"The Omega Gimmick" by Bob Solari
Suggested Retail USD$19.95
Available direct from Bob Solari
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"The Omega Gimmick", a card device by Bob Solari, is one of those diabolically clever tools that is just waiting to be used to create stunning magic... and it will be.

The basic "effect" -- which really isn't an effect at all, just what the result of using the gimmick can achieve -- is simple: a card is chosen, freely, with no force, from a shuffled deck yet, as soon as the card is returned to the deck, you know the identity of the chosen card.

Told you it was simple.

Anyway, it's hard to talk much about "The Omega Gimmick" without tipping things all over the place. It's easier to talk about what the gimmick isn't. It isn't a stacked deck, or a marked deck, or a banked force deck of some kind. In fact, it's a crafty piece of machinery that you slip into an existing, non-gimmicked deck, that simply allows you to discover the name of a chosen card. I can say this: this is probably one of the cleverest, devilish methods I've ever seen for getting an ancient (and I do mean "ancient") device used for getting the identity of cards into and out of play quickly and cleanly and with zero suspicion.

I have to do a bit of qualifying here. The "ancient device" in question is one of my all-time favorite tools. I use it way more than I'd care to admit. With all of that usage, I have a tendency to love pretty much any implementation of it so I'm a bit prejudiced that way. However, "The Omega Gimmick" makes using that device so simple and flat-out cunning that it'll be hard for anyone not to pick it up, play with it, and probably fall in love with it.

The "play with" part is the most important. You see, this truly is a universal gimmick and has been for a long time. Solari includes an "effect" in the instructions, but it's not so much an effect at all as it is just a description of the handling and the end result; there's really no trick described here. He does, though, point you to Chazpro and Chuck Leach for a booklet utilizing Leach's version of the gimmick (this was a case of independent creation and, though this will be heart-breaking to muck-rakers everywhere, Leach and Solari did talk about "The Omega Gimmick" before it was released without animosity).

Once you see what you're getting with "The Omega Gimmick", you'll likely not need much in the way of routines -- a few dozen will probably pop immediately into mind. With a little thought, you may find yourself with a few hundred to chew on. Basically, any effect where you know or need to know, easily and cleanly, a freely selected card is what "The Omega Gimmick" was made for.

I seldom say this, but if you do card magic and you don't buy this one, you'll be kicking yourself around the block when it's no longer available. It's that clever and that good.

"The Omega Gimmick" by Bob Solari
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
All you do is put this gimmick into a deck (and possibly remove a few cards, but that's pretty much up to you and not a have-to case) and you're ready to go. The deck is otherwise normal and ready to be used in whatever routines you have in mind. There is no reset or set-up with this as it truly is a multi-purpose card gimmick and is as practical as it is useful (which is saying a lot).

Workmanship: 10
Solari always makes beautifully crafted items and this one, made of Bicycle card stock, is no exception. With care, this one will last a good long time.

Documentation: 10
With a good number of photographs and detailed instructions, you're be ready to go with this gimmick in no time at all.

Effect: n/a
The basic effect in the instructions is really nothing more than an example of what you can do with the gimmick and not really a routine at all.

Presentation: n/a
There's none because, well, this is a gimmick and it's handling doesn't create any real effect, or use any real presentation, at all. This one falls solidly in the Depends On What You Use It For category.


Shane