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Smooth Operations

Kevin Ho

(Based on 1 review)
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Introducing the card magic and flourishes of Kevin Ho, Smooth Operations is a 60 page book explaining an array of new material for both the curious student and seasoned pro with over a hundred photo illustrations for an enjoyable learning experience.

Kevin is a rising young Singapore-based magician with some serious talent. As a flourisher, he's already earned a reputation as one of the best. His style is fresh, ultra smooth, and extremely visual. And his magic is no different. Learn 5 effects, 4 sleights, 3 productions and 2 flourishes in 1 kick ass manual on card magic.

Step into a world of visual madness and experience the unexpected.

Contents

Tools, Inventions and Applications for the Modern Card Magician.

Punk'd
This version of Re-Set is simple, instant, and leaves you completely clean. Imagine two four-of-a-kinds, like the four Aces and four Jacks, instantly changing places with each other, and then back again moments later.

Static 4
A quick and easy four Ace production that's perfect for getting into any of your four card routines. It's also one of Kevin's favorites.

Inverse Impulse
A very magical looking one-handed color change that can be continuously repeated.

Long Division
This clever routine is fun to do and gets killer reactions.

A card is produced, equaling the value of two spectators' chosen cards. This single card is then visually "stretched" into a long card, which the spectators help split into their respective selections.

Pegasus
An insane production of any four-of-a-kind that will blow your audience away. (Includes an alternate version.)

Florida Count and PCP
I guess you could say it's a rhythm count...on acid. Very flashy, very visual, very cool.

This is definitely one of our favorite effects. It's fast, visual, direct, and allows you to showcase beautiful sleight of hand.

PCP
Four Jacks are counted between your hands as they seem to visually change into the four Aces. (Note: If you're tired of the remark, "Do that again", this is not the trick to do.)

Chaser
The magician offers to demonstrate different aspects of sleight of hand. What follows is a fast-paced sequence of cards appearing, teleporting, changing, and transposing with each other in a casual, yet highly visual manner.

Raccoon
Imagine a card spinning atop the deck 540 degrees to infinity. This cool little flourish is so neat and original, it has to be seen.

Collectors Redux
In the process of finding three spectators' selections, the four Queens (or any four-of-a-kind) are found in an insanely chaotic and visual way that only Kevin would think of.

Visa Switch
This very cool switch is open for many, many applications, of which Kevin supplies two. However, I'm sure after a little experimenting, you'll have applied it to numerous ideas of your own. All around, it's a fun little move to play with.

Fully Loaded
In this effect, Kevin explains how a deck of cards can be a deadly weapon with not only the ability to shoot single cards out of the deck, but also to produce a four-of-a-kind (Okay, it's a really cool ace production with some fun patter.).

Conspiracy of Four
An extremely visual and fun handling of a classic plot.

The magician offers to find a four-of-a-kind other than the four Aces. All goes well until the fourth and final production - it's an Ace. However, within the blink of an eye, the other three cards instantly turn into the other three Aces, forming a complete four-of-a-kind after all.

Bob Change
With a light shake, a card held in the magician's hand instantly turns into another card.

A very clever and in-your-face take on the well-known Shapeshifter change.

RePainted
A blank fan of cards is seen. With a quick wave, the faces of the cards visually appear. The method is so obvious it's hard to believe no one has ever thought of this before. An instant classic in my book.

Pages 59 - Saddle Stitched, 8 1/2" x 11" (Glossy Paper)

Reviews

Jeff Stone

Official Reviewer

Feb 04, 2009

Anybody up for a little D&D... Only the true geek will find the humor here... If you thought of Dan & Dave buck, then you're a minor Geek. The rest of you know who you are. Dan and Dave Buck present Kevin Ho. What you get is a full color very well designed and produced book... It "feels" and looks more like a magazine. You get 14 extremely fancy well explained and well photographed effects/moves, Plus a few "fillers" as Kevin calls them. These are just fun little gags and ideas.

Frankly, this was the best part of the book for me. "Stuck on You" (one of the "Fillers") is super funny and can be a huge thing on a stage act. I love it. "Getting into shape" (another filler) is another one that I can see myself doing. Filler 1 and 2 are things you could actually do in your act, but if I explain anything about them, it would be exposure, so you'll have to buy the book yourself. Filler #3 is just a clever and funny thing to read.

As for the "Meat" material, I'm too retarded to be able to perform any of it, so I'll have to judge it based on how well written up it is. For you XCM guys - incidentally, if you don't know what XCM is, you probably won't be that interested in this book - and you fancy finger-flinging guys, there are some amazing ideas in here that you'll really be able to use.

Back in the day, I was a hard core "move" guy. I did a lot of extremely technical stuff. Then one phone call with Bill Malone changed everything. He basically told me that I was a good technician, but that he wanted someone entertaining/funny (I was trying to get a job at his restaurant in Florida 15 years ago).

Anyway, since then, I've bagged the hard-core stuff, and I now stick with stuff that lets me focus on presentation and interaction with my audience. So if, based on my teeny bio above, you are more like me as a performer, then you may want to pass, or get this book just for the 2 filler ideas... pure gold.

If, however, you are a guy who likes the challenge of tough sleight of hand, and you have a lot of patience, then go for it. This is a top quality product with some killer stuff!
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