Hi!

I just recently purchased this effect, and am a little dismayed at the relatively simple and "obvious" method used to work the effect. The effect is this: a hotel card key in a sealed envelope is given to a spectator to hold. The spectator then reaches into a bowl full of about 20 differing matchbooks, from various hotels across the country. He/She happens to freely select the one matchbook with a hotel's name on it; and the matchbook matches the hotel card key he or she has been holding the entire time. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas on how to make this effect "work" even better, given the relatively simple and somewhat "obvious" method? How is anybody else who has this effect presenting it? Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated! I know that the instructions suggest an alternative way to present the effect using palming, etc. I'm not skilled in that at all, and am going for just the basic presentation. Thanks!

Frank

Frank, I think it's only obvious when you know how it works. Keep working on it' until you feel happy, then try performing it to an audience- and see how well it works with them. It's a great effect, so it's worth sticking with it.

I suggest that if you have concerns, hand out a few matchbooks to members of the audience at the beginning of the routine.

If you are still worried, try e-mailing Andy. He's a real sweetie, and I am sure he would be happy to help you out.

Love, Pandora.

I was thinking of giving it to a magical friend, but at the end I changed my mind. I decided to perform it once. There is a simple but clever method, to give you more space for a strong presentation.

Frank, while it may seem obvious, in the real world it's anything but. We tend to keep thinking as mentalists or magicians and forget that, while audiences aren't dumb by any means (another opposite mistake that many performers make), there are a lot of things that seem obvious to us that they just don't ever think of.

I and other performers use this effect all of the time, and it plays great. Banachek Marc Salem, and Kreskin (who performed it on national TV) are just a few of the many, many full-time, experienced performers who use or have used this effect, just to give you an idea :o)

There are some alternate handlings that have been suggested and used by other performers for the effect; I personally haven't found them necessary, but I'd be glad to pass them on if you e-mail me (don't PM, please, with my busy schedule right now e-mail is much easier to deal with).

--A

I thought the same about the "Glorpy" effect. Man; I was hot, after I got it! This was the simplest, most obvious gimmick ever. I played with it, and put it in a corner, and forgot about it for a few weeks. After seeing Eugene work it, I was like WOW. Do I have the same prop??? Presentation is 99% of the effect. Go back and work on it, and make it yours. Then, it will truly be an effect to be proud of.

Kevin

I love this effect and use it frequently in my sets at The Castle. I combine it with the Prophecy Pack. Here's how it goes: I pull out a sandwich bag that contains a deck of cards, a small manila envelope and all the matches. I throw the bag on the table and start to tell my story. "Many years ago I worked on promotional tours. It was ten guys, seven trucks and seven months on the road. Ten guys! Seven months on the road! We got a little crazy. Anyway, we started this little bet going and it dealt with collecting things from the various hotels we stayed in. The rules were you had to collect only objects that had the name of the hotel and you had to collect the same type of object in every hotel. So if you started collecting hotel glasses in one hotel then you had to continue collecting glasses. Another rule is that at the end up the tour you had to pile all your collections on your bed and the one with the most hotel objects would win. One guy collected ashtrays, another towels... everyone came to my room... I collected maids... Anyway, one of my guys was into matches." I pull out the deck of cards and toss it on the table followed by the envelope. I pull out three of the matchbooks and read them off: "Heaven's Peak? Hmmm, I think that was in Oregon. Hotel De Paris... not the Vegas one. Ray's Roadside Resort... this was fleabag in Ohio, I believe. Anyway, let's see... could you reach in and pull out one matchbook and hold it for awhile." I extend the bag to the nearest spectator and they pull out a matchbook which they hold closed in their hand. I then toss aside the bag into my doctor's bag that I use to hold my props and pick up the deck of cards. "Now the other thing we did is play a lot of cards. Guys, you know. Could you shuffle these for me?" I give the deck to another spectator and have them shuffle. "Please cut a few portions of cards and make four or five piles." I try to use another spectator to cut off the portions. "Would you please touch one pile?" When the pile is selected I push off the top card of that pile. I start collecting the other piles as I turn various top cards from these piles. "Okay, so if you had touched this pile it would be the ten of hearts, or here the king of clubs, or this would be seven of spades." I put the deck away and pick up the envelope that has been sitting on the table. "In this envelope I put the last card of the last card game we played and the last key of the last hotel room we were in." I stare at the crowd and pause. They always anticipate what is going to occur and there is usual a quiet mumbling that starts. "The tension mounts. I reach into the the envelope and pull out one card that is still face down. I then turn the card that the spectator selected. "The eight of diamonds. Hmmm? The last card of the last card game we played." I turn over the card that was in the envelope... it is the eight of diamonds. This usually starts an applause cue, but I stop them. "Wait. You've been holding a pack of matches from one of our stays. Could you look at it and tell me the hotel." The person opens up their fist for the first time and reads out the hotel... let's say The Riverside Inn (are you laughing, Andy?) I always look a bit puzzled and say, "The Riverside Inn? I don't remember that one... too much drinking, I guess." I pull out the hotel key out of the envelope with the name facing down. "The last key of the last hotel..." I turn the key around. "The Riverside Inn." I usually get a big round of applause and quite a bit of shocked expressions. Thank you, Andy.
By the way, for those that have it, the envelope and the deck of cards becomes a natural partition for the matches so I can have the ones that I want to call out in the beginning easily accessible yet the bag looks like all the matches are floating around mixed.
Greg

Oh dear, oh dear. When did simplicty of method become a criterion for denigrating a routine?

In magic, only three things matter:

Audience effect, audience effect, and audience effect.

Bob

How true, Bob, how true. Usually in magic or mentalism, the simplest solution is the one that is most mystifying to the public. A spoon bends... how?... we bent it before you looked. A sponge ball appears in your hand... how?... we didn't put one in our hand, and just added that one to yours. Keep it simple, and it will usually fool them more than if you take the complicated route.
Greg

True, often the simplest solution is the hardest to find. Then again, your audience shouldn't be looking for solutions.

Love, Pandora

Greg,

Thanks for the lengthy reply detailing your particular routine for "It's A Match" from Andy Leviss. That is the kind of information I was looking for. Your idea sounds great! I, too, look for ways to combine certain effects into a longer, more elaborate effect.

Thanks for taking the time to type up your response here.

Frank

P.S. Andy Leviss was kind enough to answer a question email that I sent him about the same subject. Just thought people might like to know that! Thanks, Andy!!

No sweat, Frank! :o) I always encourage anybody with a question, complaint, concern, suggestion, etc. about any of my effects or publications to feel free to e-mail me, and I'll do my best to answer in the most helpful way I possibly can.

--A