READER COMMENTS

I haven't been at this magic stuff long at all, probably only a couple of months. I think my opinion may be of value for that reason, since I still experience these tricks as a layman, not knowing many of the standard moves. My interests at this point are close-up magic, including various vanishes, packet tricks, and coin tricks. I love your site, it has helped me greatly as I begin to explore this fascinating hobby.

I'd like to comment on your review of Color Monte and add my own thoughts. Mike Maione wrote in his review of Color Monte:

There are only two sleights and both are explained in a straightforward, very understandable way. I remember when I first got it how very impressed I was with the clarity and brevity of the instructions. All magic instruction writers should be required to make their instructions as clear and concise.

I'm over 40 and had to get a magnifying glass to help me read the instruction, even with my reading glasses. They are tiny. .(He's right. Don't even attempt to read them if you've left your reading glasses at the office.)

Color Monte was one of my first packet tricks, and is still one of my favorites. My neighbor was sitting across the table while I worked through the instructions and he only got a brief glimpse of the $14 card as I worked through it. I kept practicing doing a double lift using a pinkie buckle (I got the guy at the magic shop to show me how to do it- I appreciate Dr. Mitch's suggestion, it helped a lot) and my neighbor never caught on. I showed him a red card, red card, blue card over and over until he was getting tired of it. He never saw the double lift. After I finally got all the moves worked out, he was shocked to see a card that was not red or blue!

Someone has since shown me how to do a multiple push off and I like it equally as well. The description of a multiple push-off in the instructions say, "Holding cards squared in left hand in dealing position. Bring left thumb over the left edge of cards. Now, when you push-off when dealing instead of only one card moving, two cards move." Yeah, right. Wayne (the guy at the magic shop) showed me a better way, with the same effect. As you "appear" to be pushing off the top card, draw off the bottom with the left hand, holding on to the top two cards as one. The other move required is very well explained and I had no problem working it out. I thought for a long time that others would see me "slide" the top card, but they don't. I used to try to catch their eye just for a second while I slid it, but now I don't even bother. I've had people get their faces as close as a foot to watching the cards and they don't get it. I love the fact that I can lay down the cards and let them look at them. I should mention something that helped me memorize all the moves. I wrote this on a 3X5 card as I worked through the patter:

bottom - $1
top - $2
middle - $3
no blue card - (bottom) - $4
not on the top - $5
not in the middle - $6
more than 4 cards - $7
double or nothing - $14

One more quick note - keep the little piece of paper (supplied) between the card and your card holder! The foil diamond will stick to the plastic holder and bits of it will pull off!-Mike Kimble

Thanks for the right-on comments-Mike

M&M Magic Review © 1996