What is everyone's views on gimmicked decks? i'm beginning to stay away from them completely. 80% of the time i do a trick, whether with a gaff or not, i'm asked to see the deck. especially if i do tricks for good friends.

totally depends on your audience. if i'm working, i'll use several gaffs, but people in that situation don't tend to want to see things. friends are different so you may use only straight decks for them. play to the crowd depending on who you're performing for. just my thoughts

Agreed. I'm only in the situation where i'm doing it for friends, so gimmicks don't work as well. I assume when you work it is more applicable. Probably why David Blaine doesn't get called out on his use of the Invisible Deck - though even if they ask to see the deck, he can edit it out

I think the people who ask to see the deck don't "believe" and I hate performing for them. They are the wise guys/girls. I can usually spot that person and will try to avoid the situation!

if i'm doing a trick with a clean deck, i actually love doing tricks for those people. because they accuse you of gimmicks and can't find any - so you get the last laugh

I think gimmicked decks are risky under any circumstances! (The only exception is if you can do a convincing switch, and it's hard to a switch when all eyes are already on the deck). You never know when someone is gonna say "Can I see those cards?", or "Can I see the deck?". And if you say "No", or avoid their request, they instantly suspect something is wrong with the deck. There goes your credibility for that trick! On another note, I do think that gimmicked "packet" card tricks are OK, providing (again) you can do a convincing switch.

Perform about 3 other card tricks BEFORE you whip out a gimmicked deck. During the "awe" of the tricks it should be easy for a simple switch. NEVER say "look, every card is different", thats a total give-away. Show then every card, but in a way that your not saying LOOK THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT! Also, RIGHT after the trick, while they are in awe. Simply put the deck in your pocket..if they ask to see it, switch it and your cleannnnnnnnnn

Yeah, don't emphasize all cards are different, or that its examinable even if it is, that will make them think "what about the tricks he doesnt mention are examinable" I do however think switching packets is a lot easier than switching decks (for obvious reasons). Does anyone put the cards into the box before switching? I would think so, but it takes several seconds for most people to and by then they have asked the inevitable.

NEVER, and I mean NEVER use the the Svengali deck to change every card to the chosen card. All the others things like getting it to the top, etc. could be done with sleight of hand. But right when you change every card to the chosen card it proves you are using a gimmicked deck. There no sleight of hand move that can cleanly shows every card has changed to a chosen card, there for they know it was somehow switch and somehow gimmicked. So just some advice, I wouldn't change every card to a chosen card with the Svengali deck. This is from personal experience, after showing a friend every card has changed it took away his amazement and he just knew it was gimmicked.

I agree with that. that's the weird thing about trick decks. The effect has to be really good to get people to get fooled, but it can't be TOO good to be true or they know it's a gimmick. Like Mental Photography, Svengali, etc.

Maybe I'v just got good friends but they don't care if I let them examine the deck or not, they are still amazed even if they know it's a gimmicked deck.

Not that I let them see the gimmick...

When I get someone who says "lemme see them cards" I'll say hang on "lemme show you this first" then do another trick like youve just thought of it. Usually they forget. If not then by now you should have switched out your gaffs. I get it on Imposs. Matrix "lemme see them cards" I say wait I can do it w/o the cards which I put away then do a coins across if they remember the cards after a different 2 minute routine you are not controlling the crowd.

If you don't show that all the cards are the same and then different you're missing the best use of a Svengali deck. And you can certianly show every card in a regular deck to be the same through SOH, so you can do your Svengali routine and then switch and still show all the cards the same while still being able to hand out the deck for examination if you really need/want to.

BS. Unless you do a 52 card Flushration Count, (which of course I'm being facetios here) You CAN'T show Every card to be the same with SOH in the SAME CONVINCING MANNER as a Svengali Riffle. (Which I believe you agree with) I can't stand people who say about gaffs that "Oh such and such can be done with SOH" They're missing the point that while it is true that the same idea or effect can be accomplished, the same method would be impossible. It is the method that makes the effect so powerfull such that the layman goes NO FRIGGIN' WAY!!! (NFW). Lets end the Gaffs vs SOH debate and all accept that they both have their place! (Nothing personal David I appologize using your post as the basis for my soapbox rant)