I have heard from several different people that you should start off a routine with a self working trick, I was wondering what everyones favourite self working trick is? The tricks don't have to be absolutely self-working, but have to make it so that there is zero chance of getting snapped by someone burning your hands

I like Coincidentally Yours from Close Up Card Magic. Also there is Emotional Reaction by Dai Vernon, and The Lazy Man's Card Trick in Close Up Card Magic. You can also study the various 21 Card Trick variants that Marlo has in print. I have 2 variants of the 21 Card Trick that I enjoy performing for laymen. One is a "Magician in trouble" theme, and the other is a mental way of revealing the selection.



Trini

How about "Pre Deck Ability", by Aldo Colombini.
You predict in advance how many cards will be face down, how many will be red, and that the remainder of the cards will be a certain suit.
Plus a final kicker prediction. The spectator can do all the shuffling of the face down face up cards themselves.

magiclee

Definitely give 'overkill' a try, it has 3 parts to it and each one gets stronger.
I am not sure I agree with the person that told you, you should start with a self working trick.

Vernon's handling of Henry Christ's Aces! Almost self working, good serie of effects. I always get a great reaction

Larry Jennings' Impossible is pretty cool.

There are a good selection in Harry Lorayne's "Close-up Card Magic": a couple have already been mentioned.

Try "Ahead of the Pack" by Jack Avis and Lewis Jones. Available from http://www.ian-rowland.com/Start/IRStartIndex.htm

My handling of "twin souls".

or perhaps the slightly similiar "untouched" by Daryl I believe.

Bannons "Play it straight triumph" is
"nearly" self working.

What I love about a good "self working" effect is that you can concentrate more on presentation and not so much on technical stuff...

HOGWASH!!!

I certainly don't think you should limit yourself to a self-working trick because you're scared to get caught. you should start with something that makes the audience think "wow, what's next. I've never seen anything like this before!" not "Well, at least he didn't make a mistake".

Given that, I think Play it straight is a good choice.

I usually look for something that is quick and very powerful such as Eddie Fechter's
"That's It" which is close to self working or Red Hot Mamma which is also close to self working. The trick length is not long on either one, they are shockers, easy to follow and very impressive.

"That's It" is also good when you have some smart aleck in the audience that says he knows what you're doing and smirks at your effects.

I always play that up... "he, of course, knows what I'm doing but the rest of you should pay attention to this next one"

then you smoke the little brat with "That's It".

That is the only reason I would not use
"That's It" for an opener... saving it for just such an occasion.

I never perform a self-working effect and I think that advice is completely misgiven.

There are many effects where people can burn your hands and you won't get caught including those I mentioned above.

If you're worried about that, then you are not making enough eye contact with your audience early enough in the "show" or you really just need a lot more practice before you start performing.

Check out the effects I mentioned...

"That's It"
"Red Hot Mamma"

I believe Red Hot Mamma is on Ammar Card Miracles #1 and That's It is on #1 or #2.
it could be #5 but I don't think so.

Frank

I don't do a lot of card stuff in my shows, but I do nearly always open with "Lips", because I can get a whole group of people on their feet shouting "I love you" at a deck of cards I'm holding above my head. Then everyone in the room realises that I'm the magician!

Hey Elwood, what is "Lips" and where can one find it? It sounds interesting. Boy there have been a bunch of good ones mentioned in this thread. Another thought on doing self working effects is to go ahead and make a bunch of movey moves. So they think you are doing some dirty work. ie: casting a shadow- as I riffle the cards this way-a little flick of the wrist-as I turn the cards around- as I slap the deck. I like 'em to think I am doing something even when I ain't. It helps throw a lttle sawdust in their eyes.

The absolute best self-working card trick is done with 4 queens. I'm not sure the name of this trick or the inventor but I'm almost positive that it's Harry Lorayne.

You display the 2 red queens leave the 2 black queens tabled. One queen face up one face down. Spectator chooses a card and it is openly taken between the 2 red queens, and it can be signed. You ask the spectator to hold their hands out after you show the 3 and do the prayer vanish and place the 2 queens in their hands and show that their card has disappeared from in-between the two red queens.

You then have them spread the deck which has been on the table the whole time and their card is face up, signed in the center. Then take the two black queens, place their signed card in between them and cut them into the pack. Take the 2 red queens from the spectator and openly place them on top of the pack. Turn them over and spread to show that the selected card has now transported into the red queens and you can show them openly, well almost.

Then you turn the 3 card packet back over and show that it has once again disappeared from in-between the 2 red queens and is still where it should be in-between the 2 black queens.

Self-working, quick in performance and utterly astounding. I have got some great reactions with this one. If anybody knows the name please let me know so I can tell people when they ask instead of me saying, ummm... I think it's credited to...

Thanks guys!
Bryan

I don't think anyone mentioned "out of this world?" if you did I must have missed it, but it doesn't get any stronger that that. The spectator does all the work!

Trois:

A description of Lips.

A spectator is asked to select a card from a blue-backed deck. The card is replaced and lost into the deck. She then "blows a kiss" at the deck and instantly, her selected card blushes (turns into a red-backed card)! When the card is turned over, a lovely red lipstick imprint is seen on its face! If Lips doesn’t get them cheering, nothing else will!

You'll find it right Here!
or

Here!

"Quadruple Prediction" in Semi Automatic Card Tricks: it's a killer (and self-working, too).
Andrea Antonuccio

Erm, I never said that. I just said I believe some "self working" effects are quite nice and allow you to concentrate on presentation. I never recommended that people only use "self working" effects out of fear of being caught.



Um, some "self working" effects do elicit a "wow" response.

That being said, I use whatever works for a given situation.



Agreed! The impromptu versions are especially good for this.

Maybe I'm just lazy at times, but I love effects where the spectator does the majority of the work and still ends up having fun and enjoying the effect.

I think Lips is an awesome trick. I use it as an opener and then leave a chocolate kiss to the person who threw the kiss. A kiss for kiss.

If I had to start with a self-working effect, I would use Contact colors by Aldo Colombini.

On second thought, maybe that would be a bad idea, as it is hard to follow with ANY effect.


(I thought I should add a spooky graphic in the name of the season!)

I forgot to mention in my previous post a killer effect from Martin Gardner that I've found in a Fulves' "Self Working Card Tricks" booklet. Briefly, it's a two-deck coincidence with a double climax. Believe me, nothing can follow it.

Andrea Antonuccio

Yeah, but you need practice at performing live as well. I can't believe that people don't get nervous about their first gigs; in fact I can't believe that a lot of people don't get nervous about most of their gigs to a degree. So go for it Indus, use a self-worker along the way. I you present it well the lay audience are none the wiser and entertained. Don't feel second rate about using a self-worker. Feel great about presenting a great effect well and use that positive confidence to take you forward.

Best