Comparison

SD Poker vs Mind Grid Magic

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SD Poker

This app is a specialized tool for magicians, designed to assist in performing a specific poker-themed magic trick. It analyzes card stacks to help you deal any requested poker hand, with features for customization and presentation.

Highlights
  • Analyzes card stacks for poker hands
  • Supports user-defined stacks
  • Optimizes for fewest moves
  • Stealth mode for hidden assistance
  • Proximity sensor for shuffle sound
  • Export results via email
  • Continuous dealing mode
Features
Read full description

IMPORTANT! THIS APP IS FOR MAGICIANS ONLY! IT IS BASED ON PIT HARTLING'S EFFECT 'THE POKER FORMULAS' FROM HIS WONDERFUL BOOK 'IN ORDER TO AMAZE' PUBLISHED IN 2016 (PAGE 102). YOU HAVE TO BE FAMILIAR WITH HIS TRICK TO UNDERSTAND/USE THIS APP. IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, YOU SHOULD ORDER HIS BOOK HERE: www.inordertoamaze.com The App will analyze any stack and tell you when to use SD's in order to receive any poker hand asked for. I refer you to Pit Hartling's book for the general concept. Features: - No internet connection needed Stacks: - Aronson and Tamariz already built in - Up to 10 User-defined stacks can be stored / used Optimizations: - Fewest SD's - 0-SD Rounds - 0-SD's on last Round of Dealing Export Function - Results can be exported and sent by e-mail for further use in different forms Full-House-Coding: - Different Styles on how to indicate the Two-of-a-Kind Continuous Mode - Allows you to continue dealing Poker hands without undoing the last deal. The Programm recalculates the Stack by using the last dealt poker hand. ------------------------ Version 1.1: Stealth-Mode In this mode, the playing cards show the chosen poker hand. The code is secretly hidden inside the playing cards. So the whole presentation can be changed and the iPhone/iPad is only a 'tool' to explain the poker hands, but in reality it helps you to perform the effect. Proximity Shuffle: If the Proximity Sensor of the iPhone is covered in portrait mode (by e.g. the playing cards), the sound of a riffle-shuffle is played. This can be used for the presentation. Disclaimer I have built the app to my best knowledge and it is provided as is without any guarantees or warranty of any kind! If you find a problem / mistake, please let me know and I’ll do my best to fix it. Version 1.1 uses: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vectorized Playing Cards 2.0 - http://sourceforge.net/projects/vector-cards/ Copyright 2015 - Chris Aguilar - conjurenation@gmail.com Licensed under LGPL 3 - www.gnu.org/copyleft/lesser.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you have a lot of fun with this App and great performances! Martin Eisele P.S. I’d love to get some Feedback from you under sd-poker@martineisele.de

About

Mind Grid Magic

Features
Read full description

Mind Grid Magic is an interactive performance tool for magicians and mentalists. Build a grid of words, images, or numbers as the performer, then let your audience join instantly from their own phones by scanning a QR code — no audience app install is required. Every selection syncs to your big screen in real time for clean predictions and finales. ■ Built for · Stage and parlor mentalists working with live crowds · Wedding, corporate, and festival entertainers using audience participation · Online creators running live magic on video platforms · Performers designing routines around words, images, or numbers ■ Core features · Design grids with your own words, images, and numbers · Auto-generated QR code for audience entry · Real-time sync between the performer phone and a tablet, laptop, or projector · Performance controls for predictions and finales · Works on stage, at the table, and in online shows ■ Purchase model The App Store purchase includes Salon lifetime access for audiences of up to 100 concurrent participants. Optional Stage and Theater upgrades are one-time, non-consumable in-app purchases that increase the audience capacity to 500 or 1,000. There are no subscriptions, automatic renewals, or recurring charges. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://mindgrid.show/en/privacy

Screenshots

SD Poker2 screens
Mind Grid Magic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Mind Grid Magic at Free against SD Poker's $59.99. Mind Grid Magic also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 8 months). SD Poker's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Mind Grid Magic is free to download; SD Poker costs $59.99 up front. Mind Grid Magic sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. SD Poker asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SD Poker ships an update every 8 months, Mind Grid Magic every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SD Poker versus Mind Grid Magic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSD PokerMind Grid Magic
Price$59.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartin EiseleSeolHui han

In-app purchases

None

SD Poker

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Mind Grid Magic

One-time7
  • Event Pass 1,000 (24h)$39.99
  • Event Pass 3,000 (24h)$79.99
  • Salon (Lifetime)$99.99
Show 4 more
  • Stage Upgrade$99.99
  • Theater Upgrade$99.99
  • Stage (Lifetime)$199.99
  • Theater (Lifetime)$299.99

Questions

Is SD Poker free?
SD Poker costs $59.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mind Grid Magic free?
Mind Grid Magic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SD Poker or Mind Grid Magic have ads?
Neither SD Poker nor Mind Grid Magic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SD Poker or Mind Grid Magic?
SD Poker ships an update every 8 months, and Mind Grid Magic every 3 days. Most recently, SD Poker was updated on November 2, 2026 and Mind Grid Magic on November 5, 2026.

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