talkmagic.co.uk

Hi, as magicans we all have tricks go wrong before which ive found can be a source of amusement if it goes wrong in a particulary funny way. As such I think a discussion of tricks gone awry would be a good, funny one. My top three times a trick went wrong are:

1) Setting fire to a card in a burnt card trick I caught the cuff of my shirt but didnt realize until it was well and truely alight, no one had said anything because they thought it was part of the act and I ruined a nice shirt.

2) Doing the old card in a bottle routine, trick was going well until I threw the deck at the bottle, which fell off the table and broke as a result. This was less than impressive compared to the real trick.

3) I asked a child (around 7-8) to sign a chosen card, turned out how couldnt write his own name and his mum shouted at me, she thought i was taking the mick but how was I to know?

What funny ways have your guys tricks gone wrong?

Not my mistake, but saw a street magician in York I think it was did a card trick. Unfortunately it was windy and he lost his cards. Another good reason for street magicians to avoid cards.

Once when I produced a spectator's card, the Jack Of Hearts, they didn't seem impressed. I knew it was the Jack of Hearts because it was f**c*d. They said "No, it must have been a different Jack of Hearts, because mine was black." They had got the colour of the suit completely wrong! Is there such a thing as red and black colour blindness?

Has this sort of thing happened to anyone else?

Never had that but Ive stopped using the white pip black tigers because a lot of people aren't observant enougth to remeber which suit it was, admittadley useful sometimes but annoying if you need someone to remember exactly what they picked got some red pip ones instead as they handle too well to just give up on!

Doing tricks for kids at school it's pretty common for kids to forget their cards, but don't expect it so much from adults.

At the leeds meet I did WOW with a signed card

the spec refused to believe it was her card! now get that with her signature right across the thing

Ive heard of a young magish who did a card thru window effect, but it went a bit awry when the specs card was stuck on the windowsill and another of that value was outside......

I once did hank thru hand, but the knot wwouldnt do...that was not fun for all involved....

I HATE people who look at the cards after they've been switched in the two card monte before the reveal. It's like "I DID NOT TELL YOU TO LOOK AT THAT CARD!" Then you wind up giving them an elbow to the face or something equally violent.

Makes me sick

oscarno wrote:I HATE people who look at the cards after they've been switched in the two card monte before the reveal. It's like "I DID NOT TELL YOU TO LOOK AT THAT CARD!" Then you wind up giving them an elbow to the face or something equally violent.

Makes me sick

I think the way to avoid that is to be able to perform the two card monte. If you're captivating enough they won't turn it/them over.

I don't perform it because I'm not good enough with crowd control, so that's not a personal dig.

Also Oz Pearlman suggests you get them to hold the cards like they're making the "thumbs-up" sign and gripping the cards between their thumb and fist, so they'd have to be contortionists to turn the cards over.

I was doing a cup and ball routine on the coffee table for my son and his then girlfriend when I put the spare ball on the floor beside me out of view. BIG MISTAKE my Bulldog "Baxter" picked it up in his mouth and walked out from behind the table chomping on it:-(

All I can say is everyone in the room was crying with laughter

queen of clubs wrote:

oscarno wrote:I HATE people who look at the cards after they've been switched in the two card monte before the reveal. It's like "I DID NOT TELL YOU TO LOOK AT THAT CARD!" Then you wind up giving them an elbow to the face or something equally violent.

Makes me sick

I think the way to avoid that is to be able to perform the two card monte. If you're captivating enough they won't turn it/them over.

I don't perform it because I'm not good enough with crowd control, so that's not a personal dig.

Also Oz Pearlman suggests you get them to hold the cards like they're making the "thumbs-up" sign and gripping the cards between their thumb and fist, so they'd have to be contortionists to turn the cards over.

To be fair this is a strong emotion from when I was 8 years old and I was performing on my Auntie I just can't think of any other story of a trick truly going wrong. I never perform it either - left it behind a while ago (probably cause of my Aunt). But when I do trust them with a card, I get them to sandwich it now with the picture of me storming up with a tearful face clear in my mind.

Yeah, I do the two card monte and the presentation takes a lot of practise, talking quickly, i find being fairly animated is a good way to hold attention ans stop them turning a card. If im in a bar doing the trick I sometimes get them to put the card under a pint glass of something like that, slightly less effective but good if you think the specs going to be particulary belligerent

Georgias Dad wrote:I was doing a cup and ball routine on the coffee table for my son and his then girlfriend when I put the spare ball on the floor beside me out of view. BIG MISTAKE my Bulldog "Baxter" picked it up in his mouth and walked out from behind the table chomping on it:-(

All I can say is everyone in the room was crying with laughter

That has just made my day, one of the funniest things I've read in a long time

Theres a awful video on youchoob of two people messing up the papercup spike trick! Ouch!

Lady of Mystery