Anyone know/use this gimmick? (Phantom Deck)

2024-06-15

Hey guys, quick question: does anyone know the name of the gimmick used for the trick where the deck transforms into a plastic/crystal deck? I mean, not one solid block of crystal, but thin crystal pieces that look like cards.

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@dezeta

2024-06-16

At one point, I got obsessed with making an omni deck – you know, one that was transparent but still kept all the numbers and symbols. I hunted for materials, plastics to print on, templates, and so on.

In the end, I decided it wasn't worth the effort. Honestly, the acrylic block for the omni effect is really just a quicker take on a Triumph effect. The phantom deck is similar; it's a deck switch that you could easily substitute with any other deck – like a double-backer, for instance. If the only unique thing about the phantom deck is removing plastic cards until only the spectator's card remains, I think it's an expensive and cumbersome gimmick for such a simple effect, especially when there are other options like Impossible Voyage, The Nests, or The Clear Box. If you're only going to do one trick with it, fine, but as part of a larger routine, I believe the space-to-weight-to-effort-to-gimmick-to-effect ratio just doesn't stack up against simpler alternatives.

My point with this whole anecdote is that sometimes things look super cool, and they might even be cool, but in reality, you'll never actually use them. I hope that makes sense. But if you think it's worth the investment, then go ahead and buy it or make one yourself, just like Zeta did.