Cameron Francis
ANNIHILATION DECK
$27
Suggested Retail Price $30
THE BLURB:
The Annihilation Deck is one of those things that you will
take EVERYWHERE. It requires no skill, yet packs a MASSIVE
punch. And it's repeatable with a different selection each
time, making it perfect for almost any situation. With this
deck in your pocket you KNOW you can unleash a brain-melting
miracle at any point... and you can relax and concentrate on
making your performance scintillating and memorable. The
deck does all the hard work for you!
ANNIHILATION
The magician shows a deck of cards and states that it
contains two predictions. A card is freely chosen (really!)
and hidden. Nobody sees the face of the card (magician or
spectator). The magician then runs through the deck and
removes his two prediction cards, which he says will reveal
the value and suit of the selection.
Let's say the two cards are the Five of Spades and the Queen
of Diamonds. The selected card is turned face up. It is the
Eight of Clubs - no relation to EITHER prediction. The
experiment appears to have failed... until the Five and the
Queen are turned face down.
One has an Eight drawn on its back and the other has a Club
drawn on its back!
-Self working!
-Repeatable with ANY selected card!
-Instant reset!
-No duplicates!
-No forcing!
-No calculations!
-No peeks!
-No memory work!
-No secret marks on the back of the cards!
-No gimmicks!
-No rough & smooth!
* FREE USPCC Red Deck enclosed. Watch the DVD to learn how
to make your own Annihilation Deck!
PRAISE FOR THE ANNIHILATION DECK
"BRILLIANT!!!! - After watching the demo, I had to get my
hands on the e-book to see how it was done!"
- Stephen Tucker
"... this is a great effect that is powerful enough to be a
closer... Two thumb tips way up!"
- Jordan Johnson
"Annihilation is great!"
- Steve Haynes
"Highly recommended."
- Scott F. Guinn
DVD ALSO features:
DO AS I PREDICT
RED LITE
TOTAL ANNIHILATION
RED HOT ANNIHILATION
And the incredible Card At Any Number effect CONVERGENCE.
The magician proposes an experiment in fate as he introduces
two decks of card; one red & one blue. The blue deck is
placed in front of a spectator and the magician never
touches it again. The red deck is removed from its case and
shown to have a different number written on the back of each
card. A second spectator then names ANY card (Really!).
We'll say it's the Two of Diamonds. This card is removed
from the red deck. Another card is randomly selected, and
the number on it's back is noted (let's say the number is
29).
The spectator now uncases the blue deck. He counts down 29
cards... The 29th card is the Two of Diamonds!
NO gimmicks or duplicates. Both decks and card cases may be
completely examined. There is nothing to find!
NO crib sheets or complex charts
NO extra props. Just two decks and that's it!
NO complicated calculations
NO memorization
NO sleight of hand
NO estimation
The cards from the blue deck are dealt FACE UP
Instant reset
MY COMMENTS:
First, let's talk about the title effect, ANNIHILATION. And
I warn you to read all my comments before coming to a
purchasing conclusion. You see, I'm not at all content with
the main effect, but there's a bonus gem... Anyhow, read on
and read all my comments.
Okay, the main effect is simply a derivative and illogical
version of many other prediction decks out there. It's
derivative because the methodology is not new and because
it's very similar to other decks that have been released.
It's illogical because the performer shows the prediction
written on the backs, then takes them out faces up, and
expects the audience to think that the faces predict the
chosen card. Huh? The performer just pointed out the
prediction on the backs. Would the performer think the
audience is that stupid to think the faces now have the
prediction just so he can go for a cheap gag? There are
quite a few bold maneuvers that fly right by laymen, but
this isn't one of them.
This particular version is the Total Annihilation version.
It is the one Cameron Francis uses and the basic version
doesn't involve showing the two marked cards ahead of time.
That brings us to another illogical bit. Why are the
prediction cards mixed within the deck? It just doesn't
make sense. They should be at the top or bottom of the
deck, or in a separate place. Also, Francis likes to have
the deck marked with a bold "PREDICTION" on the case.
One must do some preparations to the deck, but it's a
one-time preparation to make an ordinary deck into the
gaffed one necessary for this trick. All you need is a
Sharpie marker.
ANNIHILATION is an easy-to-do effect that I feel amatuer,
beginning, or hobbyist magicians may enjoy. But for a
professional mentalist, who would prefer a bit more
versatility and originality in a gimmicked deck, if a
gimmicked deck at all, this is an effect I cannot recommend.
However, there is a bonus effect included which is very much
worth a mentalist's attention. It is CONVERGENCE. However,
calling it a Card at Any Number, as it does in the blurb, is
stretching it a bit. In this, one deck is placed aside and
not touched by the performer again. The other deck is shown
to have all different numbers on the back. One card is
freely selected from a face-up spread in this other deck and
a second one with a number on its back is chosen. The
participant now picks up the cards in the first, untouched
deck and deals down to that number. The card at that number
is a match to the chosen card.
What I really like about this version is that it is
incredibly easy to do and that it is virtually hands-off.
Except for one minor "move" involving picking up the spread
cards, the performer doesn't have to touch the decks at all
and the participant could handle the cards the entire time.
Also, the "prediction" deck, though it does re-set easily,
can actually be used to do routines both before and after
Convergence as the deck is perfectly ordinary. And, in
fact, due to the set-up, the deck is set to do all sorts of
incredible mind-reading and mind-controlling effects.
As far as I'm concerned, Convergence is the only reason to
get this and it is worth getting if this interests you. And
I certainly know that with so many gimmicked decks out
there, despite that this just an altered ordinary pack, many
may hesitate before investing in yet another one and I don't
blame you. I was seriously thinking of quietly ignoring
this product and not pointing out this to routine to you.
"The less people who know about this, the better..." and all
that. But that would be dishonest. So there you go.
The Annihilation Deck is one of those things that you will
take EVERYWHERE. It requires no skill, yet packs a MASSIVE
punch. And it's repeatable with a different selection each
time, making it perfect for almost any situation. With this
deck in your pocket you KNOW you can unleash a brain-melting
miracle at any point... and you can relax and concentrate on
making your performance scintillating and memorable. The
deck does all the hard work for you!
ANNIHILATION
The magician shows a deck of cards and states that it
contains two predictions. A card is freely chosen (really!)
and hidden. Nobody sees the face of the card (magician or
spectator). The magician then runs through the deck and
removes his two prediction cards, which he says will reveal
the value and suit of the selection.
Let's say the two cards are the Five of Spades and the Queen
of Diamonds. The selected card is turned face up. It is the
Eight of Clubs - no relation to EITHER prediction. The
experiment appears to have failed... until the Five and the
Queen are turned face down.
One has an Eight drawn on its back and the other has a Club
drawn on its back!
-Self working!
-Repeatable with ANY selected card!
-Instant reset!
-No duplicates!
-No forcing!
-No calculations!
-No peeks!
-No memory work!
-No secret marks on the back of the cards!
-No gimmicks!
-No rough & smooth!
* FREE USPCC Red Deck enclosed. Watch the DVD to learn how
to make your own Annihilation Deck!
PRAISE FOR THE ANNIHILATION DECK
"BRILLIANT!!!! - After watching the demo, I had to get my
hands on the e-book to see how it was done!"
- Stephen Tucker
"... this is a great effect that is powerful enough to be a
closer... Two thumb tips way up!"
- Jordan Johnson
"Annihilation is great!"
- Steve Haynes
"Highly recommended."
- Scott F. Guinn
DVD ALSO features:
DO AS I PREDICT
RED LITE
TOTAL ANNIHILATION
RED HOT ANNIHILATION
And the incredible Card At Any Number effect CONVERGENCE.
The magician proposes an experiment in fate as he introduces
two decks of card; one red & one blue. The blue deck is
placed in front of a spectator and the magician never
touches it again. The red deck is removed from its case and
shown to have a different number written on the back of each
card. A second spectator then names ANY card (Really!).
We'll say it's the Two of Diamonds. This card is removed
from the red deck. Another card is randomly selected, and
the number on it's back is noted (let's say the number is
29).
The spectator now uncases the blue deck. He counts down 29
cards... The 29th card is the Two of Diamonds!
NO gimmicks or duplicates. Both decks and card cases may be
completely examined. There is nothing to find!
NO crib sheets or complex charts
NO extra props. Just two decks and that's it!
NO complicated calculations
NO memorization
NO sleight of hand
NO estimation
The cards from the blue deck are dealt FACE UP
Instant reset
MY COMMENTS:
First, let's talk about the title effect, ANNIHILATION. And
I warn you to read all my comments before coming to a
purchasing conclusion. You see, I'm not at all content with
the main effect, but there's a bonus gem... Anyhow, read on
and read all my comments.
Okay, the main effect is simply a derivative and illogical
version of many other prediction decks out there. It's
derivative because the methodology is not new and because
it's very similar to other decks that have been released.
It's illogical because the performer shows the prediction
written on the backs, then takes them out faces up, and
expects the audience to think that the faces predict the
chosen card. Huh? The performer just pointed out the
prediction on the backs. Would the performer think the
audience is that stupid to think the faces now have the
prediction just so he can go for a cheap gag? There are
quite a few bold maneuvers that fly right by laymen, but
this isn't one of them.
This particular version is the Total Annihilation version.
It is the one Cameron Francis uses and the basic version
doesn't involve showing the two marked cards ahead of time.
That brings us to another illogical bit. Why are the
prediction cards mixed within the deck? It just doesn't
make sense. They should be at the top or bottom of the
deck, or in a separate place. Also, Francis likes to have
the deck marked with a bold "PREDICTION" on the case.
One must do some preparations to the deck, but it's a
one-time preparation to make an ordinary deck into the
gaffed one necessary for this trick. All you need is a
Sharpie marker.
ANNIHILATION is an easy-to-do effect that I feel amatuer,
beginning, or hobbyist magicians may enjoy. But for a
professional mentalist, who would prefer a bit more
versatility and originality in a gimmicked deck, if a
gimmicked deck at all, this is an effect I cannot recommend.
However, there is a bonus effect included which is very much
worth a mentalist's attention. It is CONVERGENCE. However,
calling it a Card at Any Number, as it does in the blurb, is
stretching it a bit. In this, one deck is placed aside and
not touched by the performer again. The other deck is shown
to have all different numbers on the back. One card is
freely selected from a face-up spread in this other deck and
a second one with a number on its back is chosen. The
participant now picks up the cards in the first, untouched
deck and deals down to that number. The card at that number
is a match to the chosen card.
What I really like about this version is that it is
incredibly easy to do and that it is virtually hands-off.
Except for one minor "move" involving picking up the spread
cards, the performer doesn't have to touch the decks at all
and the participant could handle the cards the entire time.
Also, the "prediction" deck, though it does re-set easily,
can actually be used to do routines both before and after
Convergence as the deck is perfectly ordinary. And, in
fact, due to the set-up, the deck is set to do all sorts of
incredible mind-reading and mind-controlling effects.
As far as I'm concerned, Convergence is the only reason to
get this and it is worth getting if this interests you. And
I certainly know that with so many gimmicked decks out
there, despite that this just an altered ordinary pack, many
may hesitate before investing in yet another one and I don't
blame you. I was seriously thinking of quietly ignoring
this product and not pointing out this to routine to you.
"The less people who know about this, the better..." and all
that. But that would be dishonest. So there you go.
