Now that we’re well underway with 2018, I thought it would be a good idea to ask ourselves which magic tricks impressed us the most in 2017 (if you can cast your mind back so far.). Here are the best magic tricks of 2017.
2017 was a great year for magic, with magicians like Colin Cloud taking mentalism to the mainstream on America’s Got Talent, and Issy Simpson on Britain’s Got Talent proving that you don’t have to be a middle-aged man in a bowler hat to do magic.
We also saw the release of some great new tricks, and updates to already existing ones. So what was the best magic trick of 2017? Let’s dive right into it with my 2o17 magic trick reviews.
Number 8: 52 to 1 Deck by Wayne Fox & David Penn.
Description: The 52 to 1 Deck is a gimmick that lets you perform a whole host of mind bending miracles. The spectator thinks of a card, and then cuts the deck. They cut to the one card they are thinking of every time! This is just one example of the kind of effects you can achieve with the 52 to 1 Deck, others include being able to ‘memorize’ the deck and read the spectators thoughts to reveal the card they are solely thinking of.
Price: £23.33
Pros:
Great reactions almost guaranteed.
Gimmick holds up well to scrutiny.
Very clever method.
Cons:
A little audience management might be required.
Gimmick will wear out eventually (not a huge problem though).
Method might need a bit of practice.
Final thoughts: This trick would make a great counterpart or follow up to The Invisible Deck, just make sure you practice with it first as it is slightly more complex.
Number 7: Proteus by Phedon Bilek
Description: Proteus is an impromptu mind reading effect which takes no props or set-up, in which the spectator freely thinks of any drawing, and the magician is able to guess exactly what it is every time. The product you’ll receive is a book that walks you through the process step by step.
Price: £39.48
Pros:
No set up or research needed.
Impromptu.
Well written and easily understandable book.
Looks incredible when it works!
Cons:
Not for beginner mentalists.
A little bit of memory work required.
Probably won’t work every time, realistically.
Final thoughts: This trick is a good investment if you have the time and willingness to stumble with it before you can master it. Once you’ve mastered it, the sky is the limit!
Number 6: Inject 2.0 by Greg Rostami
Description: If you want to get into magic but don’t see yourself being the kind of person to carry playing cards around everywhere they go, Inject 2.0 is perfect for you. This app allows you to perform over 15 mind reading effects using a spectator’s OWN phone, and you can create many many more using this simple tool.
Inject is perfect for occasions when you want to show someone a trick without weirding them out; using someone’s phone feels a lot more personal and impressive for a lot of people.
Price: £53.83
Pros:
Unique.
Incredible effects and reactions.
Can be done even if your phone is dead, magic happens entirely on their phone.
Works on all different styles of device.
No Wi-Fi needed.
Easy to do.
Cons:
Fairly expensive.
Final thoughts: If you have the money…go for it!
Number 5: Position Impossible by Brent Braun
Description: A card is selected. A shuffled deck is laid out on the table, out of the magicians hands. A number is freely chosen. The number is counted to, and sure enough, their card is at it! This is a powerful, powerful trick that absolutely fries the audience because of the sheer impossibility of it. If you buy Position Impossible, you’ll receive a custom-made deck and a 40-minute long instructional video.
You can watch Brent perform Position Impossible on TV right here:
Price: £28.70
Pros:
Very baffling and infuriating effect.
Looks very clean and smooth.
Really can be ANY number.
Cons:
Can’t only be performed once to an audience.
The card choice isn’t completely free.
Final thoughts: This is definitely the best ACAAN (Any Card At Any Number) effect I have seen for some time, whether it is worth the price is up to you.
Number 4: Shin Lim 52 Shades of Red V3
Description: 52 Shades V3 is an updated version of a highly visual gaff deck. It’s hard to properly communicate just how jaw dropping some of the effects are!
The act that fooled Penn and Teller is now available to you, with over 2 hours of instruction from Shin Lim himself. A full deck appears from nothing, then changes color twice, then disappears, and that’s barely touching the surface of what is possible with 52 Shades.
Price: £50.21
Pros:
Highly visual.
Detailed instruction.
Unparalleled effects.
Cons:
Difficult, will require a lot of practice.
Some construction necessary.
You can’t perform it on TV (not that you were planning to!)
Final thoughts: If visual magic is your cup of tea, 52 Shades V3 is going to be an ideal investment. If not, then I would wait a little before buying this until you have more experience in basic sleights of visual magic.
Number 3: Venom by Magie Factory
Description: Venom is a ITR (Invisible Thread Reel) that is most likely the highest quality on the current market; if you are looking to get into Invisible Thread work and levitation effects then this is a must-buy.
Venom enables you to perform hundreds of different levitation effects such as floating cards, the haunted deck, ring tricks and so much more. It is a high price, granted, but you will be getting TWO reels in your purchase and they are built to last!
Price: £114.07
Pros:
Very well made.
No batteries.
Instructional video included.
Cons:
Expensive.
Going to be difficult at first, all IT work is.
Number 2: Quiver by Kelvin Chow
Now, this may seem like an odd pick for the 2nd best trick of the year, but Quiver is an absolutely astonishing device that will literally make people question their own eyes. It looks like a standard little coin pouch, but any object you drop in it can be visually turned into something else- a £10 to £20, or 1p to £2 coin. The spectator can handle it themselves! The possibilities that Quiver offers are endless, and it is completely clean too!
Price: £27.98
Pros:
Very visual.
Safe- the spectator won’t figure it out, even though they can handle it.
Very useful used with other tricks.
Well made.
Cons:
£27.98 for a coin pouch might seem a lot to some people.
Number 1: Whiplash by Josh Janousky
Description: Whiplash is a utility gimmick that will take your card magic to the next level. It makes all kinds of card magic much simpler, such as transformations, transpositions, vanishes and so much more.
The gimmick itself is simple to use and can be performed openly- it’s angle proof. Whiplash is also one of the most affordable items on this list, which is another huge plus!
Price: £21.85
Pros:
Affordable.
Visual and beautiful.
Half the price of other methods.
Josh teaches you how to customize and repair the gimmick if you need to.
Looks impossible, even when you know the secret.
Cons:
Similar products do exist on the market.
Final thoughts: If you’re interested in card magic, then I wouldn’t spend too long thinking about this one. Just pick up Whiplash from Amazon and be prepared to build yourself an impressive reputation!
I hope you enjoyed this summary of the best tricks of the year; did you agree? If you have any questions about any of the products, feel free to ask away in the comments!
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