Spent last weekend in Vegas, and saw three different magic shows (by three different performers) on three consecutive dates (in three different casino venues).

While the rest of their acts varied, there was one rather striking overlap. All three performed the same trick: the Tossed-Out Deck.

I’d never actually seen it performed. So, when I saw it the first time, I simply enjoyed it. I thought: oh, cool... so that’s the Tossed-Out Deck!

But then, just 24 hours later, I saw someone else do it again, for a second time. I thought: hmmmmm, waitaminit... didn’t I just see this?

And then, to see it yet again just another 24 hours later, for yet a third time, I thought: okay, now, hold it... this is just plain odd. (Or, as Yogi Berra said, “It’s deja vu all over again.”)

I’m not knocking anyone, or anything. Each performer had a unique style, and each put their own stamp upon the effect. (Although, perhaps notably, only one actually literally tossed out the deck into the audience. The other two both lowered the deck into the crowd in a plastic bucket suspended from a sort of fishing-pole-sized selfie stick, while employing similar teasing bobs and weaves when offering it to someone).

I guess I’m just wondering how common such overlaps are, among concurrently playing magic acts in the same market? I suppose they’d be hard to avoid, short of everyone sharing their set list of effects in order to eliminate duplication. But it just seemed... well, odd.

I think we tend to be more like the magicians we spend the most time around. It would be like a few students having similar book reports because they were in the same study group. I wouldn't find that odd at all.

Likely they are running in the same circles and they all like that trick and the way the audience reacts to it.

I remember magic show nights at the Mecca Magic Club in East Orange (at that time - 1950s-60s) in which almost every member performing in the show had either a Temple Screen or a set of Linking Rings. That was excusable because of their ages and limited resources. But then when the local IBM Ring put on a show and the same thing happened with the adult magicians performing one after another... there was a lot of moaning and groaning in the audience. The solution was for the show's MC to review what tricks each performer was planning to use BEFORE THE NIGHT OF THE SHOW and convince the performers not to duplicate tricks. The first one who registered for Linking Rings got to perform it- the others had to come up with something else. It was like pulling teeth, but it gradually improved the shows. Vegas needs the same sort of supervisory thing, but because they all aren't under one roof and have no supervisor, probably nothing will be done.

I think the Magic Castle makes sure there is no overlapping during the course of a week.

I don't think this is something problematic for "real" people. I think it's unlikely that they attend a magic show 3 days in a row, do they?
Than again for a magician this is a great thing I think. You get to see a different handling each time. Isn't that a great way to see and learn how different people approach their magic?
Ok, might be more usefull if you also want to perform the tossed out deck. Otherwise maybe a bit boring...

Regards,
Markus

This phenomenon of seeing the same trick by multiple magicians is a huge pet peeve of mine.

I once did a show with other magicians where I ended up being the second person in that show to do a Professor's Nightmare routine, and also the second to do Gypsy Thread. Even though my presentations were completely different, they were still the same tricks, and the audience knew it. This happened even though the producer asked for set lists prior to the show just to avoid that kind of duplication. It stinks to have 9 minutes out of your 15 minute set duplicated by two previous magicians.

This phenomenon comes about because so few magicians do original magic. It's almost all "classic" or derivative, just dressed up with a new hat from time to time. My experience of seeing my tricks done earlier in the same show highlighted that for me, and forced me to confront the fact that I was guilty of being unoriginal, too. To me, this "three magicians doing the same trick" phenomenon is among the worst things about magic, and can ultimately hasten its demise. Magic is in desperate need of a big infusion of originality, and I urge every magician reading this to make the effort to be original. Dressing the same trick in new clothes is not "originality." A new script or using a bucket instead of tossing out a deck is not originality. And boy do we need originality.

I don't often do gigs with other magicians, but I have one on Saturday. This time I'm dead sure that no one will be doing any part of my set. Nor will the last magician the audience saw have done any part of it, nor the next. That's because I took all those "classic" and derivative tricks out, and replaced them with new creations or unusual pieces that no one else does.

We should all make the effort to take out of our act anything done by other magicians. It would be healthy for each of us, and for magic as a whole.

I couldn't agree with you more. Magic today is plug and play, few even take the time to create their own presentations or variations. This will continue as long as so much access is available.

Magicians need to take pride in their performance material and NOT want to perform something others do. Create your own magic, your own concepts and your own methods. Start with an idea, the reverse engineer it to make it come to life. Be original, separate yourself from the pack.

I remember when it was considered unprofessional, disrespectful to perform someone else's effect or material (even with permission). The term was being "a Hack" which most would never want to be and would avoid at all costs. If you were known to be a hack, venues, planners agents and others would never want to book you. Today most of magic is a hack.

Living in Vegas and representing many types of entertainers this problem is much greater than most realize. Today's "me" mentality has allowed this to happen and continue, without any concern for uniqueness or the longterm effect on the industry.