talkmagic.co.uk

The Effect: Spectator holds one half of the deck, magician holds the other half and writes a prediction on three cards. He puts these in to the spectators half and the spectator can shuffle, cut and generally mix the deck as much as he likes. Spectator then deals the cards in to three piles. He then choses 3 cards from the magicians deck which are placed one each on top of the three piles he has dealt. When the top card from the three piles is turned over all three are the cards with the predictions on and the predictions match the cards the spectator has selected from the magicians cards



Cost £24.99



Difficulty
(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)

1


Review – What they say:
Peter Nardi’s Random feels totally organic and shows you can truly control apparent random actions. Your spectator makes numerous "Random” choices (with a deck of cards) yet you clearly and unbelievably predict their actions every step of the way.
Random is a totally self-working masterpiece that is strong enough to close your set!
Random proves you really do have total control over your spectators’ thoughts and actions!

Review – What I say.

Well, it does what it says on the tin. The outcome is amazing and really grabs the spectator. Watching and rewatching the DVD is invaluable. Because the trick is so easy to pull off you have bags of time to really perform it. Peter Nardi gives plenty of ideas about performance and throws in a number of little distractions which guide the spectator miles away from any idea as to what is going on. I carry this all of the time now when I am working. I don’t use it all of the time because it is a trick that needs a table top and needs time to do it justice. As most of my work is table hopping in Restaurants it is not always appropriate. The publicity blurb is spot on, there are no exaggerations.


For me this is a real winner which I just love performing


overall
9/10

I watched the performance of this and loved the presentation. Then, like a deranged scientist I watched it again in order to deconstruct it. When I was happy with the method I bought it anyway. I was about 80% right so I walked around my house feeling smug for about 80% of the day. I missed a few minor details. Having got the actual method I was happy that I could apply it to other effects/present it differently and make it my own.

It is totally self working but it would be awkward (IMHO) to reset in a strolling environment. You don't finish totally clean, but clean enough to make it worthwhile to peform as part of a set. It's not an opener or closer, but as Peter Nardi admits in his DVD, it would be best placed in the middle of a card set, when the your audience has had a chance to see you handling decks and having them shuffled etc.

Peter Nardi comes across as the sort of bloke you could have a pint with. That's really my benchmark against which all are measured. I trust him not to rip me off with an inferior product. Random is a great effect, plays well (everyone I've shown it to has been blown away) and unless you're well clued up on magic, it's completely unfathomable. It's my ideal sort of effect really - it's easy to perform, impossible to work out, and gets a great reaction.