Miracles with a Short Card by Peter Cassford

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Miracles with a Short Card by Peter Cassford

Postby Hardik » Feb 18th, '10, 15:22



I should start off by saying that I was very VERY reluctant to review this DVD - and wanted to keep it all for myself. But, considering that TM is the best forum on the Internet hands down, I thought I should review this one.

I purchased this after listening to Peter Cassford's interview on the Go Magic Go podcast ( which aired quite a while ago, but I'm only a recent ardent fan ), and was immediately intrigued as I had never used a short card in my performances before ( Yeah, I know !! ).. Anyway let's get down to it..

The Hype

On this DVD Peter Cassford will teach you to control, force, and glimpse selected cards with little or no sleight of hand.

You will also learn how to control a card under incredibly fair conditions, card effects that will look like they take incredible amounts of skill, and mind-blowing mental effects that will leave your audience astounded.

"I know from experience that Peter's effects using a short card astound people. I have seen the public's jaws drop, and quite literate performers be spun on their heels, fooled by Peter's use of the short card. Most of what Peter does is very easy and simple to do, but it will fool you badly if you do not know his work." -Kenton Knepper


Price

29.95 USD off Penguin

Difficulty

2-3

Review

Before delving into the review, I should probably state that I am not a sleight-crazy guy and rely mostly on my performance skills and plots to get audience reactions. I couldn't care less if I used gaffs in my performance ( like a short card ) if it makes my magic more direct - and that is exactly what Peter set out to do on this DVD. The routines here are extremely effective, hard-hitting, sleight free for the most part of them and yet not the self-working types that someone could figure out. In fact, most of these effects COULD be done with a borrowed deck ( with an obvious limitation ) and Peter has unknowingly provided a method for doing so on this DVD ;) ( Those who own this will definitely know what I'm talking about )..

As you all may have already guessed, I'm extremely happy with this product and is easily one of the best card magic DVDs I have. The production quality is itself excellent and Peter is a great teacher.

Peter first goes into painstaking detail about how to make a short card, and even has a great tip if you're using Bicycle backed cards ( which could be applied to others too ). A great kick-off to the DVD..

Peter then shows how to control the short card itself, and then illustrates various controls which assist you to control other cards using the short card ( some might call it the key-card effect ) . Some of these moves are : Spread Cull Control, Double Undercut control and Prophecy Move. Various other utility moves like glimpses ( Speed Glimpse and Shuffle Glimpse ) and some 4-5 forces which are extremely deceptive.

Frankly, I would have been happy enough if the DVD ended here, because he leaves you with extremely powerful controls that are just waiting to be explored. Anyone even with a minimum of creativity potential can come up with miracles using a short card.

Next come seven well thought out effects that work extremely well with laymen and magicians alike, and all can be used in walk-around situations. DISCLAIMER : Please bear with the effect descriptions if they are not too clear ( I wrote them myself so don't go around blaming Peter if you didn't get what you expected :D ) Also, a dying trend - there are live street performances for each effect which actually SHOW THE PERFORMANCE and not just the spectators' reactions.

1. Ace Production : Spectators cut the deck however they want to and you can still discover two aces. Then, a spectator stabs one of the aces into the deck and it is shown that he placed it exactly in between the other two aces.

This is a great ace production. I'm not a great fan of four ace productions as the gambling theme doesn't really appeal to me but the kicker ending of the spectator locating the final two aces has made me go out and perform this little gem. Spectacular thinking to say the least.

2. Spelling Made Easy : A spectator selects and returns a card into the middle of the deck. You return the deck and ask the spectator to deal out one card for each letter in their name, and the card corresponding to the last alphabet is their selected card.

I've had a lot of fun with this. It is very direct, mathematics-free and the handling is exceptionally clean like all the other effects.

3. Coincidence ? : One spectator selects any card from the deck, and another spectator reads his/her mind.

Whenever I perform this both the spectators get equally astounded and have no rational explanation to what just happened. It uses one of Cassford's forces ( and yet the card is not forced ;) ) and is very hard-hitting.

4. Impossible Mindreading : (READ THIS CAREFULLY) With you holding out the deck in one hand and facing away, a spectator takes away one half ( portion) of the deck and remembers the card cut to. He/she then gives their portion of the deck a complete cut so as to bury the card. Then you dribble your half of the deck and they jut their half of the deck anywhere in between. And yet, instantly, you reveal the card they are thinking of.

I must say that when I started performing Dead Reckoning ( John Bannon ) , I swore by it and maintained that there would be never such a fair and clean handling of a revelation type effect. But this one matches Dead Reckoning on all fronts, and is much more impromptu-er than DR. In fact I have performed this with a borrowed deck of cards as well to a fellow magician, and it totally fried him. I think this is one of my favorite effects on the DVD and I so wish I had come up with this one :( .

5. The Difficult Spectator : You turn your back, the spectator selects a card - takes the deck from you , shuffles it and you turn back and either name out the card or produce it.

A great effect for the Mr. Know-It-All. It's another effect that you can incorporate if you use cards for mindreading ( sorry Iain and Craig :) )

6. Triple Threat Mindreading : This is Difficult Spectator times three. Three spectators select cards in very fair ways and yet you name them one after the other..

This one incorporates many of the techniques taught earlier on the DVD and it's a really astounding demonstration of mindreading. It will pass by many knowledgeable magicians ( and mentalists ) as well..

7. Red Hot Momma : I guess most of you will know this effect courtesy Michael Ammar. But for the sake of completeness I will describe it here. Spectator selects any card and it is buried in the middle of the deck ( say Blue-Backed). You go through the cards and there is one odd-backed card ( Red-Backed ) which is shown to be the spectator's selected card. The card is dropped on the ground and you offer to re-do the effect. Spectator selects another card and it is returned into the deck. You go through the cards and there is no red card. Then you ask the spectator to pick up the red card on the ground which proves to be the second selected card.

This is one of my favorite opening effects ( I think it is known as the Chicago Opener too ) and Peter has given his Cassford-ian touch to it. There isn't much of a change in the overall effect, but a few improvements ensue, the main one being this is perfect for walkaround ! It has an instant re-set which only takes a couple of seconds. This is a dream come true for a die-hard fan of CO. I perform this way too much nowadays :) , and yes I have done this one with a borrowed deck of cards as well..

Final Verdict

There is a lot of room for creativity using the techniques explained, and I have added the short card to many marketed effects and made the handling more direct. This is something invaluable you'll always be left with after watching this DVD. A quick note ( something I just remembered ) : Peter doesn't teach the spread cull control but rightly points you to Card College 1 ..
I know of some people who swear by sleight-of-hand and despise any gaffs of any sort. So, I will just paraphrase what Peter said on the interview on Go Magic Go ( which I just noticed Kenton also echoed on his kind words for the DVD ) : If you don't use the short card in your performances, Someone Somewhere is going to fool you with it Sometime or the other.

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Re: Miracles with a Short Card by Peter Cassford

Postby Mr Grumpy » Jun 25th, '10, 12:39

Hardik wrote:I know of some people who swear by sleight-of-hand and despise any gaffs of any sort. So, I will just paraphrase what Peter said on the interview on Go Magic Go ( which I just noticed Kenton also echoed on his kind words for the DVD ) : If you don't use the short card in your performances, Someone Somewhere is going to fool you with it Sometime or the other.


Personally I find it odd when people refuse to use gimmicks as a matter of principle (rather than because they don't like a specific gimmick or whatever). The reason I find it odd is that it's PERFORMER-CENTRIC thinking. The spectators don't care whether you're using a gimmick or not. Why? Because (unless you mess up) they don't even know you're using it.

Anyway, sorry to awaken a thread from last year but I was surprised that no one has commented on this thread after such a good review. Unless it's been reviewed previously? I did a search and couldn't find it.

It sounds like a great DVD and I for one intend to purchase it.

In the meantime, I'm off to the printers to get some decks narrowed and shorterned.

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Postby Bertoneski » Jul 2nd, '10, 19:00

I have this DVD - Cassfords arms are the width of my thighs - I wouldn't argue with him about the use of a gimmick!

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Re: Miracles with a Short Card by Peter Cassford

Postby Mr Grumpy » Jul 11th, '10, 12:18

1. Ace Production : Spectators cut the deck however they want to and you can still discover two aces. Then, a spectator stabs one of the aces into the deck and it is shown that he placed it exactly in between the other two aces.

Interesting. I do ace productions all the time and it never even occured to me that it has anything to do with gambling. It is interesting how people see things in different ways.

I was about to order this DVD but they seem to be mainly standing-up effects, and I need more table effects. It looks like a great DVD though.

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Re: Miracles with a Short Card by Peter Cassford

Postby Sexton Blake » Dec 11th, '10, 13:58

Hardik wrote:[b]4. Impossible Mindreading :... In fact I have performed this with a borrowed deck of cards as well to a fellow magician


How can you perform this effect with a borrowed deck? Unless, of course, the deck you're borrowing happens to contains a short card (or you secretly add one)? Which is fine, but doesn't really convey the spirit of what's meant when you say something 'can be performed with a borrowed deck'.

That quibble aside, I love this effect: the method is not only sweet but the thinking behind it is a joy too - one of those things where one goes, 'Bah. I wish I'd thought of that - it's such a clever reversal of a well-known principle.' The whole of Miracles is really good. I don't go in for gaffs generally, but ever since I watched this DVD, ages ago, the first thing I've done whenever I open a new pack of cards is make one short. One might never take advantage of it during the lifetime of the pack, but it's there waiting as a wonderfully powerful tool if it's ever wanted/needed. Also the average person will never spot it (I shorten the card only a small amount - and along the edge, not a corner short - and re-round the affected corners): you can hand the deck out for them to keep at the end if you want and I'd guess they'd never notice for as long as they had it. It's not like carrying a pack that contains a d-backer, say, or even a dupe.

The only thing preventing me from shouting about the usefulness of Cassford's DVD all the time is, like you, a shameful desire to keep its utility quiet. It's too good to let other people know about it.

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Postby Mandrake » Dec 11th, '10, 14:52

Hi Sex, good to see you back!

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Re: Miracles with a Short Card by Peter Cassford

Postby Mr Grumpy » Dec 11th, '10, 17:17

Sexton Blake wrote:
Hardik wrote:Also the average person will never spot it (I shorten the card only a small amount - and along the edge, not a corner short - and re-round the affected corners): you can hand the deck out for them to keep at the end if you want and I'd guess they'd never notice for as long as they had it. It's not like carrying a pack that contains a d-backer, say, or even a dupe.


I switched to a corner short instead because I find it difficult to do overhand shuffles with a short card because sometimes your hand doesn't grip the short card fully. Anyone else had this problem?

As for corner short cards, would anyone say that a spec is likely to find the corner if they examine the deck? On the rare occasions someone has asked to look at the deck, I've just cut the cornered card to the top and palmed it off, or if it's a bit dark or they're drunk or they don't seem the type to examine too closely, I just leave it in.

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Postby Sexton Blake » Dec 12th, '10, 18:39

Mandrake wrote:Hi Sex, good to see you back!


I'm around. Mandy, I'm around. (For a start, the first thing I do when I see anything new, magic-wise, is have a look what the word about it is on the TM streets.) It's just that generally I haven't got the time to say anything. Or maybe I'm simply wiser these days: say less, listen more. Yes, that's it. I'm all quiet and sagacious now.

Actually, I was thinking about you only this week. My S.O. had washed my sweat top (or 'hoodie', as I believe the kids call them in their rap videos) with the TM badge you gave me on it. It survived, but the back went missing for a while, and during this time we had a lively discussion based around my howling and weeping declaration that it was one of my most treasured possessions and she'd lost it in her insane pursuit of obsessive cleanliness.

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Re: Miracles with a Short Card by Peter Cassford

Postby Sexton Blake » Dec 12th, '10, 19:03

The Devil's Tailor wrote:I switched to a corner short instead because I find it difficult to do overhand shuffles with a short card because sometimes your hand doesn't grip the short card fully. Anyone else had this problem?

I can't say that I have. But then, as I mentioned, I shave only a little from the end of the card, perhaps about 3/4mm. That's never affected over-hand shuffles for me, or any spec I've had shuffle the pack. It is an issue, however, if the short card is one half (either half - though worse if it's the visible half) of a double-lift. That's a situation it's simple to avoid, though.

As for corner short cards, would anyone say that a spec is likely to find the corner if they examine the deck?

I'd say they're more likely to find a corner short - I mean, for one thing, a standard short is really only discernible at all if the short card is being compared to the others; a corner short can be seen if that card is viewed in isolation. (This has implications, natch: I wouldn't want to have a corner short be also the card I force on the spec. That's a limitation, right there.) What's more, even if a spec did spot a standard short, I reckon it'd be easier to pass off, with a disgruntled tut, as a factory error than a corner short would. There are other issues, for me, with a corner short rather than the normal one too. But, end of the day, whatever you're most comfortable with, right? On Get Nyman there's a trick that he does where he uses a (corner) short; the card is so short that it makes a crack like a gunshot as he riffles through the pack. But his attitude is that no one notices the noise, whereas he wants to be absolutely sure he doesn't miss the card himself.

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