Paul Gordon's Card Startlers - My Review

Buy it: http://www.paulgordon.net/cardstartlers_......dvd.html

Price: About $60

Shipping: It took about 5 postal days for it to arrive at my door in Texas from the UK.

Demos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdmzQNzz358
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-Z9JpRyCac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcVsyqcW_Jk

Also here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHMUa9r5x3c

- Diminishing? Not Likely!
- Twister


The DVD

This is a very basic DVD set featuring card effects from Paul Gordon, who's based out of the UK. You've probably heard of him somewhere in the past, cause this guy's pretty hardcore. He's published numerous books (available on Penguin) and other DVD's.

His latest creation is Card Startlers, a nice 3-DVD set which looks very homemade. The DVD's appear to be run through one of those home printing kits, and the explanations are done at a large table in what appears to be his living room with Judy. There's no fancy music, heavy After Effects post-video processing of any type. Just basic, hard hitting card magic. All card magic in fact.

The sound is mostly clear, performances are at varied locations, and the content is absolute gold. Beginner card magicians need not apply, this is intermediate material. 47 tricks and almost 5 hours worth, all with a normal deck of cards.

Enter Paul Gordon's Card Startlers ...


Disc 1: - One hour, 40 minutes

Introduction - 1 min

The usual welcoming speech, and thanks for purchasing.

Live Clip 2006 - 5 mins

Includes the following routines in performance only. Done outside at what appears to be a picnic or other outdoor event:

- World's Best Card Trick
- Ambitious Card Routine - "Write your name, and your phone number."
- Dr. Daley I Presume?
- Diminishing? Not Likely!

Also watch it on his YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zVB1lFYx_w&feature=related

Diminishing? Not Likely! Explanation - 6 mins
From: COOL CARD STUFF, CARDISTRY, PROTEAN CARD MAGIC

Great routine where the spectator selects any card, then you combine it with three others from the deck. With only that packet in hand, you display their card four times, then reveal it's vanished, replaced by the four aces.

Difficulty: 4/10 - only a couple of sleights, easy to learn
Rating: 10/10 - beautiful effect

Twister - 5 mins
From: THE UNPLANNED CARD BOOK, COOL CARD STUFF, NOCTURNAL CREATIONS, Apocolypse

Vernon's Twisting the Aces but using the Jacks (designed to be performed after Diminishing? Not Likely!). Once all cards are turned face down, they are revealed to be the Aces, and the Jacks are all shown to be back in the deck, reversed. This is shown in numerous live performances on the DVD, and gets huge reactions each time.

Difficulty: 5/10 - a lot of sleights, intermediate
Rating: 10/10 - turbo Twisting the Aces with a couple of kickers at the end

The Eight Of Diamonds Trick - 9 mins
From: EXPLORATIONS, Best of Friends vol 3

Spectator shuffles the deck, then picks a small packet of less than 15 cards off the top, counting them as you look away. Then they are combined in the deck, deck is cut in half and you count down to their card's location.

Difficulty: 1/10 - self-working, but does use counting (twice) and spelling
Rating: 7/10 - maybe I'd like it more if a fun tale was attached (eg: I Dream of Mind Reading on Joshua Jay's Lecture DVD and the blind guy). Still a good trick.

Perfect Prediction Premonition - 6 mins
From: CARD MARVELS

After the spectator shuffles, you remove 3 predictions from the deck. Then spec grabs a packet, counts a number of cards and notices the card in the deck with that position. Your cards on the table show the color, suit and number of their chosen card, and you reveal their actual card from their stack.

Difficulty: 3/10 - he does it with a perfect faro, however you can just manually place the required card in the required position using some other method
Rating: 10/10 - Love this one, combines elements from Eight of Diamonds and Diminishing? Not Likely! yet seems more streamlined

Totally Baffling Card Control - 6 mins
From: COOL CARD STUFF, PROTEAN CARD MAGIC

After the spectator shuffles, they remove the four jacks. You then place the jacks back into the spread, but they suddenly appear on top of the deck.

Difficulty: 3/10 - fairly easy sleight, it appears spectator does most of the work
Rating: 9/10 - I like how hands off this is at the end, plus the subtle jack displays are an outstanding addition

Emulsion Cards - 6 mins
From: CARD MARVELS

Multi-phased ungimmicked 8-card oil and water routine using a buckle + elmsley count. I love the extra displays during the routine. Note: He uses some old style cards during the effect, that are available for separate purchase here:

http://www.penguinmagic.com/specialorderproduct.php?ID=11039

Difficulty: 2/10 - if you can elmsley, you got this down
Rating: 9/10 - really, really nice polished routine

Taser Aces - 8 mins
From: CARDISTRY

A quick display of the four aces onto the table.

Difficulty: 2/10 - the spinout move is easy
Rating: 7/10 - cool display, but nothing amazing

Illogical and Discrepant Count - 2 mins
Michael Vincent actually got permission to use this in his DVD series?

An ace is added to three other cards, then vanishes.

Difficulty: 2/10 - if you can elmsley, you're all set
Rating: 7/10 - cute utility move

No Pockets Ultimate Transposition - 8 mins
From: PROFESSIONAL CARD MAGIC MIRACLES

Requires a ton of misdirection, plus your spectators looking straight down at the cards. Inspired by Earnest Earrick. The aces are removed, and placed on top of the card case. Then the four jacks are gathered from inside the deck, and are placed randomly throughout the deck. As the aces are grabbed from the card case, a slap on top causes them to vanish and be replaced by all four jacks. The aces are then found upside down at the center of the deck.

Difficulty: 5/10 - requires a couple of weird sleights. Definitely need a lot of practice to pull this off.
Rating: 10/10 - great transposition, the visual slap gives it some UMPH!

Live Clip 2009 - 6 mins
From The Magic Circle Lecture 2009

- Diminishing? Not Likely!
- Shocked Aces
- Nomadic Aces
- Powerhouse

Four-Way False Cut and Control - 3 mins
A Frank Thompson three way false cut. He turned it into a card control inside CAUSE AND EFFECT. Spectator drops their card into the middle of the pack, then you false cut it onto the top, and it ends up on top once more.

Difficulty: 2/10 - simple, and easy to do. Looks fantastic.
Rating: 10/10 - gorgeous tabled card control, and great looking cut

Carbon Footprints - 8 mins
Similar to Aronson's Shuffleboard. Reprinted in COOL CARD STUFF. Spectator shuffles the deck, then removes 8 black cards, 8 red cards onto the table. You then make a prediction onto a piece of paper, and shuffle face up into face down. After the spectator chooses which cards should be turned over vs not, all the black cards appear face up, and red face down. Except for a prediction you made at the beginning.

Difficulty: 1/10 - virtually self working
Rating: 9/10 - cool mini-triumph type effect using a packet of cards the spectator chose

The Royal Marriages - 6 mins
From: CARD MARVELS

The kings and queens are removed from the deck into a packet of cards. No matter how the spectator chooses to shuffle them, the queen and king of each suit end up together. In CARD MARVELS, Paul spends a lot of time going over the variations and spelling choices you can make to end the effect.

Difficulty: 1/10 - self working, just requires an initial setup of the card order
Rating: 9/10 - wonderful, almost impossible trick where the spectator can cut all day and choose which pile goes where

The World's Best Card Trick - 7 mins
From: PROFESSIONAL CARD MAGIC MIRACLES

After a spectator shuffles the deck, they choose a card at random. Once it's placed back into the deck, you find it after a series of cuts.

Difficulty: 2/10 - very simple concept, requiring a double lift and double undercut
Rating: 8/10 - cute opener with simple sleights

ITHEC - 4 mins
From: CARD MARVELS

In The Hands Elmsley Count - a method of doing the elmsley using the spectator's fingers.

Difficulty: 3/10 - simple elmsley, but the receiving hand is the spectator's
Rating: 7/10 - interesting idea, not sure where I'd use it

Dr. Daley, I Presume? - 5 mins
From: CARD MAGIC COMPANION

The standard Daley routine where two black aces inside the spectator's hand transpose for the two red aces in your hand.

Difficulty: 2/10 - a double lift, and you're golden
Rating: 10/10 - a lot of variations for this all over, but ultimately a fantastic quick effect and a great opener

Strollers Delight - 7 mins
From: PROFESSIONAL CARD MAGIC MIRACLES

Requires two spectators, both of which select cards. The four aces are then removed and placed on the table. The first selected card appears reversed in the middle of the deck, and the second one has transposed with one of the aces.

Difficulty: 2/10 - easy sleights
Rating: 7/10 - another "here's your card, PLUS a transposition"




Disc 2: - One hour, 29 mins


Psychotronic Rides Again - 7 mins
From: NOCTURNAL CREATIONS

You remove the four kings, then also remove a prediction card that's turned face down into the face up deck. The spec then signs another card which is placed on the table. The spec's signed card on the table then transposes with the reversed card in the deck.

Difficulty: 3/10 - easy sleights, elmsley
Rating: 10/10 - transpos are always popular and this is an easy, effective killer trick

Psychotronic Rides Once More - 2 mins
From: PROFESSIONAL CARD MAGIC MIRACLES

Alteration on the previous trick, where you can more cleanly display the four kings on the table.

Discombobulated - 3 mins
From: CARDISTRY

Yet another variant of the previous trick, where a double lift substitutes for another sleight.

Strike More Than A Match - 6 mins
From: CARD COLLECTIVE

A "more refined trick" for the end of the evening. Four specs are dealt 10 cards each that they then shuffle. Once turning the packets over, the numbers add up to 26. 26 is then counted down on the remaining packet to reveal the king of hearts, which is contained on a business card prediction laid out before you started.

As a final kicker, the remaining piles from the leftover packet all contain the other kings.

Difficulty: 1/10 - totally self working
Rating: 10/10 - some counting, but WOW what a trick. With enough of a story line, this would kill.

Knock 'Em Dead - 4 mins
From: COOL CARD STUFF

Designed for strolling. Spectator shuffles the cards, then selects a random card. You then begin a story about lie detection, grabbing a few cards from the top into a small packet. You display all the cards, lay them on the table then suddenly their card appears face down in the face up packet. "I always do this trick for the troublemaker" -

Difficulty: 2/10 - two easy sleights, spelling process is self working
Rating: 10/10 - first rate effect, plus the final reveal happens in the spec's hands as they spread the final packet

Live Clip 2006 - 5 mins

Includes the following routines in performance only. Done inside at a house party:

- Mars Life
- Easy Ace Estimation
- Layman Assembly
- Twister

Eureka! - 6 mins
From: COOL CARD STUFF, PROTEAN CARD MAGIC

Spectator selects a card, then chooses another five cards at random. As the five cards are stripped out, they become the selection plus the four aces.

Difficulty: 3/10 - uses one intermediate sleight
Rating: 7/10 - simplistic pick and reveal a card, with the aces added in

Caused Effect - 5 mins
From: CARD COLLECTIVE, CAUSE AND EFFECT (OOP)

Requires two spectators, both of which select a card. As the cards are placed in random parts of the deck, their mates appear beside them as they're laid on the table, then the four aces appear in the remaining packets.

Difficulty: 3/10 - couple of sleights, nothing difficult. Remainder is self working
Rating: 7/10 - reminds of many other tricks before this, that contained selected card reveal followed by a four ace or four king reveal

The Amazing Four-Card Trick - 7 mins
From: CARD COLLECTIVE

Spectator chooses a card, replacing it back into the deck, then selects four random cards. These are stripped out, and counted numerous times as four cards, even though a card is removed at each count back onto the deck. The final card is revealed to be their selection.

Difficulty: 3/10 - elmsley, hardcore along with double undercut
Rating: 9/10 - five card opener combined with "select and reveal your card". Great opener with a kicker ending

Fry Them With Oil and Water - 4 mins
From: CARD COLLECTIVE, Best of Friends Vol 3

Traditional oil and water routine, but with an added jack reveal and extra packet at the end, resulting from the black cards in the small packet vanishing.

Difficulty: 2/10 - elmsley
Rating: 6/10 - I liked his "Emulsion Cards" much better than this. The jacks at the end seemed an unecessary extra step

Mars Life - 6 mins
From: COOL CARD STUFF, 16th CARD PRINCIPLE, Best of Friends Vol 3

Spectator selects a card, which is then lost in the deck. After some spelling, three packets are formed, revealing the selected queen of hearts along with the 3 other queens on each sub-packet.

Difficulty: 3/10 - couple of easy sleights and a force
Rating: 10/10 - I'm rating this as a 10 because it's my favorite of Paul's genre of "here's your card PLUS the four kings/queens/aces"

Impromptu Mars Life - 5 mins
From: COOL CARD STUFF

An impromptu version of the above trick, where your reveals and the selected card don't match (because you didn't force it).

Corner Of Piccadilly (performance only) - mins
Buy it: http://www.penguinmagic.com/specialorderproduct.php?ID=11495
Or poker sized: http://www.penguinmagic.com/specialorderproduct.php?ID=11768

Demo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeOyrekSieo

Pesonally, I liked the look and feel of "Diminishing? Not Likely!" better.

Shocked Aces - 6 mins
From: CARDISTRY

Four ace production from a variety of spelling and cuts.

Difficulty: 3/10 - mostly self working, but does require some double undercuts
Rating: 9/10 - does use spelling, but it's reduced as the trick progresses, and doesn't take up a lot of time during performance. The final reveal of the two selected cards is well done

Nomadic Aces - 7 mins
From: CARDISTRY

You deal aces into four locations on the table, then add cards on top. Afterwards, 3 of the stacks are lost back into the deck, and the fourth remaining one on the table now contains all four aces. Designed to be an interim trick, and performed very quickly.

Difficulty: 5/10 - requires a few sleights from previous videos, plus a side steal
Rating: 10/10 - WOW ...

The Lady Vanishes - 4 mins
From: CARD MARVELS

A packet of four aces turns face down, then is revealed to be all kings.

Difficulty: 2/10 - easy sleights
Rating: 5/10 - seems to be a rehashed "Diminishing? Not Likely!", but with a dropoff onto the deck

Stud! - 5 mins
From: CARD COLLECTIVE

Variation of Lorayne's Tally Ho trick, but with Stud playing cards. After various spellings from the card box, the cards that were dealt down are turned over to reveal a royal flush.

Difficulty: 1/10 - self working with a top stack
Rating: 6/10 - uses a metric ton of spelling

Powerhouse - 5 mins
From: CARD COLLECTIVE

Spectator chooses a card and replaces it into the deck. You make three piles on the table that "will tell us about your card". Their card is then cut/spun out of the deck, and the packet is turned over to reveal the other matching cards.

Difficulty: 3/10 - easy sleights
Rating: 10/10 - another "here's your card PLUS the other three kings/aces/whatever", but with style and class. Love it. Plus can be performed using a shuffled deck of cards!

Live Clip 2009 - 5 mins

Includes the following routines in performance only. Done inside at a house party:

- The Gordon Diary Trick
- Powerhouse
- Shocked Aces

Easy Ace Estimation - 6 mins
From: CARD COLLECTIVE, NOCTURNAL CREATIONS, Lorayne's DVD series

Ed Marlo's Miracle Aces variation, where all the aces are found via cutting the deck at exact locations from the table using no breaks

Difficulty: 7/10 - requires a perfect faro, card cutting estimations
Rating: 10/10 - although a beast, BEAUTIFUL. Looks like real magic


Disc 3: - One hour, 33 mins


The Gordon Diary Trick (performance only)
From: http://www.paulgordon.net/shop.html

Live Clip 2009 (at a wedding performance) - 3 mins

- World's Best Card Trick
- Ambitious Card Routine

Hemeroid Effect 4 - 6 mins
From:

Using a shuffled deck of cards (king of diamonds, ace of diamonds), you spell out two cards, revealing them be at the last position of the spellings. Then the four aces are revealed.

Difficulty: 6/10 - requires straddled faros
Rating: 7/10 - cute, but didn't strike me as powerful as the other material on this set

My Darned Nemesis - 7 mins
From: 16th CARD BOOKS

You spell out three different cards, and instead of arriving at the card being spelled, the three of diamonds appears every time. Then you sort out half the deck into piles, revealing the four aces and once again the three of diamonds.

Difficulty: 5/10 - mostly self working, sans straddled faro
Rating: 7/10 - magician in trouble seems dragged out for too long, but a good trick. Would require some heavy acting to maintain interest. Overall I'd rather do Mars Life which is both similar and superior to this.

Session Stunner - 9 mins

Spectator says stop while you deal off cards from the top of the deck. The top three cards where they stopped at are then placed on the table. You turn your back, instructing the spectator to peek at one card. As you insert the three cards back into random parts of the deck, you instantly know the card peeked at.

Difficulty: 5/10 - couple of weird sleights
Rating: 10/10 - Interesting principle that allows you to discern a card even when you're not looking (or can be in the other room during the peek process). A definite magician fouler.

Another video after this details all the moves required in a close-up manner.

The Amazing Fingerprint Test - 5 mins
From:

A technique for discovering a selected card from a packet. Very cool switch method.

Difficulty: 2/10 - one gutsy move, but nothing serious
Rating: 9/10 - great little trick in itself, but the method can be applied to other effects as well

Peter's Foursome - 5 mins
From: CARD CONJURING

Based upon a free ebook trick from Peter Duffie, you deal cards into three piles, waiting for the spectator to say stop. Then you gather all packets onto the bottom of the deck, and start dealing again until he says stop. The four face up cards are then laid on the table with one card next to them, which turns out to be all the kings. The other four piles contain all the queens to match the kings.

Difficulty: 1/10 - self working after a stacked deck
Rating: 10/10 - huge display of all kings and their matching queens. The fact that it's self working, AND the counting serves a purpose (you need some face up cards), AND the spectator can do this in their own hands makes it a pure winner

Dazzler (performance only) - 3 mins
From: PROFESSIONAL CARD MAGIC MIRACLES

Supposed to be a marketed effect, but I didn't see it listed anywhere for purchase. He does mention that it's available in most of his books, using the Dazzler principle. I found a sample relatively quickly online with Google Books. As a bonus, the queens (8's, whatever) have different color backs, or even company logos.

Difficulty: 2/10 - virtually self working. Optional elmsley at the end, although not necessary
Rating: 9/10 - great sandwich effect for three spectators at a table. The different color backs create a nice kicker ending - awesome for walkaround or strolling, too!

What A Triple Kick - 14 mins
From: THE MAGIC CIRCULAR (March 2003)

Spectator selects a card, returns it to the deck. Then you deal four piles of cards face up, goto that spot in the deck then reveal all four jacks at that location, then count down the remainder of the cards to reveal all four aces, and the selected card. This is a combination of a previous tricks. Designed to be performed immediately after Twister.

Difficulty: 1/10 - totally self working
Rating: 9/10 - a ton of counting, but the ending is huge. Beautiful display of jacks/aces and the selected card finale.

Elle Vate - 3 mins
From: CARD MARVELS

Four kings are gathered up to the top of the deck, then dealt onto the table. As you repeatedly lay the deck on each king, it jumps to the top of the deck (twice).

Difficulty: 2/10 - easy sleight
Rating: 5/10 - meh

Poker Schmoker by Jack Parker - 3 mins
From: CARDISTRY

You remove five cards from the deck, and display your horrible poker hand. After trading out two cards from the top of the deck, you have a royal flush.

Difficulty: 2/10 - ascanio spread, double handling
Rating: 10/10 - very fast poker demonstration, would rock as an opener! Especially with the popularity of poker in the past few years.

Twin Peeks - 12 mins
From: PROFESSIONAL CARD MAGIC MIRACLES, COOL CARD STUNTS

Spectator peeks at a card from deck #1, which is then laid on the table. You name the exact numbered location of that same card in deck #2, and after dealing down, it's there. Uses a heavily gimmicked deck along with a regular one. Spec can have the second deck in their pocket, and count down themselves.

Difficulty: 2/10 - need to learn the weird gimmick
Rating: 9/10 - very devious method of discovering a peeked at card, has a LARGE variety of uses

Jinx Force Concept - 4 mins
From: CARD MARVELS

You lay down five cards on the table, allowing the spectator to select one. Then you instantly know the chosen card as they're laid back down face up on the table (after the spectator shuffles).

Interview with Paul Gordon - 21 mins

Paul talks about how he started magic, went professional, his inspirations, and how he creates tricks, etc. He also includes an example trick named Hot Flush which is simply a production of a royal flush from a packet.

Sleights include:

Atfus
Bottom Palm
Braue Reverse
Centre Doule
Diminishing Lift
Dingle No-Lap Switch
Doule Undercut
Elmsley Count
Estimation
Hot Flush
Jinx Switch
Jogshuffle
Lorayne Reverse
Multiple Lift
Reverse Faro
Secret Sutraction
Straddle Faro
Stud Doule Lift
Unloading Move
Benzais Spin Cut
Bilis Lift


Conclusion

Everybody is searching for some intermediate card magic using regular decks, in DVD format. Well here you go, 47 tricks and almost 5 hours of material for a measley $60. Not just good material, but absolute stunners, face slappers and reputation making effects. With over 30 years in experience, Paul Gordon knows how to please a crowd. And he's held nothing back in this tour de force of a DVD set.

I cannot possibly recommend these DVD's highly enough.


The Official Spam:

Doug, thanks for taking the time to do such a detailed review and include all those
links and Youtube clips. This really helps in the "should I get this" purchasing process.

Great review. Hats off for your time.

Yeah, man....BRILLIANT set of DVDs! This guy ROCKS as does his magic! I use about 30 of the tricks. If were better skilled, I'd use all 50! JP

On my wish-list.
Paul is true card artist.

Well done Doug on a great review. I totally agree with everything you say, my best purchase this year...so far.

Regards

Matt

I love those too, really nice and recommended !

I have several of Paul's books. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and get the DVD
after that great review.

Best
Leo Jr

Can someone give me their thoughts on Twin Peeks? I just read this in the Mind Blasters e-book, and while I definitely admire the cleverness of the gimmick, I'm not sure why it's any better than doing a riffle force. If the goal was to fool another card person, you could riffle very slowly to remove that possibility from their mind and leave them very confused, but to an average spectator, wouldn't a riffle force play out exactly the same way as using this deck? I wonder if perhaps the DVD demonstration offers any additional insight on this.

Remember, $60 in UK not US Dollars. must convert, right?
Anyway I ordered it and can't wait. I have many of his books and this is a finally something to supplement the books. UK definitely have their share of major card talent!

Ryesteve, while a riffle force would work, the reason the gimmick is better is because it's far fairer. I mean, they can truly stop at any card and even change their mind. The fairer the conditions, the stronger the effect. They could possibly back track a riffle force. You can't really back track this trick that easily. This is only my opinion.

Yes, I agree... I guess maybe what I'm really thinking is, is Gordon implying that a riffle force is no longer a fooler to the average spectator? Many routines still use this as a necessary component, but if we've gotten to the point where it's no longer a fooler, I guess it's time to shelve those routines.

No, I don't think that at all. I think he would agree that a riffle force is great for some tricks. But when it comes to test-conditions mentalism, I think a fairer procedure is better. Again, my 2 cents.

Hey guys, TWIN PEEKS is more than that. A card is FREELY chosen out of one deck (NO force) and you INSTANTLY know (thanks to Mr. Gordon's Twin Peeks concept) where it's duplicate is in a SECOND deck. On his DVD - it's a friggin KILLER!

You can't duplicate the effect with force...JP

Just checked the DVD, ryesteve, and The Riffle Force IS Paul's favorite force...so he says on the DVD, anyway! JP

Am I not understand how the effect plays? If you force a card, you still know that card's position in the other deck. The only difference would be it's not a free choice... but unless the spectator knows he's been riffle forced, wouldn't the effect to him be the same?

I agree with the previous comment that the fairer it seems the better, but the comment quoted above makes me think perhaps I've missed something.

With Twin Peeks, you can repeat it (many times) and instantly know the info reqd. Yes you could do that with a kosher deck, but you'd have to use a memorised deck to know all the positions. And as Mr. Francis says, the procedure (for mentalism work) is SO FAIR and aboveboard. JP

Wow...now THAT's a thorough review

Yeah!! This IS the BEST card magic set of recent years!!!

I've just finished trying all 50 tricks. Awesome man.

Recommended...very highly!!!!!!

Fred.

Many thanks to DougNicols who made this review.
Every review is a personal opinion and therefore automaticaly subjective.
However, you just KNOW and FEEL if you read this review that it is not an attempt to hype some product, but that it is an honest opinion of the writer.
That alone is refreshing. (apart from the accurate information about the content)