talkmagic.co.uk

The Effect: 18+, a collection of "Card Cocktails"

Cost: £6.00 plus P&P

From: Cards4magic - http://www.cards4magic.co.uk/acatalog/N ... ST_IN.html - and scroll down until you find it just below John Kennedy’s Mindpwer Deck.

Difficulty: 1 to 3
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)

Examinable: Yes. And No. Depends on which one you’re doing!

The Blurb: A collection of card cocktails for the bar magician, table hopper or close up performer. Some of the routines are self working others require a small amount of skill, comes with a 24 page booklet of routines and the 18 cards. The drinks used are: Milk, Cider, Rum, Coke, Port, Lager, Vodka, Coffee, Brandy, Lime, Orange

Review: This is actually a very nice collection of self working and easy to do card routines, some of which are taken from existing routines with ordinary cards and given a twist by using cards with the names and pictures of drinks on them – plus one card with the booze bill! As such it seems a refreshing change from doing ‘card tricks’. My main gripe would be that the cards supplied are press cut out of a sheet and have a slight lip on one side rather like a very shallow tray. This means the cards don’t slide across each other as they ought to but a little work with a piece of wet & dry paper soon smoothes them all off. The cards are supposed to have been treated so that moisture (i.e. spilt Newcastle Brown!) will wipe off but I wouldn’t bank on them resisting total immersion. Treat them with as much care as your favourite Bikes and you’ll be OK.

The routines themselves are good and are mainly self working, mathematical, or spelling type effects where you can work on a good presentation once you’ve got the basic moves sorted. A couple of gaffed cards are involved at times, others require a few sleights but nothing knuckle busting. Although some are taken from tricks with ordinary cards, since there is now a choice of perhaps up to 9 cards as opposed to just 4 suits, the tricks are expanded and therefore more mystifying. Rather neatly there are 18 cards, 18 tricks, and they’re intended for 18+ environments. Most will be just as happy elsewhere but perhaps not all would be welcome at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Various combinations of the cards are used and there are ideas and details of sleights which you might be able to use in other card effects. The booklet is well printed and the instructions are easy enough to follow. In the right hands, using this collection to entertain in a pub or bar atmosphere could mean free drinks for life!


Value for money: 8 out of 10
C.U.P.S.Rating: 6 out of 10

Excellent review, Mandrake.

I was slightly disappointed with the cards, not because of any "lip" (although I haven't examined them closely), but because of their feel.

One thing I'd add is that there are alternate handlings for some routines, so that you can use alcohol cards, or just soft drinks.

because of their feel

Yup! They tend to feel like rectangles of card - rather than playing cards - with a satin finish instead of the more shiny finish on Bikes. However, for a mere £6 they're not too bad at all!

Glad to hear someone else has these - I bought them a month or two back and haven't had much chance to try them out as yet. I think they're an excellent set of routines for perrforming in pubs and bars and there's no reason why a favourite effect couldn't be re-done using Bike stock and some decent printing/markings.