talkmagic.co.uk

So you are at a party minding your own business and someone comes up to you and says "go on show me a trick". So you can use the old I have nothing with me ruse, but then if you do that chances are a deck of cards appear if by magic.

So I was wondering what are everyone's favourite impromptu routines Here are mine :

1. Triumph - Dai Vernon

2. Coin in Soda can - Criss Angel.

3. Simply divine - Jay Sankey

4. Slow motion Coins - Jay Sankey.

5. Match Vanish - Jay Sankey again!

Yeah I know that 3 of the 5 are Sankey's but a lot of his impromptu stuff is very strong and clean. Well in my onion.

I think that there are plenty of this type of thread if you have a look at the search function.

e.g. http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic3938.p ... card+trick

Kati

Thats only cards though. I am looking at the broad spectrum of impromptue magic.

What definition of Impromptu would you like us to use?

The "Show me a trick" type of impromptu that we all get from time to time no set up just you and there cards, coins , matchies, small animal etc etc

in that case, cmh has to be right up there and recently I've be carrying around my Nun with me, so if you are allowed cards, then a Nun must be ok?

There are loads of no set up card tricks though - probably too many to go into to even consider a favourite - but if pushed, then I would say Bannon's "Degree's of Freedom".

Having said all that, if I am in mentalism mode then with just a stealth assassin wallet and I have a whole host of impromptu material.

I was thinking more along the lines of borrowed objects.

well then any ACR has to be high in this list, if you're doing it with someone elses cards, or an ace assembly (its easy enough to just pull 4 aces out of a deck, state you're going to do a trick with them, without it looking like some big massive setup (which, to be fair, it isn't anyway)).
i generally go for a quick ACR or some form of in-their-hands sandwich type effect.

or coins! though people arn't generally very happy when you make their pound coin dissappear!

I once made a weasel disappear!

Ok maybe I didn't.

Has to be Gregory Wilsons Ring leader for me now. It is a new routine for me but everytime I've used it it not only has done the business but so much fun can be had. By the way this is not a sponsored advery for Mr Wilson

greedoniz wrote:Has to be Gregory Wilsons Ring leader for me now.

well that needs a thread of some sort. yeah, ACR should be above #1 in that list.

quick question where did you learn slow motion coins and simpley divine?

Since I'm only a bumbling novice in the fascinating world of coin magic, I will confine my answers to card magic (my personal favorite). Totally, completely impromptu and/or from a borrowed deck, my current top 10 list is:

Cards:

ACR
Untouched
Impossible
Dowsing (A quick-hit Out-of-This-World-esque effect from Sankey)
Clairvoyance
Biddle Trick
Triumph
Synergy
Twisting the Aces (A tried-and-true classic)

Jumping Gemini (not completely impromptu - but I tend to set this up while starting the patter for Dowsing. Regardless, this is a heavy hitter)

All my stuff is now "show us a trick" stuff. No set up, no stacks, no gimmicks, no accidental discovery.

Hmm....

I love Untouched Then I don't have to do a thing - they do everything.. I just twin my thumbs, relax and watch them get confused...

Well, I'm a Mentalist so I only have a few things I move into at the drop of a hat...

Muscle Reading
Billet Reading
Psychological Forces
Cold Reading/Q&A

That gives me about an hour's time...if I really need to, I can toss in a couple of other bits, but that's rare...

Oh! Did I point out that I don't have to carry anything in my pockets to get away with all of this?

I simply try to keep a thumb-tip on me at all times when I expect a 'situation to arise'.

Add a regular deck of cards, and you've got a ton of mileage.

Quick tricks possible, and used regularly:

Vanishing cigarette (crowd pleaser)
Bill switch (fantastic eye-popper with borrowed money)
Monte effects
Card Warp (one of my favourite 'card destruction' effects)

and on, and on...

I personally try and avoid the 'pick a card, is this your card' stuff these days. People want a kicker, and I am increasingly finding that fun, visual effects seem to get more of a response these days.