Got a Johnny Wong/Clone/Super coin lying around gathering dust? Or do you have one special routine for yours but not enough material to really get you into using it regularly? Let me give you a tip... when Craig Petty releases his latest offering it will very quickly solve these issues and motivate you to re-examine the potential of this gimmick.

Craig’s highly commendable upcoming release is dedicated solely to the Wong/Clone/Super coin gimmick. In true CP style, he offers up 9 full blown routines all using the gimmick plus 2 bonus routines.

Craig & David Penn begin proceedings with a detailed discussion of this coin examining the unique characteristics of it and why these could be useful in the context of creating magic. Craig also explains the origins of the gimmick, this being in fact Johnny Wong’s “Coin thru Bill” (which is also performed and explained on this volume along with Craig's handling variation).

Next are main routines themselves performed live.

Throw Coins – Coins across with 4 coins. Smart application of the gimmick gives an appearance of fair conditions at every stage. Good solution to the final coin!

Split Fly – Nice 3 coin production and a great 3 fly! Again Craig applies his wonderful thinking and uses some devious subtleties to get ahead at the right moments in the routine. Will take some practice but worth it!

Split Coins thru table – An interesting approach to this effect. Not as visible as Craig’s flipper coin work on this plot however still a good routine with the focus applied to different aspects of the illusion than the flipper work. Craig uses subtlety and sound to cleverly deceive the senses with this routine.

ES Impossible 2 – A totally left field application for this gimmick, I am not so sure it is an advancement in this particular kind of effect as IMHO it suffers from a weak moment (or is that just my magician’s thinking?). None the less this is a very entertaining and wildly different use of the coin and may find favour with some.

Sponge – Transposition between 2 very different objects, a coin and sponge ball. After 3 strong transposition phases the routine finishes with a weird fusion of the ball and coin into a single object.

Hanging Around- I think this plot really suits the gimmick in play and this is one of the best routines on the DVD due to this happy match. Craig has constructed one of the best “bang for effort” easy to do hanging coin routines in existence. The card location via an invisible coin at the end provides a nice upbeat finish to the magic.

3 Coin Flurry - A great stand up 3 coin production, vanish and re-production taking full advantage of the gimmick’s capabilities. Each coin is produced and vanished singly. Personally I LOVED Craig’s kicker here and think this was worth the price of the DVD. Look carefully at the reactions to the ending and be inspired.

Mexican Split – A similar 3 coin production to the last routine, followed by a different kind of coins across with some interesting bluffs. The 3 coins are then vanished into the ether again to close. As always Craig performs this beautifully.

Two Coin Trick – A two coins in the hand repeat where no matter how many times you eliminate one coin there are still two coins left in your hand. This is one of the easier routines to do and great for entertainment value. The plot has plenty of room for fun patter as Craig shows us. This is another case of an ideally suited routine for this particular gimmick.

As with Craig’s recent release “Mirage Coin Set” a whole array of various sleights used in the routines are then explained in detail. As always, Craig’s personal technique and ability to clearly teach these sleights is superb and even though I have been doing the same sleights for 25 years I found myself drawn in to re-examining the way I did things in the light of Craig’s way of teaching.

I also discovered the Easter Egg on this DVD, as it turns out another fine routine this time by one of Craig’s friends. It is quite different in effect however as it uses the gimmick in a way most people would not think to do.

All in all quite frankly Craig is giving me the s**ts! It’s just not fair that this one guy has such a high level of creativity and repeatedly manages to come up with more applications for a single gimmick than most guys could dream up in a lifetime. His recent output is outrageously good and from what we have seen of Craig so far, I personally believe he is well on the way to becoming one of the most respected leading close up performers and magic teachers of the modern era. I would not part with any of his first 4 volumes and each one has offered awesome value and truly exciting, innovative magic. Bring on the next project!!

Cheers,
Al

Thanks for the review Al, once again I m really glad you liked the DVD.

I have been concentrating recently on giving people as much value for money as possible. This is why this DVD and my other new release Mirage are both 2 1/2 hours long. I wanted to cram as much information as possible. I suppose I could have put the information on 2 75 minute DVD's and charged double but I really want people to walk away and feel they got terrific value for money. The sleight section on the DVD was very important as it allows me to cover the sleights in more details and therefore have more time in the explanations to talk about the stuff that really matters such as why the move is done the way it is. To be honest having David Penn with me was fantastic - having such a clever magical thinker right there with me made the explanations go so much smoother plus Dave knows just what sort of questions need asking if I have missed something.

I am very busy performing at the moment (Summer season, I am sure you all know what it's like) but if anyone has any questions fire away and I will get to them as soon as I can.

Craig

You are welcome Craig and value for money has certainly been a standout feature of ALL your DVD's! It is also great to see someone of your creative ability examining what can be done with some common gimmicks that had never had a very high volume of material published for them until you entered the scene.

After watching this DVD again, I noticed details I had missed earlier. It is one of those DVD's I will come back to over and over again as it teaches a LOT of sleights as well as the fantastic routines.

Al

Looks very good!
so when is it released craig?
july 21st or aug 1st?
cheers mate

Hi

We are launching the DVD and coin at the IBM/SAM on the 21st. All customers preordering from the website will receive their copy sometime beginning of August when the DVDs come back from the replicators.

Anyone attending IBM/Sam come and say HI.

Thanks

Costas

The coin for Split Happens is absolutely great. The once I got from Craig at IBM/SAM 2008 forms an American half dollar with perfect alignment. I only wish it was available in a Morgan. Craig mentioned that a dollar size would be impractical but I still have my hopes that someone will develop one.

Craig petty IS THE MAN! one of the top coin guys in the world...and he does cards too!

kozmo

Hey Koz, how ya doing man?

Guess what I was lying in bed last night with my wife and as she turned to look at me I told her I was thinking. "Really" she said "What are you thinking of?" You know what I replied? KOZMO, KOZMO, KOOOOZMO!!!!!

Lol....tooo much fun! but I told you I don't go that way! ******!

Hi,
You can get the Clone Coin from http://www.merlinswakefield.co.uk made in any currency. They have made several Morgan Dollars, 1/4's, etc. Just email them with what you are wanting, merlins@btconnect.com and they will be happy to quote you a price, using your own coins.
Incidentley, the first Split Coin was Eddie Gibsons Casino Coins in the 1980's, so this is not really that new, just a re-invention.

You can also get Split Coin from World Magic Shop http://www.worldmagicshop.co.uk or your favourite dealer.

Dealers contact your wholesaler or World magic Shop direct. Sales@worldmagicshop.co.uk

It is available in any currency made to order. We have just made some in Taiwan currency, Swiss Currency and Euros in addition to the standard UK and US versions. just email jim@worldmagicshop.co.uk.

We also launched Crag Petty's SPLIT HAPPENS DVD which gives you a whole lot of excellent routines that you can do with whichever brand of coin that you own. It also has the Whole Johnny Wong original Coin Through Bill Routine as a bonus feature by kind permission of Johnny Wong.

best regards
Jaz

Any of the material on Split Happens will work with a split coin, a clne coin or a super coin. Whichever gaff you use the effects on the DVD are (MO) really good. Sponge for example is my closer in a restaurant its that strong - It is the only thing I have found that matches the power of a jumbo coin production. I prefer to use he split coin (the teflon coating coupled with the perfect width of the gaff makes it excellent IMO) however the routines are great with any of the gaffs.

Craig

I got one of these at the IBM/SAM Convention. All I can say is that most people who have a gaffed coin figure out one fair to middling routine to do with it, and that's it. There must not be any cinemas in Craig's neighborhood, because he can work with that gaff and do dozens of different, very strong tricks with it.

I would say that it's almost like one of those fellows who only has one tool to work with. They say that when the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

But that's definitely not the case with Craig. He puts together really good, logical, doable routines with every single gaff and gadget that he gets his hands on. He doesn't just play with the gimmicks. He explores them.

He's done the hard work on this with his DVD -- Split Happens. If you have a clone coin, a split coin or a super coin, get this DVD. You will learn new things you can do with them. If you don't have one, get a split coin from them, along with the DVD.

You will be glad you did.

In fact, when you see how Craig's explorations of the coin are worked out, you may start exploring on your own. And that is a very, very good thing!

I agree with everything Bill said and as I have said in many other reviews, Craig is truly an incredible creator of magic both in quality and volume of material.

Craig - Congratulations on this review from Bill! Very well deserved I might add.

People really should pay your releases more attention. I have just been out doing a gig now and included material from both Attack of the Bag and Flipped Out to fantastic reactions. As I was performing the coins through table from Flipped Out it struck me that this routine looked as much like pure magic to me as it did to them. For a second I actually forgot the method was going on at all and 'felt' the magic. There was something amazing in that moment that brought me back to why we do this crazy stuff!!

Cheers,
Al

Hi Bill and Al,

Sorry about my late reply - have been so busy recently!

Thanks so much for your comments, I really try hard when constructing my magic to make each moment as memorable as possible. That is why I spend so long thinking about presentation and routining, that IMO is probably the important part.

I am really glad you are enjoying performing the routines though - they are designed to be performed not just watched once. Al, I am sure that as more people find out about my material more attention will be paid to it. There are a lot of releases coming out every day in magic and people have to be conservative with their purchasing decisions. All I can do is keep making sure that any material I release is as higher quality as I can provide and that the value for money is also as high as possible and if I do this I am sure that people with find their way to my products one way or another. I love reading reviews and listening to peoples stories that involve material they have performed that I have created and I can only hope I get to hear lots and lots more of these stories in the future.

Anyway thanks for the reviews guys

Craig

A very busy worker in the UK called Darren King received his Split Happens DVD recently and asked me to post his review for everyone on the Café (he is not yet a member).

I have copy and pasted the review below:

Name: Split Happens

Author: Craig Petty

Price: £15

Publisher: WorldMagicShop

Pages/Length: 2hrs 30min, 11 routines and tons of moves explained

Comments
Again Craig has released a DVD that demonstrates a coin gimmick that most may not be aware of and those that are maybe not have the wealth of knowledge to create any routines with it. I’ve had clone coin and did little with it. Now armed with this DVD some of the routines will be getting added.

The split coin has been released under different names, clone coin/super coin etc. The coin has some advantages over shells and flippers.

The performance sections are recorded around a table with 2 cameras with a mixture of audience members. Explanations are done along with David Penn and he offers some nice tips, I liked this approach more than just one person as you get the value of another magician offering ideas and asking questions.

Credits are as always well given and watch out for the trailers where there are even more detailed credits given and I think Craig should be praised for doing so.

Routines

Throw coins across ¬– very simple coins across where the coins are thrown one by one into the hand, yet still jump.

Mexican split – very clean production of 3 coins, based on a Jay Sankeys Mexican jumping coins, 3 coins go from hand to hand using the point to point transfer and the gimmicks, some more moves are required for this routine. Mastering this routine would add some very powerful vanishes and transfers to your coin tool box.

Spin Fly – 3fly routine requiring some more work but worth it, coins are produced then move from finger tips between the hands.

Two coin trick – one of my favourite gimmicks was hopping half’s the routine was very powerful and very simple, however the reset was a pain so I rarely performing when working. However Craig has come up with a workable version that I will be putting into my repertoire. The Key here is Craig’s presentation as he has taken the sting out of the routine and made it very entertaining and very commercial routine. Also one of the easiest routines on the DVD I thought.

EsimPossible 2 – this is a very powerful prediction routine, the prediction is wrote on a coin which is marked by the spectator on one side and isolated under a shot glass and left in full view. This is another very powerful routine that would not be possible without this very powerful and useful gimmick. Based on many ideas like room service and John archers collared however I think the use of a coin makes this routine more workable and also more powerful. Craig’s routine is also very entertaining. The shot class could be replaced by a wine glass or any other glass from the table, the notepad could be replaced by your business card, so you don’t have to carry anything extra when working other than some stickers.

Hanging around – Sky hook routine combined with coin in deck, a vanished coin finds the chosen card when the pack is in the deck. Putting these two routines together makes for a powerful routine and one of the simplest sky hook routines I’ve seen and another example of the miracles you can do with the split coin. David Penn offers some nice touches to this routine worth checking out.

Split coins through table- where not the strongest coins through table it does show the versatility of the gimmick. It’s also possibly the most simple of the routine on the DVD and a nice break from coins across.

3 coin flurry – nice flurry routine with a very funny kicker ending some more work required for this routine; however the idea for the kicker can be used for any coin routine. I already come up with an idea of making the reset very quickly as I love the kicker that much.

Sponge- coin and sponge transpose hand to hand then merge together to become a metal ball. I’ve never seen anything like this and I think the metal ball would get some great reactions. (Metal balls available from WorldMagicShop).

Printing (Easter egg) not that hard to find, a coin is created from blank metal disk again something not possible with any other gimmick.
Johnny Wong’s coin through bill – shot in the shop this is a trick with the gimmick and a borrowed note (if your coin is a common used coin you could borrow the coin also). The routine that started it all.

Slights explained in detail including switching the gimmick in and out, making it appear and the basic moves used with the gimmick like opening and closing of the gimmick. Craig gives all the tools here for people to go and create their own routines. Also elsewhere on the DVD is in the himber vanish, top pocket vanish, shuttle passes etc

Again a great DVD well priced (in fact too cheap when compared to the volume and value of the material included).

I’ve a 10p clone coin and found it a bit small for some of the routines, however not impossible I would recommend a bigger coin.

Where there some routines with a similar concept of coins going from hand to hand, the routines are very different, there also some very different routines some using concepts most would not have seen before used for coin magic. There is a massive host of information on this disk like the flipper DVD this is recommend to anyone that bought a split coin and want more routines or anyone wanting to add strong coin magic. I suspect there will be more of us doing split coin magic because of this outstanding DVD.

Darren

OK, So I got this and The mirage coin set today from hocus pocus. Now I love the Dvd, and the effects are very cool. I like Craigs uses for dusty drawer gimmicks, BUT I do have an issue with the quality control. (BOTH of the effects I recieved had issues) The issue I have with the split coin that came with my DVD is this: on the heads side of the coin it is a bicentennial half. On the Tails? Its a normal half. Now some of you might say "So what?". I bought Free Fall awhile back. (the coin effect not the card effect) and it was made out of a bicentennial half. I did a coin thru table effect and twice I was called on the fact that I started with two regular halvles and the Bi before I started, and just before the drop it was two bi's and a regular half. NOw they just thought I had rung in an extra coin and I clearly showed them just three, but still. Why do effects even come in bicentennial coins? So now that coin is in my drawer and I use the Butter Coin now. All is better on that front. But the split coin is just wrong. Funny! but wrong. I don't blame HP and I don't blame Craig. I blame the people who manufactured the gimmick out of two coins that did not match. I know things slip but in manufacturing as I used to be a machinist, But when one thing is not like the others we didn't use it. I am going to contact HP and I hope they will help me out. If not, I still have my Clone Coin!!!

And with that, I vanish!!!

Poof!!

Judah, that's a fair critique. Allot of DVD's that come with coins had poor quality coins. Smudges, marks, etc.

Hey Judah,

Sorry about the problem you have had with the coin. I know exactly what you mean - I don't like using different style coins either. PM me your mailing address and I will get another Split Coin out in the post for you tomorrow - no problem. You should have it in a couple of days and you will be up and running in no time!

Once you have road tested the routines on the DVD let me know what you think.

Hope this helps - I look forward to your PM

Craig

Wow. that's all I can say. THIS is how customer service should be! Chris: Thanks for the support. Craig: I can only say thank you again! And to everyone else reading these posts: Pick this up!!!(and the mirage set, too!!!) One little dent does not mean the whole car is bad. And I am NOT upset, so please quit messaging me, telling me to buck up and deal with it. I have a clone coin, and TWO Dream sets so I have plenty to practice with.....

'J'