Hello everyone, I have been putting together
a few sets of routines for table hopping..
I have not ventured into the field yet, but I am planning on it as soon as I get a good performance flow with the following tricks..
I am looking for some advice or opinions on the routine sets I have put together.
1. Are they adequate for table hopping?
2. Are the first tricks in each routine good openers? and are the last tricks good closers?
3. Do you more experienced magicians find that the list of tricks below (if performed well) have enough impact?
4. Are these routines too long for table hopping?

I am putting these together so there will be no doubt or wonder in my mind what I am going to do when I approach a table.
And I am hopeing that being prepared as such will help reduce the nervousness.
Any comments will be greatly appreciated..

Here are the routines...
Routine #1

Force a selected card on a spectator
Reveal the fact that you know what card they picked
Do a 4 coin production from their selected card
Have the spectator mark a coin
Perform coin across to spectators hand.

Routine #2

TT dollar vanish
CMH
Torched and restored
(with magic wand instead of lighter)

Routine #3

Wallet pen production and routine
One coin routine
End with Jumbo production
NFW

Routine #4

Color Monte
Scotch n soda
Card warp

Routine #5

Perform invisible deck
Produce 4 coins from the selected card
Perform Gadabout coins w/4 coins


Thanks In Advance
Tom Defrange

There are many people out there who'll say don't what ever you do open with a card effect and I agree up to a point. IMHO I feel it's important that whatever effects you do they are (no original thoughts here...)
1. Entertaining
2. Easy to follow
3. Stand up on their own (what,say, if the
food comes out early?! can you finish
there and then and still have
entertained?)

It takes time to relax into your own style and flow in new situations, so ensure that you can do these effects with your eyes closed and confident enough to improvise around them. Above all, the audience should like you and have been entertained!

Just my 1p's worth.

Best of Luck!

Dave Vegas

'miracles under your nose'

Ok this is my eperance and all most every profesional will tell you, don't start with cards.
There is another thread about this subject, and some how card magic got a bad rep.. Do sponge balls, the one coin routine, just something that isn't a deck of cards. Now if you know the people and they have seen you before then by all means killem. It's just to hard to walk up to a table and do card magic right off.
I have done it in the past and will still do it, but only if I am at a table close to them and they see some of the things I am doing from the side or back.
Jim Pace did an awsome lecture on table hopping. If any one would know it would be him. Doc Eason also talks about this.
One thing to look at is does the tricks build up. This way at any time you stop it, and it is still the biggest part of your act. Trust me this will save you half way in a longer trick and the server comes up with food. The last thing you want to do is make these people wait any longer for thier food.
Dave Vegas said it right Entertaining, Easy to follow, stand alone tricks aren't so bad as long as the tie together isn't a long drawn out story. SNAP SNAP SNAP one into another.

What are your thoughts on telling the spectator you are going to start with a coin trick... and pull out a deck of cards...
after they look at you confused
you proceed to a coin from card production??

Anyway, Thanks for the insight, I will re-arrange my effects and also take into consideration the "build up theory"
you have mentioned..
Thanks for the posts..
and if anyone else has any input please sock it to me... I want to do this right...
Thanks again
Tom

here is my .02

I think that your set order will depend on your style.

I think that as has been previously mentioned, all your effects should be able to stand alone.

Be prepared to switch gears at a moments notice.

Try not to use too much "magic" terminology...remember, they are not magicians!

I can't think of any more right now...I will try later

What's the connection between the tricks? There doesn't seem to be any flow here; they are just tricks for the sake of tricks.
I'm sure there's more to your routines than what you spell out here; but remember, a table act is supposed to entertain the customers, not show off the performer's skill.
And, as for the ending, what is it?
A good close-up, table-hopping act MUST be routined as carefully as a full-scale stage act: An opening, a middle, and an ending; and all must be very clear.
Some acts don't so much end as stop!
cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

I have to agree with Peter. What is your connection? You seem to be stuck just on coins and cards. Open your mind to all the alternatives that are out there and don't limit yourself. I am new here in the magic cafe, but have been performing in restaurants for years now and can tell you this much - Don't overload your audience. Keep it simple, find visually stunning routines, and most importantly above all else make them LAUGH!!! The more they laugh the better your tip!!!. Also look for effects that can be used for more than one routine. Check into the trick called Vox Box if you haven't already, I think you will be pleasently suprised with what it can do to keep your act from getting stale, the possibities are unlimited. Try and get your audience involved as much as possible. Don't make them just watch, let them be a part of it and give them something to take home to remeber the night.
On an opening trick - try something simple as a color changing knife. Ask them if any body dropped a white knife on the way in and while there telling you no perform the color change and ask them what about a black knife? I hope this gets you going on the right track if not send me a privated message and I will be glad to help you out however I can.
Good Luck,
Brian Maxwell
blmaxwell@mail.com

By the term connection, I assume you are talking about how do these effects roll together into a story line or theme....
If that is so, thats a good question *L*
I am working on that as well...
this was basically a first draft.. I have never set up a routine for table hopping before, and I am trying to learn how to do it correctly rather than just throw a bunch of tricks together and look like a flop.

The tricks in the routines I listed are tricks that I know very well and feel completely comfortable performing..
I did not realize that almost all of it was cards and coins..thanks for pointing that out.
I will check out the Vox Box you mentioned, and add in professors nightmare, and cut and restored rope.. and maybe a sponge ball routine.. and maybe even some IT work for more variation.
Thank you all so much for the info... this is exactly what I was looking for. It may take me a while, and I may have a lot of questions, but I think it is well worth the time and effort to do this right...
Thanks again,
Tom Defrange

IMHO I do not think it is necessary for your routines to be "connected." Certainly, there should be some flow to the order but, not everyone's character has need for storylined routines. Also, I go back to the need for flexibilty in this environment. You do not want to leave an "unfinished story" for the patrons. Just a thought.

I like number 3... thats a very strong set. i like it =o)

MagicTom,
You show considerable wisdom in sticking with material that you know, rather than stuff that you may like but not feel totally comforable with.
As for the "flow", I didn't mean you have to have a tightly structured story line but, rather, a connection of sort so that you don't appear to be doing a string of unconnected tricks.
For example, in my restaurant routines, everything is held together by the fact that my mythical Uncle Linguini is not here tonight.
While the tricks are totally separate, the idea that they involve Uncle Linguini creates a thread that gives a reason for my doing them in the first place.
One point: Don't get a routine so structured that you can't stop it at any point, though.
Remember, you may have to cut your act short if the food arrives suddenly, or another long-lost guest arrives at the table, etc.
Always be prepared to exit gracefully at any time.
cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

Ok, I have narrowed it down a bit to 4 routines instead of 5... Peter, I believe somewhere in the Cafe, you stated that 3 would be sufficient. I have decided to keep most of the tricks in there that I had before, but re arranged them a bit. I have only 1 routine that opens with a card trick, but this is the Invisible deck... its a STRONG and unusual card trick and in my opinion makes a great opener.
(no pick a card stuff)
As of now, I dont feel I can do the Professors nightmare, sponge balls, or cut and restored rope routines the justice that they deserve. I am good At the tricks, but not the presentation and patter.. When Peter stated that I was wise to choose tricks that I am comfortable with, I figured I should stick with them and proceed.
Here is a new layout..

Routine #1
(patter based on how easy it is for me to make money... how easy it is for my wife to take it.... and how easy it is for her to make it vanish..)

4 coin production misers dream style from spectators arm/hand
Marked coin across to spectators hand
Flash Bill production from one of the coins
Vanish bill in TT

Routine #2
(standard invisible deck routine with comedy...explain that it is funny that you happened to choose that card, its the only one in the deck with 4 coins in it.
this is the trouble maker card...always wants to be different.. the coins have a trouble maker as well..perform Gadabout coins with 3 coins leaving one being held by spectator... final sequence of gadabout coins.. tell spec to watch what happens when
we use the trouble maker... coins vanish.)


Perform invisible deck
Produce 4 coins from the selected card
Perform Gadabout coins

Routine #3
(things are not what they seem theme)

Wallet pen production and routine
One coin routine
End with Jumbo production
NFW

Routine #4
(Gambling and betchya theme????)

CMH
Color Monte
Torched and restored.


Any Better???
Thaks all
Tom Defrange

Tom,
Yes, that's exactly what I was talking about (or, at least, what I meant!).
And it warms the cockles of my heart (whatever THEY are) to see that you aren't going to plunge into something that you aren't comfortable with, just because everybody else may be doing it.
Wise thinking!
The idea of cutting back to 3 is not carved in stone, by any means.
It's just a rough guideline; any number might be fine, just so long as you remember the old adage:
Always leave 'em wanting more!
cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com