Knocked for Six (Ebook) by Raphael Czaja $10.00
24 pages, 23 photos
Available at: http://www.lybrary.com
In this ebook, Raphael Czaja offers a half dozen card effects from his repertoire.
The quality of Mr. Czajas writing ranges from passable to poor. His instructions are sometimes a bit confusing, not because English is his second language, but because he fails to provide important methodological details. He also makes several instructional errors. The photos are clear and help to mitigate these problems.
The author cites his recent inspiration sources, but he doesnt mention primary source attributions. Further excavation was warranted.
In Case Hof Emergency: The performer displays the four Jacks and tables them in a face-down packet. A participant selects a card, say the Two of Hearts, which is lost in the deck. The performer cuts a card to the face of the deck, claiming that it is the selected card. The participant informs him that it is not her card. He cuts another card to the face of the deck and the participant again denies that it is her card. He tables the deck face-down.
The performer counts the face-down Jack packet and the Jack of Hearts turns face-up, signifying that the participants selection is a Heart. He turns over the remaining three cards to reveal that they have transformed into the Two of Spades, Two of Diamonds and the Two of Clubs. He spreads the deck, displaying the Jack of Spades, Jack of Diamonds and the Jack of Clubs face-up in the middle, with one face-down card sandwiched between them. The performer turns this card face-up, revealing the Two of Hearts.
Theres nothing earth-shattering here, but this is an effective rendition of a Hofzinseresque plot. I like it.
Biddle Juice: Two cards are selected by Topper and Ramada, and lost into the pack. You place a packet of five cards, including his selection, between Topper's palms. Ramada selects an indifferent card that you place between her palms. After a magical gesture, Topper's selection disappears from his packet. One card is found reversed in the middle of the deck, but this is Ramada's selection! Topper's selection is now in Ramada's hand!
I quoted Mr. Czajas description of this effect to illustrate one of two significant errors in his write-up. Had Mr. Czaja actually taken deck in hand and worked through this effect, he would have discovered that it wont work. His instructions for the Cut Deeper Force are wrong. I hate the Cut Deeper Force, even when its taught correctly.
Had he corrected that mistake and worked through the effect again, he would have seen that while the effect concludes successfully, the outcome doesnt match his description of the effect! His description states that the participants cards switch places. His patter highlights the switching aspect. But the cards dont switch places!
If you perform one of your own effects regularly, theres no way in hell that youre going to describe it incorrectly! This causes me to wonder how often, if ever, Mr. Czaja performs this effect.
Even if he had corrected these glaring errors, superior methods exist for performing this Biddlesque effect. I dont like it.
Triple Success: The performer tables two Jokers and three indifferent cards face-down in separate piles. He writes predictions on three business and tables them face-down. A participant cuts the deck and removes the top three cards. She freely selects one of these cards. The performer inserts it between the Jokers and tables the Joker sandwich face-up.
The participant freely selects one of the remaining cards. The performer places it among the three indifferent cards and tables this packet face-up. The last selection is buried face-down in the face-up deck.
The participant reads the first prediction, which says, A Two is between the Jokers. She removes the card between the Jokers and discovers a Two.
She reads the second prediction which says, A Five is reversed into the deck. The performer spreads through the deck and reveals the reversed Five.
She reads the final prediction which says, 20 is the total of the four cards. The performer adds the values of the four face-up cards and the total is 20.
This is the authors version of Jay Sankey's Hide, Keep and Give Away. He states that he simplified Mr. Sankeys handling, eliminated a small set-up and used methods that resulted in the cards being immediately examinable.
Im not familiar with Mr. Sankeys method, so I cant make a comparison. I can tell you that the cards are not immediately examinable. They must be dumped onto the deck first, then removed and offered for examination. There is no presentational justification for this unnatural action.
I also dont like the authors use of the Siva Count to add the values of the cards. It seems an odd procedure to use to merely add the values of four cards.
This effect feels cluttered, as does the method. I dont like it.
Duplications: The performer removes a deck from its case, displaying that it is cut in half widthwise. Two participants each select half cards, which are tabled face-down. The selections are turned over to reveal one half of an Eight of Spades and one half of the King of Diamonds. The performer turns over the card case and displays a prediction card affixed to its back. The card consists of one half of the Eight of Spades and one half of the King of Diamonds.
This effect has been around for ages. When I feel compelled to perform it, I use a gaffed deck that I bought in the 70s called Split Thought. Its still a very good trick. If youre going to devote one deck to an effect, it might as well be gaffed.
Mr. Czajas method involves the Cut Deeper Force, which I still hate. Superior methods exist. I dont like it.
The Power of Love: Two participants select and sign cards, which are placed face to face between two odd backed Ten of Hearts. The four cards are secured with a rubber band. Without removing the rubber band, the performer shows that the signed selections are now back to back. A participant removes the rubber band and discovers that the selections are now fused together.
A set-up and a common gaffed card are required.
Obviously, this is the authors version of Doc Eason's Anniversary Waltz. Part of his method involves the use of the Cut Deeper Force. Have I mentioned that I hate the Cut Deeper Force?
The deck ends up dirty and Mr. Czaja doesnt suggest any method for cleaning it up.
The authors procedure for sandwiching the selections between the red Tens is unnatural and convoluted. There is an error in his description of the Kosky Switch. This is a poorly constructed effect. I dont like it.
Colorful Journey: The performer removes the four Aces from a red deck and tables them. He removes nine indifferent cards from the blue deck and tables them in three, three-card piles. He places the Ace of Spades on top of the red deck. The performer inserts an Ace into a three card packet and cuts the packet into the blue deck. He repeats this procedure with the two remaining Aces and packets. The Aces vanish from the blue deck and reappear under the Ace of Spades on the red deck.
A set-up and a common gaffed card are required.
The author employs a method that is unnatural in appearance. He places an Ace face-up onto the blue deck. He turns it face-down, removes it from the deck and inserts it into the indifferent card packet. Then he places the packet back onto the deck and cuts the deck to lose it. He repeats this procedure with the other two Aces.
Why bury the Aces in packets of indifferent cards prior to losing them in the deck? Why not just stick them into the deck? Because the method demands it.
If you insist upon employing the pointless packets, why must each Ace be placed onto the deck, turned face-down and removed prior to being inserted in the packets? Because the primitive method demands it.
The blue deck ends up dirty and Mr. Czaja offers a clunky method for cleaning it up. I dont like it.
I highly recommended Mr. Czajas previous ebook, SCAMP (7/2/10) and I had high hopes for this offering. But Im disappointed with this ebook. If you buy Knocked for Six, youre going to get knocked for $10.00.
Not Recommended