Having seen you perform and lecture, you obviously have a well-earned reputation for your multiple selection routine. Also, as I have spent years trying to perfect my jazzing with a memorized deck, what is your opinion as to whether it is more impressive, magical, or theatrical to reveal cards that spectators have SELECTED versus cards that they have merely NAMED? Do you thnk there is a real difference in the spectator's mind?

Hi Ken,

I've seen Mike Close have people (me!) name card after card and he produces it. It is amazing, just amazing how quickly he can get to a card. I can't speak for Mike, but my guess is that he rarely does this repeatedly for an non-magician audience. I can see it being a great out and a wonderful situational tool to just freak an audience out. But without a structure that goes past you name a card and I'll find it, the approach doesn't appeal to me.

On the other hand, the multiple selection routine has purpose and structure that can be made clear to the audience and becomes a performance piece. That is why I favor the MSR.

I hope that helps.

Paul

"I can't speak for Mike, but my guess is that he rarely does this repeatedly for an non-magician audience."

Paul is absolutely correct about this. These repeated demonstrations were done to show magicians what could be accomplished through practice with estimation. For laymen my routine was four-phased and built to a predetermined climax. (The routine is in Workers 5.)

Best

M. Close

Paul:

Given your comments and those of Michael Close, do you have any thoughts on forcing a grouping of cards (ala Darwin Ortiz or Doc Eason) from a memorized deck, then revealing a thought of card somewhere in the routine?

This would seem to give the structure you seek as well as add a little twist in the middle. Do you think this is getting a little too fancy or is not worth the effort?

Ken Abbott

Hi Ken,

I would probably never use a "thought-card" revelation in a multiple selection routine. A MSR has to clip along, and it builds with each revelation. To stop and go through the I'm getting a red card? A Diamond? The Four of Diamonds, would, for me, slow down the rhythym of the process of revealing the cards. And there's no sense in popping it out of the deck if I've just pulled its name out of someone's head. May work fine for another magician, but it's not a fit for me. Also, the question I get asked by the laity more often than any other after the MSR is, "How do you remember them all?" I guess they think I know where all the cards are or what all the selections are, so mentally revealing one would not be so impressive. It's about *finding* the cards, not really about knowing what they are. For me, at least.

And, I've never used a memorized deck and don't have one in my head (yet!)...

Paul