Just wondering... In a close-up, walkaround or table hopping situation, what is the first effect that you do ?

Well, basicly it may depend on the kind of audience. Usually I do some quick NW stuff or some psychological routines.
Especially Walk around.
What I love to do and got great reactions from is an idea by Ted Lesley. You predict the change a spectator has in his wallet whereby I secretly put 10 cents into his pocket before I do the routine. So I predict his outcome plus my 10 cents. Amazing.

Important is a rather quick effect which establishes you as a mind reader so the audience knows about yur abilities.

When situations allow and you are seated at a table before you do your act and you have a spoon available you also could do a spoon bend without the notice of the audience at first. When the spoon is bend you show it and are as amazed as the rest and while showing the bent spoon you secretly bend another spoon with the other hand and then show a visual bend like Osterlind's to amaze them again.

Regards
Thomas

A multiple out routine using a matchbox that I developed to coincide with a story from my childhood...its quick, strong and resets instantly, that's what I'm after in an opener, failing that...

a swami opener
this n that

these are good little openers

That depends on the venue. I do a lot of walk-around. The impact of magic or mentalism is vastly increased if the effect develops out of an "improptue" situation which provides context to the effect. This can be manipulated. For example, If I am performing at a private party I start a conversation with a group of two or three people without anouncing that I am the entertainer. I bring the conversation around to one of several topics such as fortuntelling, coincidence or imagination. I am ready to illustrate my point with a simple and very direct effect such as pocket writing a name on the back of a business card in my SUC. This usually stuns my little audience and starts a buzz in the house. I help the buzz grow by listening and gently inserting myself into conversations, leading the groups into, and leaving them with, some mystery. Soon, people are coming up to me.

In table hopping at a banquet I take a very different approach. I want people to know who I am and looking forward with curiosity to have me come to their table. At my first two or three tables, I perform one of several mental magic effects that use flash paper revelations. These can be found the book, "Inside Out" which is mostly about walk around type mentalism.

Christopher

Christopher,
I really liked your coin bending routine... excellent thinking.
Clean, direct, baffling!

Highly recommended.

Sean

Sean: Thank you for the kind words! Have you performed it?

Christopher

Coin bending, hm ? Is it in "inside out" ?

Traveler: Yes, there are two bending routines in my book. Banachek and others have indicated that they like them very much. Let me know if you want to know more.

Christopher