Matt, you are right. I said that the should be amused/entertained, but they should be amazed as well.

Hideo --Right ON! What a wonderful summary. Have you published anything? I recognize a skilled and experienced person
Pete Biro--What DID Kaps use; locator cards (I love the corner short)
McGyver- The pendulum does indeed swing. You are so right, Even in my personal useage; Always loooking for a substite for the pass {I catully think I invented one} but they all seem to involve more than one move. A pass, if undetected, is a one shot move and its over!. Others involve further shuffling, squaring the pack etc.

Most important thing to understand when doing card tricks?

I'm reminded of the old "joke":

Do you like card tricks? Great!! So I did ten.

Zeiros hit the nail on the head and made a very good point:



Why is this an important point? Because the audience doesn't know that you are using different techniques for different card tricks. In a lay person's mind, a different technique (move) does not a different trick make. Hence, your card tricks might have a tendency to blur in the spectators' minds and they might all begin looking the same. At the very least, the dramatic effect of multiple card tricks might become somewhat diluted by repetitive multiple card tricks.

Timing and pacing are important. Sprinkle your best card effects throughout your performance set.

Just my two cents worth.

Mike

P.S. Try to have a believable and/or charming story woven into each of your card effects. This helps break up card tricks from being just a generic card trick into being a special and unique card effect. I just got done watching Mike Close's "The Frog Prince" effect. (I think that was the name of the effect.) WOW!! He took a "simple" card switch-type of effect and added a charming storyline and an origami frog (made from a playing card) and got an emotional audience investment into the effect. At the end of the effect, he had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand.

Thank you, Turk. You've just put into words a few things that I've been thinking more eloquently than my rusty brain could manage

The other thing that just struck me is that: You've got to have fun when doing tricks! Understand that if you're having fun they will too

For me the most important thing is to relax and have fun.

I don't know if it's most important, but a point that hasn't been raised yet is to include variety in your card tricks. Five "you pick a card and I'll find it" tricks in a row is a "no, no". I don't care how powerful they are.Mix your effects;not just your cards.

I'll go with that misquote from the R. Somerset Maughm story cited above.

Suggest folks look up "Mr Know It All" and then ask themselves if they can manage the same.

More for those who do the homework and follow up

After following the posted advices, I think the last thing you should take care is not to do too much.

Even some of famous pros seem lacking this sense. In the convention I attended this summer, a pro performed his full show (more than one hour) at the last of the Gala. Other performers spent maybe 90 minutes before his appearance, so I thought he was impressive he ended after peforming 30 to 40 minutes.

We are magicians to entertain people, not to tire them.

Hideo Kato

P.S.
martyk. If you are Marty who has been contributing many times in Precursor, you should know I had published many in Precursor also. I have published some in Genii, Magic, Magic Manuscript, MUM and Talisman. Gary Ouellet introduced my tricks in his famous Close Up Illusion. Lybrary.com recently published my e-book "Kato On Estimation". In Japanese language, I have written more than 7000 pages so far including translation of 8 volumes of Tarbell Course In Magic.

I try to avoid the "Uncle Bob" syndrome by choosing the effects to show people very carefully. I try to start off with a surprizing effect that isn't your typical "Pick a Card" type. Like, "Twisting the aces", or Be "Honest, What is it". I find that once I do one of these tricks I have most people's attention. I can then proceed to other tricks and avoid being confused for "Uncle Bob".

Lloyd

Matt, it's my turn to second you. Mr.Maric once said "The entertainment Magic can give is Magic". I would like to add one word to Matt's expression.

"I think it takes magic to amaze them gracefully".

Hideo Kato

Beautiful! This is the difference between the amazement of the "reality" shows popular on TV today (Wow! That guy is eating a worm!) and the amazement of magic.

I have written elsewhere about the differences among the amazement in a magic performance, and the amazement at a juggler, and at a fire-eater (for example).

Matt Field

Try to be relaxed. If your tense, they'll suspect your up to something and burn your hands immediately. This is not usually a problem if you're innocent, but when doing a sleight, (especially the bluff pass) they will know what's going on. Just act like nothing is going on all the time. This is important when it comes to double lifts and whatnot. If you make a big deal about TURNING OVER ONE AND ONLY ONE CARD WHICH IS THE ONLY ONE CARD ON TOP then they'll be super suspicious. If your mentality is "I'm gonna show you this card here" then they won't suspect a thing

That's right! Even we don't use worms, I think we should review our behavior to avoid any rudeness. Here, I can explain one example in card magic. Would you feel a difference between the following two behaviors.

1.You spread the cards and extend hands toward your spectator saying "Would you please take a card?".

2.You say "Would you please take a card?", then you spread cards and extend them toward your spectator.

Of course 1. is O.K. in most cases, but 2. is more polite. We can find much more behaviors we should take consideration when you use volunteers from the audience.

I can understand behavior of London people who throw egg to David Blaine although he is not using a worm in this stunt.

Hideo Kato