You Got Busted!

Well, first off, it's because you haven't developed your audience control yet; that's something you pick up with experience.

Sometimes you'll run into someone who tries to mess with you, the typical know-it-all... But there are also ways to deal with them.

Regarding the second point, I've talked about this here before: many times we make the mistake of wanting to know too many tricks and techniques. We see a new trick and want to learn that too, and it feels like we want to know everything... but the problem with that is you don't end up mastering any of the techniques.

Before taking a new step in magic, master everything you've learned so far, and that's only achieved through practice, practice, and more practice.

Pick a few tricks you like, using techniques you've mastered, and practice them over and over until you can do them, as they say, with your eyes closed... It's better to do 7 or 8 tricks really well than 20 so-so ones.

And if you get "flashed" and they figure out the trick, hey, it's no big deal, it's not the end of the world... It's happened to all of us at some point; making mistakes is part of learning.

First off, you absolutely must have control of your audience. I guess that just comes with practice. Here's an example:

Cheers,

Hey @Danilpo, adding to what the others have already shared, I just wanted to recommend a Spanish-language book that @DeZeta suggested to me, and I really enjoyed.

It's El ensayo del fallo by Angel Simal. It's a pretty affordable book (especially for magic books), and there's a very inexpensive Kindle version available.

Hey there.

For the second point, the key is practice, practice, and then more practice. If this is your biggest challenge, it likely means you just need to put in more rehearsal time. My advice is to never perform a trick until you've practiced it until it's second nature. First, practice it many, many times on your own. Then, perform it for someone you trust (someone who won't laugh at you if they figure it out, but will actually help by telling you what they saw, etc., so you can iron out any issues). Finally, present it to a general audience. Performing it for different audiences will help you perfect it.

Best,

Regarding the second point, start with more automatic tricks or those that are truly impossible to spot, because when it involves very difficult sleight of hand, if it goes wrong, it goes wrong, and they'll bust you. These are two different things: a spectator might be wondering how it's done, and then there's, "tell me a number, 12? 1, 2, 3, 4... 12, what's your card, the 3 of Spades? And this is... the 9 of Diamonds?" That's just a trick going wrong, not getting busted. But with highly manipulative magic, or as we say in English, "sleight of hand," both can happen simultaneously.

As for the first point, you need to carefully craft your patter so they respect you and don't start getting up or anything like that. Could you tell me some of the tricks or routines where you've encountered these problems? That way, we can collectively come up with crucial tips and details for your patter. For example, I do a trick where I supposedly leave the spectator's card on the table, but with a Double Lift, I actually leave a different one (or use a Top Change), so no one flips it over and sees it. I say we won't use it until the end, and I also put it in an envelope with something on top of it, or even in the card box. Finally, when I use that card (the chosen one), I don't show it right away. But when I'm telling an interesting story, they don't say anything, and if you do it quickly, they say even less. Many magicians say that with an engaging presentation or a fun atmosphere, people pay less attention to the trick itself. I recommend the first trick from Roberto Giobbi's Roberto Light book. If you don't have it and are interested, let me know, and I'll send you a photo of the two pages so you can understand this method of guiding the spectator.

Lastly, I'd say that if you want to avoid the first problem, when a spectator comes to look at your hand or your lap, start talking loudly. They'll listen instead of watching. For example, you give a prediction, Force a card, and then Vanish it (by Lapping it). When the spectator comes to look at your lap, you say, "Whoa, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on!" "Earlier, I gave them a prediction, and it's THEIR CARD!" And everyone relaxes, including the person who came to bust you—unless they've forgotten why they were watching, which is very likely. The moment everyone sees the prediction, you can secretly get the card off your lap and move it somewhere else, just to get it out of the way.

I hope all of this helps you out, and if you or anyone else wants the trick from the book, let me know because it's a killer—it's fantastic and the easiest trick I've ever done, hence the name "T.N.T." And please tell me which tricks are causing you these issues so we can fine-tune the patter.

Thanks, and bye for now.

Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely keep them in mind!