"Final(ly) Aces" by Ron Bauer
Suggested Retail USD$10.00
Available direct from E-Gads
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Ron Bauer's latest entry in his superb "Private Studies Series", "Final(ly) Aces", takes an old plot, ties it to an old theme, and comes up with a great way of doing the classic. And it's a refreshing change of pace.

Simply, Bauer has taken Brother John Hamman's take on the "Ace Assembly" plot, "Final Aces", and turned it into a poker deal. Now, that right there is nifty, but this is Ron Bauer we're talking about and you know he didn't leave it at that. Bauer has introduced the usual comedy bits, added some reason to the whole thing, and come up with something fun to do and entertaining to watch.

Maybe better still, Ron Bauer's added a lot of touches common to gambling routines -- false cuts, false shuffles, and the like -- yet kept everything well within the reach of the dedicated amateur. True, that's all well and good for the uninitiated, but what what about the more advanced among us? As with all the other booklets in the "Private Studies Series", he's covered so much that is basic to a good performance -- timing, pacing, the use of repetition -- that, once again, he's produced a work absolutely essential no matter what your skill level or level of experience.

And, once again, that makes "Final(ly) Aces" gold.

The downside is that the booklet doesn't come with the necessary gimmicked cards (probably a wise move, since a lot of us have them in a vinyl wallet somewhere and they are fairly common at magic shops). You can pick up a set for about $8 at
E-Gads. So that's hardly a detriment and, to be honest, about $20 for a great full deck trick is cheap.

And Final(ly) Aces is a great full deck trick. Period.

I've always been high on Bauer's work with his unparalleled series, and this latest one lives up to all the high expectations Bauer's set since the beginning. For my money, if you owned every one of the "Private Studies Series" you'd be hand and shoulders above the vast majority of performers in magic. And that's the truth.

"Final(ly) Aces" by Ron Bauer
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Material: 10
Brother John Hamman's original "Final Aces" was really good; his later handling made it better. Bauer has taken it up a level yet again. This is a great take on the classic plot.

Quality: 10
Bauer's thinking is great, his writing is great, his ideas... well, you get it.

Illustrations: 10
Sandra Kort does her usual fantastic job with the multitude of drawings that fill out this booklet.

Presentation: 10
This is Bauer's forté and here he covers the bases in terms of the verbal component and also the structure of the routine. This is a great way of doing a plot often considered, to put it generously, "time-worn".

Shane