Hi, I was looking through penguin magic and I can't decide which deck I want. Should I get an invisable deck brainwave deck, Svenglini deck or a raising card effect? And if it's a rising card effect which one Kundalini Rising or just the rising card? Thanks for the help!

What kind of trick do you want to perform? Want my help, get a stripper deck, you can do great tricks with that and you can even play card games with it, without the people knowing it's a magic deck and if you want a good rising card effect, get Kundalini, it's great and clean, you can do it with every card deck.

greetings niels

what kind of tricks can you do with a stripper deck?

Nappa:
Couple of points...

1) if you're seeking a gaffed deck, the Invisible Deck is a powerful effect. Too many people know the Svengali or stripper deck's secrets.
2) Kundalini Rising can be equally as powerful if done properly.
3) What kind of card magic do you like best? How much experience do you have? Whose magic amazes you? When you can answer these questions, you're beginning the journey that helps you get beyond questions like, "which deck should I get?" As others on this board have said far more eloquently than I, magic is more than the ability to perform tricks. It's the ability to entertain, amaze, astound, and mystify people. The effects...the tricks are only the mechanism to do so.

I'd also recommend you look at a couple of books which will teach you how to perform effects with a regular deck. Gaffed decks have their place...but you can't hand 'em out, and they're somewhat limited in their potential. From personal experience, I am able to do far more with one regular deck, than carry around 17 gaffed decks.

Best of luck.

I'm sorry Steve, I wasn't clear, I already have many effects with normal cards, a lot of books, videos, ect... I just have no ideas on gaffed cards, just never got into them until now I guess. Anyway even though I know he's not the greatest magician David Blaine is a good performer and his street magic was the first really on TV. I like effects like that.

Maybe you should look at a few packet tricks..Tom

Invisible deck for all those tricks that go bad...
;) That's why I carry one now as a suggestion from this very forum!

I would go with stevepr104's recommendation, and I would add one comment: there are very FEW effects that are done with a gaffed deck that cannot be reproduced with a regular deck, and when done like that, it's way more impressive...
Example: have you ever seen Michael Close perform the "Invisible Deck" with a regular deck, and give it as a souvenir to the spectator at the end of the performance?
Good luck.
Eric.

Nappa,
You may be going at this backwards.
First, decide what you want to do and THEN decide what, if any, deck(s) you need.

Personally I prefer the invisible deck to brainwave because the brainwave arouses gimmicked deck suspicions, where as, in the invisible deck the card is exactly the same as the rest
Just my humble opinion
Florian

Hello Nappa,

To start out with, I recommend the stripper deck, it's a great deck because you can do so many different tricks with it - I just recently purchased one and I can't put it down - I use it mainly for mentalism effects.

I am sort of in the same boat as you, I myself never really liked card tricks until now, the next two decks that I am going to purchase are the Kundalini rising & the Blizzard deck - Kundalini because my friend made a card rise from my own deck & Blizzard because everything can be immediately examined (few gaffed card packets can be examined).

Hope I helped ya a little bit.

Thanks for the help guys I appreciate it.

You will be happy when you get Blizzard! It is great! I got mine about 2 months ago and I performed it at least once a week.... the set up takes 10 seconds and everything is examined..... it's amazing... we both can write a review in the Dean Dill forum when it is up on the 13th....

Hey do you have AIM? when you get it I want to discuss different methods and stuff like that... when you get the trick you will think "WTF, I spent my money on this? How can this **** work!!!" But after practice you will like it... you will have to practice on somebody that is young (10 years old) so that if you screw up it won't be as bad as it was a friend or family member or somebody..... talk to you later

Oh and Nappa go to the school tricks thread or school whatever thread... I forget the name. I recommended all these good tricks to this guy... you should get them too, most are ungaffed and ungimmicked

If this is your first deck, you should buy the stripper deck and a book about the stripper deck (ex: 50 tricks with stripper deck, ect.) It can be examined, and with a few adjustments you can use it to do a trick after playing a card game with them.

If you are looking for a single trick with a single gimmicked deck, then get the Invisible Deck. I carry one with me at all times and I use it for a single trick to do, and then walk away, or to switch over a coin or general magic trick. I don't like Brainwave because if someone sees it a few times when they are not suppost to, they can figure it out quite easily.

Lastly, the kundalini Rising gimmicks are great. You use a regular deck, and after the trick, the deck, box, and even you can be examined. It's a great trick except for the fact that it doesn't work great in bright daylight.

Hope this helps! Let me know which you decide to buy.

Magically yours,
- Evan