talkmagic.co.uk

So I have a little predicament, I'm doing magic at my little sisters birthday party on wednesday, but I will obviously need to use more than one deck of cards... How do I switch them around without arousing suspicion? Is there any special device which I could buy which would do this for me?

Pockets!

Put the deck away and bring 'it' out again when you need it next.

Yes, there's a larger issue here of how many decks you ought to be using etc etc. blah blah, I'll let some of the more anal members berate you on that front. Pockets is your answer though.

I think two important questions need to be answered here before continuing. firstly, how old is the little sister? I'd say that if she's under the age of about 15 card magic isn't appropriate. Secondly, why do you think you need so many decks and why do you need to switch them secretly? When I work I will start with a fresh deck that night and carry a spare deck, maybe a second depending on the amount of people and size of venue but I never need to change decks secretly.

hds02115 wrote:I think two important questions need to be answered here before continuing. firstly, how old is the little sister? I'd say that if she's under the age of about 15 card magic isn't appropriate.

Someone 8 years old and up can appreciate a good card trick. If she's between 15 and 20 chances are she won't want her big brother at her party.

Jean Eugene Roberts wrote:

hds02115 wrote:I think two important questions need to be answered here before continuing. firstly, how old is the little sister? I'd say that if she's under the age of about 15 card magic isn't appropriate.

Someone 8 years old and up can appreciate a good card trick. If she's between 15 and 20 chances are she won't want her big brother at her party.

Unless he's dating her best friend...

A_n_t wrote:

Jean Eugene Roberts wrote:

hds02115 wrote:I think two important questions need to be answered here before continuing. firstly, how old is the little sister? I'd say that if she's under the age of about 15 card magic isn't appropriate.

Someone 8 years old and up can appreciate a good card trick. If she's between 15 and 20 chances are she won't want her big brother at her party.

Unless he's dating her best friend...

In which case she definitely won't want him at the party.


For deck switches just be casual. No "secretive" moves, don't comment on what you're doing. Just put the cards in your pocket like you'd put a wallet away after paying for something. If you want to use the same pocket just in case there's someone paying way too much attention for their own good, put the 1sxt deck between your body and the 2nd deck, take out your hands (again, no attention, don't specifically show them empty or anything - as natural as you and wait for a moment (wait to get your card back, wait a moment while you or they say something - whatever) then go back into your pocket for the new one. An oversized bit of cardboard (ceral box or something) could serve as a divider to keep the decks separate so the cards don't have to be in the box.

Super easy, and no real heat as long as you practice it and keep it natural.

put them all in a bowl and ask them to choose one, mrked decks, its like one up on mrked cards, then end with a trick with a clean one

No eight year old likes card tricks. Very few people do, which is a thing I wish close-up workers would realise.

TonyB wrote:No eight year old likes card tricks. Very few people do, which is a thing I wish close-up workers would realise.

For pure card tricks this is probably true, but effects with oversized picture cards would go down quite well, I'd imagine.

-Stacy

TonyB wrote:No eight year old likes card tricks. Very few people do, which is a thing I wish close-up workers would realise.

Simple and highly visual card tricks can work, shake the card and it transforms, push it in the pack and it springs in the air push it in the pack again and it ends up in his pocket etc.

And people can like all sorts of different things, I have a layman friend who's favourite type of 'magic' is card flourishes, he will often show me these long boring videos of different card and coin flourishes on youtube which to me all look exactly the same.

Too many card tricks and certain types of card tricks can be boring but not every card trick is boring all the time.

And I was eight years old when I started learning and watching card tricks, mostly from other eight year olds, they were awful but I loved them.

TonyB wrote:...... Very few people do, which is a thing I wish close-up workers would realise.

you really do talk twaddle sometimes tony.......

C.L.Ward wrote:

TonyB wrote:...... Very few people do, which is a thing I wish close-up workers would realise.

you really do talk twaddle sometimes tony.......

I like a good ACR, and lots of card routines involving dealing the aces to one person... But then I guess I am just weird like that

Just a note on nomenclature:

Trick: A single one-off magical event (e.g. a card inserted in the middle of the deck appears on the top)

Routine: A series of tricks held together with a dramatic narrative (e.g Everywhere and Nowhere, ACR, CTW).

Act: A series of routines performed with and underlying theme. (e.g. Gambling Act, Mentalism Act)

So when the OP talks about 'putting together a routine', he actually means 'putting together and act'. A common mistake.

TonyB wrote:No eight year old likes card tricks. Very few people do, which is a thing I wish close-up workers would realise.

Wow, I really am wasting my time (life) then and I suppose all the people I have performed card tricks for were lying when they acted impressed, entertained or in most cases, amazed.

I suppose when they ask me to do it again what they really mean was, 'I didn't enjoy that, card magic is rubbish'.