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Thought I'd share my touch on Ambitous Classic with you. As always, all comments are welcome.

Ambitous Classic

Wow... I love that routine whould love to learn it! but know I could never do it that well!, watching you do that trick is like watching reall magic happen...... know what i mean??

I know how most of it is done DL ect but it just looks so good and when the cards start to turn over etc!!

Where can I learn this effect from?

and Well done Rune

Thanks Kems.

Well, I learnt it just by watching others, so I guess you can figure it out if you want to. But I believe it's a Jennings original. Anyway, you talked about DL's. Well, yes there are some, but not only. Some stuff really "just happens"

Nicely done and very well timed . That piece of music went perfectly.

I'm still in two minds about the third phase of this trick, particularly as in the fourth phase it goes back to the same idea as in the first and second phases. That's alot of talk of phases but do you know what I mean?

The third phase is the most controversial in my opinion because it builds the trick up to a peak (ie not only has the card jumped to the top but it's turned face up as well.) only to take it back down by resuming the Ambitious plot with the fourth card. I think this might be a bit of an anti climax. What do you think?

The final phase with the colour change is a really nice twist ending to the effect and I think in a perfect world this would be fantastic without the fourth phase (or perhaps somehow swapping the third and fourth phases around?).

Those are my thoughts on the trick, not your handling Rune . The only thing that bothered me slightly was the way you revealed that first ace, when it was outjogged to the side. Why did you do this first? And to be perfectly honest, it told me immediately that the ace had never really been placed second from top in the first place. Perhaps if you simply squared up the deck after obviously placing the card second from top and then revealed it it would look less suspect? No offense, it's just what caught my eye.

Kems - You can find the effect on Ammar's Easy To Master Card Miracles Volume 4. There you'll get the original handling. Rune and Mog have some nice variations tossed in there, which work very nicely.

Rune - as always a great job. The only thing I can comment on is the bottom spread for the reveal of the 3 turning face up. Everything else about this effect is SO smooth and fluid, while this particular moment seems a bit stiff. I am almost positive this is just a one-time thing, considering your card handling abilities, I just thought I'd mention it. In no way did it detract from the effect, though.

Goldfish - I can see your point, but I think patter might help keep it going. For me, I like to do a little play on "third time's a charm". I usually go with something like:

After displaying the three -

"Some people say that third time's a charm. I never used to believe it until I started experimenting with this 3 of (suit). You see, the three is a bit of a wild card in some regards. He doesn't really like to jump to the top like the others. He likes to play around in the middle of a packet."

And from there, I do the turning over effects.

It might seem anti-climactic, and I tend to agree with you - but aside from the entire process serving a purpose in setting you up for the finale, I think it also helps with the entire effect as a whole. Part of what makes magical effects so powerful is that new things happen all the time.

Look at ACR - in almost every aspect, you're doing the same basic thing (card to top of the deck) but to keep it interesting, you change up HOW it gets there. Like ACR, this effect has a smooth flow of peaks and valleys. The ace jumping to the top is a peak - the 2 is a bit of a valley (since it is repetition) the three throws them for a loop and gets a big "WOW". The four actually serves as a bridge (I think). It goes back to the original intent of the "experiment" and lulls the spectators back into the original concept of cards jumping. This little valley sets them up for the climax with the color change. I think that's why it works. I can see your point, but I think in the grand scheme of the effect, it plays out nicely as a strong central point of the effect.

To get back on topic - nice job, Rune. With your handling and Mogs', I'm quickly beginning to see the benefits of the final color change, rather than the finish I've used. Both of you did wonderful jobs with this effect.

My little post will probably looks even smaller when those giants have posted their opinions but I just wanted to say that I think you once again have made a really nice little movie

Very well done. I especially like your handling of DLs.

Nice work as always.

StEvEbO!