Pascal's Other Wager...and Other Eccentricities By Michel Potts
In Michel Potts' first book to the magic fraternity, he shares six of his favorite card effects. As the Resident Magician at the The Londoner Brew Pub in Bangkok, one of that lively city's most popular night spots, Michel he has earned a distinct reputation as being the only Farang (foreigner) magician in Bangkok. He is known as Khun Michel (Khun being the polite form of address in Thai). The effects in this manuscript have been cobbled together, road-tested and refined over time before the diverse yet tough crowds at the Londoner Brew Pub and don’t require any knuckle-busting sleight of hand. Each one is a solid, well-constructed, commercial gem complete with Michel's own handling, patter and bits of business. 32 pages. A Trickshop.com Exclusive!
Photo credit: Rick Young (East Asia Blog)
Contents include:
Pascal's Other Wager
This is a card miracle you can perform anytime, anywhere, without a deck of cards. Nothing is written down. No gimmicks are required. No instant stooges, and no dual reality. This is an effect that simply relies on nothing more than an ordinary cellphone calculator and an Oscar-winning performance.
Psychometrus Interruptus
One of Michel's signature effects, this card revelation with a Bic lighter is an exceptionally strong piece of magic and leaves the spectator with an inexpensive souvenir to encourage tips or private bookings.
Diabolique
Aptly named, this is a truly diabolical thought of card revelation where the performer barely touches the cards with an unexpected kicker at the finish.
Estimation
Michel holds this one in reserve until that inevitable moment when someone says “I would never play cards with you” or suggests that they “head for the nearest casino.“ He then replies, “Let me show you why even my friends won’t play cards with me,” and proceeds to devastate them with a reveal of a selected card that has the patron convinced he has beaten the magician at his own game right up to the final moment.
Homage*
Michel originally set out to rework Paul Rosini's classic stunner, “Your Number — Your Card.” The result is an entertaining showpiece with a strong visual card revelation at the end. Get Michel's FREE Update - Homage Redux here (right click and choose "Save Link As").
Apocrypha
In this performance piece, Michel recreates the legendary showdown between San Francisco gamblers and Paul Rosini; who were intent on proving that Rosini was no where near as skilled with a deck of cards as everyone thought he was. The result is the discovery of a selected card under seemingly impossible conditions that will completely baffle laymen and magicians alike.
REVIEW
(Condensed from a longer, "rave" review on a magic forum)
"In the day and age where people release single trick downloads and pdfs that are $25 and up,. Pascal's Wager, Diabolique and Homage alone are worth more than that price as single releases. You get them all, and some other cool effects and powerful ideas for less than $7! Pascal and Diabolique allow for 2 card miracles. If there was nothing else of substance in this ebook, it would be well worth the purchase. The fact that there's plenty of good, practical, WORKABLE magic in here, makes it an absolute must buy!"
- Nicodemus