Pointers on 'Magicians Choice'

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

Let me say this. I love using prop magic and what you can do with them to make a helluva routine.

So, I have an effect that requires a force using 4 (and only) cards. And someone gave me the idea of using Magicians Choice.

I've been searching around the wastelands of Google and I have the general concept of how it works. I understand that Magicians Choice is very presentation oriented, so I can safely assume that it's more of a learned concept rather than a single secret or answer that will make sense.

My question is that are there any online sources to better learn Magicians Choice. If it helps, I believe I am acquiring Multiplicity by Max Maven in the mail in the near future.

If it helps in any capacity, the audience is children. Call me a bit crazy. But can the concept be applied towards children? Or can the basic concept of Magicians Choice can be applied here?


At the very very least. I want to try and use all this on my smarty-pants wife.

 

[RealityOne]

The magician's choice can be applied to anyone. The key is to justify it in your presentation. All you need to know is in Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic.

 

[wZEnigma]

Four duplicates?

 

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

Four duplicates?

Ah man. I need to show 4 ungimmicked cards at the start

 

[CrazyClement]

Basically you want to look all the choices are the "same" like regardless of what they pick you'll doing to the same thing to the half they picked. Does that make sense? Sorry if it doesn't.

A good thing here is to use a bit of "misdirection" for example having the child rip apart the cards, deposit them, do anything to it, as long as you retain what you have.

Also a good final climax will have them forget the procedure especially if the procedure is done casually and not very serious (it doesn't matter what you pick...) and not very important. Don't put a lot of focus into it.

Alternatively you can do a switch I guess, instead of an equivocate.

 

[Justin.Morris]

One way you could word it is "We need to narrow these down. Choose a card to keep" then if needed "now choose a second one to keep. You say great,give them a chance to change their mind and continue appropriately. Then say that you will narrow things down further - have them slide one card towards you (again a chance to change their mind). This could be perceived as one you keep and they keep the other, or they are choosing one of the cards by removing the other. You would have to play with the words a bit, but that could work I think.

Giving opportunity for them to change can help get a hit sooner and is a convincer that it could have been different. If that wasn't clear I can send you a PM.

 

[Justin.Morris]

Just tried that with my wife and she was surprised and said she didn't feel forced lol

 

[RealityOne]

Justin:

I think that the "chance to change their mind" is a convincer that only works for magicians. As magicians we are thinking "its a force" and the chance to change their mind makes us wonder "maybe it isn't." For lay folk, the chance to change their mind is confusing. The participant often feels confused... did I pick the wrong card? should I change my mind? why is he asking? The spectators are just wondering "why would they want to change their mind?"

Also, it interrupts the flow and feel of a routine. Think about how confusing an effect would be if the spectator changed their mind three times during the procedure -- it would be really muddled.

In any instance where you force a card, the fairness of the force should be demonstrated through the method used. I think that trying to demonstrate it through the "do you want to change your mind" or the "that was fair, right" or "you could have picked any card" actually has the counter effect of raising suspicion. That is, why would you ask the question if it wasn't a free and fair choice.

Think of this. You give the spectator a brand new deck, they open it, shuffle it several time and then spread the deck on the table and select a card. In that instance, would you ask them if they want to change their mind? I'm guessing that most of us would answer no because we know that there is no way a magician could manipulate that choice. So think about this from a spectator's perspective. The spectator shuffles a deck and the magician dribbles cards from one hand to another asking the spectator to stop them at any point. The spectator says "stop" and the magician stops and holds the lower portion of the deck to the spectator saying "that is where you stopped me, take the top card and look at it." The audience (unless they are magicians) cannot fathom that the selection process is anything but fair. In that instance, and in the instance of any well done force, the more you emphasize the fairness the more suspicious the audience becomes.

Unless, of course, you are looking for an excuse to use the line, "so you will keep the mind you have." That is a rant I'll save for another post.

 

[TeeDee]

Following on from what RealityOne said, I actually think it can make a magician's choice procedure stronger if you introduce it by saying something like, "I'm going to get you to make a series of choices. Just to be clear, though, once you've made your choice it's set in stone, I'm not going to let you change your mind." This emphasises the idea that they do have a genuine choice and that their decision makes a difference.

 

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

I appreciate the incredibly detailed responses and help from everyone! I have a good idea how of I would Carefully integrate it within the routine. Little bit of scripting, little bit of practice and it should work out.

I never thought I'd have to go this far with a Tenyo trick.

Thanks again

 

[monster]

I appreciate the incredibly detailed responses and help from everyone! I have a good idea how of I would Carefully integrate it within the routine. Little bit of scripting, little bit of practice and it should work out.

I never thought I'd have to go this far with a Tenyo trick.

Thanks again

I appreciate the incredibly detailed responses and help from everyone! I have a good idea how of I would Carefully integrate it within the routine. Little bit of scripting, little bit of practice and it should work out.

I never thought I'd have to go this far with a Tenyo trick.

Thanks again

I appreciate the incredibly detailed responses and help from everyone! I have a good idea how of I would Carefully integrate it within the routine. Little bit of scripting, little bit of practice and it should work out.

I never thought I'd have to go this far with a Tenyo trick.

Thanks again

 

[monster]

try hector chadwick's Art of Equivoque available as $10 download from Vanishing inc. It teaches a great little trick for kids. good luck.

 

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

Yay! I will look into this! Funny that I've been trying to find this thread recently.