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STEAM by Ali Nouira

Effect: The spectator mentally selects a card, writes it down and folds the paper in two. To ensure the magician cannot glimpe the selection, the spectator affixes a paperclip onto the paper or staples it shut. The magician then places the card case over the selection, completely obscuring it from view, and the spectator is asked to focus all her energy on her selection.

After a few moments, the magician takes the card case and presents the spectator with her thought of card.

Cost: I got mine from Dude That's Cool Magic for £21.99. I don't know if it's generally cheaper or more expensive elsewhere. I couldn't find Nouira's website so I don't know if you can buy it directly from him.

Difficulty (1-5): 1. This really is a tremendously simple effect. The trick is almost entirely self-working.

Preparation (1-5): 2. Some minor preparation required. It's definitely not an "Instant reset" trick. I'd say it probably takes 3 minutes max to reset for the next performance.

Review: The effect is breathtakingly simple and extremely effective. I've performed it on numerous occasions, including once infront of magicians, and it never fails to elicit an astonished reaction. It genuinely feels as though you've achieved something impossible. The secret is simple, but I'm extremely confident as a consumer that my spectators will never pick up on it.

The trick does require a little bit of basic equipment, but it's all very commonplace stuff. Refills will eventually be required, but the necessary kit is all so cheap and commonplace that you could probably buy a lifetime supply for £20.00. You'll know what I mean when you buy the trick.

The trick is also fairly versatile. Your spectator doesn't need to think of a card specifically, although that is Nouira's preferred presentation. I'm sure others more ingenious than myself could apply the method to other effects.

The instructions you receive are brief but to the point. All the necessary information is provided. I've read on The Magic Cafe that a couple of people have received their instructions in French (Nouira is French, I believe). According to that same thread, however, the vast majority of customers receive English instructions, and you can return the product for a replacement if you're not satisfied.

Here is a video of Nouira performing the trick. It's in French, I'm afraid, but it's still easy to grasp the power and simplicity of the effect.

Now, I'm well aware that, as a new member posting a very positive review, some people might be concerned that I am in some way affiliated with Nouira and am promoting the trick on his behalf. I absolutely assure you that this is not the case and that I really did try hard to find something, anything to criticise about this effect. I just couldn't do it. I plan on posting plenty more reviews and joining in with general discussions and I hope that will be enough to establish my bona fide's as an authentic and impartial consumer. Moreover, I'm very confident that anyone else who has bought this trick would feel as strongly about it as I do.

Final Verdict: 10 out of 10. I can't see any way this could possibly be improved.

Hope you found this review useful. I'd love to hear some feedback from anyone else who has bought this.

Anyone else have this? It sounds interesting... But the fact that there's no one else posting makes me hesitant to hand over my hard earnt money...

I have one for sale.

Its awesome. I just have no need for it.

In that case Lee, PM me! I think I'll be taking it off your hands!

i saw this trick on penn and teller fool us and when i say it had fooled them i had to have it but it takes 3 minutes to reset according to tangle wood which is useless for table hopping and only really godd for stage or possibly walk around so i may go without but when im in londen i may get it for the sake of it

samfairweathermagic wrote:i saw this trick on penn and teller fool us and when i say it had fooled them i had to have it but it takes 3 minutes to reset according to tangle wood which is useless for table hopping and only really godd for stage or possibly walk around so i may go without but when im in londen i may get it for the sake of it

This can be done table hoping,

It's a very clever method and idea. But for the way I work i prefer the thought transmitter by John Cornelius

ok then i suppose ill find out when i get it then

I just picked this up following all the talk around Paul Nardini Ghost. Lovely effect and has some fantastic applications. The instructions are a little on the spartan side though. No mention of what the paper is or how it actually works. Could someone PM me with details as to where refills can be obtained and if the paper can be obtained in a bigger size than the roll supplied. Also, what other thinner nibbed pens can be used?

This isn't bad, but the reset is a pain, and I think really lowers its usage value... As Lee Smith said above, something like a Though Transmitter does pretty much the same job and is more practical...

[Edited by mod]

The instructions do tell you what the paper is.


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I picked this up from Dave Forrest at LADs on Sunday, after he assured me in a trusty Scottish accent that I would not be disappointed. I'd been interested in it for a while, but had held off buying because I felt I'd be doing so just to find out the method (I had pretty much no clue, after watching the video demo), while on the other side I was almost sure it would be a) unreliable, b) run out quickly and be expensive (or near impossible) to resupply, and c) the paper (which, *surely* must be the key) would look impossibly fishy.

So. Mr Forrest, you win: I was not disappointed. Let's run through my worries. A) This was the biggest - I simply will not touch any of the various manner of impression devices/pads/etc. because I wouldn't be 100% confident. All it takes is for someone to write in a gentle hand instead of using sufficient pressure and you're dead. I deliberately tested Steam as if I were a person using the most awkward, light-of-touch, fey handwriting possible. No problem: it still worked. B) Enough stuff is supplied for many performances and, even better, when it does run out it's unproblematic and inexpensive to get new supplies (and you can do this yourself, you don't need to get them from the magic supplier because they're common items). C) The paper is only partially the key,and doesn't look fishy. I looks like normal, thick, coloured paper - the kind of thing high quality Birthday card envelopes might be made from, say. The fact that it's coloured and thick is, if anything, a bonus because you can emphasise that you can't possibly see through such dark, thick paper. (Which you really can't - well, if you held an unfolded sheet against a bright light you probably could, but you're not doing that. You say you can't see their writing through the paper, and you really can't, and it's obvious you can't.) Oh, they can keep the paper they've written on and examine it until their teeth fall out too: they will never divine the method - it's uber clean and there's nothing whatsoever to see.

There is no need for a setup at all for this effect.
If you give me proof that you have a legitimate bought effect, PM me. I can give you the purest presentation that there is.
In my opinion, this method (effect) is by far the most perfect "peek" you can obtain.