Hey everyone. I don't generally use packet tricks. However, I've bought some that I really like (Doubleback, NFW, Stand-up Monte). My concern is to make the introduction of the cards as natural as possible. If I can help it, I don't want to open a card wallet and pull out the packet trick. I prefer to have the dinner guests see me pull a few cards from the deck and then set the deck aside or put it back in my pocket.

Here's the part where I'm unclear. What is the best way to ring in the gaffed card/s so as to give the appearance that they just taken from the deck? I need to find a way to smoothly do this so that I don't misplace the card/s AND in a manner that the cards don't get damaged or misplaced.

Do table-workers just open a card wallet and put the gaffed cards on top of pack before you approach a table? Any pocket management tips on packet tips and reset between tables would be appreciated.

Normally I just pull them from a jacket pocket or from a card wallet. That said, Paul Harris had an idea I believe in one of the AoA books about how to ring in cards. You could also use David Stone's Tool gimmick to do it.

I'm not sure there is a "best" way. I perform Doubleback at every gig. I just pull them out of my jacket pocket. No one has ever had any suspicion because of how fair the routine is.

Hi Michael

You could carry 2 decks, the first being your normal deck and the second as your set up deck containing gaffs. There are many ways to make the switch but two of the easiest are as follows:

1 Do something different in between card tricks, that way when you go back to doing a card effect you can simply pull out your gaffed / set up deck and with the correct patter just pull out the cards for the packet trick that you want to perform.

2 You can ask the spectator to take a card out from your regular deck, show it to everyone and sign it's face while you turn your back so that you can't see. Here is a great misdirection moment to carry out a deck switch for the set up deck containing your gaffs. You can then proceed with a Ambitious card or card to wallet effect, after which you can say I'd like to show you something strange under test conditions using just 4 cards or however many are required for you packet trick and pretend to look through the deck and find them.

P.S Colour Monte Can Also Be Done With Regular Cards Using A Jocker And A Red Queen Along With The Money Card.

Hope This Helps You Out.

You could invest in TKO 2.0
It's very versatile, including being able to ring in a gaff to the deck.

Make up a card box with partitions, put your packet tricks in the different compartments.
You can switch the compartment box in and out with the real box/deck, in between other effects.

I love packet tricks, some gimmicked, some not. I have been performing them for over 20 years...no one has ever called me out in any way.
I understand the concern about pulling out packets in front of laymen. I really don't think they care, It seems to be a non-issue with them.
Cards are cards. However, I do think that somehow the magician could 'telegraph" something funky if overly concerned.

Never been a problem for me, and I am just too darn lazy to change.

Or you could just perform packet tricks that are examinable. Royal Scam is a wonderful example.

I can't help but think that if you asked, say, Darwin Ortiz, how to solve your problem, his answer would be on the order of, "Palm the gaff(s), add it (them) to the bottom of the deck, shuffle as necessary, voilà!"

Thanks for all of the ideas. This is helpful. I will certainly explore some of these options (I already own some of the items mentioned) as well as experiment with just pulling out the packet trick.

I never worried too much about packet pulling out packet tricks. Seeing that a lot of packet tricks use unusual cards, I always felt it was justified to keep them separate. For example The cards used in Color Monte (This n That) are not found in a deck of cards. NFW uses 4 jokers, why are their 4 jokers in a deck of cards?

NFW patter- Do you guys know why you are suppose to take the jokers out of a deck of cards? because jokers are known for play jokes on magicians and card sharps. Let me show you what I mean.

Color Monte- I want to show you a trick with some very special cards, this card is special because it says this on it. This card is special because it also says this on it, and that card, that card is special because it says that on it.

Skinners 3 card Monte- I keep these cards separate, because they are like trophies of mine. You see I ran into a con man on the streets of New York and he would play this game, you see the game is designed so the player who places the bet will never win, but seeing how I am a magician I took the con man for everything he had, including the cards he used.

Just some ideas for you… I always liked the work smarter not harder approach.

Thanks Andy. I can see how the right patter will diffuse any potential concern about why the packet trick cards are separate. Good stuff.

Since I rarely perform two card effects back to back, it's a simple matter to have the gaffs in a duplicate deck. I prefer to give the appearance of more visual variety in the act, by putting other effects between card effects. Don Alan did that in his act.