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Rocky Elite user 486 Posts |
Ive never been one to take "magician assumptions" about spectators very seriously. One such assumption is that packet tricks arouse immediate suspicion from laypeople.Ive heard reasons that vary depending on who I may be discusing the topic with,but in the over 20 years that Ive done packet tricks,not once has anyone made any comment that would imply suspicion regarding my using a small parcel of cards to do an effect.In fact,Ive actually had more people want to examine my deck before I did any effects due to their thinking that any deck a magician owns must have "special" cards in it.It seems like the less cards I use in an effect, the less suspicion (at least before the effect) a lay audience has towards them. Regardless of how I set up a packet effect,from taking the needed cards from a full deck or removing them from a small wallet/envelope,I have never felt "guilty" or in need of an excuse for using the cards other than to show my audience something interesting and amazing with a few cards.
Has anyone in this forum encountered anything different that would substantiate the concerns of those who shy away from packet effects based on these assumptions? I would think not as there are so many who enthusiastically post here(and rightfully so..packet tricks really do pack a punch when presented properly)but Im just curious. |
mrunge Inner circle Charleston, SC 3716 Posts |
Nope, never had a problem with packet tricks. I love them and so do most people.
I also think one performing magic should not get caught up in anything other than it's a trick. We're just people playing tricks on other people and we have NO super powers. If so, we wouldn't be standing there playing tricks on each other! It's just entertainment and a LOT of fun. Now...where did I put that trick? Mark. |
Lord Freddie Inner circle 1093 Posts |
I've never had any problem with specs wanting to examine any packet tricks and if it ends clean, I sometimes just casually place the cards down where they are in reaching distance of the spectator. This is usually enough to convince them that the cards themselves have nothing special about them. If however, you put them straight away, it can, to some people seem like you are 'hiding the evidence'.
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james prince Loyal user England 233 Posts |
I agree with all that’s been said so far. There is nothing intrinsically suspect about a packet or hand of cards
That’s not to say that certain packet tricks can’t be enhanced by removing the packet from the top of a deck that’s been in play With so many clean finish routines available it’s difficult to justify the use of an item that doesn’t end clean, as sooner or later someone’s going to want to look at the cards However with the right moment built into a routine, it’s not hard to switch packets Some magicians hate them and I think this is because they have seen one to many But the lay public still love them If you look at the reviews my DVDs got this year on the Café you will see that two very enthusiastic reviewers didn’t even bother to watch the one packet trick I offered, as they were so anti packet Having said that, one is enough in any performance |
fbcarter New user 12 Posts |
I do packet tricks with playing cards and specially printed cards (Colour Monte) I do enough that are examinable at the end that once I have let people see one packet.. their suspicions drop.. I do colour monte first and always because it is clean at the end.. and everyone thinks there has to be more cards... I do Vernon's Twisting the aces for the same reason... Impromptu from a deck and taking them from "that little wallet"... No matter how I get the Aces out... People are still ***ed impressed...
Now having said that.. I do like to load them onto a deck if they are austensibly regular playing cards... If I am working with a deck...
Farley Carter...
We do not do Magic... We create illusions, confusions, do sleight of hand, tricks and sometimes downright cheat... But sometimes if we do all this well people see Magic.. |
Hideo Kato Inner circle Tokyo 5649 Posts |
Even when I perform a packet trick with normal cards packed in a wallet, I say "These are very special cards which have magical power, so I keep these in the wallet". I believe this presentation saying I am using special cards is better suited for me than emphasising that I am using normal cards.
Hideo Kato |
Card-Shark Inner circle Germany 1758 Posts |
Most of my packet tricks that I designed are so different to normal playing cards that the reason to keep them separated from a deck is so obvious as there is no matching deck to it.
I found out that if I use my old style playing cards for a packet trick the reaction is much higher as these cards look so special and rare that it seems these cards cannot be gaffed at all (as they are already perhaps 100 years old)
Expert in playing card production for magicians.
The Person Who Says It cannot Be Done Should Not Interrupt The Person Doing It! Chinese Proverb |
Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
I spent 30 years behind magic counters and as a performer and I have NEVER had a problem doing packet tricks. As far as I can tell lay folk just do NOT care...at all!
To a non magician cards are cards are cards. They don't give a hoot whether they are Bicycle or some bizzare off brand of which anyone has ever seen or heard. Only folks that are "generally" suspicious of magic props are other magicians, which is really ironic when you come to think about it, but it also makes a lot of sense. Magicians are really as a class the ones most likely to 'BE' suspicious of magic props. Lay persons are more often 'curious' about what something is, but if it looks like a deck of cards they will assume that it is only a deck of cards until shown otherwise. If it looks like an interesting, 'possibly magical in some manner' box, they will wait until the performer shows them what it can do. Best,
Brad Burt
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Mb217 Inner circle 9520 Posts |
With all due respect, this is one of those "You doth protest too much" or "Much ado about nothing" type of issues. I think if you understand the way people think, then showing them a packet trick is just like showing them an effect that's done with a whole deck, they don't much think about it if at all. In fact I think only the magi is giving it that much technical thought (and hopefully not during the presentation). We tend to overthink these things a bit much in trying for any such perfection. It really doesn't take all that in most cases.
Just yesterday I was in my favorite. local barbershop and they always want to see me do magic, so I pulled out NFW and absolutely blew them away with the effect, they couldn't believe it and there were screams of disbelief from all over the shop as I did it for the barbers and the customers in their chairs and waiting, completely surrounded. Their eyes were glued to my presentation of the effect from all angles and I played it well. They could only watch what I showed them, so their minds were right where I wanted them and I controlled the moment. In looking around during the presentation, my control was quite evident. These folks were not thinking to themselves about the fact that this was a few cards and not a deck, that they were gaffed or regular cards, that I had done any false moves, etc., their minds just weren't thinking of such things. Instead they were trying to carefully follow along the trail I was spinning for them, no time to think of other roads and trains of thought as they might miss something right in front of them, where seeing is believing. You know this is the truth as when you finish their responses give nothing but a recognition and appreciation for the overwhelming amazement you have given them. Just my view on it. Oh, and "NFW" is just a very hard trick to beat. This Gary Freed effect is not hard to do and quite brilliant. *Highly Recommended! I'm a coin guy but carry a few select packet tricks to break the monotony, so NFW along with Double Back, Dr. Daley's Last Trick or Maxi Twisto and Duplicity more than does the trick. All easy enough to do, all amazing and always greatly appreciated by the specs. -Mb
*Check out my latest: Gifts From The Old Country: A Mini-Magic Book, MBs Mini-Lecture on Coin Magic, The MB Tanspo PLUS, MB's Morgan, Copper Silver INC, Double Trouble, FlySki, Crimp Change - REDUX!, and other fine magic at gumroad.com/mb217magic
"Believe in YOU, and you will see the greatest magic that ever was." -Mb |
Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
No problems with packet effects. Spectators know about trick decks, so they sometimes want to examine the deck, but only when I have a straight deck in play. I often hand the deck out to be shuffled and this surprises audiences. They can't imagine being able to do what I do with a shuffled deck.
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fbcarter New user 12 Posts |
Audiences who do knot know you are doing something other than that which you are austensibly presenting.. are under 6 aren't they????
I never worry about the logic.. what the audience thinks of the props.. whether the effect even makes sense.. I was doing the Sidewalk Shuffle with Jumble cards once... Bad situation.. Micro requested was not provided... The venue was a temporary stage on the ice surface at a spring fair... The other half of the arena was curtained off to separate the show from the 500 odd cackling chickens... I explained I really need a mike.. they did their best and robbed another venue's hand held mike... After I further explained that I use my hands in my act... the rigged up a boom with electrical tape and a stick... It sagged as soon as we put the mike on it... I was wired by the local cable company but that was for them only.. so I went on yelling... I did the Shuffle last (I had one more but I cut it short because I was so flustered.) So flustered in fact I messed up everything except the patter to sidewalk shuffle... Showing in great detail all aspects of the cards without knowing it... The backs looked just fine to me... I ended.. turned the cards around as I triumphantly took a bow and saw the mess... Turned red.. whispered to my clown assistant.. "Oh F--- we are stopping now...." The audience was cheering they were honestly amazed.. of course they had no idea what I was doing but were impressed with all the changes... The local cable guys whose mike picked up my comment were nice enough to edit the Milton Berle tribute out! Basically what I am saying the audience sees what they want.. we just direct them and should not worry about things as much as we do.. A good performance is all they want... and those who don't probably won't pay to see you either... I have used a thumb tip and had people whose kids have that $20 Magic Kit... say.. "wow My son does that with a thumb tip... But I have no idea how you do it" If you do it well.. even when they know how they will not believe it... So why worry...
Farley Carter...
We do not do Magic... We create illusions, confusions, do sleight of hand, tricks and sometimes downright cheat... But sometimes if we do all this well people see Magic.. |
JSBLOOM Inner circle 2024 Posts |
Ron bauer!!!!!!!!
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sohaib Special user San Ramon, CA 577 Posts |
Nothing to worry about. Just enjoy doing the effects!
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Rpascual Special user USA 667 Posts |
Yeah forget if they ask to examin it just say..why do you want to examine it?? enjoy the effect for what it is.
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mleskanic Regular user 152 Posts |
Packet tricks are great because they are very visual usually, but it normally arouses suspicion when a magician pulls out a fancy leather wallet and a couple of cards. Numerous times people have asked me to let them examine the cards.
The only packet tricks that I use are examinable. Like Wild Card ( If you put the non double face cards on top and a spec. can grab a card and check it out ) and twisted sisters/transpo kings
Matt Leskanic
www.cardsharkentertainment.net |
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