Price$30.00
Media TypeTrick
CategoryMentalism
Date AddedApr 09, 2007
Oddball 2
Marc Oberon
(Based on 2 reviews)
One by one a group of spectators each take a ball from the bag, keeping it concealed at all times in their hand.
Despite the thorough mixing and random distribution of the balls, you can instantly tell who holds the black ball.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
WHAT YOU GET
You get nice little box to hold the props. Inside the box is a velvet bag. Inside the bag are several balls, black and white. You also get a link to video instructions.
WHAT IS COOL
The method for this effect is really awesome. It is so subtle that I can’t imagine anyone figuring it out. When I learned the method, my first reaction was that this method would not work, but it does.
The product quality is superb. In the video, Marc talks about how he spent considerable time getting the props just right, and I can see that. This would be very difficult to re-create. It comes ready to go and the video explains a couple routine ideas thoroughly, both of which he performs in his professional jobs
The explanation video is 15 minutes long with David Penn and Marc Oberon. In there, Marc credits Ali Bongo who used the same principle in the 1960s. Marc said that he spoke to Ali Bongo who was a good friend of his and Ali said it was developed long before him, but didn’t know by whom, so Marc was thorough in giving credit best he could. Marc improved on Ali’s method as he describes on the video. He also describes the differences between Marc’s original Oddball vs the new Oddball II. The differences are significant. Marc goes through his professional routine in detail and it is VERY good. This should be a good source of inspiration for someone wanting to perform with this excellent product.
WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES
Apparently, the earlier version of this effect had some issues, including slightly inferior props. However, with this version, I just don’t see any downsides.
I should point out that the new version comes with an extra ball that can be switched with one of the other balls. The extra ball is not gimmicked. However, it has a different shine than the gimmicked ball. For some, that could be a problem. In the video, Marc talks about how he doesn’t use the extra ball and I agree with him, I think it is completely unnecessary. However, even of you do use it, I think the odds of anyone noticing the slight difference is really minimal. I would suggest that if you perform for a small audience, do NOT use the extra ball. If you perform for a larger audience and you want to use the extra ball, show it to one set of audience members while you perform the effect for audience members a bit removed. Personally, I don’t think using the extra ball is needed, nor does it make the routine better. Frankly, I think it would undermine the overall effectiveness.
AT A GLANCE
Skill level required: 2 of 5.
Audience management skill required: 2 of 5.
Performance angles: 360 degrees
Reset time required: You can reset in front of your audience.
DIY time involved in advance: None.
VERDICT
This is an awesome product that could be used to simply STUN audiences of three to three thousand people.
You get nice little box to hold the props. Inside the box is a velvet bag. Inside the bag are several balls, black and white. You also get a link to video instructions.
WHAT IS COOL
The method for this effect is really awesome. It is so subtle that I can’t imagine anyone figuring it out. When I learned the method, my first reaction was that this method would not work, but it does.
The product quality is superb. In the video, Marc talks about how he spent considerable time getting the props just right, and I can see that. This would be very difficult to re-create. It comes ready to go and the video explains a couple routine ideas thoroughly, both of which he performs in his professional jobs
The explanation video is 15 minutes long with David Penn and Marc Oberon. In there, Marc credits Ali Bongo who used the same principle in the 1960s. Marc said that he spoke to Ali Bongo who was a good friend of his and Ali said it was developed long before him, but didn’t know by whom, so Marc was thorough in giving credit best he could. Marc improved on Ali’s method as he describes on the video. He also describes the differences between Marc’s original Oddball vs the new Oddball II. The differences are significant. Marc goes through his professional routine in detail and it is VERY good. This should be a good source of inspiration for someone wanting to perform with this excellent product.
WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES
Apparently, the earlier version of this effect had some issues, including slightly inferior props. However, with this version, I just don’t see any downsides.
I should point out that the new version comes with an extra ball that can be switched with one of the other balls. The extra ball is not gimmicked. However, it has a different shine than the gimmicked ball. For some, that could be a problem. In the video, Marc talks about how he doesn’t use the extra ball and I agree with him, I think it is completely unnecessary. However, even of you do use it, I think the odds of anyone noticing the slight difference is really minimal. I would suggest that if you perform for a small audience, do NOT use the extra ball. If you perform for a larger audience and you want to use the extra ball, show it to one set of audience members while you perform the effect for audience members a bit removed. Personally, I don’t think using the extra ball is needed, nor does it make the routine better. Frankly, I think it would undermine the overall effectiveness.
AT A GLANCE
Skill level required: 2 of 5.
Audience management skill required: 2 of 5.
Performance angles: 360 degrees
Reset time required: You can reset in front of your audience.
DIY time involved in advance: None.
VERDICT
This is an awesome product that could be used to simply STUN audiences of three to three thousand people.
Suggestions
The only suggestion I have is to listen carefully to how Marc performs with this and then carefully create your own routine. This could be an astounding routine in a professional repertoire.(Top ▲)
I’ve noticed a trend lately in the instructions that accompany magic effects: the directions are so terse as to be practically nonexistent. The method and handling for Marc Oberon’s “Oddball” are explained in four paragraphs, three of which consist of a single sentence. In other words, there will be more information in this review than there is in the instructions for the effect. I understand that the method for “Oddball” doesn’t involve complicated sleights, but there was more than enough room on the piece of paper that came with it to convey some subtleties of handling or suggestions for clear presentation or — well, anything that would encourage me to think that I purchased this effect from a real human being and not an automatic magic-effect generator.
As to the effect itself, “Oddball” is among a number of recent versions of “Kurotsuke,” a marvel of minimalism from Max Maven’s VideoMind series. Max is not mentioned anywhere in the instructions for “Oddball,” which represents another trend in magic: failure to acknowledge sources of ideas and inspiration.
The effect here is identical to “Kurotsuke”: a number of colored balls are placed into a bag. One ball is a different color from the others. People in the audience are asked to reach into the bag, select one ball, and keep it hidden from the magician. The performer is able to determine who is holding the differently colored ball. Only the method is different from Max’s. So the important question is this: Is the method for “Oddball” an improvement?
I don’t think so. The method used for “Oddball” eliminates one point of procedure from “Kurotsuke,” but any advantage gained by doing so is outweighed by disadvantages:
In my opinion, “Oddball” does not represent a step forward. I’ll be sticking with the original version of “Kurotsuke” until I see a genuine improvement over it, created by someone who is willing to credit Max for the inspiration.
As to the effect itself, “Oddball” is among a number of recent versions of “Kurotsuke,” a marvel of minimalism from Max Maven’s VideoMind series. Max is not mentioned anywhere in the instructions for “Oddball,” which represents another trend in magic: failure to acknowledge sources of ideas and inspiration.
The effect here is identical to “Kurotsuke”: a number of colored balls are placed into a bag. One ball is a different color from the others. People in the audience are asked to reach into the bag, select one ball, and keep it hidden from the magician. The performer is able to determine who is holding the differently colored ball. Only the method is different from Max’s. So the important question is this: Is the method for “Oddball” an improvement?
I don’t think so. The method used for “Oddball” eliminates one point of procedure from “Kurotsuke,” but any advantage gained by doing so is outweighed by disadvantages:
- In “Kurosuke,” all of the props are free of preparation and could be items gathered from around the house. Not so with “Oddball.”
- The props included with “Oddball” are cheap and cheesy-looking.
- The performer of “Oddball” must pay very close attention to the selection process. The selection process in “Kurotsuke” can be handled more casually.
- There is a chance that a participant in “Oddball” could discover that one of the objects differs from the others in more than its color. There is no such risk in “Kurotsuke.”
- The fact that the identical balls used in “Oddball” are translucent and the differently colored ball is opaque points in the direction of the method.
In my opinion, “Oddball” does not represent a step forward. I’ll be sticking with the original version of “Kurotsuke” until I see a genuine improvement over it, created by someone who is willing to credit Max for the inspiration.