Win all of these!
Drawing on April 1st, 2024
Details

Auto Spell Deck

Knight, Devin

Illusion Concepts - Devin Knight

(Based on 2 reviews)
Effect: The performer shows a deck of cards to be well mixed while removing the two Jokers from the deck. He hands the deck to a participant to cut as many times as he likes. The performer tells the participant to stop cutting anytime he likes and that the top card of the deck will be his selected card. The performer asks the participant to look at the top card of the deck while the performer looks away. The participant is then instructed to take his selected card, push it into the center of the deck anywhere he likes, and square the deck. Once he has done so, he tells the performer who turns around and takes the deck saying he will give it one cut. The performer cuts the deck once and places it on the table face down. The selection of the card is a free choice and there is no force used.

The performer tells the participant that he will not touch the deck again. He reminds the participant that he selected a card and returned it to the deck without the performer ever touching the deck. The performer says that he has cut the selected card to a special position that will allow the participant to spell right to his card.

"For example, if you selected the Ace of Spades, then you will spell A-C-E O-F S-P-A-D-E-S turning one card face up from the top of the deck and dealing it onto the table into a face up pile. When you have finished spelling, you will have spelt right to your card."

While the deck is still on the table, the participant spells out the full name of his card by removing the top card of the deck, turning it face up and placing it into a face up pile. While doing so, the participant sees that every card is different. After he has finished spelling the name of the card, he will be stunned to see his card is indeed on top of the deck. He has indeed spelled to his card!

This is about as close to a hands-off miracle as you could ask for. The participant selects and returns a card with the deck in his hands. The performer looks away when the card is returned so he does not know where it was placed in the deck.

The performer takes the deck, gives it one cut, and returns the deck to the table. He does not look at the faces of the cards, and he truly does not know the name of the selected card until the participant names it. The only time the performer touches the deck after a card is selected is to give it one cut. The participant deals the cards face up, not the performer. The full name of the card is spelled out each time. The word "of" is always spelled and the suit always has an "s" at the end.

There is nothing to memorize and the effect is self-working. The deck can be reset in just a few seconds and the effect can be repeated, if strolling, at another table with a different card being selected.

No Sleights, No Skill, No Marked Cards, No Long & Short or Rough & Smooth, NO FORCES OF ANY KIND. Best of all you can do this with nothing to memorize. The card is spelled the same way each time.This ingenious deck is entirely 100% self-working.

Comes complete with special bicycle deck and complete directions.

Reviews

Fredrick Turner

Official Reviewer

Jun 30, 2014

Spelling the name of a selected card and finding it has been around since 1908 when Charles Shepard published “The Magic Spell” in The Sphinx. Into this genre comes Devin Knight’s Auto-Spell Deck.

One may ask: after 100 years is there anything new that can be done with spelling effects? Yes as a performer can take this deck combine it with good audience management skills and create a wonderful effect. The participant selects a card, places it back in the deck themselves, gives the deck a few cuts, spells the name of the card and finds it - all by themselves. The performer doesn't touch the deck.

Every magic effect comes with a price. With Auto-Spell Deck, it's specially designed deck of Bicycle cards. With the aforementioned audience management skills, the deck will seem to be unprepared and, most importantly, the magic will happen in their hands.

Along with the deck, Knight provides a nicely produced instruction book. You will need to learn how to manage and reset the deck. Add a deck switch and you could have an effect that will have them talking.
(Top ▲)

Paul White

Jun 12, 2014

Devin Knight's effects are always strong. This is no exception. The promotion excplanation is exactly how this effect plays out - nothing is left out of the description. The spectator has a free choice of a card, he or she puts it into the center of the deck, and then with one cut of the deck, the magician causes the card to appear at the exact spelling of the card, with the spectator dealing the cards face up to arrive at his or her selection!

Auto Spell Deck is straightforward and easy to perform. It is hands-off mentalism. Then why have I given Auto Spell four rather than five stars? The spectator is asked to name the card. This takes some of the mystery away although if the performer has smooth and polished patter, this one moment can be minimized.

There are ways that the performer could detect the selected card. These methods are not presented but if they were, then Auto Spell would be simply inexplicable mental magic. However, as presented, it plays strong because the magic happens 'in the hands of the spectator.'

Auto Spell Deck can be performed by beginners and with the right patter and presenation can be a strong effect in the program of a professional. The bicycle deck design makes it easy to bring into a card routine. This is an excellent short effect - highly recommended.
(Top ▲)