"Secrets of the Octopus Deck Revealed" by Bill Abbott
Suggested Retail USD$50.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Bill Abbott's "Secrets of the Octopus Deck Revealed" is a complete mentalism act that is so strong, so powerful, it'll leave spectators talking about it for ages... once their brains thaw out.

The basic routine is stunning. It begins with the performer fanning a deck and having two spectators merely look at and think of any two cards. A couple of questions later and the performer names the two thought-of cards. Rubber bands are now wrapped around the deck and the deck tossed to an audience member who is asked to peek at any card they'd like and remember it. The deck is then passed to another person who does the same thing. This time, without any questions, the performer names the two cards that were merely peeked at. Time for the killer climax. The rubber bands are removed from the deck, the deck cut in half, and each half handed to a spectator and placed in their pockets. The spectators are asked to reach into their pocket and pull out any card and put it in another pocket without looking at it. The performer writes something down on a piece of paper and hands it to another spectator. Both of the pocketed cards are removed and revealed for the first time. The spectator reads the piece of paper and proves the performer accurately predicted both of the chosen cards.

Oh, man, that's good stuff, with powerfully clean sequences and a structure that just begs for a standing ovation.

Now, obviously, this is all accomplished with "The Octopus Deck", a brilliantly gaffed and gimmicked thing that accomplishes all of this fairly easily. With "The Octopus Deck" in hand, you're ready to perform this entire act in any venue (yes, including walk-around and close-up). It resets instantly, doesn't have any angle problems, doesn't require any pre-show work or the like, and is always ready to go. For the sticklers, the ad copy is straight up: the deck can be freely shuffled by spectators between the three phases of the act, there's no mis-calling or anything close to it, and this can play perfectly with as many as six spectators or as little as two. This is one heck of a fine creation.

"The Octopus Deck" was previously released by Abbott for the cost of $100. For the impact, it was still cheap. However, "Secrets of the Octopus Deck Revealed" gives you the gaffs you need to construct the deck and leaves the handiwork to you. If you look at the list of things you'll need to put the deck together -- two regular red-backed Bicycle decks, double-sided tape, an X-Acto knife, a two-way forcing deck, and nail clippers -- it's easy to be a bit intimidated. However, though Abbott says putting it together will take under two hours, I had one ready to go in less than an hour and I suspect that's closer to what we're talking about in terms of time and labor. (While we're on the topic of expenditures here, there's also a little certain something you'll need for Abbott's climax which you can pick up for less than $15 at a magic shop).

"The Octopus Deck" has a ton of pluses going for it and, frankly, I dearly love the thing. I loved it when I had the original and I love it more now, with all sorts of ideas and touches Abbott has now included (including a vastly improved pumping system). If you're after a powerful mentalism routine (and don't look down your nose at using playing cards), you can't go wrong with this one.

If there's anything you should be aware of with "The Octopus Deck", it's this: this ain't for beginners. Really, there are more than a few advanced performers that will struggle with this one. While the deck is easy to use and the necessary scripting and presentational points simple to grasp, the problem really is one that trails after similar effects: audience management. You'll need it if you let the spectators shuffle the deck, you'll need it when you toss the deck out... you'll need that skill all through this one. That's not to say it's so stringent it's impossible or even difficult to perform, but it is a necessary component of this and an overlooked one.

For my money, you can't go wrong with "Secrets of the Octopus Deck Revealed". Putting it succinctly, if you're looking for this type of routine, this is the one to get.

"Secrets of the Octopus Deck Revealed" by Bill Abbott
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Practicality: 9
Other than this being a one-deck-one-routine thing, there are no negatives to this one. The set-up is a bit extravagant, but once done you're done and resets are instant. Repeating it can be a bit problematic, but with the right performance skills it's nothing crippling. All in all, this is a solid, practical piece.

Workmanship: 10
It depends on how good you put it together, but the supplied pieces you'll need look perfect.

Documentation: 10
Abbott always does a stellar job with his documentation and this is no exception. Thorough yet concise, with many additional thoughts and routines, this is as good as it gets.

Effect: 10
This one plays huge, much bigger than you'd think possible. Abbott's routine is simple phenomenal and reputation-making.

Presentation: 10
Abbott's routine is flawless. Clean as can be, this looks like the real thing and, with an excellent structure, becomes truly magical.

Shane

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