Magic Review: Tidal Wave by Spidey

Is the latest release by Spidey and Penguin Magic worth purchasing? Read this detailed review to find out.

Overall Rating: (3 out of 5)
Format: Video Download and Props
Difficulty: Intermediate
Price: $19.95 (approx. £16 or €18 at time of release)
Available From: Penguin Magic, Vanishing Inc. Magic, or your local magic shop

“Tidal Wave” is the latest offering from Spidey (Bedros Akkelian) and Penguin Magic. Spidey is a successful magician, mentalist and hypnotist who has released many products in the past, including several excellent downloads with Theory11 and, more recently, the alphabet flashcard mindreading trick “A.B.See” with Murphy’s Magic, which has been very well received by both the magic and mentalist communities.

The four Kings magically turn over one by one. Photo Credit: Vanishing Inc. Magic.

So, what is “Tidal Wave”? As the name suggests, this is a variation of Max Maven’s classic small packet brainwave effect “B’Wave”. More accurately, it is a hybrid of Dai Vernon’s “Twisting the Aces” and “B’Wave”. Four cards, Kings, for example, are shown front and back. You make them magically turn over one at a time. For the finale, a spectator MERELY THINKS of one of the cards, and it turns over without you ever touching the cards! Sounds great, right. But is it worth your hard-earned cash?

Here’s the ad copy from Penguin Magic:

Magic and mentalism collide in a packet trick that will leave your spectators speechless. Winner of the 2022 Penguin Live Lecture of the Year, Spidey, is back with a four-card trick he has been performing as his go-to opener in walk-around settings for over a decade. Knock your audience out with Tidal Wave by Spidey.

Here’s what happens:

You display four face-down court cards. With a magical gesture, the court cards turn face up one at a time. The cards are then all turned face-down and placed on the table. You now offer to take things to the next level. The spectators randomly name one of the court cards, and without ever touching the cards, you turn over the exact card that they named!

Tidal Wave is a special handling for Max Maven’s B’Wave that combines a classic effect from Dai Vernon in a beautiful easy-to-perform routine. When you purchase Tidal Wave, you receive specially gimmicked cards that allow you to perform this amazing effect. Spidey walks you through two different handlings that he uses to get big reactions. Get ready for a tsunami of incredible reactions when you perform Tidal Wave by Spidey.

I don’t have any issues with the ad copy. It accurately describes the effect (with the obligatory level of unnecessary hyperbole). I have been performing “Twisting the Aces” by Dai Vernon and “B’Wave” by Max Maven for quite some time now, and I hold them both in high regard. Therefore, I purchased “Tidal Wave”, hoping to add something new to my repertoire. Spidey is a dynamic and passionate performer and an excellent teacher, as demonstrated in the video tutorial. I also liked the pop-up credits (and I hope Penguin Magic will include these in other video projects in the future).

I love packet tricks and really wanted to like “Tidal Wave”. However, after watching the video tutorial and practising the trick a few times, I’ve concluded that combining “Twisting the Aces” and “B’Wave” is not a good idea. Yes, the two tricks can be routined together, but that doesn’t mean they should be combined in this way. Both “Twisting the Aces” and “B’Wave” are stronger tricks when performed separately. Without giving away the secret, Spidey has made the final twist in Vernon’s routine less impressive and has removed the two elements from “B’Wave” that make the trick’s ending so surprising and impactful. It is safe to assume that Max Maven and Dai Vernon would not have approved of this release.

Let me explain why. Firstly, “Twisting the Aces” is most impressive when you allow your spectators to examine the four cards before the magic happens. Watch the following video performance by the Spanish Maestro of magic, Juan Tamariz. You’ll see that he gives two spectators ample opportunity to inspect the four Aces before performing a fairly faithful rendition of Vernon’s classic packet trick. You cannot do this with “Tidal Wave”, even though you can display the faces of the four cards to your audience. Allowing people to touch and feel the Aces eliminates any suspicion of trick cards.

Juan Tamariz performing “Twisting the Aces” on the Spanish TV show Chantatachán in the early 1990s. Video Credit: Magicana.

Secondly, the trick, ideally, needs to build to a spectacular finish, with each reversal more impressive than the last. In “Tidal Wave”, the final reversal in the twisting phase is the least impressive due to the nature of the method at work. This is compensated for by the final hands-off reversal of a randomly-chosen card. However, I have a strong suspicion that you’d get a similar audience reaction if the final phase was cut and the fourth reversal was presented in a hands-off manner. Even better than this, it is possible to give the packet of cards to a participant to hold during the final twist, something that you cannot do with Spidey’s handling.

“Tidal Wave” by Spidey and Penguin Magic. Image Credit: Penguin Magic.

So, how does “Tidal Wave” compare to “B’Wave”? In a word, badly. While both tricks use Max’s mastery of verbal control to guarantee a successful outcome, “Tidal Wave” omits the two additional kickers that make “B’Wave” such an effective and memorable piece of mentalism (even though the probability of predicting the correct Queen is only one in four). Max made it very clear that he felt that the blank-faced playing cards gave the trick extra “shock value” because they’re things that most people have never seen before. By removing both the odd-backed card—which proves that you’re not using sleight of hand—and the blank-faced ending, you’ve sacrificed the best parts of the trick.

“B’Wave Deluxe by Max Maven and Penguin Magic. Image Credit: Penguin Magic.

The ad copy also suggests that “Tidal Wave” might be the perfect opener. While this isn’t the “perfect” opener (if such a thing even exists), it is suitable to function as the first trick in a longer card set. However, I’d still prefer to perform Vernon’s original (or one of the many interesting variations of “Twisting the Aces” published since the 1960s). “B’Wave” is also an excellent choice as an opener because it doesn’t take long to perform, has a clear plot, an engaging presentation and a powerful climax.

Honestly, I cannot see a situation where I would prefer to perform “Tidal Wave” over the two original tricks. Unfortunately, Spidey has attempted to solve a problem that doesn’t exist by combining two exceptional tricks and creating something that is, at best, mediocre compared to the source material.

Final Thoughts

I’m finding it very difficult to suggest that anyone buys this release. Even though the quality of the teaching material is good, and Spidey is an energetic and competent performer, the underlying premise of the trick is fundamentally flawed. Adding a third of “B’Wave” to the end of “Twisting the Aces” doesn’t improve either trick.

If I was to combine both tricks, I’d use four regular Queens kept in a slimline Himber wallet along with the necessary cards for “B’Wave”. First, I’d perform “Twisting the Aces” using the regular Queens. Then, I’d smoothly transition into Max’s delightful “game of imagination” presentation by saying, “There’s another way you can make cards turn face up. By using your imagination.” During the selection process, the cards would remain in the wallet (I’m sure those “in the know” can work out the rest). However, I’m not entirely sure this approach is sensible, either. In fact, I’m convinced that Max would have viewed this “improvement” with polite disdain since it transforms “B’Wave” from a powerful piece of mentalism into a mere magic trick. When John Bannon did the same thing with “Twisted Sisters”, Max stated that he’d managed to turn a great piece of mentalism into a good magic trick!

While I’m an advocate of doing things your own way and personalising your performances, “B’Wave” is widely considered a mental masterpiece for a reason. If you change the trick too much, as is the case with “Tidal Wave”, then you lose the very elements that make it a classic. 

So who exactly should buy “Tidal Wave”? I’m not entirely sure. Dedicated fans of Spidey, and his unique brand of magic and mentalism, might enjoy the trick and see buying it as a way of supporting him. Otherwise, I’d steer clear of this release. If you don’t already own it, I’d recommend buying “B’Wave Deluxe” from Penguin Magic instead. For the same asking price, you get more gaffed playing cards and detailed video instructions from Max Maven himself.

Promotional video for “B’Wave Deluxe” by Max Maven and Penguin Magic. Video Credit: Penguin Magic.

You could also save yourself almost eight bucks and buy an electronic copy of Dai Vernon’s More Inner Secrets of Card Magic from Lybrary.com, which includes the original handling for “Twisting the Aces” and the first printed description of “Counting Four as Four” (better known as the Ghost Count or Elmsley Count). The book also describes the workings of many Vernon classics, such as “Out Of Sight—Out Of Mind”, “The Trick That Cannot Be Explained” and his touches on the riffle and Zarrow shuffles. This is a must-read for every budding close-up card magician and is an absolute steal at $12.

Rating Breakdown

Effect: (2.5 out of 5)

If I wasn’t comparing “Tidal Wave” with the two tricks it is based on, it would have gotten a much better rating for effect (4 out of 5). However, I’ve performed both “Twisting the Aces” and “B’Wave” for many years, and I know, from experience, that they’re stronger when performed separately. One of the biggest strengths of “Twisting the Aces” is that it uses four ordinary playing cards. The extraordinary reversals are more impressive if your audience is allowed to examine the cards before the trick takes place. 

Also, due to the nature of the method, the final reversal is the least impressive when it should be the most. Vernon’s original handling allows the final “twist” to take place while the cards are being held by a spectator. With the original, you can also isolate the cards in the card box, a Darwin Ortiz idea, or even seal them in an envelope before the final card twists face up! None of this is possible with “Tidal Wave”.

Spidey has altered Vernon’s “Twisting the Aces” routine to enable him to perform “B’Wave” as a kicker ending to the trick. Unfortunately, this change has resulted in the removal of the two kickers in “B’Wave” itself, which significantly weakens the trick’s climax. Additionally, and most egregiously, Max’s playful “game of imagination” presentation has also been lost in this misguided quest for improvement. Although the reversal of a randomly selected card remains impressive to laypeople, the ending of “Tidal Wave” pales in comparison to the triple climax of Max Maven’s mini-mental masterpiece.

Presentation: (3 out of 5)

In his explanation of the trick, Spidey offers some fun presentational touches, but there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking. I appreciate the way he emphasises the contrast between magic and mentalism in the second of the two included presentations. However, this approach would be more impactful if you performed the two tricks separately, with different sets of cards. It’s worth noting that Stephen Tucker has explored this presentation and provided a more practical and impressive method in his ungaffed version of “B’Wave,” named “Alpha2Omega”, which was recently re-released by Big Blind Media.

Promotional video for “Alpha2Omega” by Stephen Tucker and Big Blind Media. Video Credit: Big Blind Media.

Practicality: (3.5 out of 5)

Spidey’s modification of Dai Vernon’s classic packet trick has made it much less practical. The original method allows you to execute the trick with any set of four cards of the same value (or an Ace, Two, Three or Four). Moreover, during a performance of “B’Wave”, you can display both sides of all four cards at the conclusion of the routine. Conversely, this is only possible half the time with “Tidal Wave”. Apart from that, the trick is as practical as other similar packet tricks on the market.

Instruction: (4.5 out of 5)

I really appreciate the top-notch teaching in “Tidal Wave”. Spidey’s instructions are easy to follow and understand. Additionally, the pop-up credits that show up during the video are a great touch. It would be awesome if more instructional videos by Penguin Magic included this feature.

Props: (4 out of 5)

The special cards are printed by the United States Playing Card Company on Bicycle Rider Back stock, so no complaints here.

Overall Rating: (3 out of 5)

In summary, I’d give “Tidal Wave” a score of 56%. It isn’t a bad trick per se, but it isn’t a good one, either. Especially in a world where you can perform “Twisting the Aces” and “B’Wave” in the same short card set. Sadly, Spidey has fallen into the trap of solving a problem that doesn’t exist. “B’Wave” doesn’t need to be routined with another trick. In fact, I go as far as to say that it shouldn’t be combined with “Twisting the Aces” in this way. The lack of additional kickers significantly reduces the impact of the small packet brainwave effect. I don’t believe this sacrifice is worth the small benefit that comes from combining it with “Twisting the Aces”. Sorry, Spidey!