David's Cull

I'm a huge fan of the cull and I use it as often as I can.  I typically stick with the Hofzinser cull.

So when word on the street about the new David's Cull came out, I was very intrigued.

First off, a few things:

1) It's a really good cull.  It is fairly angle-proof even from the bottom (assuming you're good at it).

2) The cull requires a cut at the end.  This may or may not be a turn off for people.  Personally I don't have this issue because the spectator doesn't see much except a bunch of cards going from one hand to the other, and so the cut just becomes what appears to be a standard cut at the end.

3) Because the cull requires a cut at the end, it is NOT as good as the Hofzinser cull for a single card (in fact, it is terrible for a single card control unless, perhaps, you want to palm out the card, in which case there is some solid application).  I like David's Cull for a 4-of-a-kind that is being returned to the deck more than the Hofzinser because with one easy Elias-esque cut you'll end up with everything on top, and the cut can look like almost half the deck.  For cards already in the deck, culling with a cut can also put them on top, but you're still adding a move for what should normally look like you just looked through the deck quickly.

4) The cull is most useful for separating the deck into half black and half red.  It has fully replaced the Hofzinser for me when it comes to Ortiz's Oil and Water and Out of this Universe/Out of this World and tricks of that nature.

So there are upsides and downsides to this cull.  I really enjoy it and I'm continuing to find ways to make it more natural looking when I cull a 4-of-a-kind.  It's not technically demanding though some practice is still in order.  For a full color separation it's hard to beat.  For a single card it's pointless, though, so don't buy it for that if you think you're gonna just cull single cards (which doesn't make sense, why would you learn a cull just for single-card culls?).

Now if you want to learn the a regular mix between the Hofzinser/Roadrunner culls, yeah there are lots of resources, but the cheapest and easiest way to learn is Vanishing Inc's download.  Yes, I have the Roadrunner cull.  Yes, it is very good.  Yes I also have all of Card College.  YES, Card College is amazing.  And YES YES YES I have studied the prayer cull from Marlo. However, this download is only 10 bucks, is really good instruction, clocks at around 50 minutes, and comes with some nice effects along with some new cull-centered sleights.

Whitestar...

I know what a lot of you are thinking.  You're thinking, "If you don't like this effect, it's because you're not presenting this correctly!"

That's probably true.  It's the easiest effect in the world, since it's like OOTW.  Actually, that's wrong.  It IS OOTW with high quality photographs instead.  Literally, the same exact thing.  Whatever questions you have about the product, if you do OOTW or know how to do it, you already have the answer.

My problem isn't that this is a just a OOTW effect with a nice presentation (even though that's really all it is). My problem is that it's 60 dollars when you can spend less than 20 dollars on thick photostock and literally print out your own cards.  You're definitely not paying 60 dollars for the method because the method is written in every Tom/Dick/Harry card magic book.

Sorry, I felt like I had wasted a lot of money on this.  Luckily I traded it for something way better that's worth 60 bucks (just my opinion, folks, just my opinion):

Tyler Wilson's Reinventing the Real.

Now THAT'S 60 bucks you can afford to give away because this book is sexy.  Difficult, but sexy.