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Do people use their own card mats round here?

I've just been learning that good card tricks are partially made really good by cool card handling. And also how impossible it is to spread them and flip them over kind of 'domino style' on a varnished wood surface such as bar top or kitchen table etc. I've seen a few folk (pro's mainly I guess) using card mats in their performances, and thought just now that I could be really cunning and a bit flash and looked up custom printed beer mats. I've found a site for £12 or so that gets you an 8.5" by 32" fabric top standard bar mat with whatever image you want on it. Sounds cool, what you folk reckon to those dimensions, good for a spread I thought? Something I need to practice a lot!

Cheers

Close up mats certainly are useful, a consistent surface, dry, resilient and a solid background color for your effects. Not just for cards - coins and shells benefit from such a surface as well.

I've seen people using computer mouse mats, carpet squares and cardboard rectangles (Paul Daniels' chop cup routine!) so perhaps the neoprene type of mat isn't the only one to consider?

So you'd go plain, I did wonder that, I was just attracted by the fact I could have something groovy printed on it to personalise it, not such a good idea perhaps if it's going to mess with the look of whatever prop/trick is on top of it...perhaps something subtle...

I have used mats with a border and plain mats but less busy helps.

I was thinking something like some big writing along the middle of the above mentioned dimensions, like 'Mr Cat is fabulous' hahaha, no maybe not, seriously tho some kind of promotion such as my name or something, perhaps just in some 'ghosted writing' style, easily photoshopped. I figure this would be handy marketing along with some business cards. But don't worry, I'm just about old enough to know you only print 10 million business cards when you find people asking and you don't have them. I'll run off half a dozen from my printer at some point

Good tips, cheers, I probably would have gone a bit ott! Think I'll start with some old carpet for now until I have some moves worthy of a nice mat, liking the promotion aspect tho.

My preference, such as it is, is for a plain mat with, if necessary, perhaps a single border line. I reckon unfussy is best so the participants can focus on the magic rather than the advertising or pretty designs.

Of course, if you put together a routine whereby the participant has a 'free' choice of a card, you could always have the reveal printed on the reverse of the mat and, as you pick up the mat to show an image of the selected card, it would also clearly signal the end of your set, you have the mat in hand so can wish them all farewell and move on.

I was a close up mat guy for a very long time. My advice, don't do it! You actually end up limiting yourself in the real world. In the fake world of magic clubs, in your own home, in a friends home and magic conventions mats are wonderful.

In the real world you have to move all kinds of stuff around on a table to make room. You limit yourself to that rectangle in front of you. Now everyone focuses on what is going on, on the mat rather than looking up at you, engaging with you. Basically you have set up a stage and you are locked in.

Yes it becomes tricky to spread the cards, hey I know learn a spring spread in the air. Not sure what its called but it is very flourishy the cards just float from one hand to the other like they are being spread across the table only it is in the air. Need a surface to cut the cards, use the spectators hands, now they are involved.

Many here will tell you I'm full of stuff (not a nice word) because, and I have to agree, mats are wonderful. But once you have used one for a while and then moved away from them. Well a whole new world opens up.

Wow bmat, I wouldn't know if you were full of smeg or not haha but I like your style and I catch your drift thanks for that. I'll use the old carpet and see where it gets me. Thanks!

I did have this crazy idea that certain images on the mat may distract people from cards being where they shouldn't be, like under someone's glass, but that was just thinking a bit much I reckon as nobody else seems to need that. And I totally see the idea about setting a rather handy but possibly tragic stage for yourself when you really want someone to look you in the eye or wherever. I've found that very valuable in a few tricks requiring the only slieghts of hand I ever do.

Yep you are thinking too much. As for card under glass. Just do it! you don't need any distractions just wait till they are not looking. It is a thing of beauty.

I have to agree with Bmat... Card matts are lovely to work on, but aren't exactly practical!

Whilst there's a couple of things I'll do if I have a table to use, just about everything I do these days is table free, resets straight away, and unlike a card matt, takes up very little pocket space!

I too have replaced a lot of my stuff with "in the hands" effects, but I do remember that for my first couple of years in magic it was hard enough to find strong effects that I was comfortable performing without having to impose further restrictions upon myself. Unfortunately working directly on a table can be very tricky since most tables in pubs etc will be somewhat sticky and therefore less than ideal. The solution I found was to carry a large handkerchief wrapped around the card box in my pocket. This can be spread out on a table (sometimes it is helpful to place heavy items like glasses at the front to corners to keep the whole thing flat-this also allows you to slip a card under one of the glasses under the pretence of adjusting the handkerchief) or held taut in the air by a couple of spectators if no surfaces at all are present. Another advantage to carrying the handkerchief is that you can use it to perform card/coin through handkerchief effects, meaning that it makes up for the extra pocket space by being a prop for another trick. Hope this helps!

Good advice! Well so far I've been out a couple of times since, and just been performing a few card tricks that eithet take place in the spec's hand mainly, or I can use a table or floor if it's concenient, but I've done well with no surface at all so far and it seems to be the way to go. Certainly the most practical, with a backup of cool stuff to do on a surface if table hoping or something