"Pocket This" DVD by Christopher Congreave and Gary Jones
Suggested Retail USD$20.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Pocket This", a DVD by Christopher Congreave and Gary Jones, is one of those rare things that card workers will need to get now or regret their hesitance later, usually after they get blown away by some of the work on this disc.

That's not over-the-top hype; that's the pure and simple truth. "Pocket This" is an incredible collection of methods and routines and sleights and ideas revolving around the old "card-to-pocket" plot that every card worker who even thinks about performing the classic needs to see.

And that's coming from someone who doesn't even like the plot all that much.

Okay, so Messrs. Congreave and Jones made me a believer. Now I'm working on it solidly and can see more than one of these pieces being taken out for a walk more often than not; they are just that good.

I won't go into all the details of each routine because, really, between standard handlings and variations and alternate handlings... well, this review would cover as many pages as the Manhattan phone book. Suffice to say that all the routines are extremely practical, very commercial, and absolute workers for experienced card workers.

Okay, well, maybe it doesn't suffice. So let's at least take a peek under the hood.

"GJ 6 Cards to Pocket" is my absolute favorite on the disc. Six cards -- the Ace through Six -- are signed and vanish one at a time to appear in the performer's pocket, in order. Now, like I said, I'm not that big on the plot so it would be presumptuous of me to agree that this is the "best version of the classic", but it sure is good. So good, in fact, that it plays bigger than it is; if you're looking for a parlor/living room card routine, this is it.

"CC Cards to Pocket" is my next favorite and I'm working on it at the same time. This one continues the "sequential order" theme, this time with the Ace through Four. Again, they disappear one at a time to appear in the pockets, but the last one vanishes from the spectator's hands and appears inside the performer's wallet that's been in plain view since the effect began. This one's a keeper as well.

And so it goes, with more great routines piling one on top of the other.

Really, there's not a routine here that is specifically weak or not workable. They are all great routines, with enough differences in presentation and plot and handling to make choosing your favorite a difficult task. And how slick is that, to have that dilemma, when it comes to a magic DVD?

Just one caveat here and it's to be expected: these are workers, not self-workers. While none of the routines are incredibly difficult, they do rely on the usual run of card sleights you'd expect with such routines. And if you're having a problem with some of them, Congreave and Jones are so thorough in their explanations they'll probably help you iron out your rough spots. Beginners would probably be better off starting a bit less ambitiously than this, but if you've got your controls and steals down, then you'll be right at home here.

All in all, if you're a card worker, get this. Period. If you don't, you'll kick yourself hard and fast and often when you realize at some point just what you passed up. Yes, "Pocket This" is just that good.

"Pocket This" DVD by Christopher Congreave and Gary Jones
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Material: 10
The material is, in a word, marvelous. We're talking so many variations of the "card to pocket" plot, with so many additional ideas and thoughts and routines and sleights, that the average card-worker's head will swim. Excellent, excellent stuff.

Practicality: 10
These routines are true, real-world, commercial, working material. Set-ups are either slight or non-existant. Angles are a non-issue in almost all cases. Resets are minimal. These are perfectly practical routines.

Quality of Production: 5
The production values aren't the best, but they aren't the worse, either. You'll have nothing slowing you down when it comes to learning the material, even without all the bells and whistles of other productions.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Congreave and Jones do a simply masterful job of teaching their routines and sleights and, more, going through their thoughts on the workings of the routines and why they are such powerhouses. Big thumbs up here.

Presentation: 10
Congreave and Jones keep the verbal component flowing and lively, not bad for usually simple narratives. But the structure and the visuals are what set these routines apart and make these the commercial powerhouses they are.


Shane

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