ok so im sure many of you have gotten this at least once. everytime im playing around with my cards or even at random times your family or friends ask to see a trick. what tricks do you do for them and do you just show them one trick or go into a routine? i usually just do a simple two or three phase sandwhich effect or a acr. im looking forward to reading everyones response.
tricks on the spot
- Thread starter Creepy_illusionist
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I always, if your talking about flourishing, like to do a large spring. People are always impressed with that.
A couple card tricks that I usually go into is biddle trick, 2 card monte, wave the aces, and card to mouth. That's just if I have a regular deck on me.
There a few things I will do if I am playing with my deck and someone asks to see something. More often than not I will do my handling of the classic control the card to the top DL and change it into the selection. Then if they want to see something else I will usually try something that I am working on or just make something up on the spot. For the most part my friends and family members have seen a lot of my routines so I am not going to show them a different phase to an ACR.
If I an trying to impress someone with card magic it's either a card to pocket routine or cards across
If I an trying to impress someone with card magic it's either a card to pocket routine or cards across
Ambitious Card Routine is never a bad option. Aside from that, I usually show basic gambling demonstrations/use my (almost) perfected riffle stacking skills to make routines up on the spot. If someone wants something more impromptu (meaning you're not messing with your cards when asked), ask them for a quarter/coin, do a retention vanish, use bodyloading and/or go for the watch (coin under watch, watch steal, etc.).
QUESTION: Are you a trained monkey or maybe a dog belonging to Dr. Pavlov?
If you think yourself a "Professional" this is an especially important question to weigh in that you probably won't find many lawyers, doctors or dentists willing to do a free bit of work for you, especially at the drop of a hat. So why would you willingly do a free show?
We get invited to parties all the time. Why?
To be FREE Entertainment for our cheap friends. They know we will show up with pockets full and the desire to show off . . . we are our own worse enemy!
A hobbyist is an entirely different creature in this case but even they need to weigh things a bit when it comes to the near constant sense of imposition and ask themselves "What's the exchange? What do I get out of this?"
Granted, it could be practice to get feed back, to try out something new and a long list of other excuses but you must follow up every one of those justifications with that question I asked at the start of this post. . . Are you just another trained monkey?
Yes, I posted this as the Devil's Advocate in that no one offered such an important pause to the question. We ran with ways to show off and pat ourselves on the back rather than contemplating how easy we're manipulated at the ringing of the bell and our willingness to walk through the maze to find the cheese.
It's something to think about
If you think yourself a "Professional" this is an especially important question to weigh in that you probably won't find many lawyers, doctors or dentists willing to do a free bit of work for you, especially at the drop of a hat. So why would you willingly do a free show?
We get invited to parties all the time. Why?
To be FREE Entertainment for our cheap friends. They know we will show up with pockets full and the desire to show off . . . we are our own worse enemy!
A hobbyist is an entirely different creature in this case but even they need to weigh things a bit when it comes to the near constant sense of imposition and ask themselves "What's the exchange? What do I get out of this?"
Granted, it could be practice to get feed back, to try out something new and a long list of other excuses but you must follow up every one of those justifications with that question I asked at the start of this post. . . Are you just another trained monkey?
Yes, I posted this as the Devil's Advocate in that no one offered such an important pause to the question. We ran with ways to show off and pat ourselves on the back rather than contemplating how easy we're manipulated at the ringing of the bell and our willingness to walk through the maze to find the cheese.
It's something to think about
I personally don't think you should perform "on the spot". You can make something LOOK like's on the spot, just by figuring out WHEN and WHERE you want to perform. Say like you want it to look "impromptu". So you have 2-3 effects planned for the month and you make it so you ONLY perform 3x that month, you schedule it in your mind and maybe plan it to be like once a week/month.
If they request that you perform for them some other time, you just tell them no and simply say "Some other time." or "Maybe later." leave it vague so they don't go expecting it.
If they request that you perform for them some other time, you just tell them no and simply say "Some other time." or "Maybe later." leave it vague so they don't go expecting it.
craig i understand what your saying and agree with you, the same with randy. i dont always perform everytime i am asked two, but a on some occasions will just to try something new or what ever reason it may be. usuallly when family or friends come i usaually have tricks in mind but if i choose to perform i do it when im ready not when i am asked to. if they get really persistent then i do some stupid little trick like i got your nose, becauser that usually takes them off my back. craig im intrested to know what you do when you get asked this?
WTH!?
Are you just hell-bent in creating a problem between us or simply too arrogant to understand what I said and other's echoed?
I called a spade a spade and in so doing, repeated what others of note have been saying for decades when it comes to jumping through hoops just because people want to see a trick. Amazingly, the original poster understood and agreed with the points I made. . . seems everyone thus far has agreed EXCEPT YOU.
I suspect it's because you want short one or two line answers to things when in the real world such does not apply; especially when it comes to clarifying key points around a seemingly simple question.
"Convoluted?"
How exactly do you get there? As best I can see I was touching on key bullet points the questioner hadn't weighed or at least, expressed; points that must be considered because of how our actions around each said point affect both, us and magic as a whole. My agenda, as it were, is to make people better than trained monkeys with a coin cup and in so doing, improve the public opinion of magic & magicians -- it's the obligation of we grumpy old farts as far as I'm concerned.
I used to carry the deck all the time with me, and at that time I would probably show just a few impromptu effects. Now I rarely carry the deck, so if it's supposed to be something quick, I borrow a coin or two and do something with that (it's good to have some coin routines, then you're almost always prepared to show something). If there is some more time, some mentalism, psychological forces, which hand is the object in etc.
Then why post such a deliberate slam? Why say anything other than "I agree" or "disagree" and why? Saying so WITHOUT the hint of personal attack you seem to enjoy putting into your replies to my posts. . .
Why antagonize?
Because he asked a completely different question to what you answered. I find it very frustrating that all the guy asked was what tricks people usually do when put on the spot and you go on about not becoming a performing monkey.
I think what you said is really important to question and would definitely be good to discuss, just not in here where no one has asked about it.
I think what you said is really important to question and would definitely be good to discuss, just not in here where no one has asked about it.