Random is a fantastic creation from Peter Nardi and Alakazam Magic.

In Random, the performer displays an entire deck of Bicycle playing card and cuts them in half. The spectator takes half and the performer the other half. After writing three concealed predictions across the face of three cards (one prediction per card), the performer gives the spectator the three marked prediction cards, face down, and asks him to shuffle them into the spectator’s pile of cards making sure that the spectator does not look at the predictions and so that the three marked cards end up in a totally random locations in the pile. The spectator then divides his half of the deck into three face-down piles, with the cards being mixed randomly. The performer then fans his half of the deck and displays the faces of his cards. The spectator names three of the displayed cards by name and instructs the performer which pile to place those cards on – one face-up card per pile. The performer then removes each face-up card from the top of the face-down pile and places it next to the face-down pile it was resting on. Before turning over the top face-down card on each pile, the performer reveals the names of the three marked prediction cards on which he wrote down his predictions. Then, in the moment that literally freezes the spectator’s sense of logic and reality, the performer turn over the top face-down card from each pile, which amazingly are the revealed marked prediction cards and each prediction card is marked with the name of the face-up card that was sitting on top of it. Although this description may sound a bit confusing, it is so simple and so unbelievably awesome that the spectators are beyond stunned.

The trick comes with a gimmicked Bicycle deck and a typical top-notch Alakazam instructional DVD taught by Peter Nardi. The effect is cleverly devised, easy to learn and very easy to perform. The audience reaction is consistently astounding and the reveal will fry their brains like an egg on a hot skillet.

The ad copy is accurate and the almost six minute promotional video is a well-produced live demonstration of Nardi performing Random in a mostly empty pub. If anything, a real performer’s demonstration of the effect is much better in real life than in the promotional video. In light of the impact of this effect, the price is fair.

With the exception of a few moments, when there are slight angle issues, the performer can be surrounded during this trick. The entire deck cannot be inspected, but the half that is in the spectator’s hand can be freely inspected. Although the performer’s half of the deck cannot be inspected, the audience is usually so stunned that they don’t even ask to see the cards that the performer has already placed back into the box. My only criticism of Random (and it is largely insignificant) is that Nardi instructs the spectator to remove at least one card from the deck (and not place it on one of the three face-down piles) and then later tells them that it was meant to just thrown them off. I don’t think it is necessary do adopt that step and spectators regularly ask why a card was kept back. That step is unnecessary and can be skipped.

I carry Random with me almost everywhere and highly recommend its’ purchase.

I watched the performance of this effect twice. I’m still not 100% sure what the effect is supposed to be. There are literally thousands of card effects like this that are clearer to understand, and most of them use a regular deck. Just pick up any book on card magic and learn a hands off prediction effect with a regular deck.

The deck is very heavily gaffed, and cannot be used for any other effects. If it were more versatile, or there were more effect taught, I’d give the prop a higher rating.

The DVD is well produced like all Alakazam videos, and that’s where 100% of this one star rating is going. There’s nothing for me to say about this one.