Peter Nardi has taken Dai Vernon's Travellers effect and turned it inside out and (at the end) backwards. I guess that sounds like a bad thing, but his iChange effect is not supposed to be Travellers -- it is something completely different. "iChange" is short for Instant Interchange, so it is not really a cards to pocket effect, though it does include a phase where four cards you were just holding end up in four different pockets. (But I'm getting ahead of myself....)
The effect: magi shows eight cards fanned in his hands -- (there are really only eight cards) -- and he calls attention to the fact he has four Aces and four Kings. The Kings are laid on the table while the magician places the each of the Aces into a different pocket. He picks up the Kings, turns them facedown, makes a magic gesture, and immediately turns the four cards faceup -- they are the Aces. The four Aces -- (there are really only four cards here) -- are shown, and the magician shows his other hand empty, then reaches into a pocket, extracting a King. The King is placed onto the Ace packet, so the (again empty) hand can reach into another pocket, and bring out a second King. This King is placed on the Ace packet, the cards are switched to the other hand, so the magician can reach into a pocket on the other side of his jacket, where he removes a third King. This King is placed onto the other packet of cards, and his empty hand goes into the fourth pocket, bringing out the fourth King.
The audience usually starts applauding now.
But the magi postpones this well-deserved adulation by placing the packet of cards between a spectator's palms. He asks her to name either the Aces or Kings. She says "Kings". "Okay", replies the magi, "you keep the Kings, and I will keep the Aces". She checks between her hands, and finds only four Kings. The magi then shows his hands completely empty, and quickly reaches into his four different pockets to remove the four Aces. He hands them to the spectator who can now examine all the cards if she wants.
Impossible to stop the applause now.
Nardi has designed four gimmicks which make this routine much easier than you would expect. That said, the routine does require two sleights (both of which I would term as "intermediate" level). However, these occur at times that are well-misdirected, and so many changes/transpositions happen when it is clear to the spectators that no manipulation is occurring. So even if the spectators suspect you did something at those two actual sleight moments, they will still be baffled at how much magic happens without them seeing anything. (But you should really practice this until you can do those two sleights without any spectators seeing!)
The DVD instructions include a version where the Aces are each signed -- this version is not worth the extra effort (in my opinion). Among other routines taught using the same gaffed cards, I thought the add-on for your favorite Collectors routine was excellent.
Regular sells for $40 (which seems expensive to me, and probably why I saw another seller offering this for $30). I like to have the best price on things, so I'll go a bit below that....
Brand new, with DVD instructions, with four custom USPCC printed gimmicks with Red Bicycle Rider backs. (Poker size) Use your own matching Bicycle deck.
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