I wonder if it is possible for Craig Petty to release a trick without causing some sort of storm. Even this simple card trick has attracted the level of vitriol normally reserved for Putin.
The issue is that it is billed not only as an Any Card At Any Number, but a bloody good one when in reality it isn’t an ACAAN at all. It is a fun ‘Find a Selection’ trick.
Now hands up I’m not the biggest fan of ACAAN as it’s a bit dry for my taste but I have always and still do enjoy having my chosen card lost and found in an impossible manner. I’m often fooled, believing it to be genuinely lost and I’m filled with amazement and joy when it is discovered.
It is a simple plot of the boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back variety and it can have any number of twists and turns which all add to the enjoyment.
This is what Destiny Deal is, a card trick with a good hook and audience participation that is as much to perform as it is to watch.
You ask if your audience would like to see the most amazing card trick ever, whether they want to or not you show that you have an instruction card with steps for performing an Amazing Card trick. You read through the steps, having the deck shuffled, a card ‘selected’ and lost in the deck. The deck is shuffled once more and a number freely named. The participant deals the cards face up and hands you the cards at the number, which you reveal to be the selection.
The method is clever, bold, simple and to the point, in fact so to the point Craig only managed to string out the tutorial for 45 minutes.
The gimmick makes it almost self-working bar a card control and Craig teaches a variety of deceptive yet easy ones. The rest is acting and handling the gimmick properly.
Two handlings are taught one for seated at a table and a walk-around version. Personally I’d do the walk-around one regardless of the situation. For some reason Craig performs the ‘move’ at a latter point in the seated routine and I don’t think it is as natural.
There is one minor discrepancy but that is when the gimmick really comes into its own and makes it all seem fair and above board.
Not surprisingly the choreography is well thought out and motivated to justify how everything is handled, provided you play this as an entertaining and lively journey.
What is also nice is that the Instruction card is all you need to carry and that can be in your wallet or under the cellophane of the card box should you chose to perform Destiny Deal spontaneously. If I was adding this to my repertoire I may get a fake delivery envelope and patter some nonsense about having just ordered a new trick.. you get the idea.
Destiny Deal is not going to win trick of the year however it is a strong card trick with a terrific hook that is easy to do, handed to you on plate for just £14.99.
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