talkmagic.co.uk

For a while now I've been trying to find a small group of two or three card tricks to string together as an opening routine when I do some card magic.

The criteria I wanted it to meet are:
-Must be completely impromptu and can be done with a borrowed, shuffled deck
-Quick, direct, and visual
-No "magician fails" moments (for my first trick I want them to know that I know what I'm doing, "magician fails" is something to use when you've already established a bit of credibility)
-Second trick must be a natural follow-up from the first

At the moment I've settled on Jay Sankey's "Departure Time" (can be found on his "Anywhere, Anytime" DVD) and the Last Trick Of Dr. Daley (can be found on most introductory card volumes).

Opeening Routine

What do y'all think?

Also, if you were to construct a routine yourselves of two or three tricks to match the same criteria, what would you choose.

looked fine to me...
i use the first method slightly different...

Much better than i can do....

i don`t practice enough.

On the last one do you put aces in specs hand(or Place hand on them )
....before reveal???

As this can have a good impact....

Nice work, as always Evan.

Both tricks work seamlessly, which is always a great thing. The beauty is that you can go anywhere from here - sticking with 4 aces, or working a way into moving away form the aces and into other effects. Gret job!

As an idea - what about doing a 4 ace production to start?

If anyone has seen it I've been working on David Regal's "Carried Away" which he does affter a piece he calls "Look At Me, I'm Special" where he produces the aces and kings. I've been using two different productions to get into this trick which will work well as an opener when I've got them smooth. Thanks for the suggestion Demitri. Your words are always welcome around here.

Foz, as far as the aces in the deck...they are held by the spectator and the spectator can spread through and find them theirselves.

In my experience the spectators build this one up for themselves. When I make a subtle gesture towards the deck I don't say anything and they assume they're on top. The check the top and they're not there. They look at me confused. I gesture again without saying anything and the start going through the cards face up so when they get to the aces they are now face down and this confuses them even more. It's great.

Out of curiosity, are you familiar with David Britland's Progressive Jacks effect?

It's an easy to do effect using a four of a kind that I find gets really strong reactions. It might work well for you as a bridge to different effects, since it introduces a spectator's selection while still focusing on the four cards you've been working with.

I'm not familiar with that one. Perhaps I'll note it and look it up.

It's featured in England Up Close by Peter Duffie. Really nice e-book.

Basically, the effect plays like this:

Spectator selects a card - which is then lost into the deck.

Magician takes the two red aces, cutting them into the deck, explaining that the red aces are going to find the selection.

Now, the black aces are cut into the deck, the magician explaining that the black aces will now find the red aces.

Deck is spread - black aces have sandwiched the red aces, which sandwich the selection.

It's a great effect, I think. Mr. Britland came up with a nice bit of magic that is both incredibly easy and powerful.

I absolutely love that first trick you did! Bravo!

Cheers,

Min Ku

Nice!

The main thing that I can think of is that if you are going to get out the four aces you might as well do it magically!

Off the top of my head, why not spread through with the faces towards yourself and outjog the aces. Then turn the deck face down and use the Carmen D'Amico multiple shift to get them to the bottom of the pack, and do a Vernon Substitute Transfer to force them.

(Patter: "I'm just going to go through and choose out four cards to use here -- actually, no, you know what? I'll let you choose. It will make it fairer.")

If you haven't the foggiest what I'm talking about PM me and I'll explain

Anyway, one minor point I noticed was that you broke rhythm with the Biddle count of the aces. It's not a major thing but it still draws people's attention...

Kati

I can't remember the magicians name, but its on the DVD corporate close-up. REALLY good 'think of a card' impromt routine that always gets great reactions. One of my favs to start off with.

Alex

Katriel wrote:

Nice!

The main thing that I can think of is that if you are going to get out the four aces you might as well do it magically!

Off the top of my head, why not spread through with the faces towards yourself and outjog the aces. Then turn the deck face down and use the Carmen D'Amico multiple shift to get them to the bottom of the pack, and do a Vernon Substitute Transfer to force them.

(Patter: "I'm just going to go through and choose out four cards to use here -- actually, no, you know what? I'll let you choose. It will make it fairer.")

If you haven't the foggiest what I'm talking about PM me and I'll explain Smile

I get what you're saying but forcing the aces doesn't appeal to me as a trick in itself, they just assume i did something dodgy. Since I learnt it (not as a part of this opening routine but in general) Departure Time has been a trick which gets very good reactions form lay peeps all round.

Katriel also wrote:

Anyway, one minor point I noticed was that you broke rhythm with the Biddle count of the aces. It's not a major thing but it still draws people's attention...

As far as that goes I think it's addressed on Sankey's DVD but I can't remember but i doesn't come up as a major factor because people just see you coun't two red, and there is a sleight separation between counting the black (or whatever order they're in). I've never been caught out with it.

Departure Time is a trick which is easy for me to perform under pressure or whilst I'm nervous. It always gets GREAT reactions which relax my nerves enough for me to try the Dr Daley trick.

magic_evmeister wrote:I get what you're saying but forcing the aces doesn't appeal to me as a trick in itself, they just assume i did something dodgy. Since I learnt it (not as a part of this opening routine but in general) Departure Time has been a trick which gets very good reactions form lay peeps all round.

Fair enough...how about Spectator Cuts the Aces. Or am I flogging a dead horse here?

magic_evmeister wrote:Departure Time is a trick which is easy for me to perform under pressure or whilst I'm nervous. It always gets GREAT reactions which relax my nerves enough for me to try the Dr Daley trick.

Yes, I can understand that .

Kati

Katriel wrote:

Fair enough...how about Spectator Cuts the Aces. Or am I flogging a dead horse here?

That would certainly be an option for an opener. However, I wouldn't wanna set the deck up for this in front of the speccie, so I'd need to have set it up in advance. In fact I probably wouldn't even start this with the aces in the deck. I'd have them separate in my pocket, let the speccie shuffle and palm them in when I get the deck back.

Departure Time was very good, unfortunately I've never been taught the Biddle count and I find it too tricky to do, if anyone wants to pm me with some tips feel free!. Also when I do Daley's last trick I do it with a gemini count which makes it very easy, and I generally do it in their hands as a bit of a 'follow the card' type effect. Again if anyone wants to hear my handling pm me. Overall a good opening routine.

I used to use the Gemini count for Daley - but I find it doesn't play as well. The Gemini Count is useful - but it's an unusual method for displaying cards. In things like Jumping Gemini - it works, because the spectator is already dizzy from seeing the amibtious portion, then the cards change to one card. Their heads are spinning, so the unusual display isn't noticeable.

However, for Daley - you're just showing cards. The display of the faces is rather off-handed, almost unimportant. With a gemini, it can raise some eyebrows.

Don't get me wrong, I love the gemini - and I have used it for Daley, too. After testing and performing though, I just don't feel it's a good fit.