Price$15.00
Media TypeTrick
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedFeb 06, 2020
THIS THAT & NOTHING
Dobson, Wayne
Alan Wong
(Based on 1 review)
Wayne revisits his take on the modern classic of mentalism, 'Free Will'.
It's a theme Wayne has visited a number of times, but here he adds a funny finishing line to the routine.
You show three cards, each bearing respectively the words 'This, That and Nothing' on them.
A prediction is shown and placed in open view.
Turned over face-down, the assisting spectator mixes the three cards together so they are out of order.
Selecting one card, it goes on his open hand.
A second selection is tucked into the spectator's belt.
The third is left on the performer's open hand.
Then the spectator is given the choice to switch cards with the performer if he so wishes.
When the prediction is opened, it reads: "You have This, I have That. And I have Nothing down my trousers."
So it's business as usual for Wayne Dobson; a simple-to-follow plot, magically strong and delivering a laugh finish.
(Gimmick and Online Instructions)
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Overview
WHAT YOU GETYou get three cards and a link to five pages of written instructions.
WHAT IS COOL
Given there are so many choices in magic, sometimes my reviews are hindered by other options. I have a hard time finding anything “cool” about this given there are similar effects that are much better in my opinion.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
The good part of this routine is the comedy by-play. However, you could apply good comedy to a similar but better effect.
The quality of the cards is decent, not bicycle quality, but not terrible. What I really don’t like is that there are a number of similar routines that use imaginary objects, such as coins that are much better and have kicker endings, like the final coin becoming a reality and being in the correct orientation (heads or tails).
AT A GLANCE
Skill level required: 2 of 5.
Audience management skill required: 3 of 5.
Performance angles: 360 degrees
Reset time required: You can reset in front of your audience.
DIY time involved in advance: None.
Effect
You show three cards, one says “this” on one side, the other says “that” on one side, and the third card says “Nothing” on one side. You go through some comedy banter about “this, that, and nothing”. Then you get them to shuffle the cards face down. They lay them on the table. They lift the cards one at a time, face down, and you tell them where to place them. The placement matches your prediction.Method
The method is not great because it is a poor adaptation of a known gimmick used in cards. I say a poor adaptation because it is likely the first thing that a participant is likely to suspect.Product Quality
Not terrible, but not great. The cards are not bicycle quality and they will wear out with use. This would have been much better if the cards were durable plastic.Ad Copy Integrity
The product is true to the ad copy. The ad copy actually describes the routine almost exactly. The only thing left out of the ad copy is that the instructions include more humorous lines.Final Thoughts
It’s not bad, given the humorous lines, but frankly, I think that if you take this product and perform it with the humor as written, it may sound old, tired, and a bit lame. Humor has to come from within. This patter is so old and tired, it should get a pension.My biggest issue with this is that there are “free will” routines that are much stronger, some which involve imaginary objects, like three coins. Many of them have kicker endings, like a final imaginary coin not only turning into reality, but also appearing in the orientation they imagine (heads or tails). You can add comedy to any routine, and I would prefer to add comedy to a great routine than to deliver canned comedy on a mediocre routine.