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I've no idea why I don't like the idea of black-backed esp cards... something just screams "odd" to me, and that feeling has generally been a sign for me to stay away from a prop - I suppose if something feels odd to me I end up telegraphing it to all and sundry.

Same applies to completely honest props - if I think a envelope, clipboard or even pencil looks suspicious I normally don't use them. There are exceptions of course, sometimes objects are meant to attract attention, and sometime's there's no choice. This probably stems from lessons learnt in card magic, and playing around with all those pretty black packs... I found people questioning the pack, even if it was completely legitimate.

I'd love to find a set of decent, blank backed ESP cards...

IAIN wrote:http://www.magicnevin.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ESPTESTINGDECK&cat=32

Yeah, I saw that. Bit of a difference in price!

Replicant wrote:Jobasha, if you like Entertaining ESP then you should get Sam Dalal's Magic with an ESP Deck; it is far superior, in my opinion. The effects are in a different class to EE.

I've just received an order from card collection today so may leave it off till next month. I'd ordered the bicycle esp deck as I wanted a larger deck for a few tricks. Playing around with a few Scarne tricks that I felt would benefit from being done with esp cards. I see the Sam Dalal is a bit cheaper than the entertaining esp as well and still has the cards with them.

I agree with Iain that a blank backed deck would be nice. Would the blank telepathy cards be suitable for this? anyone.

Dominic Rougier wrote:The Royal Cards I hate. The markings are fine, and the price is right, but the backs have this horrible star pattern - I can't imagine any professor of parapsychology, or other scientist using the cards, which (for me) blows any "realistic" angle. Your opinion may vary.

Dr Rhine's sure did.

Naturally, Duke University wouldn't use cards with white borders and a funny star design!

Their cards had dark borders and a funny star design. Seriously. The Royal backs are a knock-off of the original cards' design.

Of course, that doesn't get round the fact that, as Craig says, they look corny!

I find it a bit odd that you're happy with the obvious card backs of Piatnik, but don't like the plain black or red of BESP2. If you don't like them, then fair enough, but I think there's a world of difference between some spooky/weird looking Ghost or Black Tiger deck, and one that just has a black back.

I like the Piatnik ones, by the way, and the fakes are very useful.

IAIN wrote:saying all this - took delivery of a very strange deck of esp cards today - 6 per set of designs (30 in total) like a mini-deck of playing card size...

interesting colours, includes a triangle (which is handy) and the backs have a wonderful 50s/60s design on the back..and they're marked..no instructions, and it did take me ten minutes to rumble the markings...

pricey - but worth it...from cards4magic - £13.50....

I saw those cards a couple of weeks ago, and thought they looked familiar. The deck was packaged with a trick called 'ESP Syndrome', which seems to have vanished in the few years since I bought it. You got the cards, and one of those dice boxes where you give the box a shake to 'mix' the dice up. Dale would probably know the proper name for it! You also got ESP dice that match the coloured symbols on the cards.

I actually bought it for the dice and the cards. I didn't like the idea of all the dice suddenly showing the chosen symbol, but it would work as a magic trick.

Jobasha wrote:I agree with Iain that a blank backed deck would be nice. Would the blank telepathy cards be suitable for this? anyone.

Yes, if you don't mind having to try and print on them, or don't mind them looking homemade. The cards are not like playing cards, and more like art card (fairly thick), with a matte surface.

I don't see any reason why one couldn't print the ESP card designs onto an A4 sheet of card and then cut to size. You'd need a printer that could handle card, of course.

Part-Timer wrote:Dr Rhine's sure did.

Bloody hell

Fair enough... yeah like I said, I'm unsure why the BESP cards look "wrong" to me, and I'm not trying to convince anyone else not to use them.

Sounds like The-Club-of-People-Who-Don't-Mind-the-Back-Design-on-the-Royal-Magic-ESP-Deck numbers precisely one: me!

I don't love it or anything and it's definitely not my favourite, but I certainly don't hate it or find it corny. Bottom line, for me, is this: I've used the Royal ESP deck only a handful of times in performance (favouring the BESP2 deck on all other occasions), but the few times I have used it the spectators have not commented on or expressed any dislike for the cards. They just seem to accept it for what it is - an ESP testing deck. I find that most people are aware of ESP cards, even if they aren't familiar with the various symbols; I like to spend a few moments just going over the background of the deck, with a brief history of ESP testing, as this definitely helps to get the audience into the right frame of mind. That way, they are more likely to accept the deck for what it is rather than focusing on the card backs and questioning the starry design. I'm far from being the consummate ESP performer, but this has been my limited experience of actually performing with the Royal ESP deck.

So, don't discount it just because you don't happen to like the back design. If you don't like the design, then fair enough, you don't like it. I'm not saying you should like it. The important thing here is, as ever, the effect on your audience. The presentation and effect on the spectator is paramount here. The method and props, no matter how simple/complex or corny/sophisticated, matters not a jot if you don't achieve the desired result.

I'm sorry if that sounds like a rant or a personal attack on someone because it's not meant to be. I'm just in the mood for typing at the moment. I waffle a lot and sometimes I get it wrong; other times I might be slightly right. Hey ho.

Can I raise my hand and say I don't have any problems with the Royal ESP Deck? I've seen them used by professional performers several times and I suppose it's down to personal preference - the star design is a bit cheesy but not a big issue (that's a magazine) and the same could be said for the usual Bike Rider back design - only magicians seem to use them outside the USA and specs don't question their use. The marked cards aspect isn't a problem either, I guess only magi would be on the alert for such subtleties.

I don't mind the Royal/Duke back design at all. I do, however, think it is a bit like something you might get in a kids magic set. As ESP cards are hardly an item most people see regularly, I don't think they'd know what to expect.

I really like the BESP2 cards, but in fact, I have never really used them. I've preferred Royal and Bicycle backed cards for actual performance.

The ESP effect I referred to in an earlier post is called The Blackwood ESP Test by Russell Hall. It is excellent and can be found in Mind Blasters.

For those of us who find card marking difficult to see in actual combat, has anyone tried the Jumbo (marked) ESP deck & might care to comment on how easy/hard it is to see/use this deck?

If you have Beyond ESP2/Submodalities, Pat Page/Ken de Courcy set, Sam Dalal et al it would be a shame not to be able to use anything contained therein that's not of a self working nature

TI

Thames Iron wrote:For those of us who find card marking difficult to see in actual combat, has anyone tried the Jumbo (marked) ESP deck & might care to comment on how easy/hard it is to see/use this deck?

If you have Beyond ESP2/Submodalities, Pat Page/Ken de Courcy set, Sam Dalal et al it would be a shame not to be able to use anything contained therein that's not of a self working nature

TI

I don't own the jumbo ESP deck so cannot comment. The Page and De Courcy booklet was written specifically for the Royal Magic ESP deck (which is marked), so a lot of the effects require the use of a marked deck. As far as I can remember, none of the effects in Sam Dalal's booklet require marked ESP cards/deck. They are all self-workers and no sleights are necessary. I really cannot recommend this booklet highly enough. If you have the slightest interest in ESP effects, you really should own it. It contains some superb effects that are really quite simple to perform, leaving you to concentrate on the presentation.

Here's a description of one of the effects (one of my favorites)...

Think-A-Card

The performer asks the spectator to think of one of the five designs in the ESP deck.

The performer removes the deck from the case and shuffles the cards. Three cards are removed from the deck at random and shown to the spectator to check if he can see his card. They are discarded and another three cards are again shown to the spectator.

This is repeated several times. The performer has never seen the faces of any of the cards, but he is able to reveal the design selected by the spectator!

It plays exactly as it reads. The spectator merely thinks of a design; nothing is written down. The performer really doesn't see the faces of any of the cards. Marked cards are not used. An excellent effect.

EDIT: I've just remembered I reviewed this booklet last year. Here's the link: http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic25278.php

Bob Cassidy has two effects in his Artful Mentalism book that are really strong.

First one --- two sets of five cards are laid out, said to be in a different order but one pair...the spectator choses two pairs of cards to be switched places...then they all match...really strong.


Second one...the spec mixes up a deck of 25 and the names three numbers between 1-25 and the performer without being near the deck names the symbols at each position...


Another great one is Psycho by Larry Becker. rereleased as Psycho 2, strong stuff. I came up with my own method but im sure it's the same. It must be!

looch has a great effect using esp cards on his your thoughts are mine dvd called wake up dr rhine whch is a 3 phase routine i also think its in his book s.a.d.(simple and direct)

there as stated quite many on the submodalities dvd

and there is a dvd called fundamentals by david eldridge which has some good effects on there

best deck of esp without a doubt has to be the beyond esp 2 deck deffo value for money at its best

This might not be the strongest but it is fun to perform and gets nice reactions.
Five ESP symbols are shown face up , star, wavey line, circe, cross, sqaure
You slide your prediction upwards ...A circle
Five ESP cards are facedown
As you count through them, a card is touched and removed
You count through again, a card is touched and removed
Whatever is touched is removed
Finally, one card is left
The CROSS
You then turn over the Circle, it says you will not pick a circle
You then turn over the remaining face up cards, each has a letter on its back C-R-S-S spelling the word CROSS with the original prediction face up in the middle.
You then show all remaining four cards are circles.
This could be a nice opener.