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The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Shuffled not Stirred » » What is your out that can make you stay congruence when stack is disturbed? (7 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

sychou
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As tittle.
Sometimes during the middle of the performance,the stack went out of order,maybe due to mistake during shuffle or other unnoticed disturbance from audiences.
What do you do to get out of the stuck?The out has to make the magician seems stay congruence.
Bellow is what I've done when order go wrong:

1.Shift to a different routine that is under the same frame work(most of the time a card memory routine):
I once perform Zen Master by Darwin Ortiz,after the second phase,my audience take the deck and shuffle the deck and challenged me to repeat,
I can't,but I immediately shift to perform card memory effect for the audience and she's impressed. Please noted in this case my frame still remain congruence
and she did not notice I change to another routine.

2.use spread cull to undo the disorder under the disguise of memory cards:
One time before I perform A full deck stacked gambling routine,my stack went wrong after I shuffle the deck myself,
I immediately say I am going to remember the deck and I spread cull the card back to it's position.

3.Use the remaining partial stack that did not go out of order for another similar effect:
Again,one time I perform a full stack gambling routine,during the last phase, just before I display the deck go back to new deck order as final climax,
I find out that my stack go wrong almost full deck,I spread the deck under the disguise for memory cards and luckily find out that the diamonds suit is still in numerical order,
so I shift to produce the diamonds suit in order. My frame once again remain congruence and the audience did not notice I changed the effect and thinks everything is what I intended to do.

Please join me for discussion,thank you.
sychou
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No body like to join the discussion?
I thought this is a meaningful topic,and everyone who perform with stack will encounter this situation.
Cain
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There are a few ways a trick can go right, but a lot of ways it can go wrong. (Didn't Tolstoy said happy families were all alike whereas unhappy families were unhappy in their own way?)

I think you've reviewed some proven strategies to recover a stack. I cannot think of anything off-hand to add because each situation is so different. When these things happen, I don't think most of us have the presence of mind to run through a pre-made mental checklist. We just search for a solution, and something will usually present itself. The only real problem is if your stack is a crutch; you should be ready to perform using a borrowed, shuffled deck. Memorized stack users have typically worked their way up from impromptu card magic, so this shouldn't be an issue.

One time I was set to do a gambling trick, but wanted the pack shuffled, which I could later undo with a spread cull. I set the cards up for one of Green's Rosetta shuffles and instructed a spectator to push the halves together. My enthusiastic, well-meaning, hand-picked assistant proceeded to wash the cards like a blackjack dealer.

I was mortified.

My set was ruined.

So I did a different (gambling) trick, which garnered a surprisingly fantastic reaction, and everything turned out fine. This is similar to your first point about keeping the same frame. The thing with a stack is that you should always be ready to let it go. Then it doesn't really matter what happens.
Ellusionst discussing the Arcane Playing cards: "Michaelangelo took four years to create the Sistine Chapel masterpiece... these took five."

Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes: "You know Einstein got bad grades as a kid? Well, mine are even worse!"
RiderBacks
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Getting into stacked deck work I've been thinking about this issue a bit. Cain's advice here is solid:

Quote:
On Apr 24, 2016, Cain wrote: The thing with a stack is that you should always be ready to let it go. Then it doesn't really matter what happens.


That said, learn methods for ringing in a cooler. This is the best way to recover the incredible effect you want to pull off which requires a stack.
JanForster
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Germany ... when not traveling...
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As I wrote somewhere else: just one of my strategies: I have always a second stacked deck in one of my back pockets. I take the messed up deck and while talking I let it "accidently" drop to the floor - s..t happens. Instead of collecting all cards again, I bring out my spare deck and begin by removing the still inside Jokers before I do a brief false shuffling and then I continue Smile Jan
Jan Forster
www.janforster.de
Claudio
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Here are a few other effects to either restore the current deck order or switch in another stacked deck:

1. A Subtle Game (from Encyclopedia of Card Tricks)
2. Simon Aronson's Shuffle Tracking or Bait and Switch

There are a lot of ideas in Mnemonica to stack a deck while performing effects.

The best idea is to only have a couple of memdeck effects in one set, so if things go out of shape, it's not fatal!
Melephin
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How about just handing the deck for shuffeling an then restacking the deck?
avasatu
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Have a backup and know 2 good deck switches.
OR
Seamlessly transition into FASDIU work
OR
Go through and put the few displaced cards back. It's not a big deal if you're a smooth talker. I'm learning lately that not everything always requires a justification in practice. That said, make sure you CAN justify anything if asked, but don't get asked in the first place. The less importance you place on it, the better.

To conclude the above point, and this post, I will end with an example. Someone the other day messaged me asking how I get a card from the top of the deck to the bottom. I said that most of the time, I take the card off the top, and put it on bottom.
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