"Show me some magic..."

Jun 20, 2008
50
0
Belchertown, MA
I want to know what is the trick you perform first or "open" with when somebody or many people ask you to "do a trick." Im talking about "open a deck and go" magic when you are at a family gathering or with your friends, in that kind of atmosphere. What is that trick you do when you want to make a good impression and also what do you follow up with if so?

I am wondering because as of right now if I was hanging out at a family get together and happen to be flourishing and playing with my cards, and conversation sparks up that I can do some good card magic and someone wants to see, I am not positive what i would shoot for. Obviously I do have tricks that can easily be performed for that person but is that the right choice...
 
Jul 13, 2008
382
0
I think just showing a card and changing it doesn't really leave a lasting impression on laymen. I love card-to-mouth. The misdirection is great and it's a really quick trick that gets great reactions.
 

wZEnigma

Elite Member
Jun 17, 2009
1,511
153
NE Ohio.
ianchandlerwriting.com
I think just showing a card and changing it doesn't really leave a lasting impression on laymen. I love card-to-mouth. The misdirection is great and it's a really quick trick that gets great reactions.

While card to mouth is an insane trick, and I do love it, you're being stupid in underestimating the power of a simple double lift change. When I perform for people I've done magic for before, the one they remember most is "the one in the hand". Card to mouth is a very valid suggestion, though. That's a close second to the DL.

Ian
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
Depends. Lately I've been opening with an inversion thing I came up with (But I'm sure is not original) with several selections. It's quick and visual and people like it. I'll also do some of Tony Chang's stuff, or a simple DL change ... something simple and hard hitting, but impromptu.
 
Feb 16, 2010
120
0
For people that I do not know, I will always open up with something that I refer to as a "six second trick". This is to establish that I am not the average uncle Joe Blow doing a card trick requested from friends. This is to get respect from the spectators.

Now, into the piece. For the six second piece, I make it a rule to do the trick in less than 10 seconds, which is why the title . This trick must capture their attention.is obviously called the "six second trick".

I peek the top card and do a double turnover stating that if they would have picked the 7 of..... that this card would not be the right one. I then do a color change to fix the mistake. This trick is very visual and fast, which now gives you motive to have them choose their own card.

After the six second piece, I go directly into an ambitious sequence.
 
Jun 30, 2010
22
0
I want to know what is the trick you perform first or "open" with when somebody or many people ask you to "do a trick." Im talking about "open a deck and go" magic when you are at a family gathering or with your friends, in that kind of atmosphere. What is that trick you do when you want to make a good impression and also what do you follow up with if so?

I am wondering because as of right now if I was hanging out at a family get together and happen to be flourishing and playing with my cards, and conversation sparks up that I can do some good card magic and someone wants to see, I am not positive what i would shoot for. Obviously I do have tricks that can easily be performed for that person but is that the right choice...


these days i normally open up with the deck memorizin thing..

the one that Derren Brown does in one of his specials, where the desk is shuffled and i flick thru the cards seeing all of them.. and then memorize from top to bottom without looking.........

first i tell them, this is not magic.... its photographic memory. .bla bla bla...

always gets good responces, and then comes the requests for other magic...



but till a while back... ACR would be the opener for me... :)... still is Sometimes..
 
Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
Hmm, a couple of thoughts are coming here. These are all just my opinions, so feel free to disagree. Also, I ask a few questions of previous posters, so no offense is intended. But hopefully it'll provoke people to think about magic.

@Lucas: Why not? I sometimes do, sometimes don't, but that's not the point. There's a lot to be said for opening with one of your stronger pieces. Not the strongest, but one of the stronger ones. To be honest, I think that if you find that your material gets weaker over time - there's a chance you need new material. When I choose what goes where - effect strength isn't an issue for me, I know it's all strong - it's just a matter of what I want the effect to do, and when. My opener is there for the sole purpose of showing what I do, for example. All my effects are strong, but that's there for that purpose, not because of its strength.

@magicmaster: I think you missed the part when Ian mentions building up the suspense.

@MKulik: I think chris17 has the right idea here. Normally, I don't use cards to open. But if it's what you work with, then you should pick out something that works for you. You should ask yourself what you need from an opener, and what you're trying to achieve. A lot of people cite things like having a quick, impromptu trick. Others have different objectives. What do you want it to do for you?

@Ian: Good suggestion. I think what's particularly worth nothing is building suspense. Openers are normally relatively quick effects, this is reasonable. But don't neglect to build suspense even when doing a quick trick.

@anish: Welcome to the forums, I see you're new. A question or two, if I may. You tell them that what you're performing is not magic. So what does that tell you if people then ask you for more magic? Also, what does it tell you that people ask for other magic? Is it because they want to see more, or because they want to see something else? I don't know the answer to this, only you do, and I'm not assuming anything. But it did get me thinking...
 
Sep 3, 2007
1,231
0
Thanks for the insightful post prae. There are so many ways to approach this that usually when someone asks, I'd just do any trick I think of. When I first read the OP I was thinking Jazz Aces. Next time I read it I could think something different.

The thing is in family/friend situations when someone tells you to do a trick, that is not the best time to go into your "tried and true" routine. Or to do any certain trick in general. If when someone asks and you always do the same trick, you're setting yourself up to be the guy that always changes one card.

Just some ideas. Peace.
 
Jan 5, 2010
658
2
Alabama
A sloppy triumph.

I don't really like the double lift, and revelation. No story, no plot, no action, no connection.

All your saying is "Here's this card, now wait for it... now it's changed!". Where's the drama? Why would a spectator care about this, other than novelty.

If you want to leave a lasting impression, you better connect to the audience with something that relates to them.
 
Sep 3, 2007
1,231
0
A sloppy triumph.

I don't really like the double lift, and revelation. No story, no plot, no action, no connection.

All your saying is "Here's this card, now wait for it... now it's changed!". Where's the drama? Why would a spectator care about this, other than novelty.

If you want to leave a lasting impression, you better connect to the audience with something that relates to them.

Completely agreed. Especially with family/friends. Show them one really good trick and that's it. Triumph is the best.
 

Mike.Hankins

creator / <a href="http://www.theory11.com/tricks/
Nov 21, 2009
435
0
Sacramento, Cali
A sloppy triumph.

I don't really like the double lift, and revelation. No story, no plot, no action, no connection.

All your saying is "Here's this card, now wait for it... now it's changed!". Where's the drama? Why would a spectator care about this, other than novelty.

If you want to leave a lasting impression, you better connect to the audience with something that relates to them.

If that is how you present it...then ok. But understand something...

Presentation can take something so simple and make it so amazing...

Instead of DLing a card right away, why not do the effect twice? Turn over a single card, put it in their hand face down...use your own patter for reasoning...then reveal nothing has changed. Do it a second time, this time using a DL, and then using your own patter for reasoning, reveal it has changed.

Mike
 
May 7, 2010
32
0
these days i normally open up with the deck memorizin thing..

the one that Derren Brown does in one of his specials, where the desk is shuffled and i flick thru the cards seeing all of them.. and then memorize from top to bottom without looking.........

first i tell them, this is not magic.... its photographic memory. .bla bla bla...

always gets good responces, and then comes the requests for other magic...



but till a while back... ACR would be the opener for me... :)... still is Sometimes..

sounds cool where can i learn it
 
Jan 5, 2010
658
2
Alabama
Double lift, put in their hand, build up suspense, reveal.

Boom. You're welcome.

Ian

Mike, I was referring to this statement. Sure a showing a double and the revealing a different card can be powerful, but it is hard to create a story with that.

Sure you could build up some story about the physical properties of a card and how a magician can twist and bend them, but why would they care? What are you doing that relates to them?

I've never done a DL then a revelation as an effect. It seems to short and not very climactic. Of course, I'm not doubting that you could come up with an amazing presentation for this, but why not just go with an effect you know will kill, like Twilight Angels?

Really, if you had the option to do a DL/revelation, or Twilight Angels on someone that asks to see some magic, I'm pretty sure you would choose TA.

If not, can you tell me why not? There are so many effects with amazing stories that can be done with a regular deck, so why would you just do a DL and show a different card?
 
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