This gentleman is still the most impressive of all mentalists. Many years ago I wrote to him and I was told he would never reply to an amateur. I received a very encouraging handwritten letter from Mr Maven. R.I.P. Sir.
I hear you but depends on the setting. Also depends on your talent as an Entertainer combined with the setting. Certainly this isn't go to material for most situations.
@@Rhewin Thank you. This frustrates me somewhat.... This is the equivalent of a business trainer, engaged privately by a company to help enhance their teams. This is not the 'pitch', this is the 'way to approach and deliver the pitch'. I remember a time where magic performance was freely available online/youtube but that private, paid for lectures were restricted to those who followed a serious path (the lectures with the information that I paid to learn...) Sadly, now that everything is freely available, those who love being mesmerised are no longer mesmerised 😔
Impractical is an adjective to describe something or someone as unwise, without common sense, idealistic. Impracticable is _unfeasible_ or *impossible to use* . You are stupid!
@@WayneJBurrows I remember that episode Shawn Farquar's first appearance. "I believe Perci Diaconus said you needed to do twelve shuffles, but I'll just do uh four or five" BUT at least he credited it correctly!
Stacked decks and ILLUSION OF CHOICE! No Gilbreath principle involved, except mathematics used when stacking the decks before the performance. "I created this experiment in 1988" -- Then how was it performed in a mentalism act at a Bicentennial celebration I attended in 1976 and then bought the pamphlet to learn the trick? I still have it. There is a big difference between misdirection in a magic act and taking credit for intellectual property that isn't yours and getting paid for it!!
Max is one of the most knowledgeable folks in magic. He didn't create the Gilbreath principle, as he states in this lecture, but he studied it extensively and came up with many ideas that use it. Also, there can be many different methods to accomplish the same "looking" effect. The bill in lemon, for instance, has countless methods to accomplish what a lay-audience would perceive as the same thing. And it has happened that people independently think of the same method. It's rare, but not at all uncommon. Max has earned his accolades and our respect.
You bought a pamphlet that relies on the Gilbreath principle... which is the outcome of single shuffling a reversed packet from a mathematical and sequentially arranged stacked deck rooted in the illusion of choice. He doesn't really take the time to explain the Gilbreath principle, but your complaint covered it pretty well. He came up with his own presentation in 1988 (there are MANY possibilities and presentations of the mathematical outcomes... as it relates to suits, sequence, color, numbers, etc. depending on the starting stack).
I use the principle all tje time and entertainingly. This is a lecture not a show. Its not cool to admit you gave no attention span. Its not the trick but the performer that's boring. There is so much you can do with it. Some white striking. Go and watch Chris Angel
This is a lecture about a concept for other magicians, not a performance. Not meant to be entertaining, meant to be educational. Your comment is like watching an interview with Leonardo DeCaprio and then complaining his acting wasn't very good.