Card to Pocket is a classic plot in magic. There are many different versions in the literature. The one thing that most handlings have in common is palming. For those magicians who are scared of this fundamental sleight, Ali Nouira and Big Blind Media have a different approach with Wormhole. Here’s the dealer’s ad and demo video:

Ali Nouira’s WORMHOLE is a face slapping, jaw dropping, eye bulging behemoth of a magic trick.

Two freely selected and signed cards are lost in the deck (you don’t even control the cards). You offer to dead cut directly to their selections. You make ONE CUT and show the top card. You missed.

But you know what, that’s not surprising is it? Why not? Because after cleanly showing your hands are empty you slowly reach into your back pockets and remove BOTH SIGNED CARDS!!!

A supernaturally miraculous ‘Signed Card To Pocket’, WORMHOLE is dead easy to do.

No moves (no palms, forces, breaks – NOTHING). The special gimmicks do the work for you.

First of all, thank you to Big Blind Media for putting up an honest video of an actual performance.  There’s no guesswork here. What you see is what you get. While the camera cuts to different angles during the video, nothing is left out. This is exactly how your audience will witness the effect.

A few different versions of the routine are taught on the DVD. Believe it or not, the weakest of these versions is the one showcased on the trailer. The others are similar but each provide a new wrinkle to the presentation. All aspects of each handling are well taught by Liam Montier. The audio and video are clear throughout, and the production is up to usual BBM standards.

The effect itself would be impressive to a lay audience. There are no real “moves” per say, but the performance will take a little practice. The dirty work is well covered by misdirection in the context of the routine. Even with the unblinking eye of the camera, however, there’s really not much to be seen. Even the control of the cards is taken care of with the gimmick, putting this effect within the reach of performers of all skill levels.

There are some limitations to the effect. Probably the biggest one is that this effect cannot be performed surrounded. The audience needs to be standing in front of you. In most situations this is the case anyway, but walk around performers will not be able to implement this trick into their normal work.

For $30 you might be expecting some pretty unique gimmicks. This is not the case. The gimmicks included are certainly not new; in fact you may already have something similar living at the bottom of your magic drawer right now. Their use, however, is unique. At least it’s something I’ve never seen before. 

The gimmicks provided in the package are set up to work with Bicycle decks. If you use something else, Liam explains how to alter them easily to fit any deck. He also goes into other modifications that may be needed depending on the clothing you wear while performing. All of these alterations are easy, taking only a few moments to finish.  

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed when I first opened the package. For the price, I was expecting a bit more. However, I have to say that I liked the effect much better after trying it out with cards in hand. Something about it just felt right. And while I won’t be using any of the routines straight off of the DVD, I could see myself using the main idea in the context of a longer routine: perhaps as one of the methods to the classic Travelers plot.

Overall, I think this DVD is much more suited for beginner’s in magic who perform primarily in casual situations. Working pros, however, would be better suited sticking to classic methods… even if palming is involved.

Recommended for beginners.

- Available for $30 from Big Blind Media