"The Master Deck" by Marc Oberon
Suggested Retail USD$60.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 3 Out of 10

"Master Deck", a creation by Marc Oberon, is a costly tool that, given its limited documentation, just isn't worth it.

"Master Deck", judging from the ad copy, is designed to replace any memorized deck work, giving you the ability to locate any named card "instantly" and "with no memory work". And that's about all you can get from the ads.

Here's the rest of the story.

A bit of background, just so we're on the same page. The foundation of "Master Deck" is very old. What Oberon has brought to the table is a different stack, a better keying system, and a method for helping you keep the stack in order. Along the way, he's arranged things so you don't have to glance at the deck while trying to locate the card (something older methods required), which is a nice plus.

What this means, of course, is that if you're thinking you're getting some high-tech gaffs and gimmicks or never-before-seen gadgets, well, you're not. What you're getting is an application of very old, tried-and-trued techniques built into the deck (Essentially, think "Stebbins meets Rutledge" and you have the basic idea of "Master Deck". And yes, I'm being purposely nebulous here: Oberon's little touches are neat enough to have earned that).

You're also getting the same drawbacks as with any other stacked deck, meaning that if you lose the stack, you're holding just a regular deck of cards and that doing anything repeatedly with the deck's ability will require carrying that spare regular deck around. Also, the stack Oberon uses is a color-alternating stack, something memorized deck stacks (well, the good ones, anyway) avoid like the plague. Of course, the flip side of that is that Si Stebbins proved that wasn't an issue long ago and it's still not an issue today... except to the purists among us (said the man who swears by Osterlind's stack because it does look so random).

Okay, so that's about as fair a look as we can take with "Master Deck" without really tipping things all over the place.

Now comes the part that, not only disappointed me, but aggravated me to no end.

The documentation is lousy. Simply, purely lousy. Why?

Because for most consumers, there won't be any.

Here's the deal. With "Master Deck", you get the deck (of course), plus a single sheet of instructions (more of a "quick start guide" than anything else), with the bulk of the documentation -- handling tips, routines, and idea -- on DVD. Except the DVD is only available in PAL format, a fact that, at the time of this writing, was not mentioned anywhere. Not on dealer sites, not on distributors sites... nowhere. So, for those of us in the US and elsewhere who use the NTSC format, we've paid $65 for a deck and an idea and nothing else.

Now, some ideas are worth that; some ideas are worth a lot more. "Master Deck" is not. It's not even close. Shell out $10, buy an old booklet, and you've got a way of doing what "Master Deck" allows you to do. By the time you throw in selling people something at a ridiculous cost that is not delivered, well, the sour taste of this one will be in my mouth for a good, long time.

So, without that, we're left with a sheet of instructions that leads to a handling that contains a bit too much fumbling around and little impetus to put much work into it.

It's a shame, really. "Master Deck" has potential, moreso than some of Oberon's other efforts. But with what you get for this one, with the limited info, it's simply not worth the price tag.

"The Master Deck" by Marc Oberon
In a Blink: 3 Out of 10

Practicality: 5
It's a stacked deck which has to say stacked, so using it for other things is going to take some routining or carrying around other decks. As for being a replacement for a memorized deck, well, sometimes. It bears more in common with the Cardini deck than anything else, though.

Workmanship: 8
It's a USPCC Bicycle deck, cut to fit what Oberon had in mind. A very little extra work on one of the pieces of this would have been nice, but it's a minor complaint and easily rectified once you get your hands on it.

Documentation: 1
The written documentation is alright, but the remarkable short-sightedness of the producers of this is shocking to me. The accompanying DVD is only in PAL format, a fact not mentioned anywhere at the time of this writing (and discovered only when I pointed it out my inability to view the disc to the distributor). So, USA consumers and others who use the NTSC format, well, you're out of luck.

Effect: 1
Well, there's not much to this without the DVD. You cut to a named card. Whee. Same goes for the...

Presentation: 1
Let's see... you bring out a deck which the spectator can't handle or shuffle and you cut to a card they name with some fumbling. Not good. Well, that's the best you get with this one.

Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.