Looking Back at Focus

The last few month I have been faced with packet tricks. I didn't do all the tricks in the book. Here are the once I left out. All tricks involving gimmicked cards. Be it double backers or double facers. Not that I do not approve of the use of gimmicked cards, but one of the goals of this blog is to showcase the vast possibilities and creativity without resorting to gimmicks.

I also left out four other tricks. One is called "Vicinity", which I didn't include because I cannot do it properly. It involves doing a "milk shuffle" that I have a really hard time doing. I felt that I couldn't do the effect justice, so I left it out. The second effect I left out is Phil's oil and water routine called "More Oil, More Water". The reason for that: I hate Oil and Water. Trust me, I tried to warm myself up for this kind of effect. To me any oil and water seems like a weak triumph. I am aware that triumph is a different effect, but the main idea (cards righting themselves) remains the same.

The other two effects I left out are "Chromated" and "Chromatose" which just combined "Chromavator" and "Chromatwist" It would have been redundant as hell to include those.

To sum up my short review: Focus is a great book that one needs to study if you are interested in packet tricks. It will probably introduce you to new plots as well. And guess what, once you have gone through the book, you will know so much about false counting cards, that you will not need to learn one more false count in your life. I promise.

Max, thank you very much!

Queens and Water by Phil Goldstein

Personal Comment: I cannot give you the book that this is in. I always thought it was in Focus, but turns out it is not. The is Phils take on Oil and Queens by Roy Walton. The effect is nearly the same but the handling differs at key moments. I am not entirely sure if this is correctly done, as I was working from my memory.

Difficulty 2/5

Masque by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 135 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is the last trick in the book. And worth the trouble of learning it. I like the trick. Straight forward and with a fullfilling climax. And really easy to do.

Difficulty 1/5

Picasso Aces by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 122 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is just bloody brilliant. The problem with most of these tricks is, that the Aces are too long out of view. But adding a different colored back to them helps to keep up the image of the aces being there where they're supposed to be. Now adding odd colour backs usually means stuff gets complicated in terms of setup and all of that. It is not so in this case. Just cull/cut/control one regular ace to the top and you are ready to go.

Difficulty 3/5

Umpteenth Aces by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 115 et seq.

Personal Comment: Practical. Hardly any more to say than this. No extra cards in play. All in all a good routine. But... this is more a routine if you are sitting. So if this is your performance style, then go for it.

Difficulty 2/5

Chromatwist by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 110 et seq.

Personal Comment: I'm loosing it sorry. But this was video was trick #25 in my scheduled list. I was tired, trying to keep the structure in mind, when do a regular count, twist, half pass and whatever. So I was goofing around as not to lose sanity. Guess it didn't work too much. Anyway.... back to the trick: Much better than Chromavator I think. The numbers help to know which card is next and also "hints" what will be the end. Often those twist routines are unclear in beginning, middle and end. This is clear and in the end you also got the added kicker. Good stuff I guess.

Difficulty 3/5

Chromavator by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 106 et seq.

Personal Comment: The Elevator Plot basically with an added kicker. Truthfully... having the spectator remember the position of any given card is too much for my taste. I don't want my spectators to think that hard. Not because they are unable too (because that would be grossly underestimating them) but because I want them to have a good time. And part of a good time is easy consumability. So depending on my audience I can see that this trick might be applicable to certain folk. But not to most of them. Sorry, I'll pass!

Difficulty 3/5

Con-Sequence by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 106 et seq.

Personal Comment: Love it!

Difficulty 3/5

Counter-Revolution by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 101 et seq.

Personal Comment: Feels pretty much like Set-Reset doesn't it. The effect is different though as no "reset" takes place. I cannot say I like it that much, but I admire the construction of the routine. It is well done and the clean up is something the Paul Harris could learn from.
It was late when I recorded this. And I have been through 20 effects before that, So I was walking on the edge there. I will lose insanity a few tricks later. So you can look forward to that.

Difficulty 3/5

Spiralvator by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 101 et seq.

Personal Comment: Pffffffffffffffffffff.... I don't know. I don't think this effect has something to offer that I care about. But I feel this effect could benefit greatly from treatment by one of the greater card guys. And then it could be a great little routine. Might have been done already. It was first published in the August issue of Genii in 1986. If you own Genii you might wanna check out the effect and start being creative yourself.

Difficulty 2/5

Up and Down Mixtant by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 58 et seq.

Personal Comment: This could be a decent addition to yesterdays effect entitled Mixtant. I sort of like it it, although I don't see myself performing this. I just don't like oil and water effects. Naturally I don't like the reversed effect either. Whatever... I am sure there are quite a few magicians out there loving this stuff.

Difficulty 2/5

Mixtant by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 97 et seq.

Personal Comment: Such a lovely addition to any oil and water routine. And the method is quite bold and interesting. Check it out. This trick of course could be used as an interlude of Jazz Aces, Set-Reset all all other sorts of tricks that need 8 cards, 4 which are red and 4 which are black.

Difficulty 2/5

Packetrainer by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 73 et seq.

Personal Comment: This routine is fun. It is cute, the effect is clear, even though I personally would change the method a bit, but as an impromptu trick using just four cards this stands out as one of the better tricks. Let me explain: The effect is the same many, many times during the routine. But this is not what is important. The story here is what matters. Card turning over hearing a special command, that is cool from a spectator's point of view. I like it. Something about it makes me love this trick.

Difficulty 2/5

Cry Wolf by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 58 et seq.

Personal Comment: I think this trick is a joke by Phil. He put that trick in the book giggling to himself... I cannot believe that he was serious about it. This routine uses pretty much every false count there is. It uses the Jack Avis' Siva Count, the Victor Eye Count, the Elmsley Count, the Castillion Spirit Count and Phils own Snap-Turn Count. This routine must be a joke. Or maybe it is a demonstration piece. Painters do demonstration paintings. Usually those would include a portrait, a still, a nude, landscape, sky, animals, buildings and all sort of thing to showcase the painter's abilities as an artist. The same seems to be true for Cry Wolf. If you wanna study false counts, go on study this routine. I won't bother anymore.

Difficulty 5/5

Fluttering Hearts by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 59 et seq.

Personal Comment: Formal setting, good trick. Little setup, big effect. Everywhere else... meh...

Difficulty 2/5

Sidewinder by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 58 et seq.

Personal Comment: Packet tricks, packet tricks, packet tricks... there is always a good side and a major drawback. I guess I can't see effects like that in a formal setting, knowing the method implied. But I can see that this trick would be great for a trade show. Instead of kings and aces the cards could transform into logos or slogans. If you think into that direction Sidewinder may actually be a really, really good trick.

Difficulty 2/5

Ascension by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 50 et seq.

Personal Comment: Focus is a lovely book, because introduces me to new idea in a very direct way. Often simpified and very well constructed. This particular routine is nice I guess, but it takes way too long for my personal taste. Three selections would be quicker than four kings. Personal taste is different, so I assume some magicians love that idea.

Difficulty 3/5

Troublebacker by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 44 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is such a cute routine. And apart from the initial false count really easy. But I cannot really see myself performing this one. Basically you need two odd backed cards. And if you through the trouble of adding those secretly to the pack there are better tricks you can do. The Chicago Opener comes to mind. So why bother?

Difficulty 2/5

Brimstone Elevator by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 41 et seq.

Personal Comment: I read it and was all like... really? Really? This is boring. And you know what... I tried it for real people. It is. But I tell you for whom this routine seems to be designed for. For magicians. And all because of the kicker in the end. And for magicians it is a nice routine.

Difficulty 3/5

Relative Interchange by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 39 et seq.

Personal Comment: There are a lot of versions of this trick on YouTube. Which is odd, because this trick is not great. Both in terms of effect and method. I don't like it. It takes way too long. There is a lot to remember. I find it to be boring. The routine was inspired by Stewart Judah's "Aces & Jacks"; however the Goldstein version is "far more elaborate".

Difficulty 2/5

Immediate Aces by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 37 et seq.

Personal Comment: Kinda interesting. The initial switch is not really up to my personal taste, but it gets the job done. Been playing around with this for the last hour and I gotta say... it is not really too practical. There are better versions out there and this is forgettable in a way too. If you own the 1978 July version of Pabular... there you'll find this too. Man 1978... that was the year I was born. Damn, Max Maven is old.

Difficulty 3/5

Jumping Bean Aces

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 35 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is good. Really good actually. This routine is a version of Elmsley's "1002nd Aces" with an added kicker. It was first published in Scattershot. What I love about the routine is the method and it's design. Very direct and very simple in a way. I have not tried it out for real people yet, but I will. If this plays well I might consider adding it to my repertoire.
In the end you are left with four aces and four kings. That means you could do oil and water style routines, Reset, Jazz Aces and all sorts of stuff. I like it.

Difficulty 3/5

Back Ordered by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 29 et seq.

Personal Comment: First published in Magigram in August of 1980. This is Goldstein's take on the "All Backs" plot applied to packet tricks. Personal Opinion: Sort of good I guess. The best angle is the one you see in the video. I think I'm not going all out to expose the method when I tell you that more than 4 cards are in play. Naturally hinding cards is the problem here. And if you as a spectator watch the edges carefully from the wrong angle you will see the secret. So I guess this is more for a setting where you have people standing surrounding you in a circle looking directly from above. If this is the case this is a good trick. If not stay away.

Difficulty 3/5

Snap Collectors by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 18 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is a combination two things I like. The collectors which is a plot I love and Snap Differential, which is part of my repertoire. Naturally I should like this. Well I do not. The Snap Differential tricks has the beauty of being a "just watch" trick. Collectors is a "you got to remember stuff" trick. Putting it together loses the beauty of the "just watch" aspect. Sorry, not my thing.

Difficulty 3/5

Hopscotch & Hopscotch Again by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Hopscotch Page 89 et seq.
Hopscotch Again Page 90 et seq.

Personal Comment: I certainly can see that some magicians would like that. The "Order in the Court" plot is not a horse that is beaten to death. So I still see some freshness in this. But also blandness. I decided to do both effects right after each other. Feels a bit more dynamic that way. Not my cup of tea. I like coffee.

Difficulty 1/5

Bodkin by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 88 et seq.

Personal Comment: I would go for red and black instead for even and uneven. Much better in terms of visuals. The routine is inspired by Brother John Hamman's "Odd-Even-Odd". The routine first appeared in the 1982 August issue of Spell-Binder.

Difficulty 3/5

Simplified FTL by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 86 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is gold. Short and sweet. The method is direct and bold. There is hardly anything to dislike about it. The classic plot of Follow the Leader popularized by Dai Vernon might have found my personal favourite. Suggestion: instead of doing a Jordan count you can do a Stayon count buckling the bottom card. That way right after the count you can deal the top card from the face up packet onto the table and then turn over the three remaining cards so they become the face down followers. Looks a bit cleaner that way.

Difficulty 3/5

Off-Balance Leader by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 87 et seq.

Personal Comment: Yeah another one from Focus. But it is such a great book and I will go through the whole book and include all the effects not using gimmicked cards. The Off-Balance aspect of a Follow the Leader plot was originally proposed by Karl Fulves. I'm not sure if this is stronger than any regular Follow the Leader routine. But it certainly gets the head spinning. Maybe this is great within a regular Follow the Leader routine as some sort of finish.

Difficulty 3/5

Extendedexitwist by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 78 et seq.

Personal Comment: Slightly better than yesterdays version, but again the half passes are at the wrong time and I don't think that haveing one joker change adds more to the effect, compared to the effort. I don't like it. The routines premise is based on an idea by Brother John Hamman, so I guess I might be wrong.

Difficulty 3/5

Extraexitwist by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 76 et seq.

Personal Comment: I added this one, to show that you can totally "disimprove" on a trick. In my opinion the half passes are at the totally wrong moment. And unless you have huge hands or perfect skill this will not go unoticed. Exitwist is great, Extraexitwist is not so great.

Difficulty 3/5

Exitwist by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 74 et seq.

Personal Comment: Fun trick usually done with the four jokers, but as you can see, it works with all sorts of cards. If you can do an Elmsley count the routine is easy. Little to remember and clear effect. I read it in the book and it took me 5 minutes to "know" the routine. Compared to those multiphased odd backed oil and water routines this is a piece of cake. I called the effect Extra twist in the video which is wrong. It's Exitwist. Obviously the name is harder to remember than the routine. You can produce the missing canrd from anywhere, as suggested in the book, and doing that you'll add a fullfilling climax. Highly recommended.

Difficulty 2/5