SICK by Ponta the Smith Review

Aug 31, 2007
156
0
Ok guys, i've just got SICK in the mail so after a first quick look through the contents here is my review, I'll keep it short and direct.

First, if you are a noob (and sorry for that but I couldn't find a better word) stay away from this.

This DVD is for the passionate only, I'm not bad with coins but haven't put as much time into them as into my cards so I found it really hard and technical (this is just a first impression, we'll see in a couple of weeks hehe), but then again, that's the way I like it.

Another point to mention. Ponta uses big silver dollars for most of the routines and only half dollars on the matrix ones.

There is a reason to that. I tried with my halves and found it impossible but then I watched the matrix and said... Ok let's start with these :>

You will need big coins for some of the sleights. Maybe you can practice with poker chips or chinese replicas but if you were planning to make an investment on Morgan dollars, now it's the time.

About the teaching... You all know: silent, over the shoulder and first person view, slow motion, a couple of text annotations here and there... I think it's enough.

This DVD will last you a few years to get down. Not only the technical aspect, if you are like me you won't stop practicing these routines until you've mastered them 100%, and that includes achieving Ponta's level of smoothness ;)

Good luck with that. http://bit.ly/6wKjPX

-Alejandro Portela
.thecuso
 
May 6, 2009
25
0
Ok guys, i've just got SICK in the mail so after a first quick look through the contents here is my review, I'll keep it short and direct.

First, if you are a noob (and sorry for that but I couldn't find a better word) stay away from this.

This DVD is for the passionate only, I'm not bad with coins but haven't put as much time into them as into my cards so I found it really hard and technical (this is just a first impression, we'll see in a couple of weeks hehe), but then again, that's the way I like it.

Another point to mention. Ponta uses big silver dollars for most of the routines and only half dollars on the matrix ones.

There is a reason to that. I tried with my halves and found it impossible but then I watched the matrix and said... Ok let's start with these :>

You will need big coins for some of the sleights. Maybe you can practice with poker chips or chinese replicas but if you were planning to make an investment on Morgan dollars, now it's the time.

About the teaching... You all know: silent, over the shoulder and first person view, slow motion, a couple of text annotations here and there... I think it's enough.

This DVD will last you a few years to get down. Not only the technical aspect, if you are like me you won't stop practicing these routines until you've mastered them 100%, and that includes achieving Ponta's level of smoothness ;)

Good luck with that. http://bit.ly/6wKjPX

-Alejandro Portela
.thecuso

Yep, I got the DVD too. I was already a coin magician but agree it is difficult, more fun that way. I reviewed it on ellusionist and magic cafe.

Working on the vanish routine. Been at it 4 days, 6 hours of practice a day. It will probably take me a couple months to get it technically right, and years of practice to get it as good as ponta.
 
Aug 31, 2007
156
0
Yep, I got the DVD too. I was already a coin magician but agree it is difficult, more fun that way. I reviewed it on ellusionist and magic cafe.

Working on the vanish routine. Been at it 4 days, 6 hours of practice a day. It will probably take me a couple months to get it technically right, and years of practice to get it as good as ponta.


The thing he does on "vanish" is hard with light coins. I'm gonna get morgans as soon as i can. Love that one, powerful.
 
Nov 8, 2009
131
0
it really depends on how worn out they are, most new coins come with a pretty good ridge on them, but it gets worn away as they get older....
 
Aug 31, 2007
156
0
I'm from outside the US...where can I get silver dollars?

My friend showed me some cool chinese replicas he got at ebay for like $2 each (morgan dollars). They are marked as REPLICA but they look pretty cool for practice purposes :p
 
Ponta's stuff is really, REALLY fun to do. The thing that makes this so much more amusing to me, is that even when I mess up while practicing, I still enjoy doing it!

Compare that to the frustration I get when I mess up when practicing Vertigo and the Clipshift. O_O

But I haven't even watched anything past Spellbound yet. I'm still working to master it.
 
Aug 31, 2007
156
0
Ponta's stuff is really, REALLY fun to do. The thing that makes this so much more amusing to me, is that even when I mess up while practicing, I still enjoy doing it!

Compare that to the frustration I get when I mess up when practicing Vertigo and the Clipshift. O_O

But I haven't even watched anything past Spellbound yet. I'm still working to master it.

That's wise man, i watched it all and now i don't know where to start from :p
 
Oct 29, 2009
971
0
Just around
So on the "Coin Vanish", do you have to use a Morgan? Or can you use a half-dollar size coin? How bout' the rest of the stuff on the DVD? I don't really care using my Morgan for performance because it just feels so dang big, but If I had to, I would. Would I need to buy more Morgans? (I only have one). Thanks.
 
That's wise man, i watched it all and now i don't know where to start from :p

I knew that was gonna happen to me too, hahaha, but after I kinda memorize most of Spellbound (so I can practice it without watching it over and over again) I moved on to the almighty "VANISH." It is the KNACKIEST move since dbsquared's Flippant-ish move used in Twinsplit, but it will be WELL worth the practice.


So on the "Coin Vanish", do you have to use a Morgan? Or can you use a half-dollar size coin? How bout' the rest of the stuff on the DVD? I don't really care using my Morgan for performance because it just feels so dang big, but If I had to, I would. Would I need to buy more Morgans? (I only have one). Thanks.

I believe it should work with a half dollar. I'm doing it on these Chinese-ish coins (that are around Walking Liberty sized) but I just tried it with a quarter and it works fine, just a little knackier due to the absence of the weight that I'm used to feeling. You should be fine with a half dollar, but some investment in some Morgans wouldn't hurt either. ;)
 
Oct 29, 2009
971
0
Just around
I believe it should work with a half dollar. I'm doing it on these Chinese-ish coins (that are around Walking Liberty sized) but I just tried it with a quarter and it works fine, just a little knackier due to the absence of the weight that I'm used to feeling. You should be fine with a half dollar, but some investment in some Morgans wouldn't hurt either. ;)
Thanks! (word count)
 
Aug 31, 2007
156
0
I think the heavier the coin is (and bigger) the easier that sleight is. I'm trying with poker chips but they are too lightweight so it's a bit hard :p
 
Feb 3, 2010
2
0
hard to get big coins where i live.
got these arcade tokens today but they're good at most for the matrixes.
3inch jumbo US half dollars would be too big.
2inch should be perfect.
now if i can just find some in singapore.
 
Sep 26, 2007
591
5
Tokyo, Japan
Regarding coins size: Just remember "anything is possible with some small adjustments".

I am able to do the vanish sleight with morgans and half-dollars, and even the Japanese 500 yen coin (which is a bit smaller than a half-dollar). Although, my success rate is a bit higher with the morgans, with practice, I am sure I will get it down with smaller coins.

Regarding performance in general. "They just feel so big," Exaclty! The bigger: 1, the easier to see for the spectator, 2, the more impossible it would seem to be hiding them. How is this not a good thing?

For the matrix routines, you will obviously want to be working with half-dollar sized coins, but for in the hands routines: spellbound, 3 fly, coins across, vanish, etc..., Morgan sized coins are by far better in all aspects.

If you are doing some bar magic, then yeah, you will want to be able to do some of these things with smaller, more readily available (every day) coins, but for you close up workers out there, don't sell yourself short and limit yourself to the smaller coins.
 
May 6, 2009
25
0
Ponta has told me that the vanish is actualy easier with half dollars than morgan dollars. I would recommend either half dollars (silver) or morgan dollars. Silver coins have more weight to them. Just once you get used to the heft of a morgan a half dolla coin or lighter takes some getting used to, because you've practiced with a larger coin with mroe heft.

Also, I have talked to Curtis Kam about the finger tip muscle pass demonstrated in the 3 fly and "one coin" routine ponta uses. It is best to use new coins for this sleight, because they have an edge/rim. On worn coins this is worn smooth.
 
Oct 29, 2009
971
0
Just around
Also, I have talked to Curtis Kam about the finger tip muscle pass demonstrated in the 3 fly and "one coin" routine ponta uses. It is best to use new coins for this sleight, because they have an edge/rim. On worn coins this is worn smooth.

A quick question, does Ponta teach the finger tip muscle pass in Sick? Or is it just done in performance?
 
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