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John Bannon LIVE (Penguin LIVE)


Hard-hitting card magic with minimal moves and maximum impact. SUPPORT LIVE MAGIC. DOWNLOAD THE FULL LECTURE TODAY.
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"The more I study card magic and mentalism, the more impressed I am with John Bannon. His "lean and mean" style of construction and execution inspires me. His routines are hard hitting and fun to perform." - Jeff McBride, Las Vegas Headliner

"John Bannon is known for his refined card work and excellent book-length collections of magic. A master of eliminating moves to maximize impact, he is the creator of some of card magic’s neo-classics." - Jared Kopf, MAGIC Magazine

"Slick. Cool. Superb on all levels. Beyond the exceptional caliber of the effects is John’s brilliant thinking behind it all." - John Guastaferro

"You know, as I get older, my ability to impress an audience with brute sleight of hand, wanes ever so slightly with each passing day; and the thought of that inevitable day when my decline will be glaringly obvious to even the uninitiated is a source of gnawing depression. But then I remember the Bannon stuff, and I get a warm happy feeling. Thanks to John’s material, not only will they think I'm still good, they might even think I'm getting better!! Sooner or later, everyone does Bannon." - Jack Carpenter

What will he teach?

John Bannon: The First Three Decades

THE 90s
Strangers’ Gallery - finally, a logical color-changing deck routine
Bannon Triumph - the classic self-working offbeat triumph routine (performance only)
Trick Shot Production - a card divination and surprise production

THE 00s
Power Of Poker - two freely chosen poker hands predicted perfectly
Final Verdict - spectator cuts to, and turns over, the Aces
Doctored Daley - classic in-the-hands Ace transposition
Origami Poker - offbeat royal flush production from a shuffled deck
Flytrap False Cut - fabulous in-the-hands false cut
Watching The Detectives - truly offbeat sandwich routine

THE 10s
Montinator 5.0 - a game you just can’t lose
Spin Doctor - twisting the Aces with a twist
Bullet Catcher - find four Aces fast
One Of The Better Losers - know when to Hold ‘Em, and when to fold ‘em
Mousetrap - self-working, slow motion, impossible sandwich location
Collusion - self-working ACAAN – teamwork!

Who is he?

John’s interest in magic began as a student in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he attended lectures by such luminaries as Vernon and Goshman. In the eighties, while in the Air Force, John moved to Washington D.C. where his magic development was nurtured by the vibrant magic community there. Also in the eighties, John began to attend conventions and his sphere of magic friends and influences continued to expand.

John moved to Chicago in 1988. In the 1990’s his first major books were published, introducing his creative work and unique writing style to the world. Impossibilia (1990) and Smoke & Mirrors (1992), were smash hits, and remain relevant and current to this day. His packet trick, Twisted Sisters (1993), continues to be one of the bestselling tricks of all time. During this period, John lectured throughout the United States, Europe and Japan—achieving a truly international reputation.

Today, John is an internationally-acclaimed creator of close-up magic—with a special emphasis on tricks with playing cards. His book, Dear Mr. Fantasy (2005) is widely hailed as one of the best magic books of the last decade. Currently, his collections High Caliber (2013), and Destination Zero (2015), quickly sold out as “must have” volumes. His recent project, Mentalissimo, is getting the same enthusiastic reception.

In the video space, around 2008, he released his highly-regarded series of “fractal” examinable packet tricks. In 2009, John teamed up with the stylish production company, Big Blind Media, to make Bullets After Dark, and in 2011, Bullet Party, both collections of card magic. In 2014, they followed up with more examinable packet tricks, the best-selling collection, Fractalicious and the innovative Sizzle. Recently, they began the epic, off-the-charts Move Zero series on John’s self-working card magic.

In real life, John is a busy lawyer. After hours, he likes to do card tricks. While John’s magic has an international presence, his personal appearances are limited. We are very pleased that he was available for this very special lecture.

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Customer Reviews (showing 1 - 10 of 24)
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Simply Wonderful! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on October 27th, 2016
This was not only an excellent lecture, but an important one for a number of reasons...

If you are into magic theory, Bannon discusses not only how to create sleights, effects and routines, but effectively describes WHY various approaches work, and why others do not.

If you are one of the few who are lucky enough to get paid to perform for "real" people, Bannon's historical presentation of effects revisits some of his "classics," and progresses to his current offerings, all of which are in the working repertoires of some of today's pros. As some of these routines are now decades old, they can actually be played as "new" for younger generations.

Finally, if you are just a fan of magic, Bannon has the goods, and tips his hand on some of his finest offerings. The trouble with someone like Bannon, is that he has such a wealth of outstanding material, it is difficult to whittle down the choices for a lecture.

No "filler" here - this one is certainly worth the minimal investment.!!
4 of 4 magicians found this helpful.
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Bannon Rocks! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 7th, 2016
If you're into card magic, you probably already have a Bannon book or video. If you're a big fan (like me), you might have them all. I was a bit hesitant to purchase this lecture, since I already knew most of these routines. But I'm so glad I did...there's nothing like seeing them live, and he offers lots of insights you might not find anywhere else. It's not a long lecture compared to some others, but that's Bannon--direct, to the point, no fluff--and the magic hits hard. This one is a winner and highly recommended.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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The Best Penguin Lecture I've Seen Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on October 27th, 2016
I don't usually do the whole "this is the best... ever" thing, and I've seen a ton of penguin lectures, and this one is by far my favorite one yet. Some fantastic tricks with an impromptu (or easy to set up right in front of them, so basically impromptu) deck, and then some tricks with extra props. There are at least 5 tricks that now I use every time someone hands me a shuffled deck in use and asks me to do magic. The detectives trick might be my favorite sandwich effect of all time, and it gives you a reason to produce aces and do some magic with them, too! Most of this stuff is fairly easy to pull off, too. Super poker is my favorite 10 card poker deal effect (with a completely different method from the common one) I have ever seen, besides MAYBE blessed poker off Woodyland. It's so clever!!!

If you are a fan of hard hitting card magic from a normal pack of cards, and fun packet tricks, this lecture is a NO brainer. For $30, all the content you learn here is absolutely a steal. John Bannon rocks!
2 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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Killer Material Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 18th, 2018
I own quite a few Penguin Lectures and this is by far one of the best. Those who know John Bannon know his material is solid, commercial and hard-hitting. This lecture is packed with incredible material. I highly recommend picking this one up. Spin Doctor, Stranger's Gallery and Collusion – in my opinion – are worth the price of 5 lectures combined. No joke.
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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three decades of magic Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on November 1st, 2016
favorites per decade (in this lecture):
90's - stranger's gallery
00's - origami poker
10's - montinator

The 'Collusion' routine does exemplify Bannon's ability to elevate existing routines with the modest of changes. This is not a variant simply for variation's sake.

Both 'Watching The Detectives' and 'Mousetrap' are sandwich routines and are more intriguing for their methods (IMHO); the routines dragged a tad leading to the payoff.

Spin Doctor is fun, relatively simple, and has surprises sprinkled throughout the routine. Montinator saves all the surprises untill the very end. The effects look like they require special gaffs, but both use regular cards!

advertised but not taught:
Shriek Of The Mutilated
Bannon Triumph (performance only)
Flytrap False Cut
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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well-thout out Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on February 12th, 2017
I watched Bannon`s live. hia methodology and thinking is simple, yet elegant and superb. Just like being a lawyer, as a magician, Bannon cannot lose the game. I think he is very delibarate, prudential but entertaining. I truely enjoyed. However, Jacob guy was quite annoying. I do not think he needs to be in the live.
1 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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bannon lecture Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on March 10th, 2024
i highly reccomend this if you love gambling and packet type tricks, its a very awsome lecture and the magic he teaches is super awsome, if you can do a elmsley count. you will love the magic he teaches.
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bannon lecture Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on March 10th, 2024
i highly reccomend this if you love gambling and packet type tricks, its a very awsome lecture and the magic he teaches is super awsome, if you can do a elmsley count. you will love the magic he teaches.
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A true teacher Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 27th, 2022
I enjoyed this greatly.
What a relaxing well thought out lecture. I really enjoyed the subdued presentation, with extensive yet brief explanations. What can often end up as being wordy, Bannon has found a way to abridge in a fashion that keeps the important details and filters the rest. I will be searching for more lectures by this accomplished entertainer.
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All useable Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on March 15th, 2022
Much was moveless (not all) and most was “fractal.” There is obviously overlap with other projects, but it is interesting to see what John selected to teach from his decades long career (he did tricks from various eras, not just new material).
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