Would like to know your comments on these DVD sets by Ortiz. Did you enjoy them?, Good bang for the Buck? Do you recommend them? Usuable Material or rather large setups, etc. any comments would be most helpful in my selection

Card Table Series - Ortiz
Card Shark DVD's - Ortiz

I have the card shark series and love them. If you are going to get one volume from the series I would make it volume three. The tricks there are less involved and they are preformed in a more casual setting. I would recommend them all though.

All very good! Amongst my favorites.

do a search in the DVD review section AND the book section, since the material of each video/DVD series comes the book of the same title.

New Hitchcock Aces is simply the best umgimmicked/impromptu Ace Assembly out there!!!(IMHO)

Ronnie Lemieux
Montreal
Canada

I would highly recommend both sets of DVD's from Darwin. Material with high impact and also requires quite a bit of skill.
Cannot wait for the upcoming release of his new 4 DVD set "Scams and Fantasies with Cards". I have this book and I find every effect in the book strong and practical. Therefore, I would highly recommend this new set also.

Fayaad

Card Shark videos are great -- I don't have the DVD's -- except I'm not that fond of Darwin's style of doing double/triple lifts. He holds the cards so tight to the hand that it looks like he's doing something, even though you can't see it. But he's unbelievably adept with cards. Recommended.

Darwin's material is all worth studying. His material is strong, commercial, and very well constructed. It would be worth getting a copy of 'Strong Magic' to see the thinking and theory behind the effects. I would also agree that Darwin seems too tight with the cards while doing some of the moves, but this in no way diminishes the value of his material, and his ability with cards is truly phenomenal. You will not be disappointed with any of his material.

As an example, he does a one-handed poker shuffle, cut and deal where he gives himself a royal flush -- the trick requires a one-handed perfect faro (at least for part of the deck). I've been practicing a long time and can't come near the required one-handed faro.

Socalesq,
You don't need to do a complete 1H faro. You only need to get a small section (with the st**k) to weave perfectly. If you like the ideas of the faro shuffle but the "perfect" vareity gives you problems, checkout Martin Nash's Infinity & Beyond.

Joe