"No Chance" by Marc Spelmann and Peter Nardi
Suggested Retail USD$50.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"No Chance", an admittedly old idea, is presented in a new way by Marc Spelmann and Peter Nardi and created a slick tool for mentalists.

It's hard to describe "No Chance" without tipping everything and I've never so wanted to yell out what the working here is just because it shows the clever thinking of Spelmann and Nardi, taking a classic principle and moving it ahead with a dose of mechanics and a touch of psychology. It's darn fine work.

"No Chance" is a tool for performing a variety of effects. The accompanying documentation -- all on a DVD, mind you -- gives some great routines and ideas for using "No Chance".

The disc begins with a "Russian Roulette" routine, "Nailed". This trick begins with six numbered styrofoam cups, mouth down on the table. The spectator rolls the dice and eliminates either one or two cups whose numbers appear on the rolled dice. The elimination comes in the form of the spectator slapping their hand down on the cup. Finally, there's one cup left. When it's turned over, a large nail is seen sticking up -- an obvious danger to the spectator. This is probably the most foolproof version of the theme and, because of "No Chance", extremely easy to do.

"Combination" is a weird little take on the "Seven Keys" plot, with six numbered envelopes each containing a combination -- either the single real combination or one of five fake ones -- that open a briefcase full of money (or whatever you dream up). The envelopes are chosen by a spectator by rolling the dice and choosing the envelope at one of the numbers rolled, but none of those combinations open the case. Finally, the spectator has lost the game and the final envelope is opened and that is the real combination.

"Bank Night" is, well, "Bank Night", once again with envelopes being eliminated at the roll of the dice until one envelope remains: the only one with a bank note in it. This one, though as old as the hills, had me groaning just because of the theme Spelmann and Nardi put together; it's almost painfully cute.

And, this being something Spelmann and Nardi put out, you're also flooded with tips here and there and various handlings and pieces of psychology that really sell things. Yes, "No Chance" really does take that old principle and shoves it forward more than a few steps -- closer more to a huge leap.

Okay, so "No Chance" is a tool, a great tool, for pulling off some powerful, entertaining routines. What are the downsides? Well, to get to those, you'd have to really reach a bit because with this one, well, one man's drawbacks are another man's pluses.

Take for example the gimmicked dice themselves. They can't be examined closely but they can easily be handled by a spectator (and always are). A close examination by a knowledgeable gambler or gamer would reveal the gimmicks quickly. You are supplied with three matching dice you can switch in or out if you want -- Nardi details a few ways of doing it -- but you'll never have to. Everything is so clean, so up-and-up, that no one even thinks much about the dice even as they're used in the routines so prominently. I'd only think about switching things -- or not using "No Chance" at all -- if my audience were filled with gambler-types and I was feeling particularly skittish that night. Otherwise, I don't think I'd even carry the extra dice.

Then there's the warning by Spelmann and Nardi not to do this more than once during your act (well, that's a bit obvious but probably worth stating). Is it a drawback that you can't use "No Chance" multiple times during the same show? Nope. Considering the redundancy of the themes, you wouldn't want to anyway -- the routines are all a bit too close for any real repeatability to pay off. I wouldn't use it in table-hopping, either, but "No Chance" routines likely would be a bit too "big" in the drama department for that to begin with. To me, this is not a drawback at all unless you were going into "No Chance" without an idea of what you're getting into.

And that's a segue into what I think is a drawback with "No Chance". Essentially, what you're shown on the disc are "Bank Night" variants. There's nothing wrong with that -- it's probably the primary usage folks will throw "No Chance" at. But it's got more potential than that and it would have been great to see Spelmann and Nardi to do some legwork in that area. Still, there are sources out there (time to scour the old mags again) for other ideas and it's not like you won't be coming up with your own pieces as you play with things.

So, really, no drawbacks in evidence here; "No Chance" took care of a lot of holes in the old method quite well and didn't sacrifice anything in the process.

"No Chance" is one of those things that is easy to fall in love with. It's simple to use, flexible, and as clean in appearance as you could ask for. "No Chance" is a definite keeper.

"No Chance" by Marc Spelmann and Peter Nardi
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
The set-up will depend on what you're doing with this idea and as far as resetting, you wouldn't want to do this one twice anyway due to the nature of things. If you were really stretching things you could worry about switching out the gimmicks prior to any examination, but, as Nardi points out, no one wants to examine the dice anyway. All in all, this is perfectly practical.

Workmanship: 10
The gimmicked dice are gorgeous and should last a good long time.

Documentation: 8
The documentation is only on DVD and it's the usual Spelmann/Nardi fun and information mixture I love. The only drawback? All the routines are simply variants of a single idea. "No Chance" really deserves more than simply flavors of the same thing.

Effect: 10
It's all in what you do with it, but "No Chance" allows for some devastatingly effective performances. Even a short "roulette" routine knocks them for a loop. This one's a keeper.

Presentation: 10
Once again, "No Chance" is a tool and the presentation is what you make of it. Still, "No Chance" delivers an excellent amount of cleanness to things that does nothing but add some oomph to the proceedings.



Shane