"Alpha to Omega" by Stephen Tucker
Suggested Retail USD$30.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 6 Out of 10

"Alpha to Omega", an effect by Stephen Tucker, is an interesting take on the "8-card Brainwave" plot but with a presentational hole and a handling that weaken it considerably when compared to other flavors of the theme.

And you don't know how that pains me to say. I've always been a huge fan of Stephen Tucker's work - he has never failed to impress me with his creations - but this time? No, not impressed so much, I'm sorry to say, even though Tucker tries his best to make this all worthwhile.

"Omega" begins with two sets of four Aces of all four suits. One set is tabled, the other put behind the performer's back. Any Ace is named. The set behind the back is brought out and it's seen that this Ace is face down and has a different colored back than the other three cards. The Ace is now rubbed against the performer's sleeve and becomes a blank card. The cards are now examinable if desired. Next the performer spreads the tabled packet of Aces and the named as is face-up in the face-down packet. The spectator removes the face-up Ace and it has a different colored back than the other cards in the packet. The spectator turns over the other three cards and are seen to be blank.

The end.

To be absolutely fair, the ad copy is right on with the pluses here: any ace can be named (no equivoque or the like), no false counts, no gaffs or gimmicks to ditch (or, according to the ad, to refill, though in ten years I've never had to refill my preferred version), and it is moderately easy to perform (though a sleight is used that will cause some of our number to turn pale and get a little shaky in the knees) .

But did you catch the problem? Sure, this is examinable - it's selling point is it being an examinable version of "Twisted Sister" or the like - but, to completely misrepresent a quote by Dunninger, every time you take cards behind your back or under the table, you lower your value. As soon as Tucker put that packet behind his back, I knew there was going to be trouble. And there was.

People are a suspicious lot, and even though there's a quasi-logical reason for doing that, as soon as the cards are behind your back, spectators start questioning (one fellow even wanted me to empty my back pockets to prove there was nothing in them, which was as absurd a thing as it was a logistical nightmare, what with everything I carry when I perform). Perhaps others have more forgiving audiences, perhaps my timing really is that far off, but regardless it's a dangerous thing to do. And I'm not even going to go into angles or the like for strolling.

So, to my mind, this is a weaker version of the neo-classic than other versions out there. But the decision is all based around one thing: is a situation where the cards are examinable more desired than a more open handling? Me, I'll take the more open handing offered by some of the other version.

Now, the extras. This disc is truly loaded with additional material, but only one bears being worth any discussion and that's "Exhibit 'A'". In this one, a number of methods of murder are brought out of a bag, including cards that represent each method. I won't go into a lot of detail here, but at the end you've cleverly shown how the "clues" led you to the correct murder weapon. This, to me, is worth more than "Omega" and all the variants. It's clever, timely, and entertaining.

A word of warning: you might be pulled a bit by the "Matrix Reloaded", which is hyped as "a very, very weird coin matrix that can be performed with or without coins". In reality, this is an old thing with the "coins" actually being printed on the cards and doing the assembly onto one card and then falling off to become real coins. This is the fourth incarnation I've seen of this one and nothing special, unfortunately, besides the hype.

If I sound a bit down on this one, I am. Tucker set the bar very high for himself with previous releases; here, he missed the mark. It's disappointing, not matter how much Tucker and the guys at Big Blind tried to make this special and worthwhile.

This one I recommend to those that don't mind the "behind the back" pitfall or really want a completely examinable version of the plot. All others may want to stay away (or wait until they can get this one at a discount).

"Alpha to Omega" by Stephen Tucker
In a Blink: 6 Out of 10

Practicality: 8
Set-up and reset are a breeze, it packs very small, but it does need a table to play best and since you have to do a certain something behind your back or under a table or similarly out of view, angles are an issue you'll need to plan ahead for.

Workmanship: 5
USPCC non-gimmicked cards, which means the usual USPCC quality.

Documentation: 10
Tucker does a great job of teaching his material, that's for sure. He leaves no stone unturned here at all.

Effect: 5
The effect plays well enough, but the "behind the back/under the table" part of this seems to put spectators off. This has to be done using Tucker's method, so it's a weakness that has to be dealt with.

Presentation: 5
The presentation is what you'd expect, but there needs to be more of an explanation about the "behind the back" move; the one given by Tucker doesn't do much to put aside suspicions. Get around this somehow and this one would go much further with audiences and performers alike.

Shane

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