Price$29.95
Media TypeDVD
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedMar 04, 2004
Heinstein Shuffle DVD
Karl Hein
MagicSmith
(Based on 2 reviews)
Best of all, the Heinstein Shuffle is for workers. It can be done in-the-hands, up-close, and from every angle. People will swear the cards have been fairly mixed (you don't need a table to perform it.) It's perfect for memorized deck work, maintaining a stack, story routines, or whatever.
Plus, you'll learn Karl's pet routine - the Heinstein Triumph. It's a convincing in the hands Triumph with a kicker. You not only find their card and right the deck, you magically restore the cards to new deck order.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
PROS
Karl starts with the teaching of the basic Heinstein Shuffle, an in the hands false riffle shuffle. The idea of this was to be able to do a false shuffle while standing, without the use of a table. This false shuffle requires two false shuffles to get the deck back in the same order as before.
He then teaches a version of the Heinstein Shuffle that involves a pseudo cover pass. This version, while a bit more difficult, requires only one shuffle to get the deck back in the same order.
He teaches a very strong Triumph using the Heinstein Shuffle. A card is selected and lost into the deck. The cards are shuffled several times. The cards are then visibly shuffled, face up into face down. They are shown, some face up, some face down. The cards are then spread showing all the cards facing the same direction with the exception of their selected card. The kicker ending is the entire deck is in new deck order.
This shuffle is something that can be done surrounded, and is almost angle proof. I say “almost” because in the video, he shows what he calls "bad" angles, and even knowing what I am looking for, I didn't see anything wrong.
The method is very good. Difficult, VERY difficult, but good.
This doesn’t come with any gimmicks. This is a video of how to do a very convincing false riffle shuffle with a regular deck of cards.
The video is true to the ad copy. Exactly what they say is what you get. However..
CONS
This is not easy. This will require a significant amount of practice, first just to be able to do it, then to be able to do it and make it look good. If you work with a mem deck, you may want to put in the work on this one. I am pretty good with basic sleights, and I found this difficult to learn, not due to any deficiency in his teaching, but just in how difficult the moves are. In fact, it was so difficult that it made me stop and think about the routines I do and whether I really need to learn this for the improvement of my routines. I concluded not. You come to your own decision.
The video teaches a great version of Triumph. However, for the layperson, I’m not sure how much better it is than my very simple version that doesn’t stray too far from the original Triumph using a simple imperfect faro shuffle. My version doesn’t have the kicker ending, but I have worked on the presentation to make it entertaining. Also, I can do my version at any time, with a shuffled deck. I don't have to start with a deck in new deck order. Given this, I think it would have been great if he presented more examples of amazing routines that really require the Heinstein Shuffle.
VERDICT
A very strong false shuffle for workers. If you are an amateur magician, you need to decide if you really need to put in the practice to make this work.
Karl starts with the teaching of the basic Heinstein Shuffle, an in the hands false riffle shuffle. The idea of this was to be able to do a false shuffle while standing, without the use of a table. This false shuffle requires two false shuffles to get the deck back in the same order as before.
He then teaches a version of the Heinstein Shuffle that involves a pseudo cover pass. This version, while a bit more difficult, requires only one shuffle to get the deck back in the same order.
He teaches a very strong Triumph using the Heinstein Shuffle. A card is selected and lost into the deck. The cards are shuffled several times. The cards are then visibly shuffled, face up into face down. They are shown, some face up, some face down. The cards are then spread showing all the cards facing the same direction with the exception of their selected card. The kicker ending is the entire deck is in new deck order.
This shuffle is something that can be done surrounded, and is almost angle proof. I say “almost” because in the video, he shows what he calls "bad" angles, and even knowing what I am looking for, I didn't see anything wrong.
The method is very good. Difficult, VERY difficult, but good.
This doesn’t come with any gimmicks. This is a video of how to do a very convincing false riffle shuffle with a regular deck of cards.
The video is true to the ad copy. Exactly what they say is what you get. However..
CONS
This is not easy. This will require a significant amount of practice, first just to be able to do it, then to be able to do it and make it look good. If you work with a mem deck, you may want to put in the work on this one. I am pretty good with basic sleights, and I found this difficult to learn, not due to any deficiency in his teaching, but just in how difficult the moves are. In fact, it was so difficult that it made me stop and think about the routines I do and whether I really need to learn this for the improvement of my routines. I concluded not. You come to your own decision.
The video teaches a great version of Triumph. However, for the layperson, I’m not sure how much better it is than my very simple version that doesn’t stray too far from the original Triumph using a simple imperfect faro shuffle. My version doesn’t have the kicker ending, but I have worked on the presentation to make it entertaining. Also, I can do my version at any time, with a shuffled deck. I don't have to start with a deck in new deck order. Given this, I think it would have been great if he presented more examples of amazing routines that really require the Heinstein Shuffle.
VERDICT
A very strong false shuffle for workers. If you are an amateur magician, you need to decide if you really need to put in the practice to make this work.
(Top ▲)
Karl Hein is a tall man with large hands who has invented what can be considered the most useful card sleight ever. It is an in the air, in the hands false riffle shuffle. To perform this shuffle you don’t need large hands and you don’t need to be tall. You can perform it standing or sitting. The angles are excellent, it can be done surrounded. It is not a push-through shuffle (see Oz Pearlman “Watch Magic” DVD). You do not need to, “right the deck” by following up with a cut or a second shuffle. The shuffle looks and SOUNDS like a normal riffle. It is as close to a perfect sleight as can be imagined.
Now the bad news, it is difficult. It will require much practice, a lot of practice, and it will be worth it! This false shuffle is so cleaver and so convincing (especially the sound element) you will use it ever day of your life. It’s that good.
The DVD is very short, only 37 minuets. The sound and video quality are excellent. Many angles are filmed. The instruction is slow paced and logical, easy to follow along.
Two versions of the shuffle are taught, one is easier than the other, but both require a lot of practice.
There is only one routine taught in this video, “The Heinstein Triumph.” This is an excellent stand-up version of Triumph with a surprise kicker at the end. It is your standard Triumph effect and then another additional effect at the end that will especially surprise magicians.
The only problem with this DVD is that there are no other effects taught. At only 37 minuets there is plenty of room for more routines. Karl Hein is a talented magician and I would have enjoyed seeing him perform and teach a few more routines. On the other hand if you are advanced enough to buy this DVD you probably know a million uses for such a great sleight.
Now the bad news, it is difficult. It will require much practice, a lot of practice, and it will be worth it! This false shuffle is so cleaver and so convincing (especially the sound element) you will use it ever day of your life. It’s that good.
The DVD is very short, only 37 minuets. The sound and video quality are excellent. Many angles are filmed. The instruction is slow paced and logical, easy to follow along.
Two versions of the shuffle are taught, one is easier than the other, but both require a lot of practice.
There is only one routine taught in this video, “The Heinstein Triumph.” This is an excellent stand-up version of Triumph with a surprise kicker at the end. It is your standard Triumph effect and then another additional effect at the end that will especially surprise magicians.
The only problem with this DVD is that there are no other effects taught. At only 37 minuets there is plenty of room for more routines. Karl Hein is a talented magician and I would have enjoyed seeing him perform and teach a few more routines. On the other hand if you are advanced enough to buy this DVD you probably know a million uses for such a great sleight.