There is no wrong way to do that trick...

Oh wait... I missed the part about the Ukelele. Now that's the wrong way. It should be a banjo!

What about using tarot cards instead of playing cards? They are much more mystique and unusual, and much more mental (pun intended).

How many spectators know the cards in a Tarot deck? I, for one, can't name more than two cards, and do not know anything about the structure of the deck (suits? number of cards?) Besides, they give me the creeps.

Gianni

Oh, and let's add Al Koran who's responsible for my long time interest in Mentalism

And by the way, it depends on the effect, not on the 'props'. If an ACAAN or an Open Prediction is boring to someone, then be it.

I'm surely thrilled by those and other similar plots.

Numberjay

Cards don't bore people. People bore people. (To paraphrase the NRA...)

To keep from being boring whatever you are doing has to be about the audience and not the cards. The cards are just a convienence in order to demonstrate some unknown. Make it about them and watch them smile and laugh.

Robert

I posted this elsewhere but here is an example of a card trick that is presented as something else during the first part of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2YoBY6ruYs I don't see how anyone can find this uninteresting or boring.

You would walk away from this? Why?

David, thanks for sharing that clip of Kreskin. I seriously believe the only people who instantly associate the appearance of a deck of cards with a 'magic trick' are magicians or mentalists with a history in this art. Sadly, since they make this connection, they assume everyone else must be doing the same thing.

In my on-stage experience, the majority of guests do not form an opinion about the cards in my hand until I GIVE THEM REASON TO. And for those few that DO jump to the 'card-trick-conclusion', what happens in the next few minutes quickly dispels that notion.

Regards,
Mick

I do use cards for mentalism, and as I always say, I think it is all on the acting at the moment of the performance. For example, I’ve done very simple stuff, like a CHASED stack or an invisible deck in front of an audience of a couple of hundred people with great results.

Obviously I sell it as deep mentalism and mind reading, or thoughts being projected from my mind, and I have had literally people shouting and some telling me that mind reading is a real fact of life, after presenting those simple effects.

Best regards from Ecuador,


Giovanni.

Well it mustve been really interesting for you to sit through it 500 times!

I see how many card effects in mentalism fall into the "unlikely coincidence" category. Card-calling (telepathy) is an exception. Impromtu amnesia effects are also an exception (if you choose to use playing cards, as in Luke Jermay's "RGM," though the use of a playing card is incidental. I like Joshua Quinn's solution in Paralies - no playing cards, no switches).

I performed card magic for such a long time, I'm sick of it. I'm afraid of making the audience feel that way as well, though I've entertained with cards for the same audience for half an hour or more (Bill Malone does it for hours). But those weren't all mentalism effects. There were transpositons, restorations, etc. If you do magic tricks with cards and you want to do mental items with cards, you might have to close with the mentalism. It's almost always stronger.
I choose to do an up-close mental set, including perhaps one card effect (a verbal force, OOTW, Open Prediction, the Birthday Book, Avalon [KK] or a good Inv. Deck).

Why do only cards when there are so many good options for up-close mentalism?

-Mike

A trick that will blow their minds is Osterlind's Radar Deck although, as far as performing for the same people or audience all the time is concerned, my wife and kids hate to see any new trick. I have to wait until my kids friends come over to practice in front of a live audience! TRUE STORY!!

[quote]On 2009-03-16 11:02, Mick Ayres wrote:
I seriously believe the only people who instantly associate the appearance of a deck of cards with a 'magic trick' are magicians or mentalists with a history in this art.

This maybe a correct statement for people in the US, but in Japan where I live there is unfortunately a strong association of magic with playing cards. Japanese people have little knowledge of gambling and in general don't play as many card games as people do in somewhere like Australia or the US. I really like mentalism with playing cards, but due to this association with magic I can understand why people are hesitant to use them. I think a memory related effect is a good way to use playing cards though.

I think this discussion is academic. Is there a correct answer?
I and many other performers, have no issue what so ever using playing cards.
It's a matter of taste and preference.

I was performing strolling magic at an event and approached a couple, the guy said "I hate magic." and I could tell by they look on his face he was serious. So I introduced myself anyway and said "Well, aside from magic I have an interest in psychology, and this is the first time I've ever encountered anyone who has said 'I hate magic' and really meant it as I can tell you do. Why do you think you think it is that you hate magic?" The guy though for a minute and came back with "I don't like anything that I don't understand or that is outside of my control." I thanked for his candor, looked at his date and said "Run!"

You gave her great advice, Carlo.

And now he has another reason to hate magic