talkmagic.co.uk

What do you do when you've got a good trick. You perform the trick many times in front of spectators, with excellent feedback, suprise, and awe.

Then one day, while performing, a spectator says "I know how you did that!" and proceeds to explain to the other spectators. The magician is left wondering whether the spectator has seen this trick before, the trick was performed badly or a slight slipped, or just happened to guess correctly.

I generally say, well, you're a very smart one aren't you? or Well, if you all have seen these before, I'll leave you all alone. or, "I don't come to your job and tell you how to do it. To which most of the spectators ask me to stay.

I was wondering what other people say in this situation.

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Hmm yeah, well I usually know if I have slipped up. So If they say they think they saw something and I know they didn't then I just deny it, or I pretend that I can;t remember which part of the trick they were talking about, then I ask someone else "what which bit does he mean?".

If they guess correctly, then I say "oh really! Yes that would be a good way of doing it!" and pretend as if it isn't done that way at all. This makes them feel good (hence leaving you alone), gets you out of it and is no hassle. Or I do the same as if they think they saw it.

Perhaps just say, "Okay, try this one then," and do one he hasn't seen. He'll try to explain it from a position of ignorance, giving you the chance to take the p*ss out of him with a big grin.

"Great your obviously pretty observant, let me teach you a trick take this paper ball and screw it up real small..."

or


"Here's 2 rings see how they magically link together"
"that's easy, one is magnetic"
"great well you take them and go sit in that corner till you've figured which one it is whilst I chat to these good people"

Wouldn’t perform the same trick to the same person more then a few times in case you were found out

"Fantastic, I was hoping I'd find someone who knew, because I really don't have a clue what I'm doing..."

Johndoe wrote:"Here's 2 rings see how they magically link together"
"that's easy, one is magnetic"
"great well you take them and go sit in that corner till you've figured which one it is whilst I chat to these good people"

Those rings are absolute life savers when it comes to hecklers!!
Another way is to let them explain, find a part of the trick that they didn't understood or got right (they're obviously one!!) and make it the focus point of the chat. They'll eventually get stuck in their "incoherent"toughts and keep quiet.

Great responses guys. Kudos to you all.

I'd just say, "Oh really? You know how to do it? *They reply* Nice. Well, guess you don't need me anymore when we got an entertainer right here. I'll leave him to it. Thank you come again." *Walk away like nothing happened and do magic elsewhere or some other time*

I just can't be bothered anymore if the audience I'm trying to entertain isn't going to appreciate it. There's no point to me.

i once had a guy say "hm i think i know how you did it..." then go on to explain pretty much perfectly how i'd done a trick.
my response was to say "that sounds too complicated for me mate"
and he went off to think of another way i could have done it, amazing!

Hand the spec the cards, saying "Great! Show us another". Or "Wow, you really (cough "think you") know your stuff. Ok, here's another deck of cards. You do as I do"...

Or a simple comment like "Man, I bet you were the kid who blew out the candles on OTHER kids cakes, weren't you?"

Anything that will make other people think that it was pretty crappy to just spill the technique, should sort him out...

Trick is not to be too harsh, make the spec look like the bad guy. Don't get personal, don't be overly rude. It's all absolute key to saving face, and making him (or indeed, her) look childish. ALWAYS laugh it off, do not act like it's a big deal. If they don't look like they're gonna quit it, apologise to the rest of your audience and let them know they can catch up with you later...

hmm - this is a good place to use that new electric touch thingy. You turn it on full, say "well done, you got it" and hold out your hand to shake his..

...you could be sneaky and switch the deck to a double-backed one and hand it to the person in question and ask them to do the effect...

...or just bluff - say "Im afraid thats completely wrong, look..." and when you reveal the card, just D-lift it or whatever is appropriate...

or make your own "smart-ass" card and force it on him...

alternatively you could put exlax powder in his drink and watch him vanish, only to re-appear in the toilets seconds later...oooh and hide the toilet paper!

taneous, your meen. I like it...

I like both taneous' and abraxus' response.

I don't really like to hand out the deck and tell them to continue the show. Sound a bit condescendent (sp!) to me and it doesn't resolve anything except to upset them more... don't work against them, work with them! If they really get annoying then leave, but with class!

The double back deck is a great idea though, forcing a card is sweet but I particulary like the electric touch advice ! They should rename that thing the Heckler-Buster