The brainwave deck

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Postby Renato » Nov 17th, '05, 17:10



Discombobulator wrote:I have a brainwave, but under certain conditions I find that when I reach the chosen card I have to struggle to reveal it - it goes 'sticky'. Other days it works like a dream. perhaps its something to do with the temperature or too much pressure on the deck that is making it 'sticky'. I have to test it out before I start a routine. If its a dream day it stays in, otherwide I put it to one side.


You have to be able to trust your Brainwave Deck/ID - it's no good if sometimes the wrong card shows inadvertently. It should work perfectly all the time, which is why sometimes I think that it's best to start with a 'stiff' deck that you can work in to the right level as opposed to one that you have to buff up yourself. I don't use either that much to be perfectly honest...too much pocket space for a one trick pony. There are other ways of revealing a thought-of card.

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Postby katrielalex » Nov 18th, '05, 00:04

But the ID isn't a one-trick pony, at least not to the spectators. There are a hundred different ways of using it...

When I carry mine around, I never use it for a trick. Instead, it's a brilliant out for a messed-up control as you can reveal their selection turned over.

Kati

In hibernation but half awake - will stick my nose in every so often!
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Postby Renato » Nov 18th, '05, 16:51

Perhaps my choice of words was not the greatest; I know that there's more than one way to use the deck, and have come up with a few myself, but you can't really use it for more than one effect for the same audience even though several effects can be created from it - what I mean by this is that by the very nature of the primary effect - named card found face-up/down - you can't do much with it that doesn't involve a face-up or face-down card and doing effects that do in the same set would be repetitive, and would also lead to people realising that it's a trick deck. Far better as an out are things like nail writers or KK/Heirloom (in fact I think that using Heirloom as an out is a better and easier way to introduce the story). You can get more mileage out of a regular deck and it can be examined.

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Postby MagicTom » Nov 18th, '05, 17:29

"When I carry mine around, I never use it for a trick. Instead, it's a brilliant out for a messed-up control as you can reveal their selection turned over."

I know someone else who does this too! Its a fab idea. But i love the trick too much to keep it as a back up. I dont perform much close up or many card tricks so i use this as a trick in itself.

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Postby MagicTom » Jan 3rd, '06, 11:28

"I personally prefer the ID because if you want to switch to the Brainwave Deck you have to have 2 different colour decks on you just in case"

Yes i thought that...and bought 2 decks (1 red 1 blue) and then found out the reds are ina red case so it doesnt make any difference!

Oh well,
I'll have to buy another blue deck and swap cases!!!!

hehhe :lol:

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Postby seige » Jan 3rd, '06, 11:44

katrielalex wrote:But the ID isn't a one-trick pony, at least not to the spectators. There are a hundred different ways of using it...

When I carry mine around, I never use it for a trick. Instead, it's a brilliant out for a messed-up control as you can reveal their selection turned over.

Kati


Brilliant answer, Kat.

The ID is an almost essential pocket item for a walkaround cardie... as it allows you the ultimate 'out' should an effect go wrong at any point.

Brainwave is a little less versatile, and is better suited to one-hit effects.

However, with imagination, the ID can be used over and over again, performance after performance.

Never underestimate utility decks. And never confuse 'utility' decks with 'gimmicked' decks. A gimmicked/gaffed deck usually has use only within it's own effect—such as the 'Phil' effect, Cardtoon, Rising Card etc.

Utility decks, such as ID, Wizard/Stripper Svengali, or Marked Decks are tools to fuel your imagination and think outside the box. You would be VERY surprised how many professional mentalism or card tricks you've witnessed and wondered "HOW DID THEY DO THAT????" are actually using methods from the aforementioned utility decks.

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Postby Renato » Jan 3rd, '06, 12:19

What I meant was this: a marked deck, or a Svengali or a Stripper have more uses than an ID or BW deck. Look at it like this: by their very nature, an ID or BW deck shows a card face-up or face-down. With a marked deck you can perform many different effects with it. Unless you get very creative, an ID or BW will only allow you to show a card face-up or face-down. Therefore all the effects you perform with any of those decks will involve a card being face-up or face-down. So yes, you could use if for more than one effect in the same set, but there would not be much variation.

I am not denying that those decks aren't useful, because they are. I've come up with wildly different effects that use the principle of the deck - but have required a deck of different preparation.

Personally, I don't tend to rely on outs like those decks. The effects I perform don't tend to miss like that. If I were to though, I would prefer something like Heirloom - it's more interesting, requires less pocket space and has more of an emotional involvement. It's a brilliant effect that I strongly recommend.

Are the ID and BW a utility deck? Yes, I suppose it is. But the RaMa deck is more like a utility deck than the ID or BW.

That said, I do think they are very good decks and can be used for more than one effect, just not necessarily in the same set.

There's not really any point debating it though - you can disagree with my points by all means but at the end of the day these decks serve a purpose and have served many performers well. That's all that really matters in this discussion.

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Postby bowiee2003 » Jan 24th, '06, 01:16

Hello Everyone--

I just had a quick question about this trick and a few of the others metion in this post. I was wondering about the trick that deal with the Brainwave or the ID (since their so close trick wise), and the Mental Photography. Are the people watching the trick able to do a complete examination of the cards before and after the trick or not??

Thanks

Bowiee2003

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Postby The Keymaster » Jan 24th, '06, 02:21

Not, not even close :wink:

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Postby Johnny Bravo » Sep 18th, '06, 00:16

I personally prefer the ID because if you want to switch to the Brainwave Deck you have to have 2 different colour decks on you just in case,

Soz, don't follow why you need to have 2 different colour decks on you to use this?

but under certain conditions I find that when I reach the chosen card I have to struggle to reveal it - it goes 'sticky'. Other days it works like a dream. perhaps its something to do with the temperature or too much pressure on the deck that is making it 'sticky'

I get this too but I can't blame the deck, its all down to my hands, if my hands are dry then the reveal is awkward, if my hands are too sticky the reveal can be revealed where I don't want it to be revealed. As my hands are generally too sweaty/sticky (medical condition) I regularly re-gimmick the deck.

Requires a bit of thinking and counting of cards at a fairly quick pace.

I've taken to pencil dotting the 13th card which makes it quicker to get where I need to go.

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Postby IanB » Sep 18th, '06, 18:32

I like both the BW and ID, but I have a preference over the ID.

Because so many other magicicans use the ID I wanted to be a little different so I've started to perform "See through three" from "Doug Edwards Packs A Wallop" written by Harry Lorayne (Page 29).

This is a clever and completely different way of stacking and presenting the ID. It has no resemblance to the original trick and has 3 climaxes each getting stronger.

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