Review: Point Blank by Michael Ammar and Jordan Cotler

How's this for straight forward? You bring out a deck of cards, shuffle it and spread it face-up on the table. The spectator can see all the cards and then freely selects one.

You pick up the cards in the spread and then immediately show that they are all completely blank. You take back the spectator's card, and then show that it has turned blank as well.

The magic happens through the workings of a gimmicked deck and the trick requires two moves. One move is the half-pass, which Michael Ammar teaches in detail, and the other is a standard move that all who work with cards will know. This trick is simple and direct, and it's a good one for beginners who may want to learn a good trick and push their skills.

Reset is fast so this one can work well in strolling situations. Because of the gimmicked deck, you won't be able to allow spectators to examine it. The presented handling requires a table, but this one can be presented in the hands. Ammar also offers a brilliant script to present the trick.

Kenton Knepper offers a similar effect with his "Blank" (please click here to read our review). I’ve been performing Knepper's "Blank" for awhile and it gets a great response. Both effects result in the cards that were not selected turning blank and both quickly reset for strolling situations.

Here are the main differences that I see: 1) in "Point Blank," the selection of the card is completely free while in "Blank," it's influenced; 2) in "Blank," you’re completely clean at the end and spectators can examine all the cards, whereas in "Point Blank," you can't allow spectators to examine the gimmicked deck and 3) "Blank" involves the choices of two spectators while "Point Blank" involves the choice of one.

While I see advantages to both, for my strolling sets, I prefer Kenton Knepper's "Blank."

-Wayne N. Kawamoto

MSRP: (US) $20

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