"Gambler's Wildest Dream" by Reed McClintock
Suggested Retail USD$25.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 5 Out of 10

"Gambler's Wildest Dream", a packet trick by Reed McClintock, combines the "Invisible Palm" plot with a "Wild Card" and the result is... different to say the least. Whether it's "good different" or "bad different" will be almost entirely what you make of it, but for me it's more of the latter and not the former.

The effect is a little murky: seven cards are pulled out of a wallet, six of one and one different one. Three cards are set on the table while the four cards are held in the hand. One card is "invisibly" palmed and four cards appear on the table. When all the cards are turned over, they've all changed to the one different card. As with "Just the Backs Ma'am", no one wants to discuss the climax in the ads: here, all that is said is "A surprise ending so startling it will leave them speechless". In reality, it all ends with the cards vanishing except for one of the cards and the missing cards are found back in the wallet.

If you're saying "Huh?", then join the club; it's confusing to me, too. I do know it's got something to do with gamblers cheating and all of this being a cheating demonstration (the given presentation starts with an "explanation" that a good "gambler" only needs two things to win all the time: an "invisible palm" and duplicate cards). I don't know about your neck of the woods, but that wouldn't even begin to play in my world: there are way too many gamblers around me to put up with anything but a more legit (or, at least, one where the tongue is more firmly in cheek) demonstration... and one that doesn't start with the idiotic premise that "all gamblers cheat".

But I'll stay off that soapbox and now and concentrate on the trick, which is okay, but no great shakes.

Essentially, this is three tricks in one: "Invisible Palm" meets "Wild Card" meets "Cards to Wallet". The problem is that the "Invisible Palm" portion seems tacked on Just Because: it only happens once and never again. The "Cards to Wallet" portion is a neat add-on, but considering you've been talking about duplicate cards in the presentation and these show up in your plastic wallet, it's lackluster. That leaves the "Wild Card" portion of this and that's a pretty standard bit. And, as "Wild Card" variants go, there are others out there that pack more punch.

Or, to put it succinctly, there ain't no synergy here: the whole is weaker than the sum of its parts.

And we haven't even gotten to the "oops" portion of this, which is not including the proper wallet with the trick. Not a big deal, actually (the wallet isn't gimmicked, just of a certain style, shall we say), but I dearly hate when a manufacturer promises something, documents something, and then doesn't deliver, whether it's cars, bicycles, toaster ovens, or magic.

My recommendation? If you're already doing a "Wild Card", stick to it. If you're not and you want to, check out other variants first before committing to "Gambler's Wildest Dream"; I strongly suspect you'll find one you'll be more happy with than this one.

"Gambler's Wildest Dream" by Reed McClintock
In a Blink: 5 Out of 10

Practicality: 8
It's a packet trick, and we all know what that means by now. It's no different here: gimmicked cards, fairly easy handling (note for the squeamish: there's a cop you'll need to execute)... all in all, typical of most packet tricks.

Workmanship: 1
The cards are made from Bicycle stock, so those are fine. A major hit here for not supplying the wallet specified in the instructions -- if a routine requires it, and you say it's included, then include it. Period.

Documentation: 10
You have to give this to McClintock: he does a fine job with directions. They are clear, clean and concise.

Effect: 5
The effect is good, but really it's not better than you'd get with any "Wild Card" variant and sometimes it will be weaker than those. Let's color this one average.

Presentation: 3
The presentation here is weak, stretching things way too much for my tastes. Re-do the presentation and you may have a nice piece of work here.


Shane