theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards

Tricks for Hecklers

Try some psyche stuff, there's a few people have nice zodiac reveals using progressive anagrams. Really easy to do, just a bit of memory work and your set to do something with no sleights or props!:)

Banachek's got one in PS2, but there are a couple more around too.

D.
 
Wow... are we magicians really that much of an attention whore that we have to perform for anybody who doesn't recognize our oh so precious "art"?
Sometimes when reading this boards I sure think so.

Performing at school. Heh you jesters.
 
Well attention whore or not people ask to see me do tricks not the other way around. People want to be entertained during lunch I guess so me and my buddy do that. I am not trying to make hecklers seem to be crazy aliens but this guy is not just a normal heckler who touches cards or something, he uses critical thinking skills and puts it together. He has a pretty high I.Q. from what I've heard, anyways thanks for the tips.

I am performing gator boots next time he says something btw.
 
coastaldude said:
I am performing gator boots next time he says something btw.
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Please tell me you're joking...:(

Ps. Having a high IQ is not a relevant excuse for why you can't overcome this heckler...I perform at a university campus full of people with high IQs every chance that I get, and plenty of them find me entertaining. Do some heckle? Sure, but I quickly wind the situation down by involving them in my tricks and entertaining them. When someone is entertained they aren't going to care about "ruining" (read: figuring out) your effects anymore...when they're a part of the trick, they have a vested interest in seeing that trick through to completion; after all, if you fail, they fail. Try to be a bit more engaging (especially with the heckler), and above all, make sure you're entertaining. And try presenting an effect not as a "trick" or anything, as that can be seen as a challenge--try presenting it as an experience, one which brings them on an entertaining journey.

Anyway, my train of thought has officially been lost--hopefully that's enough to get you thinking on the proper way to handle the situation. Good luck with everything! :)
 
praetoritevong said:
I do hope that was a joke. But more interestingly enough, I disagree with DJ's assessment that you will never win over a heckler. I disagree from personal experience, having personally and also seen magician friends won over a heckler and helped them to enjoy magic as well as hint towards proper etiquette. If, as DJ said, he's been right every other time - the problem is that you haven't practiced enough. If you mess it up, 99% you again have not practiced enough. I'm not saying that this is possible every single time, but I feel that it is a better goal, for your audience and for you as a magician.
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With the amount that i practice, i assure you that isnt the problem. I was referring to his specific story when i said "he has been right every other time". As for winning over a heckler, i think it really depends on how cynical the heckler is. If they are just trying to figure out the trick and guessing the method, i wouldn't really consider that a heckler. I would just call those spectators. I'm speaking more about people whose sole purpose of watching your performance is to ruin it. And to those people, i really see no point in trying to win them over, simply because they dont want to be. They arent interested in being entertained, they just see it as you trying to trick them and they dont find anything entertaining about that.

When i was talking about messing it up in front of him, i wasnt saying that he/I was likely to mess it up but rather that there are two ways it can go: mess it up or it goes well. Of course everyone knows what happens if you mess up. But if you get it perfect, in his situation specifically i really dont see the guy backing down and just saying "you fooled me i dont know how that one was done". I think he is much more likely to just make something up and claim that he saw something he didnt, or knows something he doesnt.

Is it better for you and your audience to win over hecklers? Well I'm not sure that it is. If you are in a large group of spectators that you dont know, i would say yes. And i would personally keep going, but i would probably call out the heckler. I would ask him to come closer, and perform for him with the best "magician fooling" trick i know. Then i would ask him if hes done trying to ruin the performance if he could please be quiet. If im in a small group, or performing for just one person, i would finish my trick and politely leave. I see no reason to try to win them over.

Just my opinions on it. I hope you respond and we can continue this conversation.

Take care,
Victor Cruz
 
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