Almost 4 years ago I have seen this effect in one of the DVDs. It also teaches you how to prepare your own diary. Right now I can't recollect the name of the DVD. But hopefully I should locate the effect & the DVD.

Ok, it´s nothing earth shattering, but peter told it...on the dvd..., may be a little bit late...but anyway, the principle is ok, it´s completly different from the version of bob cassidy I prefered untill now.

This version has the strenght that you can give the diary away without become sweating. The weakness is the limited choice, but with the right technique and as effect for the early middle part of your programm, it´s ok - I will test it.

Hi,
Can the effect be adapted to any language or is there some restriction due to the english way of writing the name of the cards...

Thanks

Allan

Allan,
there is no language restriction.
I can create this effect in german so you can do it in your language too.

Thanks CinChiller

I think this is great! yes it is simple but to layman it will leave them baffled, and lets be honest ladies/gents this is who we primarily perform to, I will for one be making this up right away, and really like peter nardi's presentation, with the right presentation and to really hype this up with a freely selected date (in the eyes of the spec) this will be a great additiona to my strolling act, and with the use of one diary hardly any pocket space, I really do like this a lot, and work a lot in restaurants/weddings, can't wait to try this out on sunday

Today, I received my copy. I was very disappointed. The method is too simple to conceal the principle.

Could I ask if this can be done without having playing cards writen in the diary but having names of random objects??

Thanks, magico563:-)

Yes you can do that - it's probably better to have something other than cards written in the diary to avoid any confusion with the thought of card that's used to arrive at the date. I still don't think it would be a very good trick though.

For me this has two major flaws ...
1) You start by having the spectator think of a card, which raises the expectation that you're going to reveal what card they are thinking of - you don't reveal it and can't reveal it.
2) It's one of the least baffling tricks I've ever seen - anyone who saw this performed would be able to easily work out the method if they were interested enought to think about it for more than a few seconds.

Peter Duffie has a diary trick in Effortless Card Magic that uses pretty much the same principle - but it's used in a much more baffling way that makes the choice of dates look wider.

I got this a few days ago. I think it's very good. It may seem obvious if you're a magician, but not to a lay audience.

Still freaked out by CinChiller's avatar.

Robert

I like it and if you are worried about the method I will give you a tip.

Put a little more smoke around it. You can do this by letting the spectator take two cards and classic force one of the cards. This is great because you get another chance if you should miss the first.

You could also put a breather crimp in one card and let the spectator shuffle the cards, take them back, cut and classic force. Then you need at least thirteen brain cells to figure it out.

Another method if a classic force worries you is to make a short card. Give the deck to the spectator and let him/her shuffle the cards, take them back and cut the short card to the top and put the deck on the table. Introduce the diary. Let the spectator cut the deck anywhere, use the card cut to and in the end reveal the card at the top. That will be a perfect mystery.

That would indeed make it more baffling - but if you force one card and allow the other to be a free choice, then you pretty much have the Peter Duffie trick I mentioned previously.

The Duffie effect is called Diary of Delusion (Effortless Card Magic pg 69) and it is the same as Wink's Diary, just with more smoke on the selection procedure in the way that you suggest.

So you can either buy just Wink's Diary for $29.99, or buy the Effortless Card Magic ebook and get a better version of the same effect using exactly the same principle - plus about 70 other routines as well - for $5 LESS.

That's my main problem with this routine. There is nothing to justify marketing it as a separate effect. It should have just been published in a magazine or sold in a book with 70 other effects (as indeed it is at http://www.peterduffie.com ).

Caliban, you make a point that I myself made in my earlier review of this item in that this effect does not warrant a DVD on its own. This is merely a magazine article elevated beyond its status. And as Mushi said, the principle is too simple to conceal the method. Most disappointing thing I've purchased this year.

I had not seen this and read some of the controversy. I have a close relationship and a ton of respect for Russ, Peter, Martin, etc. so I watched it and tried to be unbiased (though I admittedly am). I was actually very impressed. Is it simple... yes... but a lot of the best magic is (since we are magicians we often don't look at stuff like a real person). If you use some of the ideas (such as Peter's with the picture/performance locations) I think you could really kill with this. The simplicity is what is great about it... far too often I have seen these effects where it is like doing a math test or having to think way too much considering the various multiple outs. This is something I will most likely make up and USE. I guess we all respectfully have our likes and opinions but I for one really was impressed.

Tim Trono

Whilst the methodology of this is simple,and may be apparent to mentalists, that is not neccessarily the case with the lay audience. I like this and have linked it to other effects to "layer" the original method.

Whilst I don't like Mr.Sanderson's performance i.e. "over proving", never the less the method is very worthwhile.

Hennessey

Hi Guys,

I still stand behind this effect. I think Bill have come up with a great effect and method. I have worked this at my gigs and everytime I dem it in the shop it sells (that for me says a lot about an effect)

Please be aware I was not hired help in this project, I appeared on the DVD because I liked the effect!

Regards

Peter

When I saw the demo to Winks Diary I thought I was purchasing the "perfect" impromptu routine. I went out and bought a small day planner and prepared it according the the dvd. I performed it around 10 times in 3 days, sad to say at least 7 of the people I performed it for saw right through the method. I'm not upset that I spent $30 on a DVD and $15 on a day planner, I'm jsut upset I wasted all that time writing the cards next to EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. In my opinion STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE.

MIKE

Hi Irishmagic,

I can only think that if seven out of ten people figured out the method, then you are probably wording the effect incorrectly. For your interest (being from the UK), Paul Zennon will be performing this on the TV show Countdown soon and he has also come up with another presentational route.

Best,
Russ

Oh dear...doing it on countdown is probably the last place to perform this. Afterall, a good percentage of people who watch that program are analytical and love working out puzzles. It won't take 'em long to figure this one out.

Boy am I glad I read this post, I too was ready to preorder this. Once again the Café has saved me money on what appears to be a really good effect.

I currently do four different diary effects for times when people request to see something I have shown them before, which very often is a diary effect. The people I perform for just seem to love them, I can vary the method to prevent them figuring out how it is done. one of effects I use is the one by Peter Duffie described above.

My favorite one is (I think) my own very humble creation and uses a move not originally designed for playing cards, It is also simplicity itsef to execute and no one has figured it out yet. Having said that, it would not fool an experienced magician but then again I only ever perform for complete laymen.

I have said it before and will say it again "Never make an impulse purchase." wait instead for the good folks at the Café to post their reviews and then you can make your own much better informed decision.

I am not denigrating this effect in any way and am sure that it will play very well for some who purchase it, it's just not for me is all.

Regards 0045