This trick, in my opinion, is everything it advertises itself to be:highly effective, and easy to do. I always prefer to have no-gaff versions of card tricks, that are as strong (and 'impossible') as the gaffed ones. It's possible to do this trick minus trick cards-but it's not quite as clean as what Simon Aronson has come up with here. The first versions I ever came across, were in Scarne's book on cards. They used business cards, one used wax, and both required moves-or, shifts of deck halves. I'll get one minor 'gripe' out of the way-not really a gripe, but an observation. The advertising card that is used for this trick, is already out of date-the copyright on the instructions being 2001. The current day ad cards that come with Bicycle cards are much more colorful, and visually complex. I doubt a spectator will notice this-but I hope that A-1 Magical Media updates this effect. Besides keeping the card current, the new ad cards have much more visual punch, than the older ones.
Aronson's premise is that an ad card is totally benign. I honestly have yet to come across a card effect that uses one. The spectator choices are indeed free, as is the placement of the ad card. The subtleties needed to perform the trick are so effortlessly blended into the handling that there's not much for the spectator to be looking for. Aronson does include some miniscule but useful psychological observations, that help the trick along. By this I refer to, the performer demonstrating how the spread should be 'stabbed'. The spectator, in theory, will then choose a slightly different spot to 'stab', so as to assert their independence of choice. This is actually the performer subtley leading the spectator AWAY from a critical spot.
The trick's first description, has the deck preset. End notes reveal a very clever way to openly introduce the gaff, while secreting a part of it into the deck. The force mentioned in the effect description, is indeed clever and effective. When this trick was performed at the Magic Castle years ago (as the end notes reveal), Dai Vernon reportedly kept asking "where's the move? I can't see the move!" Indeed! The major advantage of 'Ad-jacent', is that there is NO MOVE. As Bob Koehler puts it in 'Aces in their Faces', "this is truly moveless magic".
It's good to have other non-gaff solutions to this effect-but this version is squeaky clean...and well priced, for what you get.