What happens if some cynical guy says he wanna check the deck for dups? what should be the right thing to do?

When something goes like that! I finish the trick with the dup and put the deck into the pocket, (When you put the deck into the pocket be shure that your dup is on the top of the deck) I just push top card to my pocket and take out the deck! And I'am safe!!!
Don't wory they wont check you pockets!

You can always do a side steal if you can do one.
But, I use dupes on a daily basis, and never once have had someone look for them! A few times people have said "You have two 3 of diamonds". My response is "And how will that help?". They'll think for a second and say "I don't know."

Brian

Palm the card and hand out the deck, if you want.

When you palm the card don't make very quick moves like:
'Go staight to the pocket'
Make it very gentel!

What if one of the spectators say something like "must have been a duplicate" and others began to believe? what do you say in response to that??

You do whatever move you want to ditch the card and let them examine the deck

I tell them "Wana chek!?!"
They resits, but if they want too then palm the card and give them the deck!

Checking for dups ?? it'll take like.. forever! just tell 'em you don't have time for this!
Jonathan

I think you should rephrase your question ... how about, "what should I do when I loose control of my audience"? Because that is what you are really asking ... if you are in control, then they do not have the option to ask you such trivial questions.

The best solution is to never give them the oppurtunity to ask the question in the first place. You start doing this the second you start your performance, by being in control - by getting control of your audience. How exactly this works is not something I can really explain, you just hafta learn it.

I myself keep control by being fast paced and upbeat, a series of rapid-fire effects ... I don't stop when their jaw drops, I keep hammering them with more. Other magicians choose a slower approach that leaves their audience suspended at the edge of their seat wondering what will come next.

There will of course always be the trouble maker, a "heckler" is not someone that tries to insult the performer, a heckler is someone that tries to steal control of the audience from the performer ... thus, if someone says there must be a dup, he is trying to steal control from you and should be dealt with accordingly. You need to put him in his place, and discourage him from trying to steal control - and you need to do so in such a mannor that the audience will side with you ... needless to say, this in itself is a dangerous course because there is always that chance that the heckler will win control of the audience.

Thus, if I were in such a situation I would first iqnore him and continue on with my show ... if he were to insist there was a dup, and try to steal control by acting as if my iqnoring him was "proff" he was right, I would agree with him and show the entire deck to be the same card via a hindu shuffle flashing the bottom card a few times. That (IMHO) would easily let him know that he was not going to steal control from me, and it should leave the audience on my side.

Good luck,
JoeJoe

I guess your right Joe. Never came to my mind. Geez, thanks buddy for the great advice.

Palm it off, and take what the...?'s advice: ask them how it's going to help.

Well Joe is right you must control your audience it is very important!

But instead of palm I would recommend a gambler cop

If this happens say "Well just sign your card to make it unique!" and go into a different effect.

If theres one thing ive learned its to always have an "out" ready just in case.

As Murphy's law states:
"that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong"

Get a sharpie and have the card signed next time. lol

I've been reading many of these responses with a high degree of interest. For some reason, I never get challenged about using gimmicks in any of my card tricks. Maybe that's because I start out doing effects with a completely clean deck and then ring in the gaffs later on once the spectators have been thoroughly convinced that the deck is normal.

Many of the responses to this post have recommended getting rid of the dup and then handing the deck out for examination. I don't agree with this approach.

From an audience management perspective, you have just relinquished control to the challenging spectator. You have also let him know that it's o.k. to challenge you in this fashion. And you have let the atmoshpere of the magic totally dissipate. Now, instead of magic, all you are left with is a puzzle where you have challenged the spectators to figure it out. Not very magical.

What I would recommend is that if you are using a duplicate card and you know there is an real risk that you are going to get challenged on it, jump way ahead of the spectators. Even if no one challenges you, build it into your patter at the end of the trick by saying, "You know, some people think that the only way this effect can be done is by using a duplicate card".

When you say this, the trick is essentially over and your patter creates a moment of mental relaxation for the spectators. Now is the time to do a deck switch. Switch the deck to a one way forcing deck where ALL of the cards are the same as the duplicate card.

Now, go on and say, "And you know what? They're right!" As you say this, turn the forcing deck face up and spread the cards.

Now, you have maintained control, AND you have maintained the atmoshpere of magic.

Nice thoughts. However, what if the deck you recommended is unavailable, as in the case of someone asking you to perform on the spur of the moment? Caught off guard (in a way), there must be a readiness on our part that does not come from other tools.
But I have never looked at it this way. Indeed, such a challenge, when succumbed to by the performer, defeats the purpose of the whole performance. It's true what they say: It's always in the details...

This situation happens to me many times. I carry 2 dupes of 2 cards in my magic performing deck. What do I do if they want to check them? simple, I let them check it. A total stranger doesn't go through thoroughly your deck with each card one by one memorizing each card they saw (unless they see the dupes next to the card it values..), from experience, they just want to briefly see if the cards you use are normal cards. Believe it or not, I once let my audience examine my short and long cards deck and my invisible deck and luckily they didn't see a thing. Sounds B*&% S@#$ but it is totally true.
I suggest you show them that you handle a normal deck before a trick or for it to be full proof audience-tested, have the card signed.