Price$19.95
Media TypeTrick
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedAug 27, 2016
Monte Test
Anthony Stan
Magic Smile Productions
(Based on 1 review)
The game is simple, the spectator must find the winning card which is the different card (for example: the 9 of spades).
Phase 1: The spectator tries to find the winning card, but he is wrong.
Phase 2: The winning card (the 9 of spades) becomes red. Now, the card has a red back and it's easy to follow.
Phase 3: The spectator tries again but when the red card is revealed, it's not the winning card (for example: it's the 9 of hearts). The magician gives two other chances to the spectator but he is wrong on both of them. Then, the red backed card turns to a blue backed card once again.
Phase 4: The magician puts one card (the 9 of hearts) in his pocket and keeps only two cards in his hands. But now, these cards are the 9 of hearts and the winning card (the 9 of spades) is in the magician's pocket. Hand the cards to the spectator for examinationIncludes the cards and video instructions(English/French)
Reviews
(Top ▲)
WHAT YOU GET
You get a set of gimmicked cards and online instruction.
WHAT I LIKE
I like this monte routine. I particularly like the gimmicked cards because, while they don’t teach you how to make your own replacement cards, you could pretty easily make your own replacement cards should your cards wear out.
The card gimmicks are made from good quality bicycle cards.
The methods are clean, clear and well taught. If you are a beginner, then you will need to practice the moves a bit to get them down. If you are an advance magician, then you will need to learn the routine. It is a multiple phase routine that starts dirty and ends clean.
The explanation is good. It is online streaming video. I wasn’t able to download it, but it is available online for you to go back and watch as often as you like.
The ad is pretty fair. They accurately describe the multi-phase routine.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE
There are a lot of monte routines out there. This one is good, you should know it plays like many monte routines already on the market. It ends clean, but there are other monte routines out there that also end clean.
You should also know that the routine as taught uses the same old premise of “where is the card? You are wrong. Now where is the card? Wrong again.” I personally don’t think this premise is great. It is old, worn out, and frequently serves to alienate a crowd from the performer. I didn’t mark down the review for this because it is not my business to decide for the reader whether the premise is good or not. The ad copy very fairly identifies that this is the premise. However, I thought it would be helpful to at least get you thinking about whether this is a good premise or not.
I personally like Piccadilly Square by Paul Gordon. It is a similar theme routine that uses un-gimmicked cards and lends itself to different presentations that are not always punctuated by “you are wrong.”
AT A GLANCE
Skill level required: 4 of 5. I’m saying 4 of 5 because you will need to learn a multi phase routine. The moves aren’t difficult, but to do the moves well and to do the multiple phase routine well, you will need to put in some practice.
Audience management skill required: 3 of 5. Given the nature of the gimmicks, you will need to handle the moves and the audience properly to pull this off. Not difficult, but you will need to practice some audience management.
Performance angles: 360 degrees
Reset time required: Minimal. You will need to reset away from your audience.
DIY time involved in advance: None
VERDICT
I like this product because it is a nice multi-phase monte routine that uses gimmicked cards, ends clean, and you could pretty easily create your own replacement gimmicked cards. It doesn’t explain how to do so, but creating the gimmicks is well within reach for most magician enthusiasts. I wasn’t thrilled that it really plays much like a number of other monte routines already on the market. I can’t think of anything radically new or improved. My personal favorite effect with a similar theme is Piccadilly Square by Paul Gordon which uses un-gimmicked cards and also ends clean.
When I do a similar theme routine, I use a patter of the cards playing characters, tax collectors and villagers trying to hide from them. I use cards that look like they may be from the middle ages.
You get a set of gimmicked cards and online instruction.
WHAT I LIKE
I like this monte routine. I particularly like the gimmicked cards because, while they don’t teach you how to make your own replacement cards, you could pretty easily make your own replacement cards should your cards wear out.
The card gimmicks are made from good quality bicycle cards.
The methods are clean, clear and well taught. If you are a beginner, then you will need to practice the moves a bit to get them down. If you are an advance magician, then you will need to learn the routine. It is a multiple phase routine that starts dirty and ends clean.
The explanation is good. It is online streaming video. I wasn’t able to download it, but it is available online for you to go back and watch as often as you like.
The ad is pretty fair. They accurately describe the multi-phase routine.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE
There are a lot of monte routines out there. This one is good, you should know it plays like many monte routines already on the market. It ends clean, but there are other monte routines out there that also end clean.
You should also know that the routine as taught uses the same old premise of “where is the card? You are wrong. Now where is the card? Wrong again.” I personally don’t think this premise is great. It is old, worn out, and frequently serves to alienate a crowd from the performer. I didn’t mark down the review for this because it is not my business to decide for the reader whether the premise is good or not. The ad copy very fairly identifies that this is the premise. However, I thought it would be helpful to at least get you thinking about whether this is a good premise or not.
I personally like Piccadilly Square by Paul Gordon. It is a similar theme routine that uses un-gimmicked cards and lends itself to different presentations that are not always punctuated by “you are wrong.”
AT A GLANCE
Skill level required: 4 of 5. I’m saying 4 of 5 because you will need to learn a multi phase routine. The moves aren’t difficult, but to do the moves well and to do the multiple phase routine well, you will need to put in some practice.
Audience management skill required: 3 of 5. Given the nature of the gimmicks, you will need to handle the moves and the audience properly to pull this off. Not difficult, but you will need to practice some audience management.
Performance angles: 360 degrees
Reset time required: Minimal. You will need to reset away from your audience.
DIY time involved in advance: None
VERDICT
I like this product because it is a nice multi-phase monte routine that uses gimmicked cards, ends clean, and you could pretty easily create your own replacement gimmicked cards. It doesn’t explain how to do so, but creating the gimmicks is well within reach for most magician enthusiasts. I wasn’t thrilled that it really plays much like a number of other monte routines already on the market. I can’t think of anything radically new or improved. My personal favorite effect with a similar theme is Piccadilly Square by Paul Gordon which uses un-gimmicked cards and also ends clean.
Suggestions
If you purchase this, I would suggest you consider using a different theme and patter than the old worn out "Where is your card?"... "Wrong." sequence.When I do a similar theme routine, I use a patter of the cards playing characters, tax collectors and villagers trying to hide from them. I use cards that look like they may be from the middle ages.