talkmagic.co.uk

Let's say I'm performing the Biddle Trick. I lose control of spec's card during the shuffle (it happens more often that I'd like). Without breaking sweat I ask another spec to pick a card and then perform the rest of the trick with the second card.

I then pretend to finish off the trick and put the deck away, then of course spec 1 says "what about my card?". "Oh yes! I almost forgot about that. What was your card again?" Then I pull a brainwave deck out of my back pocket and when you've finished, you've got two face up card magically jumping into different decks.

That's just my back up plan if something goes wrong, I'm curious to hear yours as well.

The ID and it's family are all perfect escape plans. I like to see things like the ID used as something other than a mental approach "Ah, I knew you'd go for that you see".

I'm not much of a cardy but I once lost a card in a little routine down the pub, picked out the trusty ID and slapped the cased decks together. "Did you see it jump across?"

Yup, that's why they call the ID the magician's insurance policy.

Tomo wrote:Yup, that's why they call the ID the magician's insurance policy.

Nope, its far too cheap.

SamGurney wrote:

Tomo wrote:Yup, that's why they call the ID the magician's insurance policy.

Nope, its far too cheap.

I don't know actually, they tend to run out on me way too quickly. I only use it for getting out of tricks, as said above I think it's really cheap to use it on its own.

Derango wrote:Let's say I'm performing the Biddle Trick. I lose control of spec's card during the shuffle (it happens more often that I'd like). Without breaking sweat I ask another spec to pick a card and then perform the rest of the trick with the second card.

I then pretend to finish off the trick and put the deck away, then of course spec 1 says "what about my card?". "Oh yes! I almost forgot about that. What was your card again?" Then I pull a brainwave deck out of my back pocket and when you've finished, you've got two face up card magically jumping into different decks.

That's just my back up plan if something goes wrong, I'm curious to hear yours as well.

sigh

Derango wrote:

SamGurney wrote:

Tomo wrote:Yup, that's why they call the ID the magician's insurance policy.

Nope, its far too cheap.

I don't know actually, they tend to run out on me way too quickly. I only use it for getting out of tricks, as said above I think it's really cheap to use it on its own.

SIGH....
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Some people.......


I'm going to go with an old bit of advice: Stop performing the biddle trick until you have perfected it. Done.

How do you lose control of the card? The best version of the trick I know, is the one that is mentioned in Card College. It uses like 3 sleights and one that makes it damn near impossible to lose their card.

If you only use them for getting out of tricks gone wrong, and they are wearing out on you quickly, well I hate to say it but it sounds like you have an awful lot of tricks go wrong. You may want to look into that.

I go through each trick, analyse any sections that may go wrong and think of a suitable out.

And I also carry and ID just in case all that screws up.

I don't see why magicians are afraid of screwing up a trick. I mean if all you do is card magic or close up stuff. Then you shouldn't worry too much about screwing up. Because most people won't remember the screw up. They'll remember the part where you got it right, and if you do screw up, then just brush it off like it was nothing.

I disagree with that.

On one front we all have tricks go wrong on occasions and accepting that, and also knowing your material will help you find an alternative way without the use of another deck will certainkly elevate your magic. I don;t think that this scenario is too big a deal.

However, when you are repetitively getting tricks wrong then this has to be a concern and it screams out that you need to refine your performance some more before taking it out to an audience.

An audience may not recall that you screw up on one trick but they sense, through the way that the performer acts and speaks that something is amiss. What they will remember is that you are not a very good magician and that the whle point of performing. The tricks come second.

Derango wrote:I think it's really cheap to use it on its own.

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Lawrence wrote:Stop performing the biddle trick until you have perfected it. Done.

Seconded. If something is frequently not working, then stop doing it until its perfect. Okay, we all accept things can go wrong sometimes, but the fail should be the exception, not the usual.

'Perfection' is a strong word isn't it. How about 'To the best of your ability' as some diluted but more applicable words.

Maybe Derango can do the sleights 'perfect'ly well in the comfort of their practice zone, but when faced with spectators perfection becomes unobtainable, as increased heart rate and sweaty hands renders sleights more difficult than they were initially.

I think the advice to stop performing a trick until it's perfected would probably render many budding magicians as bedroom performers only, as I'm sure many will agree that tricks really only come into their own when performed regularly. You need to perform them to perfect them. I'm sure some of the more snobby amongst us may consider the idea of some magicians confined to their rooms a brilliant one. In doing so however, you create a thousand more Youtube uploaders.

Perhaps - and this is going out on a limb here - perhaps Derango loses control of the card through some other process they've added into the trick. In other words, they are making it their own rather than following the method exactly as laid out in a book. This is a good thing and should be encouraged surely. Though it may be causing them problems now, at least independent thought is being entertained.

Got to say i feel some responses to this thread are rather pious. We're here to help aren't we? Telling someone to stay indoors until they're absolutely perfect isn't the best advice you can give to someone.

i kinda agree - the ID shouldnt be just used as a back-up, its such a shame...it has had booklets released just about the ID, and these days it seems to be sent to the back pocket, forgotten and "oh just use it as an out..."

poor old deck...