HELP - They Asked for Magic and I Didn't Know What Else to Do
Hey everyone!
I want to tell you about my "problem"; I'd really appreciate it if you could help me out.
I've been performing my routine of about 4 tricks for a while now, and I'm constantly refining and improving it. But I've realized that my ENTIRE routine relies on a table, which often prevents me from doing a trick on the street or a quick, impressive effect, for example:
Four days ago, I was at a bar with my family and friends, practicing a bit of Cardistry, "what little I knew" because I was a bit bored and took advantage of the moment.
Then, a friend of my dad's asked me:
- What are you doing with the cards? Can you do magic?
My response was quick; I told him:
- YES, I can do some tricks, but right now I'm just practicing moves.
I said that to buy myself a little more time and prepare a different colored card until he asked me again, which he did.
I performed a color change effect in his hand, and I also did a mini Ambitious Card routine with a rather short Triumph.
At that point, I paused to think about doing more things from my routine and realized I needed a table. But of course, we were eating, and there were plates, a messy table, etc...
So I need your help on how to handle these situations, because in the end, I only performed two tricks.
What other tricks could I do without a table?
What do you recommend for these situations?
Thanks so much for reading, and LOTS OF MAGIC TO EVERYONE.
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Hey @JaLag, personally, I love table magic with a beer, but I'm definitely not opposed to doing stand-up, close-up magic. In fact, I really enjoy it, but my friends tend to prefer sitting.
Honestly, there are tons of tricks you can do standing in front of someone. From your comment, I gather you're just starting out, so I'm going to give you a few suggestions to help you progress in difficulty:
Force a Card:
This is a super easy trick, and you'll find some on @jriberamagia's channel. I'll link to one of his, but I'm pretty sure there are more:
With a forced card, you can do a lot:
From there, it's up to you. Search books and YouTube; you'll find plenty.
Ambitious Card Routine
This is also in Julio's courses and can be easy to learn. It really depends on your skill level with cards.
I know it's in the 'Pocket Card Magic' course by Magia y Cardistry, but you can find it online under the same name: “Ambitious Routine”
Color Changes
This already requires a bit more skill, but it can be very interesting. You can look up a ton of types:
And a bunch more you can find online. Here's a link to one I recorded a few days ago to entertain my daughter.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sFQgH_7XWXbWoUYzYjDa91e1f0jYHBrd/view?usp=drivesdk
The video demonstrates a Spread Pass
Reversing a Card in the Deck
This is a magic classic, and you can do it sitting or standing, with many alternatives. Search on YouTube.
The following video by @jriberamagia teaches one method, but there are more. And even though Julio does it at a table, it works perfectly fine standing up.
Stacked Decks
Our friend @Zeta mentioned Tamariz's mnemonic stack, but if you only have four table tricks under your belt, I'm guessing you're just starting out, so I recommend the Si Stebbins.
It's a cyclical deck order with alternating suits. You'll have it memorized, along with a few tricks, in under half an hour. The catch is you have to have the deck in order.
Marked Deck
Well, it's a fantastic resource, and if you're just starting out, it'll help you verify that the trick is working correctly. When I was starting, I used it to understand what was happening with the cards, and now I always carry one, even though I rarely use the marks.
And from here, you'll need to put in the work and then show us what you learn!
Hey there!
Just a quick reply (I'm super swamped today and totally out of time).
So, tricks using Elmsley counts (or any other type of count).
Honestly, any effect that requires palms (like card to pocket, wallet, or anywhere else you want), or any travel effect from the spectator's hands to the deck or card box (often utilizing Elmsley counts).
I've got tons of effects like that since it's what I perform most often (though I'm trying to switch things up and do more table-work), but I have one problem... the names of the tricks... I have no clue 😅 😅 😅
I learn a lot of tricks, and aside from a few classics like Out of This World, I can't remember half of them. In fact, depending on the situation, I'll just improvise a story and give it whatever name works at the moment (if I even need to say a name).
Anyway, I'm sure another fellow magician will chime in with some specific ones soon.
Like I said, I'm super busy today, so I apologize that I can't stop and find you some links.
Tomorrow, if you're still looking for ideas, I'll dig up some links for you.
All the best and happy magic!
Thanks a ton! 😊 I'm really hoping some other magicians can chime in and help, because I've tried adapting some table effects to be done in hand, and it's almost impossible. So, any more input would be awesome!
I'd like to add one more thing to the already excellent explanation @cdiaz gave you.
I often use (custom-made) a "blend" of a marked deck and a tapered deck, which can also be kept in a specific stack (Si Stebbins, Mnemonica, Rosary, Multi-effect, Pick Dick, etc...).
These types of decks make it easier to have total control of the deck and arrange cards from the backs, while also conveniently giving you many ways to fix things when something might go wrong.
Just another idea. 😊