Reviews

Jay Sankey "The Very Best Of Jay Sankey 1"

Diehard Opener: This is an in-the-hands pick-a-card trick that works great as an (As the name suggests) opener. At the beginning, it looks like you messed up by finding the wrong card, but then you (seemingly) impossibly make the card change to the correct card, proving you knew what you were doing all along. Simple, direct, and visual. It doesn’t get much better than that.

9.5/10

Twice As Nice: A spectator selects a card. The magician returns it to the deck, and causes every card in the deck to turn over, except for one card, which is shown to be the selected card. This is repeated, and the card is once again put into the middle, and the cards all turn over except for the spectator’s card. I really don’t like this effect. This is the type of effect that almost everyone knows, and learned when they were 6.

4/10

Identifying Features: The magician borrows a $5 bill and tears off one fourth of it, which he gives to the spectator. The magician crumples up the rest of the bill, and places it in the hand of another spectator. Now, the magician takes back the ripped piece of the bill, and has the first spectator hold it. The magician now takes out his own $5 bill, and crumples it up like the other bill. The ripped piece of the bill is taken from the spectator’s hand and placed in the magician’s hand, and when the magician opens his hand, the spectator’s ripped bill is now in his hand, and the spectator’s bill is completely restored. The description of the effect is confusing, but you’ll just have to trust me when I say this is a very good torn and restored effect. It may not be the best, but it’s something worth trying.

8.5/10

Forgery: The magician takes a card (Let’s say the two of hearts) and uses a marker to make an X on the face. When the card is turned face down, and a magical gesture is made, the X on the face of the Two of Hearts comes off, and is now on the back of the card below it. The card with the X on the back is shown (Let’s say the eight of clubs), and the magician visible slides the X off the Eight of Clubs, and on to the back of another card (Let’s say the Ace of Spades). The magician now takes the Two of Hearts and places it on top of the X, and with a little rub, the X is now back on the Two of Hearts. For a finale, the magician tears the Two of Hearts in half, and when the two halves are pressed together, the X is shown to have multiplied on to the other half. Forgery takes some preparation, but it’s another very good effect that I’m sure you’ll have some fun with.

8.8/10

Erdnase Aces: The four aces are taken out of the deck, and the deck is spread face down on the table. The aces are cleanly inserted into random parts of the deck, and the deck is squared. With a magical gesture, the first ace is shown to have risen to the top of the deck. Another magical gesture, and the second ace is shown to have risen to the top. For the third ace, the top card is turned over, and with a magical gesture, the ace is shown to have risen to right above the indifferent face-up card. For the last card, the indifferent card is shaken and shown to have visually changed into the last ace. There are much better ace routines. Not recommended.

5/10

Smuggler Aces: The magician takes the four aces out of the deck. The aces disappear one at a time from the packet, and reappear together in the center of the deck. This effect is very simple, so I’m not going to describe the different vanishes, or you’d already know how the effect is done. Anyway, to me, it’s a mediocre effect, like Erdnase Aces.

6.5/10

Prediction Impossible: The magician takes out a card with a large X across the back, and places it into the center of the deck. The spectator calls out a card, the magician finds the card in the deck, removes it, and places it partway in the middle face-up. The card is removed and turned over, to show that the spectator’s card is the only card with an X. Then, since the Xed card came from another deck, the magician points out that there must be another Xed card in the pack, so the magician has the spectator select a card, which is shown to match the Xed card. A very strong effect that seems impossible to laymen.

8.7/10

Mexican Jumping Coins: The magician takes out three American Half Dollars, and makes them travel from the left hand to the right, one at a time. A standard coins across routine. A few bold moves, but still a good effect.

7/10

Stirring Silver: The magician takes out a spoon, and borrows a ring. The ring is place underneath the bowl part of the spoon, and the spoon is shoved through the ring. With the ring still on the spoon, a spectator holds the handle of the spoon, while the magician pulls the ring off the spoon. A good effect. This effect is better for some people than others. To make this effect as good as it can be, you need to be good at misdirection.

8/10

Nest Egg: The magician takes a ring, and makes it disappear from his hand. The magician picks up a card case, and opens it up. Inside the card case is a matchbox, and inside the matchbox is the ring. A good effect, that once again relies on misdirection to accomplish the maximum effect.

8/10

Skin Deep: A spectator selects a playing card, which is placed on the table. A spectator covers the card with their hand. An indifferent card is shown, and with a magical gesture, the two cards switch places. Now, the magician places the two cards face down on the table, and mixes them around. The spectator places their hand on top of either card, and the magician shows the other one. With a magical gesture, the magician now has the spectator’s card, and the spectator has the magician’s card. A new twist on an old effect. Recommended.

8.8/10

Just Joking: The magician takes out two jokers, and places them aside. A spectator calls stop as the magician riffles through the cards, and remembers it. One of the jokers is placed face-up on top of the deck. The magician rubs the face of the cards, and the joker visibly disappears from the top of the deck. The second joker is placed on top of the deck, and with a riffle of the cards, the joker disappears from the top. When the cards are spread, the jokers are found in the middle, with one card between them, which is shown to be the selected card. The selected card and joker are made into a pile, and the magician apparently takes the selected card in his hand, somehow making it invisible at the same time, and tosses it into the deck face up. The deck is spread, and the face up selected card is shown to have appeared. An ok effect, but there are better sandwich effects available. Still, the ending is a strong kicker to the effect, which raises the score a bit.

7.5/10

Stuck Up: Two jokers are removed from the deck, stapled together, and placed on top of the deck. A card is selected, shown, and lost in the deck. A magical gesture is made, and the selected card is shown to have melted up through the deck, between the stapled jokers. A very good effect. The fact that the jokers were stapled beforehand really adds to the effect.

8.5/10

Overall: Overall, the DVD is great. Some of the effects are mediocre, but for the most part, the material is strong material worth performing.

8.5/10

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Shane Wiker