Paul Gordon Powerful Impromptu Card Magic Vol 1

Gents - a review for you to consider.
Paul Gordon ‘Card Rarities’ DVD
This is Paul’s latest DVD release following on from his recent 3 disc set ‘Card Startlers’.
Available from: http://www.paulgordon.net/shop.html
Price: £17
Duration: 2 hours
Production Quality: Excellent
Content: A tremendous amount of exceptional card magic – great to see some of the Paul Gordon ‘Golden Oldies’ that haven’t been explained before given the ‘PG’ treatment alongside some of his most recent releases.
Summary:
10/10 for yet another excellent Paul Gordon production!
Content:
Introduction: Paul sets the pitch for his most recent production. He outlines that some of the following effects have never been in print before; whereas others that have been in his books have not yet been covered within his previous video/DVD releases.
Extracts from a magic club lecture: I particularly like this section as it contains footage of Paul performing for magicians without immediately going into ‘explanation’ mode. The effects covered during this lecture are all contained within this DVD.
Now onto the effects…….and what a diverse wealth of card tricks and information are contained within!
Patrol Dawn
Paul’s impromptu (and easier) handling of John Bannon’s Dawn Patrol. A freely chosen number is selected by the spectator and the card at that position is merely glimpsed. The deck is then cleanly shuffled and cut losing the ‘thought of’ card. 2 red Queens (or Jokers) are then replaced into the deck whereupon, once spread, they have ‘collected’ a face down card. This is, of course, the card they merely thought of. Imagine the impact of this effect upon a spectator! A real worker for the workers!
Acknowledgments: John Bannon
Sleights: Holding a break, false cut, In-Faro shuffle,
Leipzig Would Have Hated This
2 sets of cards are clearly displayed – Ace through to King of Spades order with Red Backs and the King through to Ace of Spades, this time with blue backs (each packet is in reverse order to the other). A pile is chosen by the spectator, shuffled, cut, shown as mixed and then dealt to the table in the order that the spectator requests (e.g. deal that card, switch the next card and deal another, etc. - their choice NO force or multiple outs!) This dealt pile is then placed next to the other packet that nobody has touched since the initial display at the outset. Upon turning over the top two cards of each packet, they match – e.g. the 2 Queens – BUT there’s more –MUCH more. Continuing to turn over the top card of each packet, EVERY card matches! To use a popular term in magic – this literally blew me away! An ‘instant reset’ effect in the miracle class.
Acknowledgments: Ed Marlo, Aldo Colombini
Sleights used: Aldo Colombini Laughing Count, Reverse Faro shuffle
Millennium Collectors (Performance Only)
Paul takes time out now to perform one of his Golden Oldies – Millennium Collectors whereby three chosen cards lost ever so cleanly into the deck appear between the 4 Aces that have been sitting on the table throughout. This is his ultra clean handling of a classic. Paul has explained this in other publications and media so check out:
Books:
· The Card Magic of Paul Gordon (1994 & 1996)
· Paul Gordon Lecture Notes (1997)
· Nocturnal Creations (Hardback 1997)
· Pack Up Your Cards part 1 (2005) – revised handling
Video:
· Powerful Impromptu Card Magic Vol 1 (2000)
Eight Spot Locator
2 cards are selected (free choice) and lost back into the deck. The cards are cut and shuffled then spread face up to show an eight spot is reversed. Explaining that this is an indicator card, eight cards are dealt in a pile and the first spectator’s card is produced at position. The remaining 7 cards are reverse faro’d eliminating cards until one just one card remains – it’s the other selection! This is extremely clean and Paul’s performance is immaculate. This is just the type of trick that may not read particularly well BUT in performance, it’s a stunner.
Acknowledgments: This is another of Paul’s routines
Sleights used: Braue Reverse, finger break,
Royal Flush Scam
A packet of cards is shown to be the same – e.g. all Ace of Spades with cherry colour backs. They are fairly mixed face up and face down and cut into 2 piles. One of the piles is taken and shown to have 2 cards face up and 2 face down. You explain that you are going to turn the face down cards face up – you prove this by counting through the packet twice whereupon the face down cards singly now appear face up. The pile on the table (that you have been nowhere near) is then shown to contain all face down cards. Pretty *** effective and cleanly done! The face down cards are now dealt to show the Aces are now a Royal Flush in Spades. What about the remaining Aces? Oh well they have now got completely different colour backs! (Paul uses credit card designed backs to deliver his final punch line but see below).
This is an extremely powerful card routine – it’s true ‘theatre’ from start to finish!.
You may have enough spare cards to make up this packet effect but Paul also supplies the necessary cards if you need a set - supplied in Bicycle Poker with multi-coloured backs.
Acknowledgments: John Bannon
Sleights used: Elmsley Count, Hamman Count
Divine Palms Departure
Paul’s version of a classic that first saw the light of day within Protean Card Magic (1998). The four Queens are tabled and a ‘mystery card’ chosen from the deck by the magician. This card is placed under a spectators’ palm. The four Queens are shown one at a time and they are placed under their palm accompanying the Mystery Card. A signed selection is then lost back into the deck. Clean as a whistle, the spectator lifts their hand – there are five cards, the four Queens AND your Mystery Card that was placed there initially. However, YOUR mystery card that was placed on the table initially HAPPENS TO BE THEIR SIGNED SELECTION! Stunning, jaw dropping card magic!
Acknowledgments: Alex Elmsley, Wesley James, Bernard Billis
Sleights used: Wesley James unloading move, Jog Shuffle, palm, Bernard Billis Lift Sequence
Hell Man’s Aces
The 4 Aces appear one at a time sandwiched between 2 Red Queens placed on top of the deck. This is clean – in fact, it’s VERY clean! As a lead in to a 4 Ace effect, this four stage production is artistic, stunning & visual magic of the highest calibre.
Sleights used: Pinkie count (optional), Trevor Lewis’s Monte Move
Acknowledgments: Bill Goodwin
All The Threes – 3333
A card is selected by the spectator (it’s a 3). They then deal as many piles as their card indicates (in this case 3 piles) and produce the remaining three 3’s! I adore this trick – it’s so simple but effective. It’s the type of magic that begs to be performed with a borrowed deck from the bar and, in the UK, the production of the three 3’s gives them the very best hand in 3 Card Brag (a pryle of 3’s is the equivalent of a Royal Flush in Poker – and much more recognisable to a card player in a UK pub or Working Man’s Club). Simple, powerful magic for when you brain and fingers needs a short break during proceedings. Love it and can see it’s potential use in the hell holes I sometimes work!
Acknowledgments: One of Paul’s own effects from way back when the Summers were always sunny and people smiled!
Sleights used: Any force – personally I’d use a Classic Force as you have a 4 card leeway.
Head to Head Poker
10 cards are counted from a shuffled deck. During an ultra clean selection process (NO forcing) the spectator decides upon the 5 cards for his hand, with the remainder going to the magician. Whilst the spectator has selected himself a pretty good hand (e.g. 3 of a kind) it doesn’t beat the hand THEY selected for the magician – a Royal Flush in Spades! This is a KILLER routine; it’s clean, there is no forcing or dodgy selection processes. The spectator appears to be fully in the driving seat – until you turn over your winning hand! This trick is VERY powerful, and was included within Harry Lorayne’s Best of Friends Volume 3.
Acknowledgments: Alex Elmsley
Sleights used: Jog Shuffle
Reverse Sandwich Locations
Two cards (let’s assume the 10H & 10C) are freely chosen by a couple of spectators and lost back into the deck. Two locator cards (lets say Jokers) are in your hand. They are spread and a card appears face down between them – it’s turned over and found to be the 10C – very clean! It’s put face down upon the table. Without going back to the deck, the Jokers are spread again to show ANOTHER face down card! Upon turning it over it’s the errrrrrm 10C AGAIN! The previously tabled 10C is turned over to show it has in fact changed to the 10H! Prepare for your audience to kneel !!
Acknowledgments: One of Paul’s own concepts (similar routine by Paul within Bill Miesel’s ‘Precursor’ magazine
Sleights used: Finger break, multiple (block) push off
The Bed-Sit Mystery
One of Paul’s effects originally in Nocturnal Creations. I really smiled watching this – he was doing his best to keep the storyline ‘clean’ when you could tell he really wanted to give his ‘more risqué’ patter as used for Stag Night crowds! Basically, the 2 black jacks and four ‘redheads’ (red spot cards) are displayed. The two jacks are dealt onto the table side by side – in two separate ‘rooms’. Each Jack then has 2 redheads each placed on top. Within a flash, the 2 Jacks are together in one room (pile) as are the four redheads in another room (pile). Quick as a wink, the situation is back to normal – with each Jack the lad once again having two redheads apiece. Happy days – an effect with a potentially ‘adult’ patter theme that most audiences love!
Acknowledgments: One of Paul’s own
Sleights used: Elmsley Count, Jordan Count, Palm
The ‘Tree of Hearts Twick’
Paul’s adaptation of an Ed Marlo effect – 4 cards are shown – the Ace to Four of Hearts. Similar in plot to twisting the aces, the four cards take turns flipping face up alternately within the packet. Finally, the Three or ‘Tree’ of Hearts is turned over to display…….c’mon I’m sure I don’t need to tell you! Another powerful packet effect that ends clean as a whistle using a ‘gag’ card that still gets a laugh from spectators. Other gag card endings are possible but the Tree of Hearts works well within this well structured packet effect routine. An excellent packet effect using cards from the deck with a surprising funny climax – superb!
Acknowledgments: Ed Marlo, Don Alan, Reinhardt Muller
Sleights used: Ascanio Spread variation, Block push off, Elmsley Count,
The Curse of Scotland
Relating a story of how Scottish people are aware that the card known as ‘The Curse of Scotland’ is the Nine of Diamonds, a shuffled deck has this phrase spelt. With a duck & deal process carried out by the spectator, one card remains in their hand – guess which one! An excellent concept that can be used in many other ways. For instance. Perform it with a gag cards, with the cards face up and have the final card with a different back, use a packet of blanks with WIN written on all cards apart from one which states LOSE and perform it as a ‘betcha’ type routine. It’s an excellent concept only limited by your own imagination!
Acknowledgments: One of Paul’s own
Sleights used: Jog shuffle, duck & deal procedure
Close-Ups of various tricks
This is a great idea especially for the beginner. It’s an over the shoulder view showing in close-up the various sleights and moves contained within the tricks that Paul has previously explained throughout the DVD. A cracking idea!
Six Trick ‘Performance Only’ medley:
It’s always good to see the written word transformed into an actual performance. As someone that adores books over videos and DVD’s, it’s obviously still beneficial to see an effect in actual performance – it supplements the learning process.
The following effects are demonstrated AND GET THIS - the background vocals are none other than the dulcet tones of Paul Gordon himself. Paul used to sing professionally and has a great voice in the style of 50 Cent! Not really it's Sinatra - and a very convincing one at that. Excellent – and a real surprise finish to an EXCELLENT DVD!
· Savoir-Faire (from Cause & Effect)
· Unlucky For Some (from Protean Card Magic)
· Diminishing Flush (from Card Magic Companion)
· Raising Kane (from Protean Card Magic)
· Guard Of Honour (from Cause & Effect)
· That’s Not Possible (from Card Magic Companion)
May I complete this review by taking you back to autumn 1999. It’s a mild evening in sunny Kent, England; the venue is a community hall hired by the Bexleyheath Society of Magicians.
My interest in magic had not been at it’s keenest for quite a few months, and my subsequent disinterest reading my Weekly fix via Abracadabra (The World’s only magical weekly) meant that I wasn’t up to speed with developments and new names. During that year, I’d popped along to the odd fortnightly meeting at our club but the lectures just passed me by as I became more focussed on having a few beers in the pub afterwards with some of the guys.
It’s a Thursday night and our president introduces ‘Paul Gordon’ (who is he, me thinks….never heard of him)? First impressions count – step forward a guy in a dark blue [good quality] suit, immaculate white shirt, silk tie – I like to see that in a performer. If only more magicians spent their money on looking good rather than buying every new trick that hits the market……but I digress.
Paul takes his seat at a card table – his voice is calm, clear and his entire persona oozes enthusiasm. He takes a look at the 5 double rows of seats and about 40 faces staring back at him. He says (words to the effect of) “this won’t do, I need you closer – all move your seats closer in to me – my magic is about YOU being part of it”. Lots of chair scraping later, and we are in a horseshoe shape surrounding the table. We now feel ‘part of it’ – we are no longer just spectators; we are all part of the show.
And that is how I still think Paul’s act works – it’s not simply a case of watching his material and forming a judgement – YOU are part of the show. It’s a joint effort. Watch the laymen in his performance clips on You Tube – those spectators want him to succeed, and for the tricks to work, because THEY feel that they have an active role within the show. They are laughing and they are ENGAGED; feeling (quite rightly) that they are also an integral part of the overall performance.
A pack of blue Tally Ho Circle backs are put onto the table. I sit back – I adore cards and this lecture could be good! The 4 Kings are placed ever so cleanly into different parts of the spread deck – I’m waiting for the multiple shift or diagonal palm – but it doesn’t happen. The cards are squared cleanly with just his fingertips whilst the deck remains on the table…….then 1,2,3,4 BANG! All 4 Kings are displayed on top of the deck!! Paul has just hit us with his effect called ‘Totally Baffling Card Control’. It was clean – in fact, it was too clean! Surely he has duplicates? No of course not! For the first time in many months, my interest is awakened and I’m beat!
For the next two hours, I witness COMMERCIAL card magic the likes of which I had never seen in a live performance. He used the same deck – no switches, no stacks, no fillers. This was mind blowing card magic with a normal deck of cards. 10pm came along but where had the previous 2 hours evaporated to? Paul Gordon had hit us like a whirlwind and you could tell he had so much more to give – I didn’t want his performance to end. Isn’t that the end state that any performer should strive for?
His range of products at that time were quite limited in comparison to what he has on offer today. I purchase his booklet ‘Card Magic Miracles’ and his video ‘Powerful Impromptu Card Magic Vol 1’. He also had for sale Nocturnal Creations, Protean Card Magic, and his most recent offering at that time – Cause & Effect. He had The Gordon Diary Trick and a packet effect called ‘Made Her Veil’. For some strange reason, I only brought the booklet so that I could make a judgement upon his written word and to maybe buy his other books at some stage thereafter. The video was for Dad; the man who had got me into magic and been my tutor for so many years. Without Dad I would not have had this magic bug bite so hard – I wanted the video for him to be able to see Paul’s performance as he had been to ill to travel to the lecture and was relatively house bound given his failing health. I remember Paul handing me an order form – “you will really enjoy that booklet and if I can be of any further help, give me a call”. A couple of days later, I telephoned Paul and ordered everything on the list.
Moreover, I have ordered everything he has produced since – and will no doubt continue to do so. I don’t go any longer to magic clubs, conventions, magic shops nor buy from dealer websites. Sometimes I will receive a text message and it’s from Paul telling me that he has just produced something and to check out his online shop – I don’t bother with that. I just call him back, go straight to my credit card and read him the number. I have never had this amount of faith in a dealer before; and I have never been let down.
So sorry to have given such a long-winded summary but I thought it was important to pitch why I have written this review. It’s my first attempt so please bear with me! I hope that it ultimately assists you with your ‘buying process’ – reviews from a fellow magician often compliment the dealer’s marketing and give a less biased opinion. I hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it!