Best MisDirection Tools, Tips, and Tricks?

[BrianKilledYou]

Well, I'm really getting into card magic, and I'm learning 5 tricks everyday. 20% of those involve mis-direction. I just learned a trick tonight called Triumph which involves misdirection, or at least the version I was taught.

~What works for you?
~What do you say on the offbeat?
~Any funny lines that will make the audience look up at you laughing?

-Is it best to perform misdirection effects to a 2-3 people audience?



Thx' for your time, please answer with anything ya' got~!

BrianM

 

[Sleight_of_Hand]

5 tricks a day ... wow ... I find it hard to cope with 1 every month

 

[BrianKilledYou]

Ye I find it very easy

 

[dejavu05]

I think it really depends on the person. Because some people will be looking so hard and others will just kind of being watching. Mostly I will just say a comment that will get them to look up for a second. It will range on what I say. When you are performing and talk to someone at the start of the trick, you can kind of get an idea about who they are. It will almost come natural what to say to get them to look up. I know I am not saying anything specific, but what I am trying to say is just an idea to help you get a better idea about what to say. Also, I heard that you said that you learn like 5 tricks a day. If I were you I would really try to just get down one trick and master it, then move on. I love the trick DeJa Vu by Dan and Dave Buck, and even though I am pretty good at it, I still constantly practice it again and again until it is completly mistake free. I hope this helps and good luck!!!

-Hunter

 

[adjones]

5 tricks a day is way too many. Slow it down and take the time to learn each effect properly.

One day David Devant was approached by a young magician, who said, "Mr. Devant, I know 300 card tricks... how many do you know?" To which he replied, drily," I know, I think... about eight."

Obsessing over quality instead of quantity is something you must do in order to succeed in magic. So take it slow, and perfect these effects. The point I'm trying to get across is that it is impossible to learn five effects every day and then perform them to the best of your ability... it just can't be done.

 

[BrianKilledYou]

5 tricks a day is way too many. Slow it down and take the time to learn each effect properly.

One day David Devant was approached by a young magician, who said, "Mr. Devant, I know 300 card tricks... how many do you know?" To which he replied, drily," I know, I think... about eight."

Obsessing over quality instead of quantity is something you must do in order to succeed in magic. So take it slow, and perfect these effects. The point I'm trying to get across is that it is impossible to learn five effects every day and then perform them to the best of your ability... it just can't be done.

Yes, you guys are right, maybe I was exaggerating 5.
I could learn 5 tricks a day, and master them gradually.

Thx for your help
Brian

 

[Tally]

Wow, 5 tricks... master a trick first then move on to the next one. Perform tricks you learn first. Watch "beginners" on T11

Well for misdirection, when i perform 2 card monte. In my version, I switch the cards fast at the end and start talking after like.."So do you believe me that one is the hearts I just switched." I wait for them to look at me and then switch the cards in my hand. Whatever has the most intrest will attract the audience attention.

Anthony Nguyen

 

[conjure_pitch]

The best misdirection tool hands down is to have the audience do something. I know a version of here then there where the trick is to start with four cards (you as well as them) you follow some directions and theyre stack ends up all mixed up, while yours doesnt. You proceed to tell them to fix there stack while vanishing one of the cards from your hand. The stack turns from four to three to five and I have a closer where the stack turns into either the full deck or one card depending on how effective the misdirection is going. Having them do something that takes a little coordination makes it very easy to simply reach into my pocket and make the switches.

Sorry for the wall of text.

 

[Dom Kabala]

Well, I'm really getting into card magic, and I'm learning 5 tricks everyday. 20% of those involve mis-direction. I just learned a trick tonight called Triumph which involves misdirection, or at least the version I was taught.

~What works for you?
~What do you say on the offbeat?
~Any funny lines that will make the audience look up at you laughing?

-Is it best to perform misdirection effects to a 2-3 people audience?



Thx' for your time, please answer with anything ya' got~!

BrianM

What works for me may not work for you. Five tricks a day, hmm, you must not have a job heh? I work an 8 hr day 5 days a week. I have an 11 year old that I spend time with so there is not much time to learn new tricks let alone practice. When I do find the time to learn something new and practice, I concentrate on the task at hand. I read what is necessary, reread and comprehend what I need to know before I begin any physical activity. If I don't know a sleight that is necessary, I will research it and practice that sleight until I can't perform it wrong. This can be a long process depending on my workload and finding quality practice time can drag this out for weeks or months. Make haste, slowly. As for misdirection, the great Fred Kaps once said "Misdirect all the time". He was a master. For some great reading on this subject look here: http://www.leirpoll.com/misdirection/misdirection.htm
Keep it simple and have fun!
Dom Kabala

 

[Sleight_of_Hand]

Misdirection pretty much comes from the trick:

A few Examples-

Triumph: The story/patter is misdirection to the part of the flipping of the deck.

2 Card monte: You get attention on the cards in their hand while executing the change.

Invisible Palm: Divert attention to your hands, not the cards on the table.

 

[..:Z:..]

Every single time I do the pass, the audience NEVER, EVER looks at the deck because (my movements are casual and natural) I look at the person directly involved dead-straight into his eyes. Then he looks up at me while I am talking to him and everyone else either looks at him, me, or both of us.

That's just one example of misdirection.

..:Z:..

 

[Shodan]

Look over there, a monkey with a gun!

Works for me.

 

[f1stzero]

Well the audience will always looks where you look. So if you stare at your hands while doing your stuff that isn't gonna work. What i do is try and delay the time between set up and sleight execution.

For example when i am pattering about something and showing the cards i would obtain my break or tilt or whatever long before i actually do anything with it.

Hypothetical Situation: audience picks card and it is placed into deck, now you need to control their card via under cut, pass, shift, etc.

After replacing said card look up and talk to them in a casual manner and then execute slight while they aren't looking. You can then dribble the cards just show that you are messing around if they caught any finger movement.

Hope I helped,

-you can PM me with any questions

 

[CDarklock]

What works for you?

Basic psychology.

When you look somewhere, your audience will usually look there, too.

One guy burning your hands? Speak directly to him. He'll look up to make eye contact, and the rest of the audience will look at him.

If all else fails, any time you say the word "look" while gesturing, people uncontrollably look toward the movement. It takes practice, but if you can keep everything except your off hand still and move it slightly as the word "look" passes your lips, you can make people look wherever you want. Context doesn't matter. Say "it doesn't look like much", and if only one part of your body moves when you say the word "look", they'll look at it.

Play with this. Use it in daily life, just to see what happens. Tell someone "you look tired", move your left hand a little when you say "look" - and watch their eyes go straight to your left hand. It's a lot of fun.

 

[jimbowmanjr]

Yes, you guys are right, maybe I was exaggerating 5.
I could learn 5 tricks a day, and master them gradually.

Thx for your help
Brian

Or you could just learn 5 tricks and master them. You could gradually master 300 tricks and always be OK performing all of them or really sink everything into mastering just 5 effects and really putting together a nice plot and storyline around each of those effects.

Hey, we all like to learn the hard way though don't we?

As to your question on misdirection I would rather point you towards Tommy Wonder, Eugene Burger, and Dr. Larry Hass instead of plagiarizing their words which have been burned into my mind over the last few weeks.

--Jim

 

[cklam]

While controlling a card (pass or undercut), I usually ask them

1- "hopefully you didn't choose the jokers?" they usually look at me when I said that

2- or I will even just guess a card "did you pick the 8 of diamond?"



any other suggestions for misdirections while controlling the selection?

 

[Sean_Raf]

Misdirection... It's an odd one for sure.

I'm with Aaron fisher on this one:

You read it everywhere don't you - When you want the audience to look away from the deck, stare at them in the eye and ask the a question. What happens when you try it out in the real world? They do nothing but answer your question whilst still staring at the deck.

Now, that's no fault of your own or the books, sometimes you'll just get that type of person/people. In this case, I'd do something else than try to get them to look away from the deck, instead I'd ask them to look at something else.

E.G.

Leave a sharpie on the table just in case of situations like these, if the situation arises, simply ask them to hand you the sharpie - when they look to pick it up that's your misdirection.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Hope I've given you something to think over.

- Sean

 

[adjones]

Some of the best misdirection, IMO, of course, is when you say something funny and the audience is busy laughing.

 

[Stegerm]

5 tricks a day ... wow ... I find it hard to cope with 1 every month

Yeah, I agree with you.. There's no way you learn to properly execute 5 card tricks a day.. Knowing how a method is done is a lot different than being able to perform the method in a way that looks natural.

 

[Stegerm]

I have noticed David Blaine's techniques on misdirection usually involve looking somewhere so the audience looks as well, or he uses large movements to conceal smaller ones.