talkmagic.co.uk

by **MarcLavelle** » Dec 20th, '06, 22:01

pcwells wrote:I remember buying a Svengali deck when I was about ten or twelve years old. It was actually marketed under the paul Daniels range. I loved it back then and thought it absolutely ingenious, but haven't given them much thought since. Might revisit it as another one of those props to dig me out of a hole if somebody insists on me doing a card trick (which I normally dislike doing).

Incidentally, does anyone know if you can get customised Svengali decks for use with established other reveals that require the force of a specific card? If I wanted a Svengali deck that favours the four of clubs, for example?

Pete

you CAN request, at some stores, but Im afraid I cant think of which ones :oops:

I know they come with different card, as i have two Bike Svens(one not even used) and a mirage, all with different force cards... ask in store for details, is your best bet mate.

Most custom decks are simple altered from standard decks... so they should use all cards to make a multitude of decks during production...

by **MarcLavelle** » Dec 20th, '06, 22:04

rvoice100 wrote:cmon brother dont get stressed. enjoy the banter!!!

svengalis suck lol jk

Im a rookie paintballer... I ALWAYS enjoy the banter!

by **rvoice100** » Dec 20th, '06, 23:13

mark lewis wrote:Dearie me, dearie me. There appear to be a lot of children

ooooohhh well arn't you the patronising one

here who are not well versed in the magical arts.

were not talking about magical arts were talking about that deck that is in every kids magic set and a quarter of the world population know about

The sticky stuff I am referring to is roughing fluid.

maybe you should let it dry first, if its sticky then you are using it wrong maybe a quick lesson in 'magical arts' will help you

This interferes with the smooth handling of the deck and is a bloody nuisance. If the stuff wears off as this Gurkha personage admits then what is the point of having it there in the first place? If it is going to end up as a svengali deck in the end it shouldn't have been interfered with in the first place.

The rvoice 100 person is incorrect. You CAN ribbon spread a svengali deck! Of course you can! What is stopping you? If you do so face upwards they show all the same card and if you do so face down and turn them over domino fashion they will be all different. If you want to spread them face upwards and show them to be all different you use the Lambert Spread which of course none of you will even have heard about because your knowledge of the svengali deck is limited.

why bother spending money and time learning this lambert spread if i can buy the mirage deck for the same money and not need to learn a sleight to do it

If you wish to force a card with the svengali deck I would urge you to eschew that silly move where you run them from hand to hand and utter that awful phrase "tell me when to stop". Instead ribbon SPREAD the cards face down even though rvoice tells you it is impossible.

i actually meant spreading them face up is impossible but hey

Ask the spectator to pick one. He can only pick the force card because they all fall in pairs. Or at least they will if you read my book.

No. The advantages of the Mirage are merely a mirage. Stick to the svengali deck.

the advantages of the mirage are the same as in my previous posts,
mirage 1
svengali 0

:twisted:

by **MarcLavelle** » Dec 20th, '06, 23:24

rvoice100 wrote:
mark lewis wrote:Dearie me, dearie me. There appear to be a lot of children

ooooohhh well arn't you the patronising one

here who are not well versed in the magical arts.

were not talking about magical arts were talking about that deck that is in every kids magic set and a quarter of the world population know about

The sticky stuff I am referring to is roughing fluid.

maybe you should let it dry first, if its sticky then you are using it wrong maybe a quick lesson in 'magical arts' will help you

This interferes with the smooth handling of the deck and is a bloody nuisance. If the stuff wears off as this Gurkha personage admits then what is the point of having it there in the first place? If it is going to end up as a svengali deck in the end it shouldn't have been interfered with in the first place.

The rvoice 100 person is incorrect. You CAN ribbon spread a svengali deck! Of course you can! What is stopping you? If you do so face upwards they show all the same card and if you do so face down and turn them over domino fashion they will be all different. If you want to spread them face upwards and show them to be all different you use the Lambert Spread which of course none of you will even have heard about because your knowledge of the svengali deck is limited.

why bother spending money and time learning this lambert spread if i can buy the mirage deck for the same money and not need to learn a sleight to do it

If you wish to force a card with the svengali deck I would urge you to eschew that silly move where you run them from hand to hand and utter that awful phrase "tell me when to stop". Instead ribbon SPREAD the cards face down even though rvoice tells you it is impossible.

i actually meant spreading them face up is impossible but hey

Ask the spectator to pick one. He can only pick the force card because they all fall in pairs. Or at least they will if you read my book.

No. The advantages of the Mirage are merely a mirage. Stick to the svengali deck.

the advantages of the mirage are the same as in my previous posts,
mirage 1
svengali 0

by **Markdini** » Dec 20th, '06, 23:29

[quote =rvoice100]"why bother spending money and time learning this lambert spread if i can buy the mirage deck for the same money and not need to learn a sleight to do it "[/quote]

Are you saying learning a sleight is not worth doing if there is a gimmick that can do it for you?

by **MarcLavelle** » Dec 20th, '06, 23:34

Mark, you have a very good point, bet thatss another discusion all together... we could get into a 'is the svengali's only real trick 'to show the whole deck as the same card'? where the others can easily be done by a proficiant card manipulator'

i think this has just turned to harmless banter.

by **Markdini** » Dec 20th, '06, 23:37

A very good point my friend and this is being debated on another thread as we speak. How comes only two people said it was a good review?!?

by **rvoice100** » Dec 20th, '06, 23:49

Markdini wrote:[quote =rvoice100]"why bother spending money and time learning this lambert spread if i can buy the mirage deck for the same money and not need to learn a sleight to do it

Are you saying learning a sleight is not worth doing if there is a gimmick that can do it for you?

nope, not at all. im saying if you are using a heavily gimmiked deck like the svengali which cant be examined why not use a pumped up version which will do it for you and still not be able to be examined.

hope that makes sense.

IMO you have benefits to gain from using a mirage over a sven and nothing to loose

by **Markdini** » Dec 20th, '06, 23:54

I think I follow

by **mark lewis** » Dec 21st, '06, 01:33

The svengali deck CAN be examined.

by **rvoice100** » Dec 21st, '06, 09:18

may i ask how?

by **MarcLavelle** » Dec 21st, '06, 12:53

take half the cards out.

oh yeah, what IS the reason for only having 48 cards in there??

just curious, as the mirage has 52....

by **seige** » Dec 21st, '06, 13:04

I'm really not quite sure how much real-world experience you guys have had, but quite frankly I'm shocked at this post.

I've done effects which happen IN THE HANDS of the spectator with a Sven. Cutting, fanning and even taking random cards—it's all quite possible.

The Svengali deck is a very understated tool. In the hands of an amateur, it's nothing more than a forcing deck, a one-trick-pony.

However, with a creative and experienced mind, it's a gateway to almost self-working miracles.

And Mark and I have also had the Sven/Mirage debate before... LISTEN to Mark, he knows of what he speaks.

In conclusion, I fear a Mirage deck is merely a bastardised Sven which makes for a more confident performance by a beginner, as I've said before in the forum.

by **rvoice100** » Dec 21st, '06, 13:06

i dont doubt he knows what he is talking about, in my opinion though i still think you have extra advantages with a mirage over a sven.

by **magicmonkey** » Dec 21st, '06, 13:16

guys, when you've figured out how to get a spec to handle, nay, shuffle a rough deck, please be good enough to let me know.
Cheers

Merry Christmas

MM

talkmagic.co.uk

Svengali deck

Who is online