Today I was looking at Jon Allen's stuff and was so bowled over by his Rule of Three that I bought it in a blink. I am but an amateur and a notorious cheapskate, and the effect is a bit more pricey than the card effects I have picked up, but it looks like the years of enjoyment it will bring me is well worth it.

Speculating about the workings of Allen's trick got me thinking in general about applications of the brilliant Phoenix DD. Without over-exposing, if you have one how do you use yours? For me, an obvious brilliant application is a "full-size" ID or BW deck--indeed Ultimate BW deck does exactly that, and I trust Christian could produce an "full size" ID based on similar principles on request. For me, I just love the idea of never again worrying about which way to flip the case before opening.

I have perused the PDF pamphlet linked on the DD's webpage. Does anyone have favourites in there? Any other clever stuff that you wouldn't mind sharing without revealing secret details?

Thanks in advance,

Les

I can see the BW application, but not ID.
How would you display a fair spread of the full deck (the primary motivator for a "full size" deck?) avoid someone noticing the selection face up before (or in addition to) finding it face down?

I think it's better suited to decks where you've doubled things up but don't want it noticed -- M**e T***l, Sv****li, PEP, etc.

Yeah, it was late when I commented and I have slept on it. One can always avoid a table spread with an ID, but with the Ultimate BW deck it is cool that do it, AND locate the thought of cards of several specs, AND, though not desired usually, repeat the trick.

The M-T is showing a renewed interest (I am fascinated and just bought several from Mimesis), so it would be cool to get a DD where one of the demi-decks is short. Also, I think one can achieve some M-T effects without short cards but keeping the segregated (no interwoven) setup.

I was wondering why Card-Shark didn't also offer and Ultimate ID, and you have, I think, answered the question.

Les

You could do a ID deck as normal, but just with the extra cards as cover. Allowing you to show the other side of the deck.

I already thought of an ID, the problem is that you always would run into the problem that the card would be already visible face up before you can open the pair to show the card face down.

I am working on the Brainbuster Deck of Patrick Page (forgot about it), actually that was the initial idea for one of the Double Deckers, unfortunately Pat passed away just 2 or 3 weeks before I could have shown him the result at the FFFF 2010. Really sad.

There is no real advantage of the Double Decker ID in my eyes.

That's essentially just a BW deck.

Hmmm, now that's an interesting thought.

Inigmntoya, no a brainwave deck the cards are all face down, the one they named is face up, it also had a different coloured back. The idea I am thinking of, only sometimes it would be a face up card, always the same colour back.


Card-Shark, I am not saying make a 'full deck' Brainwave so to speak. Just make as normal, but each set of pairs has a back a cover. But the effect could possibly be different each time, so one time it would be the only face down card. But another time it may be the only face up card, but you could also still turn the deck over and show the faces of the rest of the cards.
So it will always look like a normal deck, no 'flashing'. The cards would be in sets of three, the ID pairs and a 'cover card'. Also the cover cards would be marked for easy identification.

So essentially you only using 78 cards or 75% of the double decker deck. But I doubt spectators would notice the deck being a little 'thinner'.

But you can't do a face-up ID with a double decker. Well you could, but as previously discussed you will likely (50% chance) run past the selected card face up before you then find the face-up-mate in order to do the reveal of the face down selection.

Well, how about this idea...

Using Double Deckers, perhaps you could combine a BW and ID in the SAME deck.
Odd cards could be revealed face down in a face up deck.
Even cards revealed face up in a face down deck.
With either reveal I believe the back of the selection could be shown to have a different color.
Or perhpas some DF's & DB's could be utilized in some way, just thinking out loud here.

Basically you would be showing just the top half of the deck depending on orientation.
Haven't had a chance to think this all through and there would no doubt be some bugs to iron out. The first one coming to mind is showing the selection if it happens to be at or near the bottom of it's respective half.

But if it could be worked out, the big advantage is that after the reveal you could flip the deck over and casually show the "rest" of the deck face up or down so all appears to be proper.
Arranging the odd/even correctly I don't believe there would be any duplicate cards showing up.

Whether it could actually work or add enough to the effect to even warrant it, I certainly think it merits consideration and if nothing else is great fun to ponder.

Of course, in all likelihood this road has been well-traveled already by others.
But as I mentioned, a fun way to spend a lazy Sunday morning for magic geeks like myself.

Inigmntoya I think you need to read the rest of my post.

So how do you separate one card of three? Maybe something with SF spray?
Also, I think people are more likely to notice a deck only 75% as thick as it should be vs the current ID which is the right size but only half a full deck is seen spread out.
Not totally knocking the idea but seems like a lot of extra trouble (and cost) for minimal gain.

The idea needs tweaking sure. But I don't think they notice a 20-25% thinner deck. Anymore than laypeople notice the cards them selves are thinner, or than they only see 26 cards when you spread a brainwave/Id deck.

From what I've read Sf spray would be perfect. You could also just rough the top half of the cover card and back card of the paired ones. Leaving and area which start to spread easily, so there would be less fumbling.

But when I do ID deck, when I reach the card to be revealed. I place my fingers on the back of the card and pull the deck/cards on top of it, to the side showing a small amount of the back. Then up jog that whole block, keep holding onto the back of the reveal card. Then down down jog that top block, leaving the face reveal card both up-jogged and face down. With the rest of the deck slightly fanned, this makes for a very clean display.

Using this simple technique I don't see how sets of three will be much harder to handle than sets of two. With one middle card roughed both sides, Covered by two cards roughed on the side facing it, and smooth on the other. Simply spread gently to the card, use the touching back technique to up jog the card. To either hold back the cover card and up jog the middle card, or hold back the pair card and again up jog the middle card.

Leaving a nice display of the reveal card, and a even nicer kicker of then lifting the deck up to show the other side being all face down or face up!

3 cards and thinner? Something goes wrong here. If you pair a complete deck of Double Decker cards, you get a deck with a regular thickness. When you add a third card to it, the deck will be 1.5 times the thickness.

The Brainbuster Deck by Patrick Page is this: you can show a complete deck of cards on the faces AND on the backs. The named card shows up face up in a facedown deck and when turned around has a different back colour.

No card you misunderstand me. Or maybe I misunderstand how the double decker works? Two decks in one, making the cards very thin?
So with my idea you are only using 75% of the deck. Plus maybe the two jokers.

Your not using the whole deck. Half making a regular type ID deck, then another half of the remaining half, used as backs covering one side of the paired cards.

So the deck would be slightly thinner. But you could show both sides of the deck and it would look normal.

I'm going to order a DD deck and the Ted Lesley marking system and make this up myself. Then make a youtube video showing the idea for you guys. This may take a few weeks.

Lol, no need for marking them. All DD are marked. According to Ted Lesley.

But trust me, this will not work as you think. But if... wow.
Btw: we have much more Double Decker than you know: blank faces, blank backs, double blanks, double backs, double facers (identical or printed like an ID). If this will not start your creative juices... I don't know.

I am eagerly awaiting Jon Allen's Rule of Three to come in the mail. Haven't been able quite how to figure out how it is done, but I suspect that a DD with at least one of those special card types is involved. Looking forward to getting it. It is a bit more expensive than the average single trick, but it is a dazzler, and if a specially prepared Phoenix deck is involved I can appreciate the cost.

Les

I made a Brainwave Deck by myself with the Double Decker.

There are many possibilities with this deck. The "Rule of Three" is a great solution - possibly the best idea yet using the Phoenix Double Decker deck to date, IMO.

Robert