Fortuity by David Jonathan and Alakazam Magic is a fantastic playing card prediction effect using a specially created and beautiful deck, a pair of dice and a prediction envelope. Fortuity is a highly recommended effect that uses a gimmicked deck.
With your purchase ($37.25) you get an individually curated deck of cards, a pair of dice, an hour-long instructional DVD and the prediction envelope and card. The specially made deck apparently consists of all different faces and backs. The deck itself is a wonderful collection of different backs and is pleasing to look at when the performer fans it to show all different backs. Despite the ad copy’s claims that “all card can be shown both front and back”, that is not true in actuality, but it is true from the spectator’s point of view.
The routine is as follows: The performer displays the deck showing all different backs and faces from front to back. The spectator rolls 2 dice, totals them to get to a number and then counts down using that number to pick a card from either the top of the deck or the face. So for instance, if the spectator rolls a 12, the performer takes the 12th card from either the top or the bottom and uses that as a designated back. Then the process is repeated and the dice are rolled and a face is chosen from the opposite side of the deck (although it is possible to choose from the same side of the deck in certain circumstances) based upon the number rolled. So let’s assume that the card back chosen was from the Dapper Deck by Vanishing Inc. (with a King of Hearts face) and the second card chosen by a random roll of the dice was a 9 of diamonds (with a Tally Ho back). The two cards together create a new card using the face of one of the selected cards and the back of the other. In this case, a Dapper Deck back with a 9 of diamonds face. The cards are shown to have all different backs and faces as stated above. Then, the prediction envelope is opened and the newly created combination card is inside the envelope that has been sitting in front of the spectator the entire time.
This trick was inspired by Duel Match, which is an awesome trick. Like Duel Match, this trick cannot be repeated for the same spectator and the deck cannot be handled by anyone but the magician. Different from Duel Match is that the deck can be displayed from front to back on both sides and that is a major upgrade and improvement. While Duel Match resets almost automatically, there is a few second reset with Fortuity that needs some privacy.
The instructional video is an hour long and David Loosley performs it in studio for a spectator before the explanation. Loosley’s portion of the DVD is about 30 minutes. The trick is easy to learn and perform. This portion of the DVD is excellently produced. The second part of the DVD is taught by David Jonathan and the production value is not as good as the first half and the audio is a bit hollow. It seems as if it was self-shot on a camcorder in his house. Jonathan teaches how to apparently shuffle the deck and provides some clever pointers and handling tips, however, I found his instruction to be somewhat repetitive and a bit slow moving.
The dice are normal and there is no trickery with the envelope. Beginner skill level is required to perform this trick and it has professional level results. This trick can be used for strolling gigs because it does not absolutely require a table, but one is preferred because you roll dice and may place the selected cards and prediction envelope on a table. You can perform this without a table if you have the spectator hold the selection cards and prediction envelope and have them use mental dice and call out their imaginary roll of the dice. The deck can be only used for this one effect and it is a very strong one at that.
Fortuity is a highly recommended effect, it is stunning and totally astonishing. Your purchase of this product is guaranteed to knock it out of the park every time.
The totally awesome product is available at any Murphy’s Magic dealer.