talkmagic.co.uk

The Effect
Six Card Repeat

The magician shows six cards in his hand, then removes three cards and throws them on the table. He counts again to show he still has six cards in his hand. Then he repeats the trick 3 or 4 more times. He still has 6 cards in his hand!

Cost & Supplier
Around £3 from - see below
EDIT - Full price is supposedly over £6!

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)
Impossible for anyone to perform, unless it's to a room full of idiots. I certainly feel like one for buying this.

Review
I'm going to be harsh in this review for a few reasons.

Firstly, I think most people who are familiar with card effects will have encountered the famous Six Card Repeat. I've seen it done many times on TV over the years and recently by Docc Hilford with dollar bills (awesome) and Randy Wakeman in close-up with cards (also awesome). Seeing this sold so cheaply by a supplier who appears on TM made me want to buy it and for £3, you can't go wrong, right? Wrong!

First and probably most critically of all: The cards cannot be used by a left handed person like me. If you know the gimmick used, you'll know why. Suffice it to say, I wish they'd bothered to say this on the sales pitch. I think it's a real let down to miss out vital info like this.

Ok, that's rant number one.

Number two is about the cards themselves. You'll like this one. Not a lot... The stack you are supposed to use is 1cm thick. No, really. 1cm. When you consider you're expected to fool the specs when performing a close-up routine, a 1cm thick stack is probably going to fool only the partially sighted, at best. Using my scientific method (a plastic ruler), I counted approx 32 bicycle cards would be needed to make a stack 1cm thick. So, you tell me how the hell you're supposed to do (and the name is a bit of a hint) a SIX card repeat routine with what looks like 32 cards in your hands?!?!?! Unbelievable.

Third and not least - sellotape. It's shiny, it's obvious and it's plainly visible. Oh yeah, and it's on these cards. Again, if you're 5ft or more away and you DON'T catch the light with the cards, you won't see it, maybe. Great.

And the secret? Well, if four lines of text on a tiny bit of paper which do not explain how to perform this properly constitutes instructions, I'm going to open a magic shop. I really am in the wrong business!

Overall
Overall, if I was in the business of selling magic to people, I'd be ashamed to stock tat like this and just wouldn't give it shelf room. If I were a pro magician and was sold tat like this, I'd never buy from them again. It's about trust, isn't it? I'd expect to buy this sort of thing from one of the gift shops on Blackpool front, not a vendor who supposedly supplies professionals.

Ok, so I've only spent £3 on this and what do I expect? Well, I expect to have something in my hand I can use. I still expect honesty. Oh well. You live and learn. I am sorry for using this review as a rant, but it has really annoyed me.

I'm not going to post the name of the vendor here because it could be a simple blip and I can't be bothered getting into a battle over it. It might be stock they have that they haven't bothered to check for quality. I must confess, I doubt I'll be using them again though.

I bet you can't guess what my rating is going to be out of ten?!
Yep: zero

You are of course, speaking about a classic of the industry to which there are probably over a dozen variants as far as how to make it happen. I just happen to have a very dusty (as in old) reputation for having what was probably the most expensive version to the effect in which I used two Keplinger Hold-Outs

The most popular (commercial) method employed some special cards in that it was a tad bit more "mechanical" while following close behind was the used of a rough-smooth pack.

I hope this is something you elect to work with in that it's a very fun reputation maker.

Craig Browning wrote:You are of course, speaking about a classic of the industry to which there are probably over a dozen variants as far as how to make it happen. I just happen to have a very dusty (as in old) reputation for having what was probably the most expensive version to the effect in which I used two Keplinger Hold-Outs

The most popular (commercial) method employed some special cards in that it was a tad bit more "mechanical" while following close behind was the used of a rough-smooth pack.

I hope this is something you elect to work with in that it's a very fun reputation maker.

Yes, it is something I'd like to learn, very much. Especially after watching Randy Wakeman. I think the one I bought would come under the "mechanical" heading and suffers greatly for it. I could have gone into more detail about why it was rubbish, but would have given too much info away. The rough and smooth idea is much more appealing. I'll keep plugging away until I find one I enjoy using and will stick with that

There's a lot of c*** (not the best) effects out there and you appear to have found one of them. Not mentioning that the effect is unsuitable for lefties is unforgiveable; it shows that the dealer has no real interest in providing a decent service for the customer and is just interested in pound signs.

Ker-ching! Next, please.

Having bought a cheap and cheerful version of this decades ago (about £2 if I remember right), I made my own using Scotch 'Magic' tape which is invisible, and a deck of proper Bikes. OK, it used up most of the deck but the thickness of the stack can be disguised by the way the cards are held. After all, you're only supposed to be counting the things not flashing them to all and sundry so a certain amount of cover is expected and understandable. A version for southpaws is easy enough to make. The story is the key thing and once you’ve got that sorted the routine ought to be very entertaining.

Replicant wrote:There's a lot of c*** (not the best) effects out there and you appear to have found one of them. Not mentioning that the effect is unsuitable for lefties is unforgiveable; it shows that the dealer has no real interest in providing a decent service for the customer and is just interested in pound signs.

It's not the first junk I've bought, but it is by miles the worst. If it were just the prop that was poor quality, with decent instructions, I wouldn't have minded so much. As Mandrake said, I could easily have made something myself. However, as the instructions are completely useless too, it was a waste of time and money on my part. I didn't expect a scripted routine, but clear instructions on how to do this would have been a start.

Replicant wrote:Ker-ching! Next, please.

Just what I thought.

Mandrake, I'm going to have a go at making something myself as I'm sure I could do a better job. But, what I was aiming for was something along the lines of the way I've seen it done as mentioned above, by Randy Wakeman (I'll have to dig out the URL for the YouTube clip). He's stood right in front of the spectators and performs this beautifully (to my eyes anyway) with what looks like 6 cards in his hands. I'd really have to be quite a distance from people watching to pull this off with what I was sent. I really wanted something close.

Ahh, here you go, the YouTube clip. This is amazing and exactly what I want to do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q_21bQTXUI

Two words.

Buckle Count.

(or push-off count if you'd prefer)

Why on earth does anyone do this with a gimmick?

mrgoat wrote:Two words.

Buckle Count.

(or push-off count if you'd prefer)

Why on earth does anyone do this with a gimmick?

Thanks mrgoat, I'll look that one up.

I didn't know until it arrived what I'd be getting as the only description I had to go on is the one above. I'd much rather learn this with something close to normal cards as I can, although rough and smooth are ok as I do like the ID.

Wishmaster, if this effect appeals to you, then you may be interested in Joshua Jay's Vegas Visit; an entertaining effect along similar lines with a nice story to move it along. Details here...

Clickety-click

You can also view a video of Joshua's performance here

I don't own VV but it's fun to watch and probably not too difficult to perform from the looks of things.

I have been doing this trick for decades. I didn't want to do it but Harry Stanley the magic dealer insisted I try it and he taught it to me and spent hours producing and directing me to present it properly.

It is a great opener to an act and for some mysterious reason quietens an inattentive crowd down. It is worth learning for that reason alone.

And sleight of hand is the best method. No need to use gimmicked cards.

Wishmaster wrote:

mrgoat wrote:Two words.

Buckle Count.

(or push-off count if you'd prefer)

Why on earth does anyone do this with a gimmick?

Thanks mrgoat, I'll look that one up.

I didn't know until it arrived what I'd be getting as the only description I had to go on is the one above. I'd much rather learn this with something close to normal cards as I can, although rough and smooth are ok as I do like the ID.

I only have ever used totally normal cards.

You have 21 cards. Held in face up in the left hand in mechanics grip. Your right hand comes in and takes the first card, gripping it in the bottom right hand corner. Repeat. On the fifth card do either a buckle or push off count.

Here is a clip I just shot in my kitchen showing the buckle version.

http://protagonist.co.uk/~damian/6card.mov

No need for any gimmicks!