Erdnase x Madison (Ellusionist)

[Azid]

New Decks + Book from Ellusionist:

Available here:
http://www.ellusionist.com/erdnase-x-ma ... oject.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Trailer:

[vasta41]

$100 for scribbles? Jeez, the ego on this guy...

[jerichoholic]

Ugly and pass

[Marcus]

It's $99.95 for the 8 hour long instructional download, a digital annotated edition of EATCT, a softcover EATCT (not annotated I believe) and the two decks. You can pick up the book + decks for $40 or just the download for $80, so they're giving us plenty of options.

Is it worth it? Well, that all depends on what you want and how badly you want it I guess.

[shermjack]

E also mentioned in their instagram that they will eventually be selling decks individually, but probably not for months

[chach]

Is it me or was he three sheets to the wind in that video? I mean damn, slow speech, slurred words, unable to stand up... man was acting worse than the village drunk or even the local heroin junkie.

[phantom1412]

"I'm better than Erdnase and I can prove it" Daniel Madison

Tell me this is a joke.

[sms69x]

"I'm better than Erdnase and I can prove it" Daniel Madison

Tell me this is a joke.

Don't know why should this be a joke...

"I'm better than Madison and I have better things to do than prove it right now" sms69x

As for the deck I would gladly pay $6.00 for it, just for the historic factor.. For the first time DM did came up with a interesting deck.. and how did he even managed to think of it?? This is a really step forward for DM...

[hikeeba]

I prefer the 216s from CARC:

http://conjuringarts.org/2013/03/new-er ... r-members/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You know, something with actual research. Wonder what deck he'll truck out when he tackles "Royal Road".

[Magic_Orthodoxy]

This is not a full review as there is a mountain of data to consume. I can give you what I have learned / discovered so far. First off, the 8 hours of video are NOT Madison teaching Erdnase as a "recap" of the Expert at the Card Table. In other words, he is not necessarily teaching you the book.

Moreover, he is teaching you what he's learned from his years reading Erdnase and his years as a Magician. I think of it like, If Madison decided to write his own book called "The Expert at the Card Table" and he did it in the "style" of Erdnase what would it look like?

He says in his own words:

“How I took the lessons from Erdnase and used them for my own good”

“This project isn’t me teaching Erdnase, it’s teaching what I took from Erdnase and how I made it my own thing.”

So, the project is all shot in black and white (since the classic book has no color) and it's all filmed so that only his cards and hands show (like the classic illustrations) plus the video headings are borrowed slightly from the book. Here is the table of contents and it's run time.

Shuffles & False Shuffles at the table - 1 hour and 33 minutes

False shuffle theory
Table Riffle Shuffle
Push Through Shuffle
Scratch Cut
Blackjack Strip
Ladder Shuffle
Perfect Riffle Shuffle
No Soap Theory
Broken Running Cut
Coat Shuffle (also taught on Mechanic)
Jacket Shuffle
Ghost Shuffle
Broken Bridge Shuffle
Slug Controls

Shuffles & False Shuffles in the hands- 1 hour and 48 minutes

False Overhand Shuffle (also taught on Mechanic)
False ITH Riffle Shuffle
Vice Shuffle (also taught on Mechanic)
Cuts, False Cuts and Nullifying the Cut
Table Slip Cut 1
The Frank Hop (also taught on Mechanic)
The Table Blackout Shift
The Madison Shift
Bypass Cut
Ghost Cut
Amnesia Cut
Over cut
Cuts, False Cuts and Nullifying the Cut ITH
The Classic Pass
The Broken Pass
SWE Shift
The Turnover Pass

Palming and Holding Out - 43 minutes

The Classic Palm
The Gambler’s Cop
The Hotel Cop
The Top Cop
The Slip Cop
The Squeeze Shift
The Ten Steal

False Dealing - 2 hours and 34 minutes

The Madison Grip for Dealing
The Bottom Deal (also taught on Mechanic)
Greek Deal (also taught on Mechanic)
The Second Deal (also taught on Mechanic)

Miscellaneous - 44 minutes (Legerdemain and extra)

Single Handed Shift
Maxican Shift and Brag
Erdnase Color Change
Stacking Ideas
Thank you and credit

-------------------

I will be doing a full review / written and video once I receive the cards and physical book, in the mean time I am happy to field any questions

[rousselle]

I'm very much looking forward to your review. If this is done well, I can see this being worth the money. And, if it's not well presented it, I can seeing it being a complete waste of cash.

There's also the question of, how does this compare to similar packages offered by Simon Lovell (I think his was called The Magician's Toolbox, or something like that) or other video presentations/interpretations of The Royal Road, etc.

[badpete69]

Ellusionist sent out an open letter this morning concerning the real death threats Daniel got for his statement of being better than Erdnase... Again the bottom of the food chain finds a way to overreact as usual..

[PrincessTrouble]

Ellusionist sent out an open letter this morning concerning the real death threats Daniel got for his statement of being better than Erdnase... Again the bottom of the food chain finds a way to overreact as usual..

I'm halfway wondering if that death threat thing wasn't part of the Madison hype.

[joeblow]

Hoping it's a publicity stunt because it's a little disturbing if it's not. It's also questionable why they would send a mass email about something police are investigating.

[Cbkimble]

Ellusionist sent out an open letter this morning concerning the real death threats Daniel got for his statement of being better than Erdnase... Again the bottom of the food chain finds a way to overreact as usual..

Sounds like a sinking ship trying to slay afloat. You know what they say, "there's no such thing as bad publicity."

[sinjin7]

I will never condone threats or violence of any kind, especially when it comes to playing cards. If Madison received real and serious death threats over a silly comment about being better than Erdnase, then it speaks volumes about the sad state of certain people in society. But that's a big "if". This whole open letter that E sent out smells a bit fishy.

When you receive a credible death threat and contact the police, and the police is conducting an active investigation into the matter, you're usually advised not to publically comment on the matter, among other things, as joeblow mentioned. The whole point is to apprehend the criminal, not to tip him off and send him into hiding. As an attorney, I've personally received two death threats in my career so far, and so have a few of my clients. I've contacted the police and have been offered an around the clock police detail at my office and home, as well as other security measures. I was told NOT to say anything to anyone until they completed their investigation as to the seriousness of the threats. Even though in both cases I had a good idea of who was behind the death threats, I was told NOT to contact them or engage in any way. Certainly, going to the press or media was out of the question. Based upon my experiences, if there's actually an active police investigation regarding this alleged death threat, this open letter from E is . . . peculiar.

Hopefully this isn't E sinking to new lows in hype by exploiting a sketchy or fake death threat just to sell a few DVDs and that they catch the criminal who sent the death threats to Daniel Madison so that the sick bastard can learn some harsh life lessons in Court and in prison.

[jerichoholic]

Wouldn't surprise me if E was making stuff up. I do find it odd that he got many of these "threats" via texts, which would indicate the person/people know him and his phone number. I wonder if it was Brad Christian that texted him to set this all up, lol.

If it is legit then perhaps Madison will change his ways and stop acting like such a douche all the time.

[Cardician_82]

Marketing at it worst. Typical E move. Broadcast to the world Daniel's life's in danger!

[chach]

Saw the email earlier and it took a good 5 - 10 minutes for my eyes to stop rolling into the back of my head. I'd bet good money that it's nothing but a hype train, after all, what are we all doing? Talking about Madison and his Erdnase statements. If someone really wanted Madison dead they would've beaten the crap out of him and left him in the gutter like was done to him at least once before (according to him at least).

And yeah, sending out an open letter promoting the fact that they're going to stop promoting it... sorry, don't believe it and anyone that does, I have some ocean front property in Arizona to sell you.

[jerichoholic]

Well E has started selling this again and stated the threats weren't credible or whatever. Sounds like bogus BS to me. So much for not selling this again, like we knew that would happen anyway. Tired of E's tactics.

[RichK]

I love how DM says "this will be my last major project" yet has done Hellions.

[vasta41]

I love how DM says "this will be my last major project" yet has done Hellions.

C'mon, Rick- you should know better! This is E we're talking about- the devil's in the details. The keyword is "major" project. I wouldn't be surprised if DM came out with 43 more decks at 5,000 print runs each. And then everyone would ask, "Why? Why! Why!?" And E will answer, "we consider a 5,000 to be a limited print run and therefore not a 'major' project."

E marketing at its most quintessential.

[shermjack]

Individual black decks now available for 7.99 at Ellusionist...seems like the green deck will be limited to the box set

[Marcus]

I love how DM says "this will be my last major project" yet has done Hellions.

C'mon, Rick- you should know better! This is E we're talking about- the devil's in the details. The keyword is "major" project. I wouldn't be surprised if DM came out with 43 more decks at 5,000 print runs each. And then everyone would ask, "Why? Why! Why!?" And E will answer, "we consider a 5,000 to be a limited print run and therefore not a 'major' project."

E marketing at its most quintessential.

You guys might be suffering from collectors' blindness here. The major project referred to isn't the decks, the decks are just an added piece to the 8-hour long Erdnase project (and 8 hours is by all estimates a major project when it comes to magic).

[jerichoholic]

8 hour project based on someone else's work and name!

[Bruno]

8 hour project based on someone else's work and name!

Weepin'willikers, Irony, much ?

[Marcus]

8 hour project based on someone else's work and name!

Erdnase unfortunately couldn't find time in his schedule to do a project like this. He was very busy being dead.

This isn't the EATCT book straight up in video format, it is Madison's own adaption and modifications on sleights and moves. The former has already been done by Alan Ackerman and Wesley James with varied results.

I honestly can't see how you can find anything to be annoyed with about someone doing a project like this.