REVIEW: Ultimate Forcing Deck by JT

Magic can be considered a craft and often an art, but most of the time it is just a hobby and although it is slowly changing, most hobbyist magicians are men. This combined with the fact “Magic is the only skill you can buy” (Steve Martin.) make it the perfect pastime for boys with toys.

Let me just say, I have no problem with anyone buying expensive things for their hobby. It is all part of the fun and we all do it and it is very enjoyable. I was a pretty good cyclist in my early years and once spent £200 on a pair of wheel skewers (to save 6 grams of weight), in my blinkered vision it made sense. My son pointed out I could have just taken a sock off.

The Ultimate Forcing Deck by JT is that set of skewers.

It is essentially a Pop Eyed Popper deck, invented by R.W. Hull in 1942. and widely regarded as the best forcing deck ever, consisting of 26 roughed pairs. Each pair is made up of an indifferent card with a force card behind it. It can be spread freely to show all the differing faces, but when turned over only the back of the force card be touched.

Due to the roughing, it can be freely overhand shuffled without anything being disturbed.* It is completely self-working and very convincing and costs off the shelf about £6.**

The Ultimate Forcing Deck by JT, is a Pop Eyed Popper deck, but the pairs have been roughed using a substance applied to just the back of the indifferent card. This means the pairs can be separated by a participant easier than the traditional treatment and there is no residue on the force card. It costs an eye-watering £30.
Much like my beautiful skewers the gain is close to bugger all.

I can hear my son saying, you can do the cross-cut force, riffle force, a one-way deck, a Svengali deck, a Mirage deck a standard Pop Eyed Popper. All of which I already have.

Throughout the 80 years since its conception, the Pop Eyed Popper has been made using various substances applied in various ways. This iteration just doesn’t do anything that a standard roughing stick hasn’t been doing previously at a fraction of the price.

We are always looking at ways to improve parts of our magic, sometimes money can’t provide that edge. Often is better to look at what we can already do and build on that, the Cut Deeper Force can be an entertaining way to have card selected, rather than just a necessity.

By all means purchase the The Ultimate Forcing Deck (not available from Monster), it may make a negligible difference to your magic and you can rest easy knowing you spared no expense in your pursuit of perfection. Just don’t try explaining it to your son.

*The Svengali deck and others can be overhand shuffled too.
** You can make a Pop Eyed Popper yourself (or the Ultimate Forcing Deck) for just a little more.