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Yesterday I wanted to try out a new easy trick I've been trying out for a few days. It's the Ace, two, three, where the 3S jumps from the bottom to the top, the 2S top to bottom, and AS revealed in the middle face up. The sleights are very easy, I can do them in my sleep. No probs with the routine. Yesterday I wanted to try a few routines on my wife. Finally I got the confidence to do it. I started with Do as I do (just to build up that I can do card magic), went on with Ace, two, three; Biddle Trick; and I ended with an ACR. Everything went great except for one screw-up on my DL in Ace, two, three. She caught me! The problem was the type of DL I did. I usually prefer the push-over, do it well enough for a layman not to see. But the position of the deck would've revealed the position of the 2S, so I held the deck differently and made a really bad DL. I know what the problem was, I've adjusted the type of DL I do for that trick now. Basically I do the get-ready when I lay the 3S on the table. What I think is not to do Ace, two, three until a few good months again, as she caught me on a DL, and hope she forgets all about it. Or what would you do in this case? Being caught on a basic thing like this makes them (perhaps) understand what is going on with the tricks. Or would it? Thankful for your replies as I feel really bad right now.

You were using three cards right? can't you just buckle the bottom card?

MartinUK wrote:You were using three cards right? can't you just buckle the bottom card?

Thanks but no need for that now. I just do the get-ready for the DL when laying the card on the table. I hold the full deck in my hand in dealing position and I use the AS, 2S, 3S for the trick. My question is more of what you would do from now on that the screw-up is a fact. Would you do tricks that don't need DL for some time, would you just not do this trick for some time? Or what have you done when this has happened? Luckily it happened to my wife. Maybe I could use her to participate in the illusions. I don't know... I just need some advice.

Sorry about that, I really should pay more attention when I'm reading. I misunderstood.

You're clearly uncomfortable right now so hold off performing this kind of trick. If you've been caught then something about it, or your misdirection, is wrong and that needs reviewing. Practice and rehearse this and any other effects that you think might be affected until you feel more confident then try again.

But don't be disheartened. You've only made a mistake and you just need to learn from it.

Best

Martin

This is quite a big problem for us hobbyists as the same people see our tricks all the time so they can get smarter. It can be an advantage though as you have to work harder and harder to fool these people which improves your technique.

As for your problem, you could lay of with the DL's for a while, your wife will probably be looking to spot this now.

Why not try the Top C or a face up cull?

Or you could get yourself a book by Anemman (sp?) which teaches an ACR routine using a gimmick but requires no sleights?

Thanks Martin. That's what I'll do. I fixed the misdirection by fixing the type of DL. When I did the push-over DL all the heat was on the deck. BIG mistake, I know. It's good for other routines. The thing is I tilt the deck slightly towards me when doing the push-over, but that would've revealed the bottom. That's why I adjusted and do a different DL. When revealing the 3S and laying it on the table, at the same time I catch a break under the top card (too explicit for the forum?). The heat is on the card that goes to the table. That gives me the possibility to do a much easier DL. The problem for the push-over this time was the position of the deck. Otherwise, e.g. in ACR, I do it all the time, no problems.

Wills: thanks. Last week, I think, I saw a topic concerning forces and the need to know 40 forces. Why should somebody learn to use more than 4 or 5 forces? Now I can speak from my own experience. It is definitely crucial to know many variations of a sleight. The same goes for the need to know different DL's. I do 2 convincing dl's but I need to know more for different situations. I don't have any problem in doing the ACR. In fact, it's the one I'm the most confident with. It's the first routine I learnt pretty well. On the other hand, I am learning culling now. I find it quite a difficult sleight. At least doing it well.

I wouldnt wory so much.. just make sure it doesnt happen again.

From a laypersons point of view, they wouldnt / shouldnt be suspect further.

This morning I met a kid about 15 in town who stopped me to show him a few tricks. But first he wanted to show me one. So I let him.. He just did one move, the pop up move. he was fairly adept at it and my friend seemed impressed. So I went into an entire ACR routine that completely blew him away, an ACR routine where every move was a d/l. I even told him that I would use that one technique he knew to make a routine. Bu the didnt catch on. So even if you get caught on one move or a spectator works out one movem they generally only associate that technique to be used with the very trick you did it with. You could immediately move onto another effect using the same technique and with an alternative presentation, it is something different and laypeople, from my experience, dont make the association.

Thanks ID! I've been thinking the same thing. She actually told me "I saw you lifted two cards, but I'm not sure, it didn't make any sense to me". After the failed dl I actually did an entire ACR with maybe 5-6 revelations, and everything is of course based on dl. I actually used the push-over for most dl, depending on the situation of the cards in my hand. Went smoothly.