best/worst trick from a layman

[ruggtomcat]

I like it when a layman shyly looks at you and says 'i know this one trick..' mainly cos it means they are relaxed and not intimidated. Of course sometimes they grab your deck before you start and say 'Oh i know this great trick..' and i like that more cos then i get to be a bit mean

Anyway, the question is have you ever gotten a good trick from a layman? My favorite is the effect where the spectator takes two cards, pushes them into the deck in two places and then with a snap and a toss both cards appear instantly in the right hand.

now i know this is a very old trick, and a bit devalued obviously, but i still use it and have 2 more methods to sucker the know-it-alls, and even in its first form can really make a huge impression.

The worst thing is having to sit through another badly done glide, whats with that? its a slight i have trouble doing well, fortunately ive never been encourage to practice it

What are yours!

T

[Trycon]

Originally Posted by ruggtomcat

Anyway, the question is have you ever gotten a good trick from a layman?
T

Never! Normally after a trick I often give the spectator the coin or card to examine, and they try some strange stuff like:
after a vanish and re-appearing coin, they put the coin in their hand blow on it and its still there. So they try some magical motion and try and steal the coin away ect but its so obvious, its more of a joke though so we just laugh it off.

Actually yesterday I was doing a trick, palmed the cald out and put it in my pocket, and made the card dissapear from the deck, just after I showed the card had gone a person who wasnt watching handed me a card which happened to be the spectators. It was pretty funny cause the card actually fell outta my pocket and a random guy found it and gave it to me at the best possible timing which kinda saved my trick without me even realizing
Thats not a trick by the spectator but they sure helped me out!

[Misjief]

Trycon-

I actually wonder if you could do that on purpose, and then have a extra card in case Plan A, fails. It certainly would make the effect appear more spontaneous.

Actually I find that so hilarious, that as magicians we constantly try to fake and force spontaneity. I am learning that being a magi means being one hell of a fast thinking actor! It has been said here before (but it has been a while - we miss you Seeker!) but comedy improv lessons would probably be a good thing for all serious magi!

-misj-

[ravenjaz]

There was this friend who showed me a trick of having me dividing a deck anyway i want into 5 parts and then proceeds on to predicting the 5 cards at the bottom of the piles. Didnt take much to figure the trick out but i thought he understood the major concept of misdirection and showed to any other layman the trick would have the potential to impress.

[ruggtomcat]

nice, I seen that one two, was good.

I think as magi we forget that most 'simple' tricks remain largly unknown, and someting simple and effective enough for a layman to use prolly points us toward a working effect that can also be used to sucker the knowing.

T

[Creation_Coyote]

I have had a spectator show me a cool card to pocket once. Though the trick was ruined when they turned the back around and shown that it was a different back. Would make a pretty cool prediction trick though.

[DaveyG]

Best:

Magician Gets Magished on Vimeo

Still not amazing magic, and I've definitely seen better glides, but it wasn't too bad.

Worst:

52-Card Pickup. I got this one a lot performing back when I was in junior high school. This is one of the many reasons I don't perform magic at school anymore. Though I never had problems with these kind of things in high school, I still don't perform because people are generally not interested in magic. I don't care though, I have other outlets for performing.

[TughanTurunz]

BEST: Double-lift routine / or a very basic ACR

WORST: Usually when they feel they need to make fun of me and sorta do a "comedy trick" where they never clearly lose the card. Which in the end makes me look a bit more accomplished and he just looks like a jackass...