Do Your BEST Magic Trick

[Karo-K54]

So, this a question that I get asked often by my audiences. It's rather annoying, as you can't just rate your tricks like that, and even if you did have 'best' trick, that would not be the right crowd mentality you want, since the spectators will be extremely judgemental and not really enjoy the trick, since this is supposedly your 'best' trick.

It's rather complicated to explain that it's not as easy as that, and you can't exactly complain about the audience being ignorant enough to ask such a question, since that's their job, but we need a way out of this.
Any ideas?

 

[Nikname]

I would just try giving them what they want and then do a waterproof good trick, do the invisible deck or ambitious card with a crazy ending like folded card or omni deck. Torn and restored with a signed card is also a great option.
If you are good at spongeball, do that.

 

[RealityOne]

Why do you think they are asking this?

Do they ask this when they learn you are a magician or after you have performed something for them?

Are these spectators you have previously performed for or first time spectators?

My sense is they don’t want to waste time watching you unless you are really good and this is their way of saying - “you have one trick to impress me - make it a good one.”

My advice is to take this and use it to your advantage. “You want to see my best trick... [pause as if you are thinking about whether they are worthy - internal script is “I usually only perform that trick for people I really like—I guess I like you enough]. OK. [Take a serious tone and begin your presentation making it seem significant].

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

I don't recall anyone saying this to me. So my response is very similar to RealityOne's - What is it that's inspiring them to say this?

Without context it's difficult to guess at what the implied portions of the conversation could be.

It could be, "Oh! Magic's fun, let's see the trick you think is the very best!" Or it could be as David said, "Impress me."

It could also be, "I have no existing concept of what magic really is, so show me something good so I have an idea of what "good" is to you."

In any case, I don't think explaining the intricacies of the difficulty of rating your tricks is the way to go. In general terms I think it's best to avoid explaining anything unless it's necessary. In those cases you explain as little as possible to make sure they understand, then move on. Don't lecture at them, just entertain them.

 

[romerojp]

I have told spectators before that a magician's best trick, according to his/her perception, might not be very impressive to them.

We spend countless hours perfecting finger stunts to the point of making them invisible, yet sometimes we get a mild reactions to them. Ironically, we can sometimes get an unexpected huge reaction to tricks that have sleights that require way less hand dexterity. This is because we sometimes forget to put ourselves in the shoes of our spectators.

Then I tell them that if they help me rate the next trick, perhaps I will get to a point where I know which is my best trick, not according to me, but according to my audience.

My statements hold truth. The spectators have an "answer" to their request, although you have the heat off you, because they don't know if the next trick is going to be a technically difficult one or not. I have said similar things and followed with ACR, Two card monte, Designed for Laughter, or even semi-automatic ones like Bannon Triumph, Think Stop, Gemni Twins... it really doesn't matter.

At the end of the trick, the spectator will sometimes ask me if it was a hard one or not.

IMO, it makes them connect more with the trick.