Q: Is this a beginner trick?
A: Our recommendation is no. Put it this way; if you don’t already know what a “101 deck” is, then this trick is not for you. The actual mechanics of the trick, both in the way the deck works as well as the iPhone app, are very simple. However the impact of this trick relies heavily on the patter, pace, and timing of the magician. Also keep in mind that the deck is in the spectator’s hands, and so the magician needs to be comfortable in this situation and have good control over the crowd. For this reason we recommend the app for intermediate magicians.
Q: Is this a self working trick?
A: Not Quite. You still need to be handy with a deck of cards. You can use a trick deck, such as a 101 deck, to make it easier but you still need some basic skill handling a deck of cards.
Q: Does the trick come with a deck of cards?
A: No, you need to create your own 101 deck (assuming you want to use a 101 deck in your routine), the instructions for which come with the app. You can probably make the deck with what you already have at home, otherwise the cost would be between $10-$15.
Q: Do I have to use a 101 deck?
A: Nope, you just need to force a card and you can do that anyway you wish. The app gives you five “outs.” You don’t even have to use cards, you can force anything that you can reveal with a photo prediction.
Q: Is the trick repeatable?
A: Yes, sort of. Like most magic tricks it is not a good idea to repeat the trick the exact same way for the same person, however if you are creative you can build a routine that allows for the trick to be repeated.
Q: Do you end the trick clean?
A: For the phone, yes. The photo really is in the iPhone album. The deck, however, can not be closely inspected.
Q: Can this trick be performed surrounded?
A: Yes.
Q: What makes this app different than other iPhone magic apps?
A: The majority of magic apps out there are obviously apps, designed for non-magicians, and make no attempt to hide themselves on the phone. This takes away a lot of the “how’d you do that?” factor as the answer is “oh, the app did it, I can go buy that if i want.” The 101 Deck app is disguised, and in fact if done right the spectator will never know an app was involved. It’s the same idea as using a trick deck. You would never say “let me show you magic with this trick deck” as it takes away the wonder from the magician and places it all on the deck. Using this app, the spectator will not suspect that an app was involved.
Q: How fast is the setup/reset?
A: All you need to do is launch the app, put the phone on the table or in your pocket, and it’s ready to go for whenever you choose to perform the trick. To reset the app, simply delete the photo from the last performance and launch the app again with one tap on your screen. A small amount of set-up may be required in regard to the device’s photo program, such as navigating to a desired album/page and then quitting. The reason for this is that the next time the photo app is launched (presumably during the routine), the iPhoto app returns to last screen viewed.
Q: Whats the point of using an iPhone for this effect?
A: A basic ending for the classic effect would have the magician pulling a photo or prediction out of his pocket that reveals the selected card. A common response to this is “oh, I bet you have 52 pockets on you.” Using the iPhone actually removes this as a possibility in the mind of the spectator as he can see that there is in fact only one photo in your album.
Q: I have an iPod, and thus no camera. Can i still use this app?
A: Yes. You can use a regular digital camera to load your photo(s) into the iPod.
Q: Are there instructional videos?
A: Yes, two. One for the app setup and one for the deck setup