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A CUT ABOVE THE REST written by Aldo Colombini

35 impromptu card tricks from 13 contributors

price - $10 available at wildcolombini.com and other dealers


FULL SPEED ACE - Aces travel from the the bottom of a packet to the top. One ace changes to a selected card and appears reversed in the deck.

The aces returning to the top look good. The second effect is muddled between a transformation and a transposition. I think most will find favor with this trick.------Good trick

DOORSTEP ACES - The four aces sandwich three selected cards after reverse faros

not much mystery in this trick

TRINITY AFFINITY - The spectator deals cards into three piles and discovers the mate to three cards already on the table

Interesting. Puzzling. I like it

U. D. ASSOCIATES - The spectator finds the mate to another card by way of a down under deal.

a little too much to do for the results you get I like the principle

ONLY A GAME - under down deals result in several matching mates

Quite a surprising conclusion-----Good trick

HUNTING SEASON - Four cards are place on the table. The performer shows the spectator one card from the deck. The spectator selects one of the cards on the table. The selection is shown to be the mate of the card the performer displayed. The other three cards on the table are shown to have the same value. For example, three jacks. The two mates end up sandwiching the remaining jack.

Good trick

MATCHED! - The performer removes two cards and displays them to the spectator. The spectator selects a card. The two cards removed by the performer reveal the suit and the value of the selected card. This is done two times.

clever use of a simple switch-------Winner

TAURUS - Two kings sandwich a card that should not have been there to be sandwiched

quick and simple I like it

JET BLACK - The cardician throws the deck from one hand to other, leaving two cards behind in the hand that threw the deck. The two cards are used to find a selected card.

I think this trick will surprise most spectators--------Good trick

PARITY PREDICTION - A card is placed between the two black jacks as a prediction. A card is selected and then it appears between the two jacks, taking the place of the prediction.

This does not appeal to me. I don't buy the prediction premise.

EIGHT BITES IS ENOUGH - Reverse faro your way to finding a selected card

a little too much to do for this trick

DE-ILLUSION - A card is selected and replaced. You cut to three cards which will determine the color, the value, and the position of the chosen card. Each one of the three cards is seen to be a duplicate of the selection. Then the three cards are seen to be the mates of the selection.

fun effect...You have a good chance to add comedy to your presentation with this trick This trick pushes the limit as to what will work impromptu

BUBBLE SORT - Three cards sandwich two selected cards by way of down under shuffle.

not much mystery in this trick

LOVE LETTTERS - Two four-of-a-kinds are mixed. Spectator and performer take turns choosing cards. The performer's selections match the suits of the spectator's selections.

The performer has too much involvement in the process

STRATHJACK - The spectator finds four cards to make four hands of 21

Surprising. Puzzling. You have to put several packets of three cards on the table and pick them up, posing them as two cards You have to spread the face card of four three-card packets while keeping other the two cards squared. If you are comfortable doing those things, you probably will enjoy performing this trick. If the cards spread the trick is spoiled. -------Good trick

A BUNCH OF BLARNEY - A card is selected and found, even though the spectator can lie or tell the truth to questions asked by the card worker.

Puzzling. Good use of Jim Steinmeyer's Nine Card Problem.

FIVE-CARD READER - The spectator's card is lost in a ten-card packet. The card expert does a couple of shuffles and reveal the spectator's card.

quick, simple, and clever

DISCRE-PANZA - You place three cards on the table. A spectator selects a card from the deck. The three cards on the table are shown to be the mates of the selection.

OK trick

LATERAL LEAP - A chosen black card ends up in a red packet at the position it was originally in a black packet.

I don't find the trick interesting

RED BARON - A deck of cards is divided into red and black cards. A black selected card is placed among the black cards and reappears reversed in the middle of the red cards.

Nicely done teleportation (some may call it a penetration)

SLOW APPROACH - Two cards placed between the two black jacks vanish and reappear reversed in the middle of the deck.

clever thinking------easy to do-------Winner

THAT'S NEAT - Two cards are selected and lost in two separate packets. They change places.

an impressive transposition effect

CRIMINAL - The spectator chooses one card from a packet of eight. The cards are mixed up. The chosen card is discovered by spelling.

The trick is not deceptive

TRIUMPH WITH MATH - Three cards are selected among twelve. The cards are assembled in an odd way. The selections end up reversed in the packet.

OK trick

IMPROMPTU SUSPECT - Jim Steinmeyer spelling procedure from Nine Card Problem is used to find three cards in this three phase routine.

I don't think most people would do all three phases at one time because of all the spelling.-------OK trick

POPULARITY CONTEST - With the performer's back turned, he is able to determine which card a spectator is pointing to after a random spelling procedure.

it works, it also will work for the spectator if he repeats your actions

OVER UNDER SPELL - You lose the four jacks in a packet of cards and find them by spelling their names

If you don't mind setting the cards up in front of spectators, then I suppose you will like this trick. I'll pass on it

IMPROMPTU STEINMEYER - A selected is found by spelling and further hunting.

Solid trick for those that don't mind sticking with the procedure to hunt down the card after the initial spelling is done.

LIE DETECTOR COMPUTER - A card is found by way of spelling and the Australian Shuffle

Good use of the lie detector theme

DIGITAL DIAMONDS - Starting at a random point, the spectator moves cards around by following the card worker's instructions.

Puzzling, not amazing

CHRIST'S INFLUENCE - four cards are found...two by using numbers given by the spectators...two by the card expert

OK trick

GUATEMALA - Two cards are place between the four jacks. They disappear and reappear reversed in the middle of the deck.

surprising teleportation-------Winner

BILOCATION - You remove a card from the deck and use it to find two selected cards

The locating of the first card is not too tricky.-------OK trick

HIGH DEFINITION - Two cards are selected. The deck is cut into two halves, one face up and the other face down. The two selections appear reversed in the middle of each half.

A surprising and fast discovery of two selected cards.--------Good trick

PRIMAL SCHEME - A card that the spectator should be holding is found between two jacks. The card that the spectator is now holding is shown to be a previously mentioned card.

Good trick

I like a significant amount of tricks from A CUT ABOVE THE REST. I'm sure most people will find enough material in the book to be satisfied with their purchase. Only basic card moves required. Recommended