Tesuji - Simon Scott

Review area devoted to Magic Downloads, DVDs, Videos and similar non printed formats.

Moderators: nickj, Lady of Mystery, Mandrake, bananafish, support

UK's Online Magic Tricks and Jokes Shop offers kids and beginner magic tricks and jokes. Best prices around! Sorcery Shop - Home of the ITR Visit Magicbox for all the latest and best effects! Web Design for Magicians Manufacturer of modern & unique magic apparatus!

Tesuji - Simon Scott

Postby artychris » Sep 26th, '14, 12:50



tesuji_thumbnail.jpg
tesuji_thumbnail.jpg (32.82 KiB) Viewed 3406 times


The Effect

The performer drops two cloth bags onto the table, and asks his participant to empty them out.
As this is done, the performer pulls a stack of written cards from his pocket, and takes one at
random. Pocketing the rest, he proceeds to read the card to himself, before placing it, folded, on
the table.
He proposes a game. The contents of the bags, a collection of black and white glass pebbles, are
mixed. The participant divides them up roughly equally between the bags. This done, the
participant selects a colour, black or white. Each player draws a stone one at a time from the bag.
If they match, they are placed in front of the relevant player - two black stones and they go in front
of the black player, two white stones and they go in front of the white player.
Once both bags have been exhausted the stones are counted up. The participant has won by two
stones. The participant is invited to read out the card. It states that the performer will lose by two
stones.
The performer comes clean. It is not, he explains, that he can predict ahead of time the outcome
of the game. He merely brings into play a couple of skills that allow him to sway the game so that
it matches whatever has been predicted.
Scooping up a mix of stones into one of the bags he proceeds to demonstrate. Before drawing
each stone he correctly identifies its colour.
He goes on to explain that it is even possible, through intuition alone, to identify the colour of the
stone his opponent is about to draw. This skill, he says, can be acquired by anyone. To prove his
case, he has the participant guess at each colour before it is drawn. The participant succeeds at
this more often than he fails.
The performer thinks for a moment, then suggests a further round of the game. He pulls his stack
of predictions from his pocket, and has the participant select one and read it. A further game is
played - and just as before, the prediction matches the outcome.



Cost

$11:80 for the PDF from here http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/simonscott1975
it's also available in printed from for a little more.



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)

3 the sleights are pretty easy.



Review

Firstly, I have to say that Simon (Talk Magics very own Mr Grue!) is a friend of mine, and he asked me to write this review. However, I shall be as impartial as I can, and as honest as I can about this.

So, on with the review.

For your money you get a PDF document, giving you a full three phased parlour mentalism effect using black and white stones. You’ll probably need to purchase a couple of bits to be able to perform this, but it’s nothing to expensive, and Simon helpfully provides links to source all that you’ll need. It’s very nicely written and illustrated, and, props aside, provides all that you’ll need to be able to perform this.

The first phase of this routine is a game with the black and white stones, based around the Miraskill and View to a skill plots. And to be honest, these are card tricks that I really don’t like! Saying that you’ll win by two just isn't enough... It’s a bit like doing Aronson’s Shufflebored but with the final reveal saying “Except for one card!” rather than “Except for the Two of Clubs!” However, this isn't an issue with this routine of Simons! Because we’re not using playing cards, instead, we’re using black and white stones, the “Win by two” prediction is fits just fine.

And there’s also a nice touch to make the prediction even stronger with a whole pile of predictions and possible outcomes.

Phase two is where both you and the participant guess the colour of the stones drawn from the bag. I rather like this phase! There’s some cheeky sleight of hand that makes it all work, and it’s also a tad risky to do!

The third phase is back to the Miraskill principal, but this time draws in a second participant and they chose the prediction. As they play the game with the stones, their prediction becomes real. It’s a very strong final phase.

Simon then gives us a full script for the routine, which adds some excellent ideas, and makes the whole thing even stronger. (I like the “Snap” idea! Something that we all know from childhood, and its simplicity reinforces the basic idea of this in the participants mind.)

There’s nothing to tricky to do in the handling of this. Certainly, it’s do-able by pretty much anyone, from beginner to expert, and it’s well thought through, with each phase getting progressively stronger and logically building to its finale, to satisfy the more experienced performer. It’s a well structured routine.


Overall

To perform this and give it the best chance of being well received, you’ll need to be performing at a quiet table. Tesuji calls itself a parlour routine, and I think it is exactly that. I’d also suggest that is not an opener or closer for a set, but a mid set piece. Over all, this is a reflective and subtle piece of magic that will draw in your audience and engage them. It’s an intelligent and thoughtful routine that has the potential to be very effective.

User avatar
artychris
Senior Member
 
Posts: 547
Joined: Jan 25th, '11, 17:21

Re: Tesuji - Simon Scott

Postby Mr_Grue » Mar 26th, '15, 13:55

*cough* Currently 99p till the end of the month. *cough cough*

Simon Scott

If the spectator doesn't engage in the effect,
then the only thing left is the method.


tiny.cc/Grue
User avatar
Mr_Grue
Elite Member
 
Posts: 2689
Joined: Jan 5th, '07, 15:53
Location: London, UK (38:AH)


Return to Reviews - Electronic media format

MagicWorld Magic Shop for Magic Tricks World-Of-Magic, Suppliers of quality Magic Worldwide Playing Cards for Magicians Best prices around! Dude That's Cool Magic A web site set up to sell my book, THE STRIPPER DECK, and future magical/mentalism titles. Aeternum Servare Secreta

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests