talkmagic.co.uk

Hi everybody,

I don't know if you have ever experienced it, but it happens to me all the time. It's friday night, I'm sitting in a bar with a couple of friends, and somebody challenges me: "Show us some card tricks".

No problem so far. However, every time I do it I'll spoil a deck of bicycles. They become sticky, smell like pack of cigs, and are just no good anymore for difficult sleights. Lately I was wondering if there is any trick that can prevent this from happening, or is there a way to put the cards back in shape?

I tried "washing it off" which totally screwed the deck up.

Especially the ghost and Metallic or Tiger cards are just to expensive to throw them away for a couple of tricks.

Can anyone help?

Thanks for your time!

Never take decent cards to a bar.

seige wrote:Never take decent cards to a bar.

Good point.....I have never used fanning powder, but I would assume that it may help recondition them somewhat...

You just have to be careful with them. I often do tricks in the pub and haven't really had that much of a problem with ruining cards.

Don't do effects which mean you have to lay cards down on a table.

Dont handle the cards after drinking, smoking or playing with yourself!! Wash your hands first.

Use normal bikes in a bar.

Always carry your cards in a porper deck..

If anyone bends, scratches or messes with their selected card or puts it on the table in a pool of beer.. punch them square in the nose... they wont do it again I promise you that!!

Now now ID you've had enough problems with fighting in the work place. Surely you should know by now to play nicely. Only joking.

Yeah I never take good packs to bars or parties, its always the decks that have been well used and I don't mind if they are wrecked. As they nearly always get wrecked by some drunken eejit wanting to show me how the 4 jacks robbing a bank and getting away.

I.D wrote:If anyone bends, scratches or messes with their selected card or puts it on the table in a pool of beer.. punch them square in the nose... they wont do it again I promise you that!!

ROFL - I'll have to remember that one

I usually resort to a cold, icey glare. That works well, as does a kick in the shins

Wills wrote: As they nearly always get wrecked by some drunken eejit wanting to show me how the 4 jacks robbing a bank and getting away.

That sounds a fantastic trick.. any chance of a review?

Unfortunately its a closely guarded secret within the magic circle, so I can't even review it.

On that subject it is great to use Arthur Buckley's multiple shift or a similar sleight on a person who has shown you that trick. They'll sit and scratch their heads when they see you put the actual jacks into the deck

I hold it up fro general inspection and say something like, "Well, that's a couple of quid I won't be seeing again. Any chance of a pint to cover it?"

Moisture is the bane of your cards' existence. I never handle my cards unless my hands are clean and dry. I have dry skin, so I usually need some sort of moisture to handle the cards well. I only use SortKwik (they should be paying me for this) as saliva will put a warp in the cards.

If I get a kink in one of the cards, I'll usually do some fairly aggressive Faro shuffles and that tends to straighten them out. Once they get too ragged, I retire them to the big box of cards I keep for practicing torn and restored tricks, etc.

After you've "retired" enough decks, you can put together a "Tossed out deck" a la Gazzo. This is a hard-hitting effect and, being a broke college kid, I'm all about saving money!

Are you the Roblaughter from Magicbunny> I assume so.

anyway.. another brilliant way you can stop your cards getting wrecked in a bar is to show them card tricks.. without cards!!

Third Degree Burn
Scatter
etc etc

just some possiblilties.. or do something else.. ''real magicians do magic with coins etc ''

if that fails.. just smack em square in the nose.. I always do this to hecklers.. its funny that they never seem to talk so much when they are choking on their own blood!!

How about just taking a semi used deck out and don't put them on the table and make sure your hands are clean before you handle them.

KFC Wipes -- use them every day!! Just walk and pocket a handful