. Farmer as “Addendum” via email (Latest edition of this book has 131 pages included “Addendum 1 to 8” as I wrote this review in September 10, 2017).

If you are memorized deck user, he offers an amazing method for quick stacking from a shuffled full deck into any your favorite memorized deck or system deck order with this method in quite short record time - approx.2 mins.

When I start to read this section, I just remembered Brother John Hamman’s “The Chinese Shuffle” in “The Secrets of Brother John Hamman” by Richard Kaufman (Kaufman & Greenberg, 1989) and Darwin Ortiz’s “The Si Stebbins Secret” in “Darwin Ortiz At The Card Table” by Darwin Ortiz (Kaufman and Greenberg, 1988), but I think this method is much better than these methods because this method is quick, can use any stacks and no need to any setup (except card marking).

For a person who think this method still takes too much time, he also offers much more rapid men-deck stacking system in addendum 2 - just deal whole deck twice in approx.1.5 mins or less. Once you try these methods, you’ll be amazed again because these methods work like real magic! All we need is the good reason / justification for at least 2 mins card dealings.
I really enjoy all effects in this book, but I especially love “Macau Casino Shuffle #2” “Tarodiction 2” “Messcal Lite” “Pate’s Casinodiction” and “Tarodiction Tantalizer”.

“Tarodiction 1” and “2” are worthy of attention. These effects with tarot cards are really beautifully constructed and presentation that related to occultist Aleister Crowley works really well (and he offers really good advice for this performance, too)!.
I always feel not so many good trick with tarot appeared in magic - notable works come from T.A.Water, Max Maven, Stephen Minch, Eugene Burger, John Riggs, Jörg Alexander Weber, Pit Hartling, Jose Carroll, Alain Nu, Michihiro Matsuda….Not so many. So these effects are pleasing addition to magic with tarot cards category.

Through this book, one thing I can say is that we need to create good justification for card dealing process to fit our own personality. Even process itself can be done in short time. And for performance, we have to do nice and natural audience management. Once spectator miss dealing a card, you’ll screw up.

Yes, he just gives us this clever “tool box”. As for the rest, we have to figure out how to utilize these tools effectively. I believe some magicians will now begin to use this system cleverly and fool everyone so badly soon.

I’m sure $35 is a worthwhile investment for you at this point……But, hey wait, there’s more!

As a bonus, his first manuscript “Tsunami” reprinted in this book. This manuscript was long out-of-print and this is enlarged edition, so this is really good bonus for all reader.

When this manuscript released in 1987, one of my good friends showed me Tsunami and he fooled me so badly. Thanks goodness, he really kindly tip this manuscript to me, then I send International Money Order to him immediately.

Even I couldn’t understood what is the effect from ad. that printed on front cover of this manuscript as I told you before (Yes, you can read this funny and hilarious ad. in this book), but I already know this is devilishly clever and strong gambling themed mind reading effect. It feels like it was a great buy.

Unfortunately, I rarely seen that magician actually performed this effect. When lookers-on give this manuscript a once-over, it will be bored and feel illogical about performance situation. To tell the truth, It is not until you perform this that you realize this trick fool everyone included knowledgeable magicians and everything works so well.

Imagine this. I believe everyone passes through this path at least once or twice. - After your friend fool you so badly with some trick and kindly tip “The fact” to you, you rush back to home and dig the same trick that you just fooled from your dusty shelf. Then you feel bad about yourself and ask yourself like “why I don’t have good taste in choosing trick?”. I think this trick is a good example of that kind of scene.

Mr. Farmer himself fooled so many knowledgeable magicians last 30 years. He tip some funny stories to me. If you meet him in person, you have to ask this. You'll be surprised.

In this manuscript, he explains just one effect with several variations. Sorry, I’m not revealing the full effect because I always want to write a spoiler-free review, but I recommended you to study ALL methods and finesses, then you can choose suitable variation for your performance situation (even you can perform this effect impromptu). Actually, you can perform this trick twice with different methods at the same venue. Even you do so, your spectator will be no way to reconstruct this effect. This is just the way my friend fooled me so badly and author himself recommended. All I can say is “Try it, you’ll like it”.
Just so you know, some variation has really tiny risks attached - just 7.75%. However, he also offers clever fail-safe system for covering this 7.75% situation.

In fact, this variation actually saved me well several time when I faced to challenge situation at the performance venue.

Of course, this trick requires no sleight of hands (but still is not mechanical).

In this edition, he added 2 new variations and both are a very good thing. One variation appeared on his own widely spread email in all over the world dated November 14th 2003 and later appeared on Genii Magazine February 2004 as a one installment of his well-known “Film-Flam” article. This variation is mostly for English speaker, but really clever.

Other variations named “A card that lies, A deck that tells the truth” is recent my favorite. I really enjoy this presentation and this one can fool everybody.

This manuscript is worth reading, too.

I highly recommended this book for any magicians, especially serious cardmen, mathe-magicians and mentalists.You can spend fun time with this new toolbox and old strong mentalism with playing cards.

If you already enjoyed his works, this book also must-buy. If you don’t know any his works, it doesn’t hurt to buy it because you can learn some devilishly clever tricks.

If you want to get this manuscript, contact him directly (BammoMagic@cogeco.ca) because this book available exclusively from him.

Just received my copy today of The Bammo Gaffus Maximus. Have not had time to read it, just flip through. It is vast and deep. Knowing Bob Farmer, this looks to be everything the ad claims it to be.

I've managed to create the deck in the very beginning (so yea, now I have a whole lot of cards ready to be peeled for custom gaffs!)


Dave

That deck, as you'll see, has any uses, however, the very first trick explained, is a killer.

Did anybody try any effects with letters instead normal cards? Would be interesting to get to a word after the spectator has thoroughtly shuffled the deck. For example reveal a name, a card, the alphabet in order, and so on... We can talk about a secret mesagge, encrypting, enigma, Touring...

Some other ideas with a deck of cards could be, after the shuffles of course, reveal spectators telephone number, birthdate, any date, any page on a book for a book test.... there are endless possibilities.

More ideas, we can get other random orders, like so: not considering the marks from left to right or right to left, but from the middle card to the right.... or from the middle to the left..., or letf, right and middle,,,, this opens many doors to create new efects or orders.

Did anybody try to make the marks more little? Perhaps not a complete line, but just one petal or so? I'm refferring to copic red or blue marks, not white.

Those are good ideas.