Last night I had my first troublemaker participant before that all I had to contend with was the type that treats all effects as puzzles lest people think they're stupid. Troublemakers are much worse than puzzlers. The effect I did for her was one called Cut with Confidence from Scam School. From the moment she chose a card (which is too late to choose not to do an effect for someone) she basically quit taking direction. She did not want to put the card back where I told her. She looked at the bottom of the deck repeatedly during my shuffling. I told her to cut three piles she cut four. She was very vocal about whether or not it was her card on the bottom of the pile. I stuck to my guns patter wise, refused to acknowledge that the card on the pile could be her card and finished the effect to the general response of "how did my card get there?" that effect usually gets.
I lucked out with picking to do that effect, of all the ones I know it can best stand up to a troublesome participant. And technically I guess it was a success, she got to be an arse and try dominate the proceedings, I got her suckered, and the other spectator was impressed at the effect and mystified that I did it all barely looking at the cards.
I lucked out with picking to do that effect, of all the ones I know it can best stand up to a troublesome participant. And technically I guess it was a success, she got to be an arse and try dominate the proceedings, I got her suckered, and the other spectator was impressed at the effect and mystified that I did it all barely looking at the cards.