I'm pretty wedded to the idea of using a completely normal deck of cards, no gaffs, etc. I used to carry a double of a card in the deck, to do easy transposition effects. But once I got caught with two of the same card and haven't done it since.

Does anyone have some good advice for making SURE that a spectator doesn't stumble upon two of the same card for the rest of your routine?

There are a lot of ways of doing this. One being by creating misdirection and palming the duplicate out of your pocket and onto the deck, then later palming it back off into your pocket. You could keep the cellophane on your deck and keep the dupe in there, and again find a way to add it on to the deck. There are many ways but I'm bad at explaining things. You could do a card to pocket using the dupe, then saying it can travel to even more impossible locations. You can then do a card transposition using the dupe.

There are many ways, but just be creative. It would help more if you told us HOW you got caught. If you tell us that then we can help you find ways to avoid that situation again.

Do your trick that utilizes the double close to the beginning of your routine. At some point, using misdirection, just thumb through the deck, find one of the doubles, cull it to the top...

Give the deck a little shuffle, keeping it on top. Then casually palm it off into your pocket. Don't try to be overly sneaky. Just do it at a down time in your performance when people are kinda just talking to each other. This has always worked for me anyway.

peace,
jeff

When I do walk around, I always keep a duplicate in my deck. I usually start out my card material with Here and There. I then palm the card out of the deck and put it in my pocket. The misdirection is VERY strong when the spectator turns over the card in their hand that just a few seconds ago was in your hand. It's easy to palm the card out.

I usually leave the card in my pocket and use II for a homing card effect later in the routine. At the end of the routine the dupe is back in the deck and I'm ready to go for the next group.

I also used to be nervous about carrying a dupe in my deck, but on one of Jay Sankey's videos he mentioned that he always carries one in his deck. His reasoning was very logical. He said that he does get caught a couple of times a year, but that's really not that big of a price to pay for all of the powerful magic he can perform with a duplicate card. After experimenting, I definitely agree.

I agree with the above post. The payoff for having the dupe far outweighs the chance that you might get caught with it. If you absolutely positively have to get that card out of there, it's nothing a palm off can't fix. If you need a reason as to why you're going to your pocket, keep the tuck box in there and drop the card as you're going to pull out the box. It will look like you're just getting the box back out out of habit or to do a trick with it.

I carry a lot more incriminating stuff than duplicates in my deck! My advice is to carry a packet trick wallet with you, and keep any gaffed or duplicate cards in that, and add them in when you have a private moment and are ready to perform your tricks.

Also, routining helps a lot. Knowing what tricks you will perform and what order, will allow you to naturally take gaff cards in and out of play openly in front of the audience. I don't really endorse the performing style where you make up what your next trick will be as you go along.

The way I routine, my gaff cards are usually towards the bottom or top of the deck, and I know that for routine "A" I just don't spread the cards that far that they'll see them. Then for routine "B" I utilize the gaff, and conclude by getting rid of it openly. (In my case it's a different color, so of course my audience realizes it's natural for me to remove it from play.) Finally, my deck is clean for me to go into Routine "C".

Depending on how you sequence your routines, I'm sure you can work out a way to either openly or secretly work the gaffs in and out. If you only do a small number of tricks though, the simplest method is to simply be aware of where in the deck the cards are, and not spread those.

Geoff makes a great point about simply routining your act. I personally use the cellophane method that was mentioned earlier. I perform an effect with the cards, (in their hands) actually having them look through the cards looking for a duplicates. Then put the cards away and perform a coin effect. Bring out the cards again and viola, you have added a duplicate to the deck. If you don't like to palm, although honestly it is the easiest way of getting rid of a dupe, you could do a simple pocket deck switch with the same card as your dupe removed.

Jason

You can carry a few "odd" cards in your wallet. One such card that does wonders is the DB. It allows a quick and effective card to wallet at the drop of a hat. You can use your wallet as cover to load up the deck too.

I always carry a dupe in my deck. Like someone said above, like Sankey said, you may get caught once or twice a year, but being able to perform those effects is great. This fits my performing style, if it doesn't fit yours, I also agree with simply routining your act to account for whatever gaffed cards you may need.

Yup, I agree with Geoff and Jason. Routining is the best way to avoide such blunders. Why not do your next effect using the same card of the duplicate but also ditchs it in the process? It's best to jump straight into this effect so that the audience has not got the time to make requests to see the deck etc. If you get hold of a book by Jean Hugard called Card Manipulations, it details a transportation effect using no dupes, maybe something to check out. The name does not occur to me at the moment but I will look it up and get back to you.

Also, think back to how the card was found in the first place, dissect the situation so if there is any way of fixing that situation so it never happens again it can be done. Did the following effect require the spectator to spread the cards towards the audience and, as luck would have it, the shuffle placed both the original and dupe next to each other? Something for you to think about at least.

What I'm basically saying is that every experience is a learning experience, study it, learn from it and become better from it and you will be a better magician because of it.

Magically
Aus

Check out the Paul Harris' Art of Astonishment volume 3 for "Free Ride", this might be just what you are looking for.

I agree with dave2lift. Just misdirect and palm the card and place into your pocket, then you're totally clean.

Just give away your first copy of the double as a souviner and then continue with your routine. Noone would bother to remember what card has been chosen and what has been given away. This is much easier than palming...

You could try doing a torn and restored card with it. And if it is found later in the deck later, you say the deck must be haunted or the spirit must not of wanted to leave. Some people might actually think that it was a sort of magic trick in itself, cause the card they had was rendered useless. The only thing I would suggest though is keep the card used for torn and restored card, so they are left with an Idea of how did it get back into the deck, It could even enhance the torn and restored effect, (that is if they still remember the card, BUt if you use signatures on it then attention would be diverted to name and not card.)

Haven't done any dupe cards, with exception to altered colour tricks.

late.
B)

Captain

The effect I talked about that maybe of interest to you in the transposition aera is called "Relativity and Cards" on page seven of Jean Hugards "Card Manipulations" that's uses no dups.

Magically

Aus

I usually keep several dupes in my deck and have NEVER been caught. One of my favorite effects is card through window. It only takes one time to do that trick and you'll be hooked at how easy it is and how much people talk about that trick. People are always asking me to do that trick and so I started carrying a couple dupes with me. No one even thinks about questioning if the deck is regular. I use two methods of having their SIGNED card appear on the other side of the window. A signed or torn card is psychologically disarming.

An easy way to keep a gaff in the deck is as follows. Say you want to keep a DB in the deck, but don't need it for your opener. Place it on the bottom and place the Jokers somewhere in the deck. When you start your routine, give the deck a shuffle, retaining the bottom DB card then fan the cards face up showing all are different. Then "notice" that the Jokers are in the deck. Pull them out saying you don't need them for this effect and drop them face up onto the face up deck. Then pick up 3 cards (both Jokers and the DB) and place them off to the side on the table. It just looks like you removed the Jokers, but you've stolen away the gaff as well. Add the Jokers back onto the face up deck to ring in the gaff. You can either remove the Jokers again or use them -- it's very open and doesn't raise suspicion.

Kevin