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Hey there, i was just wondering what you guys feel are the best misdirection techniques for card tricks. I have been practising a lot lately controlling the the card to the top of the deck and palming it off then.

Then for me to slip it into my pocket I give the person back the deck and ask them to shuffle it to give me the opportunity. Im relatively knew to this all but am practising as much as I can, I was just wondering other than allowing the person to shuffle would you guys have any personal recommendations?

Any help greatly appreciated

Ask them a direct question, and look them in the eye.

You can do anything you want then.

screwystewie wrote:Ask them a direct question, and look them in the eye.

You can do anything you want then.

agreed.

in an engaging tone.

Do you mean in the context of Card to Pocket ? Or misdirection in general ?

Its quite hard to say without knowing the effect or your style etc.

jim

Thanks guys. Jim just looking for a a few ideas for misdirecting the spectator when I palm their card from the top of the deck and am then trying to place the card in my pocket unnoticed. thanks again

Involve the spectator in something.

Asking them a question is a great suggestion - but you could do more so it doesn't appear you are just bombarding them questions every time you need to do something a little less than honest.

I'd suggest another couple of additional techniques:

Your own body language. Step closer / further away from the spectator as required, embellishing your patter with gestures. In a really blunt way, engage them in what you're saying and use hand gestures, their eye will be drawn to your hand - and just stick your hand away from centre in time and relation to what you are saying to draw their eyes away!

Have the spectator physically do something. Ask them to step back a little - they will probably sub-consciously check their feet or even look behind them to check it's ok to do so. Involve a second spectator in the effect, but have the original spectator pick them - this will draw all attention to the original spectator and then onto their chosen participant - bags of time! Or have the spectator do something for you (eg: pick something up from the table / move an object) - but make sure it's relevant to the effect and story.

And always stay alert to naturally occurring misdirections. The most recent example I have of this is whilst I was showing a card trick to someone, I needed a moment for a t** ch**** and as if on queue, their friend asked them if they wanted a pint. Boom!


Just some thoughts,
G

"Look over there!"

All the above is good, but don't fall into the trap of overthinking misdirection - that's a self-defeating exercise.

The best way to get away with any of your dirty work is to allow yourself to believe in your own magic. Yes, that means believing two things at once, but we're humans. We're complex primates. We can do it. Even me. I'm delusional with it.

Seriously. If you believe that a coin is in a hand that it's not, all your mannerisms will sell that 'fact' to the spectator, without you having to do anything actively clever.

The same goes for any deception.

Involving the spectator, making them laugh, or forcing eye contact with a question such as 'what's your name again?' will break their concentration if you need to get attention away from your hands. All that can be worked into your routining.

But if you don't allow yourself to go along with the deception, you'll be swimming upstream.

Just a random think. Probably rubbish. But then, I'm delusional.

Pete

For the palm of a card the suggestions above (looking at them and making some comment) is fine.

Im a bit confused as to the effect though, and why the card has to be pre-loaded - is it for a Card to Pocket effect ? Knowing what youre doing will make it alot easier to work in appropriate misdirection.

jim

Rather than attempt to hide the secret move, place something interesting in its place, says Tommy Wonder

kaala wrote:Rather than attempt to hide the secret move, place something interesting in its place, says Tommy Wonder

Or something bigger; "the larger movement hides the smaller movement"

I also remember hearing Jay Sankey say that it's easier to make a spectator look at something than away from something.

Pete

Plenty of good advice on here, especially about not overthinking misdirection.

For the palm specifically, once the card is in your hand move the deck away from the hand not the other way round, eyes will follow the moving deck.

Thanks a lot for the help everyone

The new book "Sleights of Mind", on the neuroscience of magic, covers this in some detail.

Barry