"Super Clipped" by Cosmo Solano
Suggested Retail USD$15.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Super Clipped", a packet trick by Cosmo Solano, may not be the most powerful packet trick out there, but it's unbelievably entertaining, engaging, and just plain fun for spectators and performers alike.

The effect is fairly direct (and almost a sucker trick for magicians who know the first phase). It begins with five cards being shown: the Ace of Hearts and four black Twos and Threes. A paper clip is given to the spectator, the five cards held in a spread, and the spectator told to place the clip on the Ace. They try and fail. They can try again and they still won't do it.

Okay, so that's the same old thing that's been in magic sets and on the back of cereal boxes since the beginning of time. But now, as they say, we get to the good stuff.

The spectator is asked to try again. This time, though, the Ace is plainly seen and even pulled from the spread. The spectator puts the clip on it. The remaining four cards are seen to be the black cards. The packet is squared, the card on the table turned over, and it's a black Two. The cards in the hand? They've changed to four Aces of Hearts.

Now, this is a packet trick, and darn few packet tricks are religion-starters or reputation-makers. "Super Clipped" accomplishes better than most one simple thing: entertainment. This is a quick routine, a wonderfully thought-out and presented work, and as such is entertaining as all get-out and is just plain fun for both the spectator and the performer.

True enough, it's a sucker trick of sorts, with the spectator never winning, but it's light and breezy and never insulting. It plays to the spectator as a gag of sorts right up until the time the climax hits 'em square between the eyes, at which point the gag becomes magical.

As for the workings of things, the gaffed cards do almost all the work. There are real moves or sleights (no false counts or displays, for example); pretty much if you can spread the packet and close it, you're skilled enough for this one.

Now, this is a packet trick and it suffers from the one bane of most packet tricks: the cards can't be examined. True enough, you can swap the things out in any number of ways if you want, but Solano's structure here (and the pacing of the routine) go a long, long way towards keeping the spectators from wanting to see those cards. It's just too clean a handling. Will you be asked? Most certainly; some spectators are just like that. But the odds are long they'll do it and, really, with the quickness of this routine, you'll be into your next effect before anyone poses the challenge.

All in all, "Super Clipped" is a very good routine. It's engaging, entertaining, and fun, all of which outweigh any of the problems usually associated with packet tricks. If you're after a high-quality effect and don't mind the stigma associated with such things, look no further than "Super Clipped"; it's something else.

"Super Clipped" by Cosmo Solano
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Practicality: 9
This is very much a packet trick, so you can expect the usual conditions to exist: an almost non-existent set-up, a quick reset, and non-examinable cards. That last is the only problem with this one at all and, as you perform this, you'll find out that it's not such a big problem at all.

Workmanship: 10
The cards are on Bicycle stock and appear to be printed by USPCC. They'll last a good, long time with the usual proper care.

Documentation: 10
The documentation is incredibly thorough and easy to follow, with more colored illustrations than you could ask for. Big thumbs-up here.

Effect: 7
While this won't inspire people to start a religion in your name (or even chuck some money your way), it's an entertaining, surprising, engaging routine that is fun to do and fun to watch.

Presentation: 10
While the verbal component is one straight out of most monte routines, the real plus here is the clean handling. So clean is it, in fact, that the gimmicked cards seem to be the least of the spectators' concerns. That's unusual, to say the least.

Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact FUN, Inc. by phone at (773)745-3837, email at info@funinc.com, or visit the FUN Inc. website.