Product: Cardtoon by Dan Harlan

Difficulty: 8+ (easy to do)

Best place to buy: Amazon, Penguin Magic

If you’ve ever watched Britain’s Got Talent, you might recall a magician a couple of years back who ‘literally’ convinced Simon Cowell that magic was real.

Think about that for a second.

Simon Cowell has watched hundreds of magicians performing amazing sleight of hand and wizardry for years, but it was this trick that persuaded him to believe that magic was a reality.

And this is a trick that you can learn in minutes. That’s crazy, right? Sometimes, in magic, it is the simplest effects that can be the most mind-blowing, and that is exactly what Cardtoon is.

What exactly is Cardtoon?

Do you want to be able to read minds, with no practice or set up? There are hundreds of people who will try to sell you the latest ‘miracle’ of mentalism, but in reality, how many of these tricks are actually workable in real life? Cardtoon is a trick that is a worker, a guaranteed reaction machine, and most of all, really fun!

The magician asks the spectator to pick a single card in their head, without letting anyone know.

After they do this, he pulls a deck of cards from his pocket, and shows that he has drawn a stickman on the back of each card, so that when he riffles through them, they start moving. Before he is about to reveal the full animation, he asks the spectator to name their card for the first time. Let’s say it’s the Jack of Hearts.

The magician riffles the cards, and the stickman is seen to slowly pull of his hat, reach in, and pull out (you guessed it), the Jack of Hearts. Watch this video of Jamie Raven to get a better feel for the effect:

So there you go- Cardtoon. It looks completely impossible, doesn’t it? I can genuinely assure you that this trick is one of the simplest card tricks I have ever had the pleasure of working with.

In fact, I picked this one for my first stage performance because I was so confident that it wouldn’t let me down, even though my hands were shaking with nerves!

Cardtoon is literally *ONE* deck of cards; no extra DIY for you to do yourself, no add-ons that you need to keep in your pocket until you’re ready and no funny business.

Just one pack of cards that you can carry in your pocket at all times, ready to perform the impossible at a moment’s notice.

How long will Cardtoon take to learn?

Obviously, I would advise taking a day or two to make sure you have the handling completely down before you hit the streets with it. A mess-up is unlikely, but still possible.

Practice in front of the mirror to make sure everything looks smooth; there is only one ‘move’ that you will need to work on.

Apart from that, I would definitely recommend also coming up with a unique presentation of the effect; this is a trick that greatly benefits from its story element- if you play it right, you can double reactions to this trick by creating emotional investment with the stickman ‘magician’.

Maybe he’s a broke college dropout who has one shot to perform for the president of the Magic Castle, or a traveling fakir who reluctantly agrees to show you his greatest miracle yet.

The possibilities are endless- so there’s no excuse not to give your stickman a bit of a story. If you fancy yourself a bit of a comedian, it could even be worth dedicating a bit of time to putting a few jokes in there too.

The point is, don’t waste the potential of this trick. Really create a character that the audience can identify with; the eventual climax of the trick will be a whole lot stronger for it.

Also, a huge tip that I wish I had learnt earlier was to do with how fast you let the animation play out. When you’re nervous, it is easy to want to ‘get it over with’ and riffle through the cards as quick as possible, hoping that nothing goes wrong.

DON’T DO THIS.

Instead, remind yourself in your mind to slow down as you flick through the cards. This will create more suspense for people watching, and again, a much better reaction.

You don’t want to build up an elaborate story about the stickman, then only spend three or four seconds letting him shine.

Are there any drawbacks to this effect?

The only drawback I personally can think of is that you can’t hand the deck out to your audience afterward. This might seem a problem, but it really hasn’t ever come up for me- hopefully people will be so astonished that you have time to put the deck away, pull out a new one, and ask to show them something else (just to take their mind off asking you). If someone asks you to show it again, you can either:

-Do it again (possible, but I wouldn’t advise- if they’re asking, it’s most likely because you fooled them, big time. Don’t waste that by risking messing up again.)

– Give them the classic ‘I never perform the same trick twice’ speech. This is what I do; it might seem like a cop-out, but if you give this response every time you have someone ask you to repeat a card trick, they’ll pretty soon stop asking.

Final thoughts

Cardtoon is a very low-risk, high reward card trick. There really isn’t a whole lot to lose with this one- it only prices at about £10 most places. This is a great trick to use as a closer, as it has such a kicker ending!

Click HERE to view the best Cardtoon deck on Amazon.

Did you agree with this review or THIS review on the best playing cards for magic tricks? Do you have any other questions I haven’t answered? Feel free to leave them below!

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If you’re not using Little Door by Roddy McGhie right now, then you seriously missing out! The best trick of 2016, Little Door absolutely blows people away, and it is so EASY!

Product: Little Door by Roddy McGhie

Difficulty: 13+ (Average difficulty)

Best place to buy: Penguin Magic

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Little Door is, more than anything else, an incredibly fun trick.

That was my first thought after I was able to perform with it for the first time, and I’m happy to say that my opinion hasn’t changed since.

The price tag may seem a little high for some (and that is the reason that I have knocked it a couple of points), but if you are able to get your hands on this gem, then it is definitely going to be worth it!

I’ll be explaining what exactly Little Door is, as well as how difficult it is and where you can get your hands on it within this post!

If you came here because you’re interested in learning incredible magic, why not check out my other magic trick reviews here?

What is Little Door?

Little Door, as you might be imagining, is a trick centered on a, well, little door. But behind this little door is a whole lot of magic.

Picture this: 

The magician tells you a story about the origins of this trick. He says that an old and wise magician once approached a young boy (let’s call him Frank), and asked him to pick a card, and not let him see it.

This magician was then able, even after putting the cards back in the box, to tell him exactly what card he picked, every time. It was incredible! Frank then decided to dedicate his life to magic, so that perhaps one day he would be able to figure out the secret.

Well, as the years went by, Frank became a little older and a little wiser. He learnt his false shuffles, his vanishes and color changes, and all other manner of miracles, but he still couldn’t put together the mystery.

He gave it a bit more time; maybe he just wasn’t experienced enough yet.

Maybe he would learn the secret when he was in the Magic Circle. Frank carried on performing for the crowds, every day hoping that he would discover the truth.

In the end, after a fulfilling and successful career as a magician, he decided to hang up his boots.

He had had a good run, and he had achieved a lot! It was just a shame he had never figured that trick out, but it wasn’t the end of the world.

After the curtains closed on his final show, Frank was greeted by a wave of young magicians eager to pay their respects to this great performer.

The magician was more than happy to sign their cards and wish them the best for the future, and before he knew it there was only one young magician standing in front of him. Funnily enough, it was the son of the old magician who had first mystified him so many years ago.

Hesitantly, Frank asked the young man if his dad had ever shown him the trick where he guessed what card people picked, even though the cards were in the box.

The young man laughed, and told him that that was his dad’s favorite party trick, but it really had a very simple explanation. After people had picked a card, his dad would make sure their card ended up on the bottom of the deck.

When he put it in the box, he opened up a magic door in the box that let him peek at the chosen card.

Seeing the Frank’s disbelieving expression, he pulled out a box and drew a little door on it to demonstrate. Sure enough, he opened the door and closed it, wiping it off when he was done!

Frank was well and truly astonished by the simplicity of the secret, and after spending some time perfecting it, he passed it down to his own son. That son then passed it down in turn, and so on.

The magician telling the story explains that he is a descendant of the magician, and as he speaks, he brings out a deck of cards and draws on a little door.

He then, slowly and carefully, literally opens the door that he has drawn on the box to reveal the cards beneath, then closes it. Afterward, he wipes away the door until there is no sign that anything has occurred! He even hands out the box for inspection, but of course, there is nothing to be seen.

Now this trick is very visual, so if you had trouble imagining it, watch this short trailer by Roddy Mchgie.

How long will I need to practice this trick before I can show it to my friends?

I will admit, at this point, that when I first picked up Little Door I spent about 10 minutes practicing (if that!) before I used it for the first time. It actually worked out fairly well for me, but that is definitely not the method I would recommend!

Luckily for you though, this trick is actually very simple. There are two key moves to learn, and once you have these mastered then you will be able to perform this trick incredibly smoothly at almost all angles. You genuinely can show people the box once you are done!

Are there any drawbacks to this effect?

The drawback for me, is the price. If this trick was available for anywhere between £10 and £15, then it would be near enough a 10/10 in my eyes. As it is, at £28.61, I feel it may be slightly overpriced.

Little Door by Roddy McGhie is still an incredible trick, and if you have the funds to invest in this trick, then I would definitely say GO AND BUY IT RIGHT NOW, but if not, I would advise you to check out something like The Invisible Deck instead (which is more affordable but just as impressive).

Final say

At the risk of repeating myself too much here, I will once again reiterate the point that if you can buy this trick, you should, but if you can’t, then there are alternatives that might work out better for you.

It’s worth considering what kind of effects you prefer; if its visual magic, then Little Door is your trick (or possibly Cube 3, which is arguably the most impressive visual trick ever!) If it’s mind reading or ESP style magic, then The Invisible Deck is great.

At the end of the day, it comes down to you, but to be honest you can’t go far wrong if you pick one of these options!

Click HERE to view Little Door on Penguin Magic.

Did you agree with this review or THIS review on the best playing cards for magic tricks?

Thanks for reading, and as ever feel free to ask away if there is anything more you would like to know about Little Door by Roddy Mcghie!

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Product: The Invisible Deck

Difficulty: Age 10+ (very simple)

Where to buy: Amazon, most magic shops

Overall rating: 9.5/10

In an earlier post I briefly mentioned why I think The Invisible Deck is the best quick and easy card trick you could buy.

In this magic review I will be discussing in more depth why this product is quite possibly the best and most versatile card trick ever released, as well as where to buy it from.

What is The Invisible Deck?

The Invisible Deck is a card trick, first things first. However, it can be used within most areas of magic.

A card mechanic might use it to show off his uncanny skill with card manipulation, or a mentalist may use it to display proof of their psychic abilities.

It is extremely flexible in the way it can be presented- the sky really is the limit. The most common presentation of the Invisible Deck, however, usually goes something like this.

The magician asks a spectator to think of a card (completely in their head). He then asks her to imagine she is holding an invisible deck of cards, and that she removes the card she is thinking of from the invisible deck.

He then asks her to turn over the card, so it faces the opposite way from the rest of the cards in the invisible deck. If she’s done it correctly, she should be holding an invisible deck in which the card she (and only she) is thinking of is turned face down.

The magician will then ask her to ‘hand over’ the invisible deck of cards. He then puts the invisible deck of cards inside his pocket. After a moment, and perhaps a few magical words, he puts his hand back into his pocket and pulls out a real pack of cards.

The audience may laugh at this point, wondering if the whole thing was just build up for this gag- because he obviously must have had that deck of cards in his pocket all along. There’s no way it’s the same deck as the spectator was imagining, right?

There’s only one way to check. If this deck really is the invisible deck the spectator was holding, there should be one (and ONLY one) card face down within, a card only the spectator knows. The magician asks, for the first time, what card they were thinking of, so that everyone can hear. The spectator names their card- let’s say it’s the Nine of Diamonds. The magician, very slowly and fairly, removes the cards from the deck. He spreads through the cards. One card is face down. He removes it.

Any guesses what card it is?

Yes, impossibly, it is the spectators card.

How on earth is this trick easy?

The truth is, despite how it may sound, this trick is very, very simple to perform. All it requires is a passing knowledge of maths, and the ability to create a great presentation.

I won’t go into the minute details of how this trick works; it isn’t my trick to reveal, but if you still aren’t confident it really is as easy as I say, check out what other people have said about it on Penguin Magic.

Different ways to use The Invisible Deck

My personal favorite way to use The Invisible Deck is within a ‘lie detector’ style trick. First of all, I get them to physically pick a card, and then I ask them a number of questions about the card, asking them to say ‘no’ everytime. I might ask things like ‘is your card red?’ after which I tell them whether I think they are lying or telling the truth, perhaps pointing out some facial twitches that gave it away (naturally, I know the card they have chosen already). Gradually I narrow it down to a few possible cards, and finally guess it correctly, much to their annoyance and bewilderment.

After this, I up the ante by having them just THINK of a card inside their head; this way they KNOW that if I do end up guessing right, I really must be able to tell when they are lying or telling the truth. I also tell them not to say anything this time, and that I will be relying completely on their body language. I rattle off all four suits, and say each number (including Jack, Queen, King and Ace) out loud.

At no point do I tell them what card I think it is (I genuinely don’t know at this point), instead frowning, as if this is difficult.

At this point I will tell them that I think I know what card they are thinking of, and that I am going to face away from them and turn over a single card in my deck; which will be my prediction.

I do nothing of the sort, instead taking out my Invisible Deck and pretending to turn a card over. I turn back to them, and ask them to name their card for the first time. Once they’ve done this, I spread through my Invisible Deck and reveal that there is one card face down- when I take it out, it really is their card.

This is just one way of using the Invisible Deck though, and if it doesn’t suit your style then feel free to create another presentation entirely. In fact, why don’t you check out these videos to watch how other people have used the Invisible Deck:

Here’s a video of David Blaine seriously freaking someone out using the Invisible Deck.

How much do I have to shell out for this great trick?

Here’s the good news: this trick is literally one of the cheapest on the market. Crazy, right? It goes for under £10 at most magic shops. Penguin Magic stock it for around 7 dollars, but if you’d rather go with a site like Amazon, you can find it there too! You can learn this card trick on YouTube too, although that won’t be much help without the actual deck to go along with it.

Are there any drawbacks to this effect?

I won’t lie to you here. Like any magic trick, this isn’t actually magic, and so there are always going to be drawbacks. The biggest obstacle that stops this trick being a 10/10 is that you can’t hand the deck out to the spectator afterward for inspection (although it looks completely normal).

One way of avoiding this is asking to do another trick straight after, to keep their attention away from the deck, or swap it for another deck while they are still reacting to the trick. Generally though, if you act natural and as if there is nothing special about the deck, there will be no need to do either of these.

You will also need to be able to do a bit of mental maths, though nothing difficult- just addition of single digit numbers. There is a ‘math-free’ alternative to this trick called Cardtoon that you could try instead.

Why is this one of the best tricks ever?

The ridiculously low price, combined with the incredible reactions it gets, is why I think this simple card trick is one of the best, ever. You can adapt it to any kind of performance once you know the secret, and I have had people literally run screaming thanks to the effects you can create with it. If you aren’t sure whether to buy it, just do it; the worst you can lose is about nine pounds, the best you can win is a very easy magic trick that convinces people you can read their mind! Check out what other people are saying about The Invisible Deck at Penguin Magic:

Click HERE to view the best Invisible Deck on Amazon. 

Do you agree with my review of The Invisible Deck or THIS review on the best playing cards for magic tricks? Do you have any other questions I haven’t answered? Feel free to leave them below!  Do you have any questions about it? Feel free to post them in the comments below!

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