It’s an inarguable fact: magicians love moving holes.

Magicians have moved thousands of holes on to, off of, and across playing cards. I’ve always been a fan of two versions of the plot from Jay Sankey – Hole Hop (for its speed and directness) and Target Practice (for its sheer cleverness). But I’m having a ball with this new approach from Marc Arthur and Kozmo Magic.

The primary routine is filled with lovely visual magic. I think the open way in which the “card dot” transforms into a real hole is powerful stuff. You can see it for yourself here. The hole jumping on to the entire deck is pretty shocking and it’s sure to generate some strong audience reaction. The selected card can change in each performance and Arthur covers several alternate handlings so you’ll have plenty of room to make this effect your own. If you do strolling or restaurant work the reset is fast and you can easily leave off the production of the holes from the box. Frankly, while it may be a fun finale – I feel it’s a little anti-climatic. There are some minor angle issues but they are easily managed.

You’ll also learn two bonus effects...

Hollow (W)Hole is a showy card in balloon using the hole punched deck. It’s a great take on a classic premise with plenty of room for presentation. It plays very big and could easily be part of a platform show – yet it’s compact enough to be used in any close up performance.

Up last is (CH)Angel a weird moment of magic in which a “hole” from one card transposes with a part of a selected card. This requires some prep work and a somewhat gentle handling. It’s not the strongest thing on the disc - but still pretty darn cool and well worth checking out.

If you like the plot and the demo video, I suspect you’ll be very happy with this item. It’s a practical and magical effect. Not to mention it’s a real worker – no pipe dreams here – The (W)Hole Deck is clearly the creation of someone performing magic in the real world.

Get the full details on The (W)Hole Deck by clicking here.

If you watch Giovanni’s performance of this routine, you will be fooled.

Probably multiple times - and it will be wonderful.

This is one of the best routines I’ve seen in years. A fully fleshed out ballet of magic that will have your audience shaking their heads in disbelief.

This is not a coin trick. It’s a theatrical performance with deep magical impact. It takes place in virtual silence, with only a few well placed sounds to accent the magic and enhance the drama. You’ll fool yourself into thinking that in each phase it will be easier to catch the loads but - in all likelihood - you’ll be nailed again and again.

Giovanni’s routine was born of Goshman’s seminal Salt Shaker Routine, but Gio has taken this to an entirely new level – no easy task. The DVD covers every aspect of the routine in painstaking detail. What shakers work best, the type of coins to use, what wand Gio prefers, napkin types – nothing is left out. There’s even a nice nod to Harrison Carroll and Victor Trabucco for my WNY readers.

Best of all it’s self working.

Ok, I’m joking about that. But it’s not nearly as difficult as you might believe. I would say the techniques are well within the range of any moderately skilled coin worker. I would add that if ever there was a reason to polish your skills, this routine is it.

The folks over at Magic Estate have really done a great job in shooting this. It’s clean, easy to follow, and filled with valuable close-ups. Since Gio is a lefty, there’s even a great little feature that allows you to flip the screen for the instruction sequence. One final note, Gio teaches this effect standing in front of a mirror. I watched the video for some time before I realized that I never saw the camera man! I mention this only because it created a magical moment by itself – apparently Magic Estate hired a vampire to shoot this video!

Buy this, you will not be disappointed.

Get the full details on Salt and Silver by clicking here.

There was a time when you could not open a magic magazine without seeing a new release from Steve Dusheck. There is no doubt that he is one of magic’s most prolific creators and his inventions are among the best selling products in the history of magic. Sadly, over the years many of his ideas were lifted by unscrupulous dealers with no credit or remuneration to Steve and his brilliant thinking. That played no small part in his departure from the more public realms of the magic business.

That’s certainly food for thought – but a post for another day.

That’s why I was so happy to see that Steve Shufton convinced Dusheck to re-release his ingenious take on the Diminishing Cards. Shufton gives full credit to Dusheck – and we’re all fortunate for the partnership to have been formed.

Dusheck’s approach to this classic effect is in a word – diabolical. The clever gimmick allows for displays and a freedom of handling that no other version affords. The effect is not particularly difficult and resets as part of the performance! A nifty bonus for anyone who chooses to use this effect as part of a strolling set. Yes, this can be done close-up – another unusual feature for this Diminishing Cards.

The gaff is made beautifully, in fact better than they original. The instructions are clear and well illustrated – plus you get access to a wonderful essay from Steve on his five favorite magic tricks. I’m glad to see the Dusheck name back in popular magic and I think you’ll be too. Let’s hope this is the first of many re-introductions...

Get the full details on Duscheck's Diminishing Cards by clicking here.

Here’s the second Paul’s Picks from my personal creations. You may want to read the first paragraph of my last post if you think that means this pick is a little biased.

Double Take is a routine that I first put on the market back in 1994 but it was part of my personal repertoire for about five years prior to that. It’s an unusual take on a color changing deck in that it allows for VERY fair displays of the deck both front and back. The displays really make the change come as a shocker, even to most magicians. The IMMEDIATE change back at the end of the routine comes as a true surprise to audiences - and I can tell you that I’ve watched many a pro go wide eyed at that moment.

The deck uses no rough and smooth and the hardest move in the routine is a double lift. Many magicians will happy to hear that the deck can also be used for a few effects “up front” and prior to the change. From a simple card revelation, to a short ambitious or four ace routine - there are lots of options here and I discuss several approaches on the new DVD.

As an aside, this is a trick that I have not really made available in wide release prior to now. In most cases those who know it, bought it from me live at a convention or lecture I held it for those occasions because I often felt it needed a bit more guidance than the printed instructions could convey and I liked being on hand to help the purchaser. Of course, the new DVD change all that and covers all the real world touches that I’ve developed over years of use - and it makes far easier to learn the routine.

I also cover an ultra fast approach that’s not shown in the demo, which is great for those times when you just need a quick eye-popper. I’ve used it numerous times for TV spots.

All in all, if you’re looking for a solid and color changing deck routine that doesn’t follow the same well worn approaches – Double Take is worthy consideration.

Get the full details on Double Take by clicking here.

I’m sure my next two Paul’s Picks will cause some to laugh. Why?  Because they are both items I created and have used for years. I guess some will think it’s a little biased to include items I developed but - after careful consideration - it seemed even stranger not to recommend items I developed. After all, if I didn’t choose my own material for my own picks -how good could they be?

I first released White Bikes back in 1995 but I’d been using it for at least a couple years prior to that. I can assure you from personal experience that it never fails to get great reaction.  There is no deck switch, no rough & smooth, the selected card can be different each time, and the audience is left with an ending they never see coming.  It’s very easy to do and reset takes only a few moments. On the new updated version I now include a DVD which covers multiple approaches to the effect. I also explain alternative selection methods if the counting approach is not for you. But...

I almost always use the 10-20 handling when performing it for laypeople. I like this approach for three primary reasons:

1. It puts the deck in the spectator’s hands. I think this helps “sell” the idea that the deck is normal and free of any gaff. 
2. It accentuates all the faces in a natural way which makes the ending even stronger.
3.  Finally, I think it sends people down the garden path – but in the completely wrong direction! The spectator thinks this must be some type of “math” thing until suddenly the back color matches and then the blank finale occurs.

I’ve always felt that most magicians run through the 10-20 in the completely wrong way. They rush it, as if it’s a race to the finish line. Properly executed I think it’s a lovely bit of subterfuge. You can see the updated version here, as well as a video demo that shows the way I handle the 10-20 approach.

If you’d like some opinions from some people OTHER than me, you can read customer reviews on our site by clicking here.

Get the full details on White Bikes by clicking here.