talkmagic.co.uk

I can't find a review of these cards anywhere.

There based on the Svengali Deck, with the exception you can fan the cards face up to the specs.

My deck didn't come with instructions so I was wonderin if anyone has any routines or uses they put these cards too.

Also I have trouble cutting to the force card, doesn't matter whether I do it width or length ways, around 5/10 times I'll get the force. Those odds aint good so what am I doing wrong???

First off only difference between a mirage abd a svengali is that the cards can be fanned out first. This imo means that that is the deck I would buy if buying a svengali.

So for routines look for any routine that involves a sven deck. there are some good ones.

A good place to start would be the "101 Tricks with a Svengali Deck" bought from just about anywhere for under £3 (£2 at the card collection)

http://www.cards4magic.co.uk/acatalog/Books.html#a1176

(actually their book is 110 tricks - so go for it).
(and what a selection of books on that page!!!!!)

As for not being able to cut to the card. That is weird. Not sure what you are doing wrong if they are cut from end to end, but just riffle down the cards and ask the spec to tell you when to stop as your method for getting the spec to select the card...

the riffle method and getting a spec to stick a finger in is a real winner with a sven deck, also a deck can be ribbon spread on the table useing the same riffle method.

Talking of card handling what is the flourish called where you ribbon spread the cards down on the table face down & then turn them face up ala domino effect?
I can't find anything related to it (prob 'cos I'm not sure of the name), is it mentioned in Royal Road?

royal road refers to it as the spread and turn over page 42 figures 28-30.

I can't for the life of me recall where, but I have read a routine which specifically requires a Mirage deck (or at least I think I have).

In my view this can be superior because it might fool anyone who knows the Svengali deck's principles (and they have been marketed to the general public at least as far back as the very early 1980s, if not before then).

However, its advantages over the Svengali deck aren't that great.

EDIT: One apostrophe too many in there!

Part-Timer wrote:However, it's advantages over the Svengali deck aren't that great.

The way I see it is that if the only advantage is you get to show th ecards in a fairer way, and if the prices are the same (they are pretty much) then why not always go for the mirage?

bananafish wrote:The way I see it is that if the only advantage is you get to show the cards in a fairer way, and if the prices are the same (they are pretty much) then why not always go for the mirage?

I hadn't done a price check, but if that is the case, then a Mirage might be better.

While I am not sure, I suspect some routines for a Svengali deck would be harder to pull off with a Mirage. I don't really do stuff with a Svengali, though, so maybe I am wrong.

One more advantage. If you are careful, it's possible to do an overhand shuffle with a Mirage deck without causing problems.