Did a strolling gig last week and after a folded card to mouth where I spring all the cards over the table (yes it was suitable) I thank the clapping audience for their time and collect my cards.

When leaving the table (spectators still aplauding) I notice one card is left on the table - Ace of spades. One of my eight spectators puts his hands down on the table directly on top of the card.

I turn around and ask them if they would like to see one more quicky and they all say yes. I point to the guy and ask him to name a "good card".
He names ace of spades, and I ask him to lift his hand and I quickly say "Thank you so much everybody, I'll be doing magic in the bar later" and I walk away.

The table went wild and I was told that they could not stop talking about it.

Just goes to show what kind of magical moments we can create if we only stay alert and "seize the moment".

Well done. These kind of situations crop up quite regularly, you just have to take advantage of them.

Thank you, and I totally agree!

Yes those moments happen, Carpe Diem. Great thinking Montana.
Last week while performing at a table I asked a gentleman to think of any card in his mind. I then stated Ace of Spades. He smiled and said "How did you know?" I then said think of another card. While he was thinking I was shuffling the cards. He said he had one in his mind. I actually wanted him to find his card in the shuffled deck ( I had no clue what it was) but there it was on the face of the deck as I handed the deck to him. By the look on his face I knew the card on the face of the deck was it.

He said to me "How in the H#@L did you do that?" Little did he know I lucked out big time.
He just stared at me with that LOOK we all love to get.

When I worked my first year at Busch, I noticed that 6 cards were called-out more often then others - when I asked for a card for the ID.

So I put those 6 cards in odd places. The AS went in the muzzle of a cannon. the 10H went in the arms of a teddy bear in the window of the toy store, behind glass - you get the idea. So if one of those cards was called I introduced a deck of 46 cards and threw them at the correct location. The audience was always amazed when their card was found in an impossible location.

But one time I held-up a a single card, the 5C and asked someone to name any card (the old, That would be great, joke)... and he did. That was magic, Everyone was stunned... I'm glad he didn't see the other 50 shows where I got it wrong

It was the late Terry Seabrooke who would open his "working mam's club" act in London, by coming on fast, holding up a single card (back to audience). He was shouting: "Name a card, name a card!" Of course, someone would name a card. Terry would look at the face of the card he was holding up and come back with: "You're *blank, blank WRONGl"

Knowing Terry from the first time we met at the Louisvill IBM convention, I wonder what he would have done if the apectator had named THE card that Terry held!!!

I do the above. When people are digging what I do and I am performing my card set at some point I get someone I the crowd to tell me to stop as I flick the deck I stop they name a card. I go wrong. Its fun and a bit of fun and a little of beat. But a few times they have got it right and that's it I am done. Like I say its only happened a few times but once it happened twice on one night.

I saw Terry Seabrook'sat a working mmen's club in the 70s, his burn note to wallet was a hilarious routine. I always admired the way he handled the very boisterous crowd.

I finished doing a few tricks for some guys in a hotel room while we were waiting for the boss. I was fiddling with the deck and palmed off the four aces (just practicing) and set the deck aside. Just then the boss walked in, saw the deck, grabbed it, shuffled it, and tossed me the deck, saying, "Now find the aces." .

Doesn't get much better than that, Pete!

Nice Pete!

So... Did you?