"Bunko" by Jim Steinmeyer
Suggested Retail USD$25.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Bunko", the latest and greatest by master creator Jim Steinmeyer, is a fun, entertaining, and engaging piece of magic that is as fun to do as it for spectators to watch. That makes it really great stuff to say the least.

Simply put, "Bunko" is a complete short-change routine designed for close-up work but one that will play for larger crowds easily. As with most short change routines, this revolves around a stack of bills whose total amount, when counted, changes over and over again. In "Bunko", the changes just never seem to end. You begin with $20, then mysteriously lose a buck, leaving you with $19. Then you lose a fiver and end up with $14. Then the six bucks somehow come back, so you're back to $20. A buck goes bye-bye again, so you're with $19 and then, somehow, end up with $24. Yet when $4 are put in your pocket, you end up with $13 instead of $20.

That's a whole lot of magic going on in as quick and yet as direct and non-confusing fashion as you could ask for.

That directness is due to Steinmeyer's method of choice here, a nice mixture of gaffs and a handling completely lacking in sleights. With so little apparently going on -- the big action here is nothing more than passing the bills back and forth between your hands -- that puts the focus on the effect and it works wonderfully.

As does the presentations. There are two provided: one that centers around Al Capone running into a little ol' lady who is a shortchange artists and the other around getting taken to the cleaners at a fair. For my money, the Capone story line plays the best but it's all about your own personality here: pick one you like or come up with your own. But you're going to be hard pressed to meet the level of fun and entertainment in the Capone tale. It's engaging, intriguing, and fun -- you can't ask for much more.

Okay, so I love "Bunko" and you know why I love it. Let's get to the details.

The working here is extremely simple. If you can take a pack of cards from one hand to the other then you've already mastered the moves in "Bunko". The "secret somethings" you have to do are very minor but Steinmeyer, apparently thinking ahead here, has basically included a crib-sheet in the props themselves to assist you with pulling this one off. It's a weird idea and it's welcome; nice work there.

The money, the props, are gorgeously printed on heavy glossy card stock. The reason for that is that paper money would wear out quickly and not handle as well. With the card stock, the bills here handle much more like a packet of cards than a stack of paper money making everything much simpler during the performance: no bills to stick together. Also, the bills are printed in bright colors, green for the five-dollar bills and yellow-brown for the ones. This makes the appearance and disappearance of the money very visible, to the point that, while this was obviously designed for close-up work, larger audiences will have no problem comprehending what's going on.

I've said all of this but I've avoided saying what I really think of "Bunko" because it's a loaded statement and it'll turn some people off. So, having stated my reasons for dearly loving this routine, my true thought about "Bun co":

It's the best packet trick done with money you'll ever see. It's the "Wild Card", the "MacDonald Aces", the "Color Monte", the "Gypsy Curse" of money tricks, and it's destined to be the classic like those others.

This is one I can't recommend enough.

"Bunko" by Jim Steinmeyer
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
A quick set-up, an easy reset (courtesy of some great thinking by Steinmeyer), no angle worries, no sleights and you end clean. What more could you ask for? The only thing to keep in mind is the props are the size of the US currency but in heavy card stock so pocket space can be an issue (you won't be cramming this one in the pocket of your jeans before you go walking out the door) but for most that's about as nit-picky as you can get.

Workmanship: 10
The fake bills are obviously that, being just a touch about Monopoly money. This is another stroke of brilliance by Steinmeyer: you can see the difference in the bills from the next county. They are printed on thick, glossy card stock and will last a while with care.

Documentation: 10
The documentation, filled with color photos and written by Richard Kaufman (yeah, that guy) are gorgeous in their detail and their layout. Is it possible to give a Nobel for literature for magic documentation?

Effect: 10
This is a great piece of fun, entertaining, magic. It plays just as it should -- as magic theater -- and it plays big.

Presentation: 10
The presentation is all about the story here, and you've got two to choose from. Honestly? Either one is a winner, but I'd go for the Capone version every time. Regardless, the stories are fun, entertaining, and make "Bunko" a winner.


Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.