talkmagic.co.uk

What do you say when someone, not a magician, shows you a card trick?
Do you pretend that you have no idea how it was done and look foolish for being astounded by their trick?
Or do you tell them you know how it's done and ruin their 'magic moment'?
Or do perhaps show them something astounding and 'beat' their card trick?

I wouldn't do any of the above. Assuming they did it reasonably well, Id just say "yea very good" or words to that effect and not mention I knew it or imply I didn't. Also I'm not sure why you feel it is foolish not to know how a particular trick is done.

why not say you liked the trick and you are glad that there is another felllow magician around.

I'd try and show him something he could add to it, if I had anything to offer that is and commend him on his work.

Its sometimes painfluu having to sit throug certain tricks performed to you by non magicians, theres this one trick, i dont know the nambe but you have 21 cards, you pick one, deal them into 3 piles face up one at a time, ask the person which pile it's in, repeat this 3 times and then you find the cards.
Now this whole proces can be verry dull, and have had it performed to me loads of times by non magicians and i just grit my teeth and go along with it.
Tell them its a good trick, (it is a nice self working effect by the way but needs alot of patter to stop the dealing of the 3 piles becoming tedious) and suggest they buy a book and try to lern a few more if they like doing this sort of thing.

I usually just act impressed, Yea I hate that three card pile one... and the one where all the kings,queens,aces & jacks end up together they can get very tedious.

But Its never nice to discourage someone, considering you were in the same shoes once... Try to help them the best you can, Sell them some tricks

I like see magic tricks from magicians or non magicians. For those who don't know i do magic i'd probably show them something back and amaze them, in a nice way. For those who do, i'd congratulate them and possibly give them some hints on improvement, either with the trick itself or performance wise. If they fool me then well done, If then don't then at least they've had a go and i might act fooled if there are others around. It's important that they don't tell you how they did the trick, even if you know. I had a non-magician show me a card trick and then even with an audience of other non-magicians, they wanted to expose it. I told her to keep it to herself. If she learns anything else more compliocated she wouldn't expose them. So why expose the simple secrets?

Thanks,
Edward.

Quite often I am shown a trick, which I know, I repliy with either "Good trick, got any others?" or I will do a trick myself, ask then if they are very interesed in magic and point them in the right direction