We all now there are certain self-working card tricks, or almost self-working, which have an enormous wow effect when performed correctly.
Which self-working card tricks you use yourself in your performances and why? Just curious.

Excuse the ignorance in this post, but do you mean self working 'gimmicked' effects or self working tricks such as 3 rows of 7 cards (lousy example I know!). If you could clear that up for me, I'd appreciate it

I mean gimmicked tricks. Sorry thought this was clear.

Timely Departure - John Bannon
Chaos - Pit Hartling
Jeopardy - Paul Green

Sorry Marco- I just didn't want to start the topic on a wrong tangent.

I often include The Rising Card Deck as I like to get the audinece involved in the effect, and the reactions have always been great.

Check out "Royal Road to Card Magic". There's an effect under "the reverses" called "Mentalivity". You will blow people away with this almost self-working effect. Chances are you already have the book.

"Self-working" card effects - as the term is used in every card magic book I've ever seen - does NOT mean "tricks with gimmicks".

They're two different classes of effects.

Probably best to stick with using words and expressions in their commonly accepted sense.

If your looking for interesting gimicked effects, Martin Lewis's Magician's Poker plays very well. You end up looking like a poker dealing master.

My favourite self working trick is Spontaneus Combustion, hope I spelled that right, from Sankeys Secret Files Volume 2.

I don't want to infest this post with discussion on terms, but "Jepopardy" isn't a gimmicked trick. It is not impromptu, but not gimmicked eitheir.
And, a gimmicked trick is not necessarily self-working (I think of McDonald's aces, for instance.)

Gosh, don`t be too hard on me. We all know what I am talking about.

Should we really be posting on a public board that some tricks which an audience thinks would take great skill are actually self working???

I am (really) sorry, but I don't. (I assure I don't want to be hard on you!)
The answer that comes to me (but I think it don't match your question because it deals with self-working ungimmicked card pieces of magic) is:
- The viet-nam (L. jennings, I think)
- The Koenig tapestry (in Lorayne's "collected Apocalypse" (the big collected volumes, vol.3)

I think they are really powerful pieces of magic and only require skill in the matter of presentation.

Jonathan.

Overkill (Paul Harris)


For anyone who degrades the "3 rows of 7" trick, I suggest you take a peeksie at Andrew Winhurst's variation which is awesome.

There is a trick I call 'a more convenient place' that is self working. The spectator shuffles the (yes riffle) deck and controls the cards through the whole begining. They choose a number and count down to the card in that memorising both the card and its position (under twenty to keep it quick but can be done with higher numbers). The card. are replaced and you do not know the number or the card (although you quickly discern them). Then you deal the cards until they tell you to stop and you do some time misdirection...after which their card lies on top of the deck where they stopped.

You must move one card undetected from the top to anywhere below their number (I use the bottom or a palm depending on if I am warmed up) to perform this trick. This can be done with a sleight or pure misdirection. I thought it was from the encyclopedia of card tricks...impromptu...but after a quick look I cannot find it. PM me for the method if nothing under this name turns up.

Does anyone recognize this trick and have a correct name?

and of course...the Kruskal Count would fit the bill.
M

Royal Rendezvous by Nick Trost

Overkill by Paul Harris,and Further than That by Stewart James and Impossible by Larry Jennings.

Gemini Twins and Untouched (kind of self working but need a good presentation).

Can anyone suggest a good routine for the Han Connecting Hoops?

I would also add Card Warp. It creates a great effect upon the audience and once set is completely self working.

scafidi7:

I wouldn't worry about the discussion tipping the public as I don't believe any performer walks up and says now I will perform Overkill or Card Warp and any other effect mentioned here so that the public would know the next time it was performed. The closest one that could possibly be is Further Than That, but they would still be blown away.

Martin