When it comes to practical magic that you can carry with you all the time there are plenty of products that promise miracles, but few end up being what they say. Flip is not that product. Predicting the outcome of a coin flip has been explored several different times. Some were good and some were bad. Flip is the perfect solution to this puzzle all packed into an instant download. This trick didn't just fool Penn & Teller, they actually added it to their OWN show. FLIP is the single best way to predict coin flips period.
Here is what the add promises
Perfectly control the flip of a coin with no false moves, no gimmicks, no hesitation, and perfect accuracy. This effect was so fooling, that after it flummoxed Penn & Teller on Fool Us, they immediately put it into their live show. Use an ordinary coin to control the outcome of everything. This is Flip by Wes Iseli.
Flip is a utility move created by nationally touring magician Wes Iseli that allows for the perfect control of a fairly flipped coin under any circumstances. The coin doesn’t secretly wobble, you don’t have to count the rotations in the air, and you can instantly control whether the coin is displayed on the heads or tails side. Best of all, there are no switches. You can perform this miracle with borrowed international currency anywhere and any time.
When you purchase Flip you get detailed instructions on the colossal stage routine Wes Iseli used to fool Penn & Teller on their hit TV show. Wes also shares additional presentations he uses in his professional work to perfectly predict the outcome of a series of coin flips called by the spectator. This routine is perfect for the working magician or mentalist who needs something that is bullet proof and can be performed close up. The secret is easy to do, and you’ll master it within minutes of learning the secret. Only shared with a handful of top pros before this, now Wes Iseli is sharing this secret with you for the very first time. Don’t leave a coin flip to chance ever again with Flip by Wes Iseli.
Review
Price
Flip is brought to us via instant download for the price of $19.95.
Teaching
One of the things that I liked about this is how Wes teaches the trick. While in its most basic form the trick itself is very straight forward there are some tips and tricks that should be learned. Wes makes great points and give performance tips that helps you not only master this knacky move, but become confident while doing it. The recording itself is very clear and well shot.
Difficulty
I had some concerns about the difficulty of doing this trick. It looks so effortless and clean in the demo that I thought there would be something above and beyond to make it happen. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would say this trick comes in around a 2 for difficulty. The work for this is simple to understand, but we all know that is not where any tricks end. This is one of those tricks that is very trying until it is not. Once you have it the move remains. Take the time to get there.
Practice Time
While this trick is easy to get there is practice involved. It is one of those things that will just click and then it works. I was fortunate in this department with this trick. I watched the video and began to practice. The first few flips there was some struggling. After about 10 minutes I had a grasp on it and was confident. After a few days of intermittent practice I was more than ready to perform for anyone.
Routines
So in the download they teach a routine sort of. Once you know the method and are ready to perform it will not be difficult to think up routines. Wes does show some ideas which will blow your spectators away. You have some real freedom with this one to work the patter. What I really liked about Flip is it can work for one person or a room of 100 people. While it is impressive to perform to any number I think the more people you add the more impossible it becomes. Another note is that this can be performed 360 degree surrounded.
Practicality
Another selling point to this trick is how practical it is. When Wes fooled Penna and Teller he walked on to the stage and told them that he was going to try and fool them with a single coin and a piece of paper. Believe the hype. It plays exactly as you watched it. I personally use a Ridge wallet with the accessory tray. I keep a half dollar and a folded blank business card in there at all times. There is no reason for this to not live in your wallet. While it is taught with a half dollar for the visual aspect I have done this with a borrowed quarter, pen, and bar napkin. The final piece of this puzzle that makes it even more practical is everything can be examined at any point in time. You can even have different spectators flip the coin to you. Can you say REAL WORKER????
Reactions
The reactions from this are amazing, but it all comes down to the presentation. The patter along with a streamlined clean method makes layers upon layers of the impossible. Keep the crowd involved. Get your patter down. Blow them away.
Value
The general consensus for instant downloads is it is hard to really get the value out of the more costly ones. There is either extra supplies to get, arts and crafts, or something added extra that make the download cost more once you have everything. Or the ever so famous line, "You probably have the supplies you need already at home." I am going to use that line right here and now. If you have a half dollar, any piece of paper to write on, and a writing utensil you are ready to go. I am going out on a limb here, but I would have been comfortable paying $29.95 for this once I have learned the secret.
Overall
The final piece of the puzzle. The overall rating. Taking into consideration everything you have read up to this point how would you rate this? I can say that for me this is a 5 of 5 stars. It's easy to understand, very obtainable to master, packs small, plays big, and can be done impromptu all for a fair price. Head over to your favorite magic dealer and gran a copy a Flip. You can thank me later.
Q and A With Wes Iseli
I had a chance to grab Wes for a few questions that he was more than happy to answer. You can read below and see what he had to say.
What prompted you to create the effect Flip and how did this method come to be?
I was in a coin phase and reading about the wobble and thumb rub so I had coins in my pocket and I was just playing around while cleaning my magic room I think and stumbled across the method. It wasn’t something I was working on it just happened and worked! I had created something New and original out of the blue...
When was Flip actually created?
I don’t have the exact date written down but I do have a picture of me performing it in a show in 2006 and the earliest video I have of me doing it is from 2013.
In my opinion this is the most practical method of the effect I have seen and there have
been several. Was the practical aspect part of the planning?
Being practical and packing flat and playing big are all just gifts. I don’t mind a more complicated method if it is worth it but it is always better to peal away the layers to the core and make magic seem like magic and not a trick box doing the work.
This effect lives in my wallet because it packs small and plays big. What is it like when
magicians you don't know carry your effect with them at all times?
I love it when I hear other magicians are performing this effect and killing with it, on the other hand seeing people bumble through the routine and performing it poorly or both presentationally and in effect hurts my heart and even more so when they are done they credit me at the local magic club, lol...
Did you have any nerves walking onto the stage to full Penn and Teller with just a coin and a
piece of paper? (That was probably my favorite walk on form that show)
Thanks, I was nervous leading up to that day but when I walked out into that stage both Penn & Teller looked at me and gave me the feeling they were on my side without saying a word. The audience was hot and ready to have fun and I just went with it as you can see from my video I was just in the zone and when Penn challenged me I just rolled with it and everything went amazingly well.
What was it like to fool Penn and Teller?
Fooling Penn & Teller is definitely a major highlight of my career but even more than that I have become friends with them and that to me is even more amazing than fooling them as I have loved them since I was 10 years old when I first found out about them.
How does it feel to know that they use your effect in their professional show?
Every time I talk to them they are more and more amazing! Having them do my trick is even more than a dream come true because I couldn’t have dreamed of something that amazing. Working with Penn and teaching them the ins and outs is a really cool magic / show business memory that I will carry the rest of my life. I have messages every so often when people reach out and say “I saw Penn and Teller tonight and they are doing your trick and mentioned your name” that never gets old. When Penn & Teller recently did their Australian tour and had people reach out as well but what surprised me most was how many people I knew in Australia...
As you can see this effect should have no problem raising your eyebrow to check it out. If you currently use this I hope you enjoyed the review and the questions I was able to ask Wes. If you do not own or use this I hope this prompts you to go check it out and give it a try. You will not be disappointed.