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I have, and use, the ID........I am busy putting a "wish list" together for relatives of mine, and have watched the penguin magic demo of the brainwave deck. I have a couple of questions, and would like to pick peoples brains for a moment.....

For those of you that have both, am I going to find them to be too similar and redundant, or is there room for both effects in my repetoire?

If you have seen, or done both, which do you find gets a better response?

If you had to suggest ONLY ONE of these two, which would you pick, and why?

Any info would be much appreciated, as I am not sure if I want to add the Brainwave deck to my list or not!

I'd say stick with the ID.

Brainwave is a similar effect - though it adds the kicker ending of the odd colored back. I don't think the kicker adds all that much to the effect and I also think it can actually HURT the effect.

The fact that it is an odd back would raise suspicion and, I think, would make the spectators more likely to want to look at the deck. If you own ID, you know this can't happen. ID offers EXACTLY the same effect and because it's just a card turned over in a face up deck, it's not as suspicious as Brainwave. Aside from the color of the back (which I don't think adds much more to the effect) you're doing EXACTLY the same thing.

I'm not the biggest fan of ID, but in my opinion, it's the superior effect. I'd stick with what you have and use the money to get something else.

I agree with Demitri. Sometimes I think it's best to keep it simple. ID is a bold effect that I like a lot. I think you can take it too far sometimes in a trick when it's time to move on to another trick or effect, then you start to lose it ( abit like this post). Stick to ID in my opinion. It's simple, but it's all in the presentation not always the efect itself.

I disagree. If you're raising more suspicion with BW than ID, then you're selling the effect all wrong. What are you doing? Telling them you're magically changing the back? I tell them "To prove that I didn't just turn the card over, LOOK it's from a different deck completely!".

I think BW & ID are just as strong as each other, but as has already been said.. the BW has the extra kick.

~Sym~

Symtal wrote:I disagree. If you're raising more suspicion with BW than ID, then you're selling the effect all wrong. What are you doing? Telling them you're magically changing the back? I tell them "To prove that I didn't just turn the card over, LOOK it's from a different deck completely!".

I think BW & ID are just as strong as each other, but as has already been said.. the BW has the extra kick.

~Sym~

Actually, if that is the way your presenting the effect, your not doing it quite as it was originaly intended.
If you read Vernon's original routine for the Brainwave, which is published in Paul Clive's Card tricks without Skill ( amongst other places), you will read that Vernon would state that he had placed an odd card inside this deck, and that it was up to the spectator to guess what the card is.
This approach takes an enormous amount of heat from both the deck, and the card.
It also makes the spectator do the trick..

I prefer the ID.
The brainwave deck has little amazement, as the card is already face up when you reveal it. This takes away all the surprise, and the fact that it has a different back kind of steals some of the WOW factor of that it was the only card in the deck the wrong way round.
The ID has that essence of suspense. When you spread through the deck, people cannot see their card, and when they see one face down, they just wont believe it! When you take it out and flip it over, WOW!, is that magic or what.

ouch-kabibble wrote:I prefer the ID.
The brainwave deck has little amazement, as the card is already face up when you reveal it. This takes away all the surprise, and the fact that it has a different back kind of steals some of the WOW factor of that it was the only card in the deck the wrong way round.
The ID has that essence of suspense. When you spread through the deck, people cannot see their card, and when they see one face down, they just wont believe it! When you take it out and flip it over, WOW!, is that magic or what.

er, your handling of the deck need to be looked at . The reveal on both the brainwave, and Invisible should be the same. Both decks are stacked in an order that tells you the next card.
Brainwave decks, ( or at least a real good one) should have a pencil dot on the seven.
that way you calculate where you are.

Hi

I was just about to put my vote in for the ID as I always thought the brainwave deck was stretching things a bit too far so it has been sitting at the bottom of my box with my marked deck and Mccrombie prediction decks.

However since reading Dales message about Vernon's original routine for the brainwave deck I think I may change my mind.

I will just have to find an unsuspecting member of staff to perform it too and see what happens.

Thank you Dale

Dean

daleshrimpton wrote:

ouch-kabibble wrote:I prefer the ID.
The brainwave deck has little amazement, as the card is already face up when you reveal it. This takes away all the surprise, and the fact that it has a different back kind of steals some of the WOW factor of that it was the only card in the deck the wrong way round.
The ID has that essence of suspense. When you spread through the deck, people cannot see their card, and when they see one face down, they just wont believe it! When you take it out and flip it over, WOW!, is that magic or what.

er, your handling of the deck need to be looked at . The reveal on both the brainwave, and Invisible should be the same. Both decks are stacked in an order that tells you the next card.
Brainwave decks, ( or at least a real good one) should have a pencil dot on the seven.
that way you calculate where you are.

Well in my Brainwave deck when you get to thier card it is face up so they can see it, then you turn it over to reveal the blue back. I personally prefer the ID. They both have the same kind of reactions and the effect is pretty much identical. I agree with ouch-kabibble about the reveal being better on the ID as you see a card turned face down then the spec can take it out and see it's their card, alot more suspense I think.

Both powerfull in the right hands but my personal choice is the ID.

Thanks guys.......

This is exatctly what I was hoping for.....a candid discussion about the benefits, presentation, etc of the two decks. I can't say anyone has made my decision any easier......but at least I know I can't make a bad choice, as it seems that both decks have pro's and con's....

I've got them both but I always end up doing ID. I think because I just enjoy performing it more. It gives you a great opportunity for some really daft spec involvement. I performed it in front of my (very serious) Sister-In-Law a year or so ago and she still mentions it every time we meet. I've resisted the temptation to show her it again using lots of limp gags such as " yeah sure, I'll do that one, now where did I put that ID?". (I know, I should get out more).

I would say the decks are just the same. Whats the difference between a card turned face up and a acard turned face up with a different back?? Nothing really, because if the card was turned face up at the beginning why would it need a different coloured back??

I have the BW, and I like it, but I don't use it that often.

Kev

Because, the card having a different back is a different league of 'impossible' than the card flipping over. Seems to me that it would cause much more suspicion as to a gaff deck...

Kati

Yeh It would. But the spectators are only watching for a good trick, not to see how it is done (Some of them are ovbiously) but I know where ou are coming from.