That's awesome man! It realllly does get incredible reactions! Glad you gave it some practice before rocking it out Toby's Reviews: PSYCHO by Bedros Spidey Akkelian
- Thread starter Toby
- Start date
That's awesome man! It realllly does get incredible reactions! Glad you gave it some practice before rocking it out 
My sister rated this effect a 10/10 when i showed it to her, now that's hardcore, cause she's kinda sick of magic... She's also quite knowledgeable but it destroyed her... So it's a "rare" effect... Great work Spidey...# go get em tiger, lol, I had to from spider man
I think it is only fair to alert buyers to some potential negatives with this effect.
1)As a mentalism effect, there is no logic to having anything written on the back of playing cards. Numbers, shapes, initials, names-doesn't matter. Why is anything written on playing cards? That in itself doesn't negate the effect but Psycho would be more honestly sold as a card trick.
2) The card cannot be examined at the end. This is a deal breaker for me, it may not be for you. The amount of heat on the card at the finale is incredible. Good audience management can help, of course. But this is not an effect I would attempt on anyone who is in the least likely to ask to see the card which, given what has just occurred, must be most of the people you would perform it for.
3) The selection of the card in the video is an advanced technique (v***** c****** f**** which is not 100% sure of succeeding. Even Spidey only claims a 90% success rate. So he gets it wrong at least one in ten times. For hobbyists you will be doing well to get this right 2 times out of 10-if that. There is no out. You are left with an effect that has no logical way to proceed. Spidey does provide another way to select the card-a r***** f****. THis is 100% certain of success but almost 100% less impressive than the first method.
If you can look beyond these limitations, Spidey has routined a fun, if somewhat illogical routine.
My rating:5/10
1)As a mentalism effect, there is no logic to having anything written on the back of playing cards. Numbers, shapes, initials, names-doesn't matter. Why is anything written on playing cards? That in itself doesn't negate the effect but Psycho would be more honestly sold as a card trick.
2) The card cannot be examined at the end. This is a deal breaker for me, it may not be for you. The amount of heat on the card at the finale is incredible. Good audience management can help, of course. But this is not an effect I would attempt on anyone who is in the least likely to ask to see the card which, given what has just occurred, must be most of the people you would perform it for.
3) The selection of the card in the video is an advanced technique (v***** c****** f**** which is not 100% sure of succeeding. Even Spidey only claims a 90% success rate. So he gets it wrong at least one in ten times. For hobbyists you will be doing well to get this right 2 times out of 10-if that. There is no out. You are left with an effect that has no logical way to proceed. Spidey does provide another way to select the card-a r***** f****. THis is 100% certain of success but almost 100% less impressive than the first method.
If you can look beyond these limitations, Spidey has routined a fun, if somewhat illogical routine.
My rating:5/10
My counter arguments:
1. I present Psycho as a prediction/mind connection effect. I tell the spectator that I looked at every card and wrote the first shape and number that came to my mind. When they select a card, shape and number, they are amazed that they had the same instincts as me.
2. I don't know where you learned Psycho, but you can absolutely hand out the card at the end. I actually give it to my spectator as a souvenir.
3. To a spectator, a freely selected card is a freely selected card. It doesn't matter how you as a magician get there. As long as the spectator believes it was a free choice they will be amazed.
Hey Josh,
thanks for the backup on this, you actually quite literally stole the words out of my mouth. But for the sake of having a say I would like to contribute as well.
1) the issue of writing on the back of the cards. I find it interesting that you have said "as a mentalism effect there is no logic to having anything written on the backs of cards." I don't even understand the statement. I have performed Psycho as a mentalist for 8 years now. And I am yet to see the day a spectator says "excuse me you said you were a mentalist, and mentalists don't use cards with numbers written on the back, why are you lying to us?" Mentalism is a made up art, it's not a science, it is what we tell our audience it is and they have no reason to not trust us. At the end of the day, Psycho is a Mental effect there is no questioning it. Cognitive association was demonstrated in an eerie way. I don't see why cards with writing on the back are NOT the tool of a mentalist where envelopes with writing, restaurant bills with writing, business cards, index cards, and any other tools are ok. In essence, I feel like it's ok if you can make it work as a mentalist. I have, for a very long time, so I really don't see the problem.
More importantly, I don't see how this argument reduces your rating of the effect. The buyer KNOWS the cards have something written on the back. I can't imagine a scenario where someone buys this thinking it's awesome then says "awwww man, this isn't mentalism, there are things written on the back of playing cards, this sucks!" If the premise of the effect doesn't interest you, don't buy the effect! But once bought I don't see how this point is relevant to the quality of what is expected
2) ya...the card can be handed out so......ya
3) funny how you say a RF is 100% less impressive than a VCF. Here is my challenge, go do an hours show for a bunch of spectators, use the RF a few times and the VCF a few times with different revelations. At the end of the show pin point a SPECIFIC routine and ask them; in that routine where the card ended up in my shoe... how did you pick the card? What was the process? Here's the answer: they will not know, and they will not care! When people tell their friends about a magic trick they saw they say "HE FOUND MY CARD!!!" they don't say "HE FOUND THE CARD THAT I HAD STOPPED HIM AT AS HE WAS PASSING HIS FINGER DOWN THE SIDE OF THE DECK AND I SAID STOP AND HE OPENED IT AT THAT LOCATION!!!!!!!!" They just don't think that way, a selected card is a selected card. That being said, I urge you to watch the video again as I do discuss how I use the VCF with 100% accuracy when performing for a group. It can be done I just honestly do not subscribe to your theory that a RF is 100% less impressive.
But thanks for the review, I'm glad you had some nice things to say about it and I hope that despite your scepticism, you use this to get a good reaction out of your audiences.
Spidey
thanks for the backup on this, you actually quite literally stole the words out of my mouth. But for the sake of having a say I would like to contribute as well.
1) the issue of writing on the back of the cards. I find it interesting that you have said "as a mentalism effect there is no logic to having anything written on the backs of cards." I don't even understand the statement. I have performed Psycho as a mentalist for 8 years now. And I am yet to see the day a spectator says "excuse me you said you were a mentalist, and mentalists don't use cards with numbers written on the back, why are you lying to us?" Mentalism is a made up art, it's not a science, it is what we tell our audience it is and they have no reason to not trust us. At the end of the day, Psycho is a Mental effect there is no questioning it. Cognitive association was demonstrated in an eerie way. I don't see why cards with writing on the back are NOT the tool of a mentalist where envelopes with writing, restaurant bills with writing, business cards, index cards, and any other tools are ok. In essence, I feel like it's ok if you can make it work as a mentalist. I have, for a very long time, so I really don't see the problem.
More importantly, I don't see how this argument reduces your rating of the effect. The buyer KNOWS the cards have something written on the back. I can't imagine a scenario where someone buys this thinking it's awesome then says "awwww man, this isn't mentalism, there are things written on the back of playing cards, this sucks!" If the premise of the effect doesn't interest you, don't buy the effect! But once bought I don't see how this point is relevant to the quality of what is expected
2) ya...the card can be handed out so......ya
3) funny how you say a RF is 100% less impressive than a VCF. Here is my challenge, go do an hours show for a bunch of spectators, use the RF a few times and the VCF a few times with different revelations. At the end of the show pin point a SPECIFIC routine and ask them; in that routine where the card ended up in my shoe... how did you pick the card? What was the process? Here's the answer: they will not know, and they will not care! When people tell their friends about a magic trick they saw they say "HE FOUND MY CARD!!!" they don't say "HE FOUND THE CARD THAT I HAD STOPPED HIM AT AS HE WAS PASSING HIS FINGER DOWN THE SIDE OF THE DECK AND I SAID STOP AND HE OPENED IT AT THAT LOCATION!!!!!!!!" They just don't think that way, a selected card is a selected card. That being said, I urge you to watch the video again as I do discuss how I use the VCF with 100% accuracy when performing for a group. It can be done I just honestly do not subscribe to your theory that a RF is 100% less impressive.
But thanks for the review, I'm glad you had some nice things to say about it and I hope that despite your scepticism, you use this to get a good reaction out of your audiences.
Spidey
Hi Spidey,
Thanks for the reply. I have already apologised for any confusion I may have caused by my initial post. Of course the spectator's freely selected card can be handed out, but a freely thought of card cannot, unless you perform the highly difficult and far from 100% V***** c****** f****.
I therefore think you shouldn't really be advertising it as a "thought of" card effect. If I had known it was a "selected" card I wouldn't have purchased it.
That said, I think your Out of My Mind is a delight. I was very familiar with the principle but you have added an extra element that plays beautifully. I look forward to purchasing more of your work.
Thanks for the reply. I have already apologised for any confusion I may have caused by my initial post. Of course the spectator's freely selected card can be handed out, but a freely thought of card cannot, unless you perform the highly difficult and far from 100% V***** c****** f****.
I therefore think you shouldn't really be advertising it as a "thought of" card effect. If I had known it was a "selected" card I wouldn't have purchased it.
That said, I think your Out of My Mind is a delight. I was very familiar with the principle but you have added an extra element that plays beautifully. I look forward to purchasing more of your work.