talkmagic.co.uk

mmmm Archers and Lemonade, that's one of my favourites

Hi Gary and welcome to TM

Hello Dave. Thank you. I want to be able to give some advice, but with things being a little quiet at the moment, I'll give you some, but it may be too late. Don't get married. Just find a woman that you hate and buy her a house. It saves a lot of time. Nice to be here. All the best.

Gary Williams wrote:Sorry, Ace of hades. Received your reply whilst I was typing (not surprising really). Thanks for your reply. How do you know that you're getting away with it? I am aware that you are probably being mildly flippant, but just in case you're not, my above question is very much more profound than people generally give it credit for. Swap 'get away with' for the phrase 'what works', because I'll take an educated guess that that would be more honest of you. Thank you for your modest opinion, brother.

Ace of Hades??? Some would say you're on to something there...

I was playing around with the "get away with" comment, hence the " "

When performing I like to tailor my effects for the audience (size/age range). For example, there are effects that I'd do in front of 1 or 2 people that I wouldn't do in front of 8-10. I'm still looking for an effect that actually relies on everyone burning the deck; that would be magic gold in my book.

I also prefer to arrange things so that various tricks lead into the next - although I imagine that's a given for most of us on here. In one case I was caught switching out decks, to which I replied "I always change the decks several times during the performance, otherwise they wear out too quickly and then I hhave cards sticking together." I'm not sure if that was the best response, but she seemed to buy it.

With many of the people I perform for, they tend to be in a state of instant-magician-paranoia ("Oh no, he's trying to make a fool of me" - although some of them do the job far better than I ever could), so I have a preference for demonstration-type effects where there's no picking/finding/guessing of cards. I think the best example of this are the various poker deals out there (Lorayne and Vernon both had their versions, and I'm sure there are many others), especially when performing for adults. I live about 50 minutes away from two very large casinos, so my chances of finding people who have a casual interest in gambling games are usually pretty good.

I like packet tricks, and while many here on TM aren't big on gaffed cards, I do like to throw one in. I probably wouldn't do more than one or two, so this way they don't see them coming.

I also like to break things up with coins and other non-card tricks (mental-based magic, ESP, pens, rubber bands, and I've considered sponge-balls), I don't have much ready to go in these areas, so I've got my work cut out for me.

Hello there Ace. I apologise, most sincerely, and would have done earlier, but I thought that unless you were being really stubborn, that you would post me comment about it-lol. I don't know how it slipped through, because I like to check everything, before submitting it. Thanks for the post, which shares a bit of what you like and what you are about. I know what you mean about certain effects that play to various audience sizes, but one of my 'habits' is to offer a card for selection, after which I'll turn to another spectator and ask them if they want to take a card, because they have a look of slight disappointment on their face. This is followed by offering another for selection, and continues until all people at the table have selected a card. I pass out three markers, and all cards are signed. Everybody is involved in my first card effect.
But nothing is set in stone. Your point on effects leading into one another is 100%, and it stirs a minor gripe that I have with an 'introducer' of a magic evening of close-up, where he announced that the magicians would need a little time to re-set, between tables. I couldn't believe my ears, and I left the event, knowing that any criticisms that I had would be seen in a very poor light. For a demo effect with cards, I like reset, because it goes against the grain somewhat, in that it genuinely confuses people, and it's good practise to make your effects followable. There's lots, and poker effects are a very good idea at the moment, because of the rise in popularity in poker of recent.
There's a lot of views on packet tricks, but they tend to fall into one of the following categories - 1. They're not from the deck, and they give away the fact that they are special cards. 2. Magicians don't have four jokers, or identical cards in their decks, and they use 'special' items on occasion, so all appears totally natural. The argument appears to be based around the naturalness of using packet tricks. I have absolutely no qualms about using a packet trick (as packet tricks are known-I don't want to get into the 'What is a packet trick?' argument), especially the montes.
It's good to give people a bit of variety and I like rubber bands and sponge balls (I might re-phrase that). If you want a very simple, but perfect little sponge ball routine, that uses 2 sponge balls, let me know. I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to post it back, but I could pm it to you. Anyway, thank you for your post. It's good to get to know people better and share thoughts and ideas (aren't they the same thing?). Thanks Ace.

Welcome!

I also never use the classic force - it's limited in that it requires the spec to take a card from a specific part of the spread. The variations on the cull force I always use allow a spec to select the force card from any part of the spread. Much sneakier

Hello Kate. The cull force is excellent, because being able to cleanly cull cards is an excellent utility. I cull quite regularly. A tip to those that don't- Ask somebody to name any card. Spread through the deck, to prove that it's there, and cull it to the top of the deck. I love controlling cards, and as soon as somebody takes a card from the deck, I have complete control over it, because I know exactly where it is, from there on in. This said I use a variation of forces, for tons of reasons, but for fear of boring you (as if-lol), I'll leave them out for now, I think. Thanks for your response, and I look forward to chatting with you in the future.

Gary wrote:

but it may be too late. Don't get married

It's far too late but if the truth be told, and call me an old romantic but I wouldn't swap Mrs dat for anything

Of course not, and remember, Bigamy....... one wife too many. Monogomy......... Same thing! Lol. In all seriousness, I agree, and although my partner and I never married, we have been together for around 15 years. This said, she has told me that if I attempt to show her another bloody card trick, she will phone the contract hitman and finalise the deal. Yes, she really loves magic-lol.

Hi Gary, i just read your posts and feel that because i have invested so much of my life into reding them (boy you can type lol) i'd pop in and say hi.

I'm a big fan of the classic force AND control, i always do both so that i can keep practising one when doing the other. And it means i always know what it is and where...knowledge is power!

Hope you are well though sir

Richard