Year: 2021

Another wonderful and compact item from Klingl. This really is a great size and can easily slip into your jacket pocket or even your shirt pocket. I think you could get used to performing this on a regular basis because it works so well and it is such a suitable size for carrying.

Klingl or Zauber-Klingl was an Austrian Magic manufacturer and dealer founded by Rudiga Michael Klingl c. 1869 and they continued until the 1980’s. Their creations are high quality and are keenly sought by collectors today.

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If you are a fan of Al Stanger’s Miracle Poker Machine (and the Fitch Cheney effect it is based upon) then you are going to absolutely love The Poker Boy*.  This is a brand new creation by Chris Wasshuber and Gaetan Bloom: The Bloom Miracle Poker Machine. It can do everything that Al Stanger’s Miracle Poker Machine can do and a lot more without any of the pesky battery or resetting issues.

Just like the original machine there are five phases available:

1. Force Card
2. Stud Poker
3. Invisible Die
4. Climax
5. Magician Slayer

Other features of this Device and Custom Software written by Chris Wasshuber:

• You can choose which phases you want to use – in the video I chose Phase 1, Phase 3, and Phase 4 which to me is the perfect combination of amazement, spectator interest, and length of routine. 
• You can change the force card.
• You can change the spin time before revealing the card.
• Non-Volatile RAM – this device never loses the program or your custom settings even if the battery runs out.
• USB Rechargeable Battery – just plug it in and recharge it to go again.
• Battery Level gauge – just by turning it on you can see how much charge remains.
• Better input control – When the spectator inputs the cards it is much easier to fix them should they make a mistake, even if they press the wrong buttons.  Chris has programmed in all sorts of checks to make it almost impossible to mess up the inputs.
• Tiny footprint – much smaller than the original TI-85 (see final photo).

As Chris says in the instructions: “I consider it therefore an evolution and frankly an improvement of the old gimmick.”  I wholeheartedly agree, although the original Poker Machine was an amazing device it was quite restrictive and easy to mess-up, and heaven forbid you change the batteries incorrectly or let them die, then it was all over. 

Chris has does an excellent job with Gaetan’s routine as a starting place and spent the time and research to find the best device (it could not be a smart phone, that kills this routine) and learned the new development environment to program it.  He spent a lot of time bullet proofing the inputs to make it almost impossible to break, and added some great improvements many of which were based on my early feedback.

(* Notice: the name Poker Boy is the name I use as it goes with my patter below. I added the label to the unit Chris sent me as it made it easier to refer to during my routine.)

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Lubor Fiedler really has invented some amazingly clever items – and this one is no exception.  Along with Pavel they have a really perplexing miracle here that is impossible to figure out without the secret! This was distributed by Howard Schwarzman and his Limited Editions line of imported magic. 

This is the second version I have seen and although the metal die is the same the holder and cover is made cheaper, less robust, and a little less reliable than the original version here.

The original was also released under the name “Tela-Die” c. 1970.

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This is an early penetration from Thomas Pohle released by the prolific German magic dealer Eckhard Boettcher. It looks effective but is a little more  involved than his later block penetrations such as: China Block Penetration and China Block Surprise. Michael Baker’s later Mandarin Block Escape uses a similar method but with Thomas’ you could have everything examined if you wanted.

This was re-released by Thomas as The Impossible Die and Wand Penetration c. 2019

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This effect was created by Heinz Lurz c. 1978.  It was also made by Tony Lackner for Harold Voit c. 1983 and released again by Eckhard Boettcher c. 1992.  This is the original version created  by Heinz Lurz.

It is a variation of Dr. Jaks’ Supersonic Card Prediction with a number of clever ruses that make it quite different from the original.

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This is another effect invented by Magiro that Howie Schwarzman sold, through his Limited Editions Magic line.  The Ring on Sword Illusionette is actually Magiro’s Cleopatra´s Ring. Magiro sold these nicer versions to Domenico Dante who ran Progetto Magia in Italy.  Howie, then purchased them, renamed them and translated the instructions.  Although Magiro was not mentioned in the instructions, which is a common practice in magic, he did sell them initially to Progetto Magia so all is right with the world 🙂

Whichever version you have it is a wonderful effect. The method is quite unique in the world of Sword Thru Ring effects though it does take a little practice to make it smooth and you are not as free to show the items as in some other effects. In particular neither the sword nor the ring can be examined.

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One of my favorite Alan Warner effects is Mini Mental and I still think it is one of the cleanest and cleverest pieces of mentalism that Alan (or anyone else) has produced.  In 2016 Magic Wagon released their Elite Premonition which took Alan’s idea and made it easier to perform. The great German craftsman Will Wessel also created his wonderful version called Colored Number Blocks.

Back in 2019 Thomas Pohle released what is probably the cleverest version of all – The Ultimate Block Prediction. It is different from all of the above versions and is easily the cleanest and most perplexing I have seen.  No matter how closely you look everything looks 100% above board – you can look from all angles there is nothing to see and nothing to hide.   And yet no matter which order of blocks and numbers the spectator chooses the magicians prediction is always correct. 

This is Color version which has been improved again and produced in even more limited numbers. It improves on Thomas’ previous version in these way:

• in addition to predicting the numbers chosen by the spectator – the reveals also match the color of the block!
• more importantly – the construction of the blocks has been upgraded.
• it’s possible to reveal them with the numbers written in your own hand on a white backing written in the same color as the block.

Even if you are familiar with the other versions, you will likely still be fooled by this version. You will marvel at how smoothly this bad boy operates – it is amazing! 

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Magiarte were a magic dealer and manufacturer in Portugal of a unique line of magic c. 1956-1996.  They were founded by Armindo de Matos and Eduardo Franco.  Their beautiful hand painted props are quite rare today and are perfect for display.

The instructions that came with this item say that the photo album starts off with all six color postcards and then just one vanishes to appear later in the ornate frame.  But a listing on Potter & Potter says the album starts empty and then the six color postcards appear inside the album.  I think the best way to present this would be like this:

• Show the empty stage stand and six color postcard and flags.
• Place the six flags (Portugal, France, Spain, UK, USA, and Brazil) with the back out on the stand
• Show the six color postcards.
• Flip through the empty photo album that has place holders for six countries with flags.
• Have a flag chosen from the stand to select which country wins the contest.
• Vanish the six color postcards (using your favorite method!).
• Show the appearance of postcards inside the photo album.
• But one is missing and instead a large flag is shown in its place.
• Reveal the chosen flag (it is the same flag as appeared in the album).
• Show the chosen color postcard appearing on the stage stand.

This seems to be a better routine with a lot of magic and some beautiful colorful props the likes of which you probably have not seen very often.

This effect certainly could be performed, but it probably has more appeal to the collector. The stage stand where the beauty contest winner appears is a little temperamental and has to be handled with some extra control. The photo album and flag cards are cardboard and paper and they probably would not stand up to too much abuse. Having said that they look very good for a sixty year old prop!

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David Regal’s Color Changing Knives are a custom-made four knife set that really deliver 🙂  I’ve owned dozens of sets of knives but I must say how very impressed I am with these new knives from David Regal.  Not only are they a perfect size at 3″, they are a good weight and have a good heft in the hand without being too heavy.  And the routine is perfect and logical with a novel climax that makes sense.

Also the very useful online video that comes with the knives is perfect.  David cleanly and swiftly takes you through all the possible moves you could want and he teaches them so well, most of them don’t even seem like moves or sleights.  If you are just getting into the color changing knives, this is really a great routine to start with but even if you are a seasoned professional there is enough here to keep you happy and thinking.

And at $125 they are also priced well too, a really wonderful package you should not miss out on 🙂

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