What do you think . . . upside? Downside? Flipside?

If you're working the local BBQ shack, only after you've palmed their card out. Then your miracle can be reproducing the card as the only one in the deck without sauce stains!

Cheers!

I get very uncomfortable when spectators ask to shuffle the cards (even if the effect allows for it) because it means that either:

a) Whatever procedure I was doing (control, stack, whatever) didn't appear to be fair

or

b) My presentation isn't engaging them and they're looking for some other way to get "into" the trick

or

c) the spectator is seriously hoping that they'll be able to ruin the trick (because they're a jerk or, worse, they don't like me).

Obviously, none of these bodes well for the magic I'm hoping to perform. In addition, the interuption of the spectator shuffling can really derail an effect, making it more about "how's he going to succeed now?" as opposed to whatever the magician originally intended.

There are, of course, certain effects that are strengthened by having the spectator shuffle ("impossible" locations of a selected card being an example). Even in these effects though, care must be exercised. Offering the deck to a spectator to shuffle can set them up for embarassment if they're uncomfortable handling cards.

While it's certainly contextual and must ultimately be decided on a case by case basis, unless having the spectator shuffle significantly stengthens the EFFECT (not just the perceived difficulty of the effect), I don't think it's worth doing.

Paul

p.s. I must also, of course, mention what Stanyon alluded to. Spectator handling of the cards can significantly shorten their useful lifespan, another "blackeye" for spectator-shuffling advocates.

It's weird, I have been doing sleight of hand for 2 years, but have been taught by mark mitton, todd robbins, and more. I just don't want to give the impression that I don't know what I'm talking about.

I have never, not once, had a spec. ask if they can shuffle.

If they did, I will just glimpse the card, and cut to it later.

Nice one, Stanyon!

Anyway, here's my take on the subject. Well, I feel that it would be rather unnecessary to let a spectator shuffle the deck, because in my opinion, all you're implicitly telling the spectator is - you already know what their selected card was, and it doesn't really matter how they shuffle the cards.

In my own experience, I've had spectators decline shuffling the cards, and from what I gather, its because they realise that their shuffling would be inconsequential to the development of the trick.

However, if a spectator were to ask to shuffle the deck without my offer, then that would be a different story.

Just my own honest opinions!

Having the spectator handle the cards, or cut the cards, can have much the same result.

Having a spectator open a fresh pack, and then shuffle it prior to the start of your act . . . during your opening remarks can be a very powerful procedure. Many of the "questions" in their minds are answered before they are even asked.

The spectator shuffling frustrates me. I usually offer the deck to shuffle before I start a trick becuase I feel it does eliminate the possibility of a stack in his or her mind. Often, though, the process takes much too long because either a) the spectator does not feel at home with a deck of cards and asks me how to shuffle them or just gets uncomfortable or b) the spectator thinks that the longer he or she shuffles the deck the harder it will be for me to perform whatever feat I am planning. Regardless of what happens, the shuffling creates dead time that can kill the flow of the magic. In short, I would really rather not offer the deck to shuffle all the time, but how else do I get rid of that particular doubt in the spectators mind.

I perform a trick where the spec is allowed to shuffle their card back into the deck after it has been selected with my back turned and I've actually had people ask "really?" I love that because it means I've knocked the spec completely off the scent and the finish of the trick is all that more unbelieveable. In this case I would never not ask the spectator to shuffle.

They need not shuffle to think they have shuffled (cut, for example) or to feel that they "could have" shuffled.

Shuffle is always a process in the spectators' mind only. If people believe they are random,what is shuffle for??So when magician proves that the cards are random,they will not bother to shuffle.Do anyone here encounter some audiences who ask to shuffle 10 times in 10 different tricks?I think not(or you have before).Human never do something which is meaningless.

Alex

I would agree with you but I once handed a deck to a spectator after a couple of effects, with specific instruction to cut five or six piles. Even demonstrated that for her. She was eager to help but when I gave her the deck she said she had a "compulsion that when ever she held a deck of cards she had to shuffle it" which she did destroying a small set up in the process. What could I say? I then switched gears and went on to another effect with her. Now I have at least one effect in mind if this should ever happen again, and thankfully it hasn't!

cgscpa,

I think the case you encounter is so rare.But as a magician,we cannot oversee crisis management because we understand most of the audiences.We have to prepare for crisis occured to us.What I am talking about is only the general idea.

Alex

Have you ever embarrassed a spectator and asked him or her to shuffle, only to realize they have no idea how to? What do you do then?

Personally I don't usually encourage people to shuffle at the beginning.

If a smart guys asks to shuffle, I'm (often) delighted as it will make the effect more impossible. Not just because the spectator has shuffled, but because he got to do whatever he asked for. Wether it's a stack or a selected card, I would use the vernon palm as I hand-in the deck to the guy.

I do agree some people get uncomfortable at shuffling but if someone asks to do it that won't be the case.

Also psherman is right, if they ask to shuffle it means they want you to fail. But that isn't necessary bad: I don't want to 'fool' my audience, but magic is about doing something they can't explain (thin line isn't it?). If they want to create barriers for you it CAN mean they are very entertained and curious. Maybe they're about to 'givin to the magic' and dream, maybe they want to 'check' if it is 'real magic' by asking something they think makes it impossible (as Tamariz says the logical part of them is trying one last attempt to prove it's just a trick). Saying yes (whenever possible) always end up with a miracle, reputation maker.

Anyway just my 2 cents, I'd like to hear what people think

I've found that there's a suspicion among many folks that we *must* be using a Svengali deck, 'cause the kind of stuff we do with cards just *can't* be done. Asking someone to shuffle the cards can answer the questions that many folks simply won't voice, as Randy says.

Another way of handling the situation is that *you* shuffle the cards, perhaps with a Zarrow, and false cut. My .02; the fancier the flourish, the surer I am that the magician has done something to retain the original stock.

The possibility of placing a spectator in "an uncomfortable situation" can be eliminated merely by asking, "Who enjoys playing cards?"