Hands Down
Video download by The Other Brothers, Daryl Williams and Darryl Davis
Hands Down
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This is, quite simply, one of the best close-up mentalism effect we have seen in the last few years. It's that good. You ask someone to write down the name of a friend. They hide the paper behind their back. You can tell them which hand the paper is hiding in, and then you divine the name of their friend.
Sometimes combining two great effects causes confusion. But sometimes the combination makes BOTH effects stronger. In this case, a center tear is combined with the "Which hand?" premise, and they work seamlessly together. The presentation guides the spectator logically from one amazing effect to the next. "Hands Down" takes less than two minutes to perform and leaves a memory that will last a lifetime.
There are multiple versions of this simple, but ingenious principle taught. In one version, you show the audience that you can keep track of every time the participant swaps hands. And another version uses the principle with playing cards, ending with a thought-of card reveal.
The effect is easy to do, explained in great detail, and does not involve any special apparatus (no magnets, rings, electronics, etc.). You can do it with objects found in any bar or venue.
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Customer reviews for Hands Down
Mike
Does this sound familiar: You've known about the work on a few effects for a while but then for some reason you get a DVD of the effect and even though you know everything on it and it's very vanilla overall, it gives you the extra push to go out and just start doing it. This is exactly that kind of thing. (i would also put Robert Baxt's Miser's Dream DVD in the same category BTW.)
So it's cheap and fun and you'll do it. Here's the bad thing though...If you don't know the work you're going to get some really weak teaching on the "Move." Now that's only used for one version but it's really the best version. It's not only done very quickly but it's also a bit incomplete - there's no talk about the timing or cleanup within that move. And that's a pretty significant thing. (It's hard to be specific without tipping methods here!)
Still, for $15 you'll have fun and learn a nice little subtlety that will be useful in any way you choose to do this - so if you're already a worker it's easily worth it. If not...you might want to save a little more and invest in something that will give you a more throughout foundation first.
So it's cheap and fun and you'll do it. Here's the bad thing though...If you don't know the work you're going to get some really weak teaching on the "Move." Now that's only used for one version but it's really the best version. It's not only done very quickly but it's also a bit incomplete - there's no talk about the timing or cleanup within that move. And that's a pretty significant thing. (It's hard to be specific without tipping methods here!)
Still, for $15 you'll have fun and learn a nice little subtlety that will be useful in any way you choose to do this - so if you're already a worker it's easily worth it. If not...you might want to save a little more and invest in something that will give you a more throughout foundation first.
Greg
Solid material. Quick but decent explanations. Usable and easy to add.
Glad I didn't get the DVD as the typos on a "permanent" piece of plastic would irritate the OCD in me. A download (although at the same cost as the DVD) seems like they just knocked it together and typos seem more tolerable! ; )
Glad I didn't get the DVD as the typos on a "permanent" piece of plastic would irritate the OCD in me. A download (although at the same cost as the DVD) seems like they just knocked it together and typos seem more tolerable! ; )
Guy
The best ideas are the most simple. Hands Down is the perfect "which hand is the coin in" routine (like you have seen Derren Brown do many times) because it is extremely easy to do and is based on a simple deception. The Other Brothers are great and so is this trick! Bravo!
Daniel
A really great quick and impromptu trick that will get you great reactions if you take the time in solidifying your routine. Overall well worth the money!
Jade
As a beginner to the magic and mentalism scene, I can definitely recommend Hands Down as an excellent educational tool. The Other Brothers are super likeable and the material was presented in a way that is super easy to follow. I will definitely be following more of their products and presentations. Looking forward to trying out some of the things I picked up in the video. Thank you Other Brothers!!
James
Very nice, simple and clever idea and love it used with some other principles and impromptuness is good - pen and a bit of paper.
Jesse
An easy to do trick with two devilish clever methodes which you might have allready heard of but haven´t used in years.
This is a whole routine around two tricks which are really easy to do and which will leave your audience amazed.
The tutorial is very good and The Other Brothers are having so much fun explaining everything. I really like their style and this trick is something you can do everywhere at any time.
This is a whole routine around two tricks which are really easy to do and which will leave your audience amazed.
The tutorial is very good and The Other Brothers are having so much fun explaining everything. I really like their style and this trick is something you can do everywhere at any time.
Masterclassmember
Jim
Fun trick and easy to do. When they told me the secret, my palm hit my forehead .... you can adopt this method and they tell you how. This got my mind turning.
Really enjoy this trick, it can be performed with items on hand, say a fork or a napkin. I am ahappy camper
Really enjoy this trick, it can be performed with items on hand, say a fork or a napkin. I am ahappy camper
Eric
Hands Down is a great illusion. I watched the video 3-5 times because it is just that good. I will definitely add this to my act. I liked each of the performances. The best one I like is when the spectator writes a name on the Post-it note and doing a center tear. My second best is the card selection. I will use both of these versions. I will also perform the first version with the discernment of the hand and name. Overall, I like the effect and give it a 5-star rating. This is easy to perform and not complicated to do. Thanks much.
Vitaliy
I love it, it’s good for the money and I combined it with my mental dice, it’s awesome :) I tried to add them to my Facebook to share ideas like they asked but didn’t find their page. Hope they see this review, or if any one of you knows it please let me know!
William
Amazing and simple 👏!!
Ian
The music was very distracting.
Otherwise I enjoyed the video and felt that for what it was, that it's great value.
Otherwise I enjoyed the video and felt that for what it was, that it's great value.
Mark
The effect is very clean and straightforward, although I would be mindful to think it through very carefully before performing. Don't underestimate its simplicity because I think you can easily expose the method. The trick is certainly nothing groundbreaking but you have a great impromptu effect that can definitely play well if you present it right.
Peru
I think that any intelligent spectator could guess the method quite easily. Perhaps with more layers of deception, or combined with something else (the center tear is a great adition...)
Oscar
What makes it stand out is how it combines two classic ideas—a center tear and a “Which hand?” premise—into a seamless presentation that flows naturally and feels completely magical. The download teaches multiple versions, including one where you keep track of hand swaps and another using playing cards that ends with a thought-of card reveal, which gives the effect great versatility. I loved that it’s easy to do, fully explained, and doesn’t require any special gimmicks or electronics—just objects you can find anywhere. For me, the appeal was not only in the trick itself but also how short and practical it is: under two minutes to perform, yet it leaves a strong, lasting impression. As someone still learning mentalism, I felt confident following the explanations and excited to perform this for friends or casual audiences. Hands Down is a perfect example of elegant, clean mentalism that’s powerful, practical, and genuinely memorable, and it’s the kind of effect I’ll keep in my back pocket for years.
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