After a long, long time, I've finally gotten off my butt and got out last weekend. I busked at a local farmer's market (though I did not hat them as I felt so rusty. Goal was to get out, shake off cobwebs and have some fun).

One of my closers is "The World's Most Dangerous Card Trick." I've seen/heard of several routines from Mario and others here. A few years ago, watching Lonnie Chevrie's Penguin lecture I saw his use of an card in animal trap. And I've been playing with several versions.

My favorite was to have spectator pick and sign a card. I controlled it to top and set whole deck on trap. I'd get a dab of was on my fingertip..then go to grab the deck, setting off the trap. Wax would keep chosen card on my finger as waved arm around. The cards flying around as I flailed with trap stuck on my hand was quite the spectacle. I'd then have one card left in trap and I'd reveal it.

But it was not practical. Often deck didn't sit on trap and slide off. And having 51 cards scattered all over made for a real pain to pick up. So I scrapped it.

Last weekend I came up with new routine I that's coming along nicely.

I ask for 2 volunteers, one on either side of table. I have one turn around as I have first pick and sign a card. Card goes back into deck where I control it to the top as I move over to second volunteer. I fan card asking second volutneer to channelh their pschic energy and pick a card. They pick a card form the middle (not first spectators card).

I review what's happened with crowd. 1st volunteer signed card, card was lost, deck was shuffled, 2nd volunteer picked a card, we don't know if it's the chosen card, but that's where the trap comes in...

All the time I'm waving the 2nd volunteer's card around as I make gestures...everyone can see it is not the card. But as point out that we're going to use the trap, I use that beat to do a top change (honestly I never thought a TC would work...as I'm not the smoothest. But it's worked every time)

So I put the chosen card on the trap (which crowd thinks is wrong card) then go into telling 2nd volunteer to pick the card...no I'll do it...and all the playful banter...

I then grab for card..trap closes on hand...Ouch! Flail around a bit...then reveal card is indeed the chosen one! Give chosen card to 1st volunteer then go around fist bumping crowd with trap on hand as it is my closer (and already have hat lined teed up about money need for ER visit).

So just thought I'd share...feel free to use, adapt, change, or even ignore...it's all good.

Cheers all...

Any video?

Sorry, no video yet. I haven't been able to drag my wife out to film it...

This has been my closer for the last ...10? years or so. I like what you've done. Thanks!