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Paul Inner circle A good lecturer at your service! 4409 Posts |
Personally, I didn't like the card to wallet, (but it did make me go back and look at the Mendoza version). I think there is a weak spot when you look through the cards to take out specific ones. It could cross the mind of the spectators you are simply looking for the signed card (and that IS the first thing my wife thought when I ran through the routine).
Having said that, there were a couple of things in there that were to me worth the price of the book. I've used versions of "Wow" over the years (even have one of my own in an upcoming L.R.Parade) and "The Invisible Card" but John's routine construction and presentation are excellent and I adopted it immediately. When I get the balls I'll try out "Chromo Balls" Paul. |
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Motor City Special user Metro Detroit Area 587 Posts |
Paul, That is an excellent observation. There are a couple of ways you can handle it.
You can make it a "it doesn't matter if I see the card" trick. Start out by having the card selected. As you ask the spectator to sign the card simply say, "It's ok if I see the card. It's not that kind of a trick." This way, when you look through the deck for the other two "specific" cards there is less heat on you knowing the selection. Or, you can have a blank face card inside the wallet on the opposite side of the Queen of Hearts. The blank face would be showing. You can say something like, "I usually have someone select a card, but today I'm going to do something different. I'm going to select one for you." Remove the wallet, open to the blank face side and hand the card to the spectator. Leave the wallet on the table opened. There is no heat on the wallet. After the spectator signs the blank face card place it in the deck and then proceed to remove the two specific cards per the routine. If you try it this way, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Thanks for your comment. |
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Paul Inner circle A good lecturer at your service! 4409 Posts |
Thanks for posting that,John, I can see that would work. Sometimes it's the simplest of things that can make a big difference.
Paul. |
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Justin N. Miller Inner circle 2457 Posts |
John and I jammed till 1am last night after my lecture in ann arbor. I got to see among many other GRET effects his card to wallet...THIS I THE BEST CARD TO WALLET I HaVE SEEN TO DATE...GET the book and the wallet and LEARN his routine!
Thanks friend, Justin N. Miller |
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Kip Stevens New user 85 Posts |
This book is DA BOMB!!!
So much practical, useable material in ONE PLACE. Gotta be book of the year if not the DECADE!!! Looka out for Luka's Book. Yeeeeeee-Haaaaaaaa!!!! |
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A.J. Veteran user Michigan 314 Posts |
This book does indeed "rock"...great magic and great thinking for one of magic's nicest guys. Buy it...you won't be disappointed.
A.J. |
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emyers99 Inner circle Columbus, Ohio 4741 Posts |
I just received my wallet from John. It's fantastic. Looks great and works like a charm. The zipper is a nice feature. Well done John and thanks for the super fast shipping.
eric |
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JanForster Inner circle Germany ... when not traveling... 4190 Posts |
Yes, it is a very good book, thinking and doing without pipe dreams. By the way Peter Scarlett's superb Pimpernell Notecase (hi Peter, you know I owne two...) works fine with John's routine. Jan
Jan Forster
www.janforster.de |
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Andy the cardician Inner circle A street named after my dad 3362 Posts |
Sure buy . . .
Cards never lie
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Schmecal New user Baltimore, MD 70 Posts |
I agree! This is a great book!
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Kip Stevens New user 85 Posts |
I just learnt me the AMBITIOUS CARD from this book!!!
It took me an afternoon and now I'm goin' out an' about to do some SERIOUS astonishment!! Look out spectators, here comes Kip 'Robin Hood' Stevens with a new arrow in his quiver. I'm gonna rob the dull and give entertainment to the poor. I'll let y'all know how it goes down. OAO Kip |
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MerlH Loyal user Carolina Shores, N.C. 272 Posts |
I just read a review of John's book in this month's GENII where it was generally panned for being a rework of classic effects. YES If you want a book of some of the best "classic" effects smoothed out and in ONE place this is the book to have. I consider myself an "average" card worker and own most of the classic books on card magic. John's book has effects in it you WILL learn and do, that you have probably glossed over before.
For the record, I am not a close friend of Johns. I just got to know him when his book came out.
Merl Hamen Old dog-- New tricks
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NYCJoePitt Special user 558 Posts |
I didn't feel like the GENII review was a pan... "it isn't the right book for me, but I suspect it may be the right book for you."
In fact, the GENII review was positive enough to encourage me to go out and look at John's website and come check out the reviews here at the Café. And now I've decided to purchase the book. I'd say that was a good result! |
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Andy the cardician Inner circle A street named after my dad 3362 Posts |
Ordered it today . . .
Cards never lie
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NYCJoePitt Special user 558 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-04-28 23:54, NYCJoePitt wrote: OOPS! Got my reviews mixed up! This quote is from Magic Magazine. I would have to agree that the review in GENII was pretty much a pan. Oh well, I'm looking forward to my copy of UNCOVERED! |
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emyers99 Inner circle Columbus, Ohio 4741 Posts |
I think the review was pretty accurrate and was exactly what I was thinking as I read the book. It's a great book and all the routines are solid. If you've been around for over 20 years like me, however, you probably already do versions of many of the tricks in the book. So you then have to decide whether the version taught in the book is good enough to get you to switch. Case in point is the dunbury delusion trick...probably my favorite plot in all of magic. I've been doing Gary Ouelette's Finger on the Card for 20 years. I've also been doing Dunbury Aces (from the ETMCM series. Very similar to version in book but with a fantastic kicker ending) for a long time. Those in my opinion are the greatest dunbury delusion effects of all time. So for me, no version is going to make me switch...but that's because I'm an old fart that is set in my ways. If I wasn't familiar with Finger on Card of Dunbury Aces, I would love the effect in the book which is very solid. So I think the book will have a different value for everyone who reads it, depending on your experience level.
I definitely love John's card in wallet and have been doing my version of it for a few weeks now. I also like the chroma balls routine and will be working on that shortly. |
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Motor City Special user Metro Detroit Area 587 Posts |
I admit that I was bothered after I read the negative review. However, I do understand that everyone is certainly entitled to his or her opinion. In my defense, I would like to say that sometimes it's only a minor change or even a patter line that can make a huge difference in an effect. I have been using the effects in "Uncovered" for a very long time. They continue to serve me well.
I have, at times, stopped using some of those effects, looking for something new as most magicians do. Eventually, I would return to them. After having performed an item that I hadn't used for a long time, I would sometimes shake my head and say to myself, "I forgot how strong that effect plays." I would then put it back into my working repertoire. I hope that these effects work well for those who use them. I encourage others to use these effects, play with them, and make them better. I would like to thank everyone who ordered the book, in spite of the review. I would also like to thank everyone who had good words to say about the book. Recently, I have received a number of requests for the wallet used in my "The Card To Wallet" routine. I now have a supply of the wallets in stock. You will now find the wallet and some additional products listed on my website. For those interested, the wallet is a Z-fold style wallet. It is well made and also has a zippered pocket. The zippered pocket is not necessary to the working of the trick. However, I feel it adds that extra level of mystery to the effect. The wallet is made of leather, is lined, and lays flat. The wallet will fit into your shirt pocket, which is a nice feature and is moderately priced at $30. If you already own a Z-fold wallet, you will be able to do my routine with it. It is still a strong effect. I performed that effect for over ten years with a standard Z-fold wallet. I discovered the zippered wallet only about a year or two ago. Again, thanks for your support. -- John Luka |
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Daren Inner circle 2051 Posts |
Does the $30 and $5 include shipping to the UK or does that cost extra?
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Motor City Special user Metro Detroit Area 587 Posts |
The total cost in US Dollars to ship the wallet to the UK via Global Priority Mail is:
$30 - Wallet $8.50 - Shipping $38.50 - Total Thanks for your interest in the wallet. |
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Andy the cardician Inner circle A street named after my dad 3362 Posts |
The title made me expecting secrets over secrets. New secrets . . . uncovered.
Instead of that, the book contains a number of rather well known tricks, modified or dressed up with other rather well known moves or tricks . . . Hence, for someone who has been around the block a couple of times, with a few exceptions, this book contains nothing really earth-moving new. Having said so, the tricks are all rock-solid and workers - no fancy moves, no novel yet unpractical sleights where you get burned beyond recognition, no new version of a pass or a half-pass, no knuckle busters . . . just solid magic. Put together and adopted in their present form based on year long experience. And it was that experience that made me pick up a deck of cards and start working. I actually had good fun comparing John's handling of a trick with the handlings I knew. It gave me several insights and made me think even more about the handling and presentation of a trick. In short - I had a couple of good hours. So the book was certainly worth it - at least for me. Thanks John for this. I am looking forward to further publications from you. Andy PS - If you would have shared that book with me prior its publication, I would have suggested the title FINETUNED.
Cards never lie
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