Price$38.00
Media TypeTrick
CategoryGeneral, Close Up, Mentalism
Date AddedFeb 24, 2015
Last Laugh
Elsdon, Mark
Alakazam UK
(Based on 2 reviews)
Two decks of cards are introduced, both with different backs. One of the decks is removed from its box, shown to be 100% regular and shuffled. Your spectator now selects a card from the deck (sight unseen) and places it in his pocket.
You now state you are going to attempt to cut to the matching card but from the other deck.
Your spectators will be impressed by your skill when you accurately practice cut to both the jokers. What happens next is where the fun begins. You now start removing joker after joker from the deck. Your spectators will start to realise they've been had and it's a complete deck of jokers and just when the let their guard down you hit them. Yes every card in the pack is a joker...well almost every card. There is one card left face down on the table.
For the first time your spectator removes and shows his card. You could now cut the tension with a knife, have them reach over and take a look at the card on the table. It's a match!
Your spectators may have had a giggle throughout the routine but you certainly had the Last Laugh!
Last Laugh is easy to do and comes complete with a special deck and a registration code that gives you instant access to a full training video to get you started right away!
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: King of Rock by Run-DMC
Last Laugh Review
One streaming video, one special deck of cards, $38 bucks and one Last Laugh Review. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.
Last Laugh Review: Effect
A "selected" card is found to be the only card in the deck. The rest are Jokers.
Last Laugh Review: Method
The method relies on a very clever "selection" process and a special deck of cards that is supplied. I'm sure you're thinking that you can simply have a card "selected" from one deck, and then have the other deck be all Jokers except for the one "selected" from the first deck. You're right. You could do that. However, this particular method of "selecting" is extremely deceptive. Watch the ad trailer. You'll see. Combine that selection procedure with the supplied special deck, and you've got an extremely deceptive, impossible seeming effect.
When you add to it the presentational premise taught by the dark wizard himself, Peter Nardi, then you have one of the most deceptive combination of concepts that I've seen in a very long time. The method is super easy, super practical, and completely doable. It takes about 2 minutes to reset. All skill levels welcome. You'll need to supply your own regular deck.
Last Laugh Review: Ad Copy Integrity
Let me part the curtain and give you a peek into the back end world of magic production and distribution. When producers such as Alakazam Magic, for example, create products, they often will try to sell a batch of them to Murphy's Magic at "jobber" cost. Murphy's then, in turn, sells them at wholesale prices to retail magic stores. The retail magic stores, of course, sell them to you at retail price. Well, producers who have you register their product on their site, like Alakazam does, run into a problem.
The problem is this. Let's say that Joe's Magic Shop bought a couple dozen copies from Murphy's at wholesale. They want to sell these products to their retail customers, of course. The last thing they want is for those customers to, then, head over to Alakazam (a competitor) and register and sign up for stuff over there. This creates a situation where Joe's Magic is essentially directing its customers to one of its competitors.
So, to prevent this, Murphy's tells producers to NOT have product registration codes on the copies of the stuff that they purchase from the creator (in this example, Alakazam). Of course that become a problem when Alakazam puts product registration code stickers on all of their packaging before shipping it to Murphy's. To combat this problem, Murphy's removes the registration code stickers from their inventory before they sell it to the retailers.
Whew. That's a long story to tell you this simple thing. The ad copy says " . . . comes complete with a special deck and a registration code . . ." This, of course, is not true. But it's not because it was meant to be deceptive, and I imagine that if you buy directly from Alakazam, you will get a code.
You will be able to watch the training video at Murphy's website. You will not need the product registration code.
Last Laugh Review: Product Quality
Product quality is solid. The dark wizard does a great job of explaining the details required to perform the routine. He also offers some alternate ideas and handling tips along with some tips on modifying the supplied gimmicked deck (if you want to). It comes ready to go, but some alternate ideas may make you want to change it a little. The deck supplied is very cleverly gaffed and well made.
Last Laugh Review: Final Thoughts
If you like this effect, then you'll be very happy with this product. I'd say that $38 bucks, though maybe a little steep, is a fair price for this.
Final Verdict:
4.5 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
Available at your Favorite Magic Dealer. Dealer's see Murphy's Magic for details.
(Top ▲)
I’ve said it before, and I will probably say it again. When Mark Elsdon sells an effect to Alakazam Magic, you know you are in for an excellent trick. Last Laugh is no exception.
Imagine this. You, as the performer, put two decks of cards on the table. You show that one deck is completely mixed by fanning it or spreading it on a table. As you go through the cards, the spectator picks 5 cards at the location when they say “stop.” The spectator mixes up the five face-down cards and picks one. Without looking at the selected card, it is put in the spectator’s back pocket. The remaining four cards are turned over and shown to be a random selection of cards; each one different from the other. Then you take out the other deck of cards and claim to be able to cut to the spectator’s selected (and unknown) card. But first, you calibrate your hands and fingers by trying to cut to a Joker. You try it and amazingly, you cut to a Joker. Then you ask the spectator to help you find the other Joker and when they touch any card, it too is a Joker! Amazing! You continue cutting the cards and turning over small stacks only to reveal that they are all Jokers. Very funny. You keep going until there is one card left face down. You ask the spectator to take out their selected card and at the same time you each turn over your card and astoundingly they are the exact same card. The chorus of WTF’s! echoes loudly.
This trick is truly awesome. It is so easy to learn and perform and the payoff is like an atom bomb. This is the sort of trick that really messes with your audience. There is not backtracking, no guessing, no nothing… other than pure amazement.
This trick comes with a gimmicked deck with a few cards that are treated with a special very expensive substance. You will need to fix the cards after some usage and most likely you don’t already have the special stuff that you need. There are alternate less expensive ways to fix the cards, but I personally like the cards as they are delivered. The trick takes a bit of practice to get totally fluid, but nothing to taxing. Although you cannot hand out a small portion of the gimmicked deck, there is no real reason that the spectators would want to see the cards, which are all apparently Jokers. My deck came in Bicycle backed, but I am not sure they are all Bikes. Some may be Phoenix backed, but it does not matter. In fact, having two different decks for the presentation would be better and avoid the potential thought that you somehow snuck cards from one deck to the other.
The trick also comes with a very clear 28 minute digital downloadable video, which can also be streamed. The video consists of a studio performance in front of an audience of three spectators and Peter Nardi’s explanation of the trick. Nardi indicated that when he saw Eldson perform the trick, he was went “wild” and was in fact fooled.
You will fool everyone with this trick and will not be disappointed. Another great one by Elsdon and Nardi.
Highest Rating. 5 Stars!
Imagine this. You, as the performer, put two decks of cards on the table. You show that one deck is completely mixed by fanning it or spreading it on a table. As you go through the cards, the spectator picks 5 cards at the location when they say “stop.” The spectator mixes up the five face-down cards and picks one. Without looking at the selected card, it is put in the spectator’s back pocket. The remaining four cards are turned over and shown to be a random selection of cards; each one different from the other. Then you take out the other deck of cards and claim to be able to cut to the spectator’s selected (and unknown) card. But first, you calibrate your hands and fingers by trying to cut to a Joker. You try it and amazingly, you cut to a Joker. Then you ask the spectator to help you find the other Joker and when they touch any card, it too is a Joker! Amazing! You continue cutting the cards and turning over small stacks only to reveal that they are all Jokers. Very funny. You keep going until there is one card left face down. You ask the spectator to take out their selected card and at the same time you each turn over your card and astoundingly they are the exact same card. The chorus of WTF’s! echoes loudly.
This trick is truly awesome. It is so easy to learn and perform and the payoff is like an atom bomb. This is the sort of trick that really messes with your audience. There is not backtracking, no guessing, no nothing… other than pure amazement.
This trick comes with a gimmicked deck with a few cards that are treated with a special very expensive substance. You will need to fix the cards after some usage and most likely you don’t already have the special stuff that you need. There are alternate less expensive ways to fix the cards, but I personally like the cards as they are delivered. The trick takes a bit of practice to get totally fluid, but nothing to taxing. Although you cannot hand out a small portion of the gimmicked deck, there is no real reason that the spectators would want to see the cards, which are all apparently Jokers. My deck came in Bicycle backed, but I am not sure they are all Bikes. Some may be Phoenix backed, but it does not matter. In fact, having two different decks for the presentation would be better and avoid the potential thought that you somehow snuck cards from one deck to the other.
The trick also comes with a very clear 28 minute digital downloadable video, which can also be streamed. The video consists of a studio performance in front of an audience of three spectators and Peter Nardi’s explanation of the trick. Nardi indicated that when he saw Eldson perform the trick, he was went “wild” and was in fact fooled.
You will fool everyone with this trick and will not be disappointed. Another great one by Elsdon and Nardi.
Highest Rating. 5 Stars!