Aunt Mary's Terrible Secret

Review area devoted to Magic books, leaflets and other printed material

Moderators: nickj, Lady of Mystery, Mandrake, bananafish, support

Aunt Mary's Terrible Secret

Postby lozey » Mar 14th, '07, 23:55



Format :Booklet (41 pages)

From :http://www.magicbox.uk.com/shop.php/shop/books-and-dvds/booklets-/-manuscripts/aunt-marys-terrible-secret-free-bicycle-cards/p_11.html

Price: £16.99 but currently on sale at £12

They Say:

Every family has their secrets. The Williamson family has Aunt Mary. A respectable woman with a murky past, Aunt Mary has finally come clean. Revealed here for the first time as a professional card routine in three powerful acts, Aunt Mary's Terrible Secret is well within the reach of any performer. Two audience members are invited to play a simple color matching game for the chance to win fifty-two dollars. The cards are unprepared, the money is real and this incredible, easy-to-master routine builds to a devastating climax that will leave your audiences stunned. After Aunt Mary's Terrible Secret, you'll never look at little old ladies the same way again.

Quite simply, this is a highly commercial routine. It combines money, gambling, audience participation, and uncanny control over the cards to produce a routine that audiences love and remember."- Darwin Ortiz

I say:

Pros - This routine is well thought out, with each phase ending with a bigger climax. Its based around 3 people (including you) being dealt cards from a shuffled deck. It seems in each phase, you somehow manage to defy the odds and win the money.

Cons - This is listed as self working (level 1) on the website. In actual fact, it is too had for me to perform and involves several complicated slights. Not only do you have to perform a PERFECT riffle shuffle, but so does a spectator!!!!(and iv never met one who can, unless theyre a magi). You also need a PERFECT phero shuffle (although there is another method given, but it looks far more suspicious).

Being in the UK, we do not have $1 bills and i can afford 52 x £5, so id have to do it with monopoly money :roll: . But all in all, don't think i'll ever attempt this. There are much better gambling type routines out there that haven't got such stringent requirements

I'd give it level 3/4 difficulty and a score of 4 out of 10

(C, AH)
If you have a quality,let it define you no matter what it is-Doug Bradley
User avatar
lozey
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1002
Joined: Mar 9th, '06, 23:59
Location: West Yorkshire (27,AH, C)

Postby saxmad » Mar 15th, '07, 12:34

The riffle shuffles don't have to be perfect!
In fact, the less competent they are the better.

The faro needs to be perfect but there are a few ways round this.

I've actually performed this and it's pretty easy, apart from the faro.

The ending is a real shocker!

User avatar
saxmad
Senior Member
 
Posts: 607
Joined: Jul 11th, '03, 22:25
Location: Glasgow, Scotland (46:SH)

Postby PapaG » Mar 15th, '07, 17:37

How did you get round the 52 x £5 problem?

PapaG
Junior Member
 
Posts: 25
Joined: Aug 12th, '04, 09:10

Postby saxmad » Mar 15th, '07, 19:14

PapaG wrote:How did you get round the 52 x £5 problem?


I used faked money.
52 x £1 notes is a possibility - requires a trip to the bank.

User avatar
saxmad
Senior Member
 
Posts: 607
Joined: Jul 11th, '03, 22:25
Location: Glasgow, Scotland (46:SH)

Postby magicmonkey » Mar 15th, '07, 20:07

I cannot faro, there I've said it, The secret's out.
I did come up with an alternative for certain things that appears more like an overhand, however, and that does me just fine. Done casually it is not detectable
Must get the faro down, it would be so handy, I just can't get the li'l bu**ers to weave right....and even when I can it's a million miles from perfect!

not a fan of sigs, so I won't bother adding o..... oh
:oops:
User avatar
magicmonkey
Senior Member
 
Posts: 918
Joined: May 19th, '06, 20:40
Location: London (33:SH/ pt WP)

Postby saxmad » Mar 15th, '07, 20:29

Williamson offers another alternative to the faro here:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/view ... 80&forum=2

(Cut & paste the link)

It's about halfway down the page.

User avatar
saxmad
Senior Member
 
Posts: 607
Joined: Jul 11th, '03, 22:25
Location: Glasgow, Scotland (46:SH)

Postby lozey » Mar 16th, '07, 01:59

Il PM you why i thought the riffle shuffles had to be perfect

(C, AH)
If you have a quality,let it define you no matter what it is-Doug Bradley
User avatar
lozey
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1002
Joined: Mar 9th, '06, 23:59
Location: West Yorkshire (27,AH, C)


Return to Reviews - Books and other printed formats

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests

cron