About fifteen years ago, I started seriously investigating the myriad possibilities of a very simple set of props. Mentalism had been my main focus for many years, and the further I delved into this specific subject, the more amazed I was at the sheer number of amazing concepts and possibilities that these simple props allowed.
What really appealed to me on some level was the fact that there were a ton of possibilities present using just these props and literally nothing else. In much the way that a lot of 'card guys' are inherently fascinated by the possibilities presented by a normal deck of playing cards without having to add anything else into the mix, the same is true. But these props are drastically simpler than any deck of playing cards. In fact, you can do some serious mentalism using just one of these little guys and nothing else.
PLUS, doing mentalism with these little beauties involves right next to zero sleight of hand in any way.
They are small. You can easily carry them in your pocket.
They are instantly recognizable. Everyone has used them at some point or other.
You don't have to explain what they are or what they are used for.
They are virtually indestructible.
They are readily available, and not expensive in any way. Sitting at my home right now, right off the top of my head, I can think of at least seven places - all within 1/2 of a mile - where I could go get what I need, and the cost would be under $3.00.
I'm sure that you at least suspect what I am referring to... Dice.
That's right, plain old, garden variety, 'nothing special about them' dice.
Allow me to introduce you to... Mentalism Cubed by Mark Strivings
Here is an entire volume devoted completely to doing mentalism using regular dice. In fact, a hefty portion of the book uses nothing but regular dice.
"Mentalism Cubed is a remarkable contribution to our art. With 200+ pages of pure gold, Mark Strivings has created something truly special-an entire book dedicated to mentalism with one of the simplest, most overlooked everyday props: regular dice.
There's been very little material focused solely on this, and now Mark has brought it to us. The sheer number of effects and ideas is frankly overwhelming. I was hooked within the first 10 pages! If you perform, you need this book."
- Looch
Let me give you the stats right up front. In these pages, you will find - FIFTEEN chapters
134 individual effects
279 entries in the bibliography
Names like Maven, Goldstein, James, de Courcy, Gravatt, Gardner, Becker, Annemann, Corinda, Rutledge, Elsmley, Fulves, Yates, Hummer, Sellers, Elliott, Trost, Hallas, Rosini . . . and several submissions from your humble author (eleven pieces, to be exact).
And many, many more.
Also included is an entire chapter from the Dice Man himself, Michael Breggar.
All of this in over 200 full-size 8.5" X 11" pages, perfect bound.
"This is the ultimate book in the subject that you will ever need! Mark has done an incredible work in giving you powerful routines and ideas using this simple but powerful tool! If you were looking for dice mentalism routines, look no further!"
-Luca Volpe
As I mentioned, the majority of this work is comprised entirely of material using regulation dice, exactly as you would have in any board game, or as used in any gambling context.
But to give you an idea of the vastness of the material in this tome, there are over FIFTY pieces in these pages that use anywhere from one to six dice (more, in one more case), and NOTHING ELSE. This means that if you've got a couple of dice in your pocket or case, you could conceivably have material for an entire set using just the dice and nothing else. And it would all be killer mentalism.
There's material in here for multiple three-phase routines using just a single die, and nothing else. The same is true for multiple three-phase routines using just two dice. And multiple three phase routines using just three dice. And four dice. I know this because I have done exactly that in each and every case.
Just the dice . . . nothing else. And each is a rock-solid multiphase routine that builds and gets more baffling with each phase.
If you add a simple pad of paper and something with which to write, the possibilities skyrocket.
And we won't even talk about the possibilities of using dice in conjunction with a deck of playing cards. And yes, there is an entire chapter of killer mentalism using a deck of cards (14 items) and a couple of dice. But this barely represents the tip of the iceberg in that department.
"Too many performers today act as if dice were invented for one purpose: to house electronics. That's why I'm looking forward to digging into all of the overlooked plots and clever analog methods collected in this resource."
- Neil Tobin
There's not a single gaffed die anywhere in these pages. Every die is exactly like what you have used your entire life.
There's no sleight of hand.
And this is ALL mentalism. There are no dice that get stacked (except intentionally and by your helper!). There are no dice that grow, or shrink, or vanish, or appear. They don't change color or fly invisibly from one place to another. This is 100% mentalism, using the most innocent of tools, common dice.
Learn the material in these pages, and you can be set virtually anytime you visit friends or relatives and can borrow a pair of dice. You're set!
Carry a pair with you, and you're always armed.
Keep a pair in your close-up case, and you'll have both 'A' list material and emergency backup stuff in case something goes wrong, all with the exact same set of props.
FAQ's
Q. Is there any sleight of hand?
A. None, with one exception, and it's just a finger palm that doesn't even go anywhere. It's nothing. If you read the book, you'll see what I mean.
Q. Are there any special dice used in these effects?
A. None. Every die from cover to cover is 100% regular.
Q. Is there any math involved?
A. Yes, but before you run screaming into the night, allow me to discuss this a bit. Dice are inherently based on math. If you roll a pair of dice, you invariably have to add the top two numbers together to arrive at a grand total. For the overwhelming majority of math in these pages, every bit of it is on that level, using numbers from one to six. When dealing with such a small sample size, you'll find that the same things happen repeatedly. So even if you think that might be an issue, you'll quickly find that it's not. And if, by chance, you are math-challenged (I know I am, and even I can do this stuff), there's a bunch of other material in these pages that doesn't use any math at all.
Q. Are there any 'special' devices needed for anything?
A. None. Well, that's not 100% true. There are two pieces that I can recall right off the top of my head that use a swami writer. But that's it. At most, you'll need a pad and something to write with. Maybe a deck (or just a few) of playing cards. Perhaps a business card or two. Maybe a few envelopes. That kind of thing. I promise you've likely got everything that you need to do just about every piece in this entire tome right now.
Q. Will any dice work for these effects?
A. There are a couple of pieces for which it is best if you use casino-style dice, which have perfectly sharp corners. Others work best with rounded corners, like many board games' dice. But apart from those very few examples, literally any dice that are available to you will work perfectly.
Q. Are there any size restrictions on the dice used?
A. None. Just make sure that you can easily read the spots on the dice.
"Okay, Mark, what's the bottom line?"
Here it is.
FIFTEEN chapters, 134 individual effects, 279 entries in the bibliography, over 200 full-size 8.5" X 11" pages, perfect bound in soft covers
