This is the most powerful effect in my routine. If you are committed to making this a good effect, and practice hard, this will blow people away.Richard Sanders teaches this effect and every sleight and subtlety in great detail. To get everything that this effect has to offer, I would suggest watching the whole DVD including the in-depth workshops for all the more difficult moves to master. Sanders has some great ideas for the handling of classic sleights. He teaches them so that they can be applied to the effect.

Identity Extended - This is the routine that is right where it needs to be to blow people's minds. It is a powerful effect and as in all of the sections, taught in full detail from many angles to ensure you can get the effect. This version of this effect is one of the 3 effects that get the best reactions out of anything.

Getting the Name - Getting the spectators name is so simple, but the spectators will never know what hit them. This is the one down side to this product. Richard Sanders does not give very many ways to obtain the spectator's name. There are many techniques I can easily think of, because Sanders's will not all of the time, although a good 95% of the time it will.

Identity Condensed - I don't have much to say about this version, besides for it's what you use to fill the final period of time you have in your act if you are in a "running late" situation. Not the best version, but still a good option to think about.

Identity Maxed Out - I think this is a little too far. It is a good way to present an effect, but not this one. I think it is a lot more fluent and flows better in your routine to stick to the Extended version.

Impromptu Version - An absolute life saver. This version of the effect takes 2 seconds with a marker and a deck of cards. Someone says "do the name trick" who has seen it performed before. Just take a drink, switch out decks behind your table, etc. and your done. With every good trick, you are going to get requests. It's always great when you can go right into the requested effect even if you weren't planning on it from the start.

Sleight of Hand Workshops - These are great workshops, not for beginners, but a way for Sanders to show more practical applications of these sleights so they can easily be adjusted for this effect.

i dont know what in the **** some people are talking about with this being misleading, it is the greatest trick in my arsenal!

pros: you can preform it nearly surronded
you dont haft to stalk them around to get their name
you can do it impromptu
the spectators will never figure it out (i have done this at least 130 times and never once did i get cought. well, i did it to one of my fellow magicains in the condensed version and kinda got caught)

the trick is absolutely ingenious, and it uses old and all ready taught slights, making it 40 times easier.

all in all, this trick is a must buy

This is a very powerful effect do not belive the negative reviews. It is not that hard to learn if you have a basic understanding of card magic. Not only that it is very well explained and demonstrated. Get this and start performing it you will not be disapointed actually you will blow them away. Highly recommended.

this trick is easy when you learn all the move and also you learn a lot cool technique of to handle the card this is worth it and flip out when seeing this trick and jaw droping

WOW. It's amazing. Not a begginers trick for sure, but If I had to do a list of 3 best card effects this would be there. A genious multi-phase routine. Plus, you get 4 variations. The one you see in the demo. another one is Identity condensed. its a little bit shorter. Identity maxed out- cleanest version and best. Identity impromomptu. That speaks for itself. By that it means can be done with a borrowed deck. But the effect useing the gimmick can be called impromptu.As said in the description you get a bycicle gimmick card. I use fan backs. But if you are at least an intermidiate you have like 5 of these gimmicks. And even if you don't, just use imporomptu method. Amazing. Actually all of RIchards products are amazing. Identity, ultra gum, extreme burn.

This routine uses a clever ruse that allows you to set up the finale right in front of your spectators without their knowledge. And it sets you up so far ahead that they don't see the punchline ever coming.

If you've seen the previous routines of Richard Sanders, then you'll recognize that this wonderful routine is grand result of their evolution. He's taken the best of his best and condensed them to form this amazing piece of strange.

For the "purists", you don't even really need the gimmick.
Yep, you can use a borrowed deck with a stranger, and leave them a personalized souvenir.

Simply wonderful.

I signed back onto Penguin to order Identity for a friend, and as I scrolled down, it seems everyone has given it one star for a couple of really stupid reason. I have performed the effect way over 30 times since it was released, and only ONCE did I ever get caught, or have someone figure out the method. When they figured Identity out, it was because I was performing the Identity Extended, where you have the mark jump from card to card. After that, I went home and made the Maxed Out version. THIS is the routine that no one can figure out how it's done. I even went to my local magic store, and performed the effect for him. He had never seen the effect, and when I was finished, his jaw was on the floor, and he told me he hasn't be fooled by a card effect in YEARS.

What I think people don't understand that it's not the effect's fault, but the performer's fault for failing the effect. Sorry to sound harsh, but this effect, like all others need a fair amount of practice. Use the Maxed Out version, and it makes everything so much stronger.

So to all the people who are reading all these negative reviews, take into consideration that this effect DOES still need practice. Practice, practice and practice, which is what I have done, and I haven't been caught ONCE except for when I did the extended version. This effect is very powerful, so if you're willing to practice the effect, you'll love it even more once you perform it for someone and then they literally FREAK OUT.

So, in closing you really should pick up this effect and be the judge yourself. This isn't a self working trick, but after about a week of practicing the effect for maybe 45mins to 60mins a day, then you will be ready to show this bad arse effect to real, lay audiences, and like I said, they will FLIP OUT at the end.

This is the kind of high quality effect that we have come to expect from Richard Sanders. The instruction is impeccable. Every nuance, sleight, and psychological subtlety is covered in detail. I have performed the effect for both children and adults at a wide range of venues (restaurants, bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, etc), and it is something that spectators young and old will remember you for. Instead of giving everyone a business card, some leave with a memorable and meaningful souvenir that they will show their friends. By the end of the night, if the parents don't know who you are, then you are doing something wrong.

Hi! This is your official PenguinMagic reviewer, B_Magic. NOW THIS IS A MUST BUY! ADD TO CART. RIGHT NOW. NUFF SAID!

I'll be honest with you. When I first heard about Identity I was a little skeptical. Sure the effect looks good, but is it really as good as it looks? I waited to see other reviews, and many them confirmed my suspicions: that it really isn't as good as it looks. For some reason, I went ahead and got it anyway, and I got to tell you, I WAS WRONG!

This effect is AWESOME! In a matter of days after I received this effect it became part of my Absolute Arsenal: a set of the best effects I own and perform with all the time. This trick kills, and it's a real reputation-maker! In fact, this may well be one of the most requested tricks in my weekly restaurant gigs. It's that cool!

It will take some work to make it look like the video, but it isn't terribly hard to do. In fact, even if you don't end in the "advanced" way that Richard Sanders does, the effect is still killer! You, and most importantly, your audiences, will love this effect. This is a must-buy!

B_Magic

This is a great visual trick for card magicians. It isn't too hard but isn't something you can perform in a day! I love it, but the only problem is that I don't perform it a lot because I don't carry around the gimmick a lot. But it is still cool!