First Impression:

So we all know about the Invisible Deck, right? We know how it's done, and we know the basic way to use it. So why do I need to buy this DVD then? (You may ask yourself...) Well, not only does this DVD teach how the basic effect is done, but it also covers many other variations and tricks with the invisible deck, and PRESENTATION of the invisible deck! The I.D. (yeah, it's so good it has it's own acronym!) is a very versatile tool, but without presentation, your performance can go from amazing to just a "meh, that's cool, but whatever." If you get this DVD, Oz teaches you how to always make your performance amazing.

The tricks:

Stand up, a royal mess, and sync up. Each trick is very powerful, and, I don't want to ruin the surprise of what specifically each effect is, though, let me tell you, each effect is special to a certain TYPE of magic. I.e. Stand Up is perfect for parlor magic, and a royal mess is perfect for close-up. The versatility Oz teaches with the invisible deck is GREAT. For example, using the deck as an "out." I don't want to give away the tricks, since Penguin doesn't give them away on the review page, but I will tell you, the tricks look like you are performing with a normal deck (i.e. Royal mess is like a triumph)- SO, you can then go into another invisible deck routine after doing a triumph, without actually having to switch decks. Brilliant!

The teaching:

Oz's teaching is always good. The DVD is shot in VERY high quality, the sound is perfect, and the pace of the teaching is perfect. Oz doesn't leave us curious on anything. No problems on this section.

The prop itself:

The I.D. penguin supplies you with (when you buy the DVD) is a very high quality deck. It will last you a good 6 months or so if you take care of it well. Not all I.D.'s are as high quality as the one's at penguin, so DO NOT take this for granted! Also, the deck comes free with the DVD, which isn't always the case when you buy from other sites.

Final thoughts:

I believe this is a must-have for every magician. Not every "card magician" but every magician. There is SO much you can do with this tool. Most great magicians say that magic is 99% presentation and 1% trick. If we all hold true to this principle, we can really create great magic with such a simple effect (1% trick) and building up a 99% presentation, since the trick itself is so basic. On the product page, penguin says that you will be performing the effect in "days." This is false. You will be able to perform it after 1 hour MAX if you focus. Though, I advise you to first come up with a great presentation (after you master the technical part of the effect, which is SO easy), before actually performing it. I must have said this 5 times already, but this prop is so versatile as well. For ANY type of magic, the I.D. can be a perfect tool. For stage, for close-up, or for parlor, and even street magic, the I.D. never fails to get GAPING reactions.

Last words:

I will give this DVD a 10/10. No doubt. I have been looking for a great DVD for the I.D. for a while, but out of all the ones I have, this one is WITHOUT a DOUBT the best. I am a professional performer 5 nights a week at a restaurant, and continue to use ALL of the tricks on this DVD every night. Usually when I buy a magic DVD, I will only use 1 effect out of every 5 or 10. This is not the case with this DVD.

Brilliantly shot, wonderfully produced, and a gold-quality effect. For any of you serious performers, I cannot recommend this effect ANY more.

Keep astonishing,

With respect,

-Sanj

The Invisible Deck is a brilliant tool to create amazing magic. Every card magician, perhaps every magician period, should own one. The question is, is this the way to get it?

My first Invisible Deck contained a booklet explaining the use and handling of the deck along with several tips on the small amount of memorization required to use it properly. The deck that comes with this DVD is a high quality Bicycle brand deck, but does not include that booklet. Not that it should be necessary: handling and mnemonic tips of Oz's own are covered, assuming zero knowledge to start. However, there is a key bit of handling that was quite different than what I learned; it is impossible to explain here without spoilers, but I will say that I would also research other explanations of handling the deck, especially if you have trouble making it behave as expected.

I got this DVD to get some ideas of alternate presentations (and to get a second deck in a different color than my original). Although he has some interesting ideas, I don't think they are the best presentations by far, and I would urge those of you new to the Invisible Deck to look for other performances with the deck for more ideas before using it. As with the other DVDs in this series, Oz performs almost exclusively on the streets of the Las Vegas strip at night, and presentation is excellent for the type of short-attention-span spectator he has to deal with; but if you are lucky enough to be doing a parlor-style performance for an attentive group, there is enormous potential for interactivity and humor that you won't see here.

So overall I'm really mixed on whether to recommend this DVD. If you are already comfortable with the deck, the new ideas might be interesting, but hardly worth it. If you are new to it, there are worse ways to be introduced, and the additional cost on top of just buying a deck isn't too high... just be sure to look further. It is nice to get the quality included deck, though.

this trick is a true classic in magic. oz knows how to take you through all the basics in getting to know the deck and useing it to really stump your audience. this deck can be used by beginners and pros, so there really is no reason to not add it to your show!

This is a Very good trick great for pros and beginners. I performed this to a friend and he was completely shocked. All he could do was stammer and stare. It was Great. Im a beginner myself so you can trust me on this. However, in order to perform this trick, you have to be able to think quick on your feet. And i mean think incredibly fast. Penguin said you will be performing this in days. But it can be mastered in about 2 hr of steady concentrated practice. :) There is some basic math to this trick but nothing you haven't learned in 1st or 2nd grade.
So if you don't like to do simple math, stay away from this trick.
If you do then i cant recommend this trick enough.:)

I'm returning to magic after a 15 year hiatus. I used svengali, stripper and invisible decks in the past, but usually only knew one or two decent routines with each deck. The Oz DVDs are definitely worth the extra cash. He provides multiple routines, as well as some techniques to use with each deck. If you are new to magic, or just looking to expand upon some existing routines with these gimmick decks, go for the DVD, you wont regret it.

This is a truly professional deck of cards which can be learned in minutes. It is truly baffling to those to whom you perform but very easy to the Magician to perform.
It turns a novice into one who looks like a professional and will amaze those who see it.

I don't do that much card magic, I have the Invisible Deck. OZ teaches you the right way and does it quickly. Using Oz's instruction as a base I have come up with several different ways to introduce the effect. Most of the time I do just to watch the expression of the faces of the spectators. If you have some one in the crowd that is a non-believer, this effect will make them a true believer. Just get it, it is that simple. Okay

This makes you much more confident with the classic invisible deck, I love this trick and oz adds a lot to it. The invisible deck has never let me down and if you've never used one I highly recommend this product.

This is another great DVD put together by Oz. Although this trick may have been overdone by many magicians over the years it is a staple of magic. Oz offers many ideas on how to be creative while presenting this trick.

This is a great trick. Its one of the most visual classics of all time. Oz theaches he trick great in the secret to this trick wares of though so ur gonna have to renew it.