Hi guy's thanks for the input. Just to let you know, I opened the small 30 minutes act with Banacheks "ESP card opener" to establish a setting of "experiments with information, thoughts and choices" and it got the interest of the audience, and I felt they were all focused in on the next effect I performed (Bank Night).

So going into a 25 person crowd who doesn't know that there will be a performance at all (it was a surprise), I must say that the "ESP card opener" build the necesarry attention for me to go on with everybodys attention.

I only had 30 minutes so the "full" act was

1) ESP card Opener
2) Bank Night
3)Imaginary casino trip - one ahead effect with 1) a lucky coin 2) a big city and 3) choice of playing roulette, dice, black jack and poker
4) Two cards to pocket - Osterlind effect, performed as mind reading
5) Name/Place routine, Bob Cassidy


And that unfortunately was all I could squeeze in on 30 minutes.

I learned a lot from this, and basically I need to look up and out more to approach the full audience trying to establish a contact with "everybody". I think you know what I mean. And then I need to work on the applause "positions" since the atmosphere in the room is better after a big round of applause. And I got some valuable lessons on the patter for some of the effects. All in all a good experience.

Thanks for your advice

Nothing against cards at all as I used them in my second reutene and I know far too many card effects for my own good but I just wouldn't use them for an opener, you've no Idea how many time's in the past I had people groan when a deck is produced in the first place and then I have to stop to explain how I'm only useing them as a pack of 52 random objects and still the mood doesn't seem quite right. so in the second phase they seem to be more open to the cards.

This is just my observations, mabe people in other contries have different experiences. It was funny when I read the title of DB's Devils picture book, my grandmother has said all her life that the Debil is in the cards , it's the older generations way of thinkning around here.

H.W

How long has Adam Ant been here?

Hi Hypnotic Winter,

Just to clarify. The ESP card Opener has actually nothing to do with cards as such. It's basically just the 5 ESP symbols drawn on the back of 5 of your business cards. The spec will choose the one card that you predicted. I don't think anybody will think "Cards" in that effect.

Awhile back I took a few different ideas and mixed em' up to come up with a Bank Night meets Dead Or Alive (It plays like a game of somewhats). So far it seems to work good for me.

HW, I love using cards as an opener for several reasons. Firstly my scripting tells the spectators that I am not going to use them in a conventional way. it alson seperates me from magicians. in my opinion it is not the mediom of the effect (cards, billets nw) it is the effect it creates which must be considered.

I open with invisible deck close up, and tossed deck on stage/cabaret, I then move into Gauchi's eye to eye from there.

The way it works in my head is I give them somethign which could not really be psychological and then say, "its simply aplied pscyhology" and demonstrate with something wich either is, or could eaily be.

Kind thoughts,
Kennedy

Yes Craig!!!
It like the new Looch!!

Curt.

I hope no one gets me wrong, I've nothing against cards at all and when I was speaking I was just speaking in general. I use cards for my second and to tell the truth, like most of us here I could do a whole show with cards.
For me where I'm from it just seems easier to use them when every one has settled in after the first effect.
I don't use Esp card for a very good reason, I don't have any, I must get some.

H.W

I like esp cards for close up as they bring integrity to your work in my opinion. There are some really good routines in the Beyond ESP set from magicbox.uk.com which will be available again soon I hope as they appear to be out of stock.

Kind thoughts,
Kennedy