I recently found a nice portable table that fits a closeup pad nicely and want to build a mini-act to practice some magic (I usually focus on mentalism). I don't plan to go busking but it is a busking-esque setup, I want everything to be portable and would perform for relatively small audiences (I would have a chance to perform this regularly for different groups of people). I prefer items that can be seen well at a distance so I would rather not go with coins and regular cards.

The material I'm interested in is:
Rope (Awakening by Harlan), Skinner's three card monte (jumbo), cups and balls (currently the routine from Complete Course in Magic but working my way up to something with more ooomph at the end)

If you take those as a given, how would you structure the act? I fell like cups and balls as a closer makes a lot of sense and is "best by test" and well I enjoy it so it's in. The rope is a nice opener and I'd put the monte in the middle. Monte and cups and balls are a bit similar though so I'm open to any advice on a "big" middle. Some things I considered: Grandma's necklace is too similar to the rope and I also don't want to combine rope and linking rings (and am generally not super interested in rings).

I'm having a blast practicing and love the haptics of cups and balls. Open to any suggestions. I would enjoy to work in a small sponge ball routine as well (produce one ball off a spectator, saw in half to go to two balls two, do vanish + appear in hand) but it kind of doesn't fit. I'm practicing this one regardless and started carrying two balls in my pockets at all times now.

I'd recommend Michael Ammar and Gazzo's material on cups and balls if you haven't already. Gazzo has a very impressive finish and Ammar's book has pretty much everything.

I agree that C&B is not a starting bit. I used to do it in the middle. Mostly because of it being a multi-phase thing. Gotta hook them with something quick and cool before you can get them to care about something with layers like that. I did it after coin in can and before needle swallowing.

Thanks for the feedback. I love the Michael Ammar routine and something like that is the target I'm practicing towards. In fact I also bought "Magic of Michael Ammar" today because I found it on sale. Coin in can is a good suggestion. I'm considering running with the camping or outdoor theme since the table already looks the part and ropes fit. I could do the cups with some aluminum camping cups. The card stuff could be worked in as stuff to do while camping.

This list of effects seems a little disjointed to me (okay, a lot disjointed). It sounds like you need some theme to tie them together, or to guide you to replacing one or more.

As you pointed out, there are Monte aspects to two of your effects, and Awakening could be presented in such a way as to fit into a Monte structure. But as you also pointed out, these effects could end up looking too much alike to the spectators.