Im tired of those pick a card tricks?

[SIX]

I hate doing a few card effects to somone and keep having them take a card each time waht are some effects that are in the hand where the spectator does not take a card the one i do most is twisting the aces.

[Tabman]

I've been doing CardWarp for at least 25 years or more and I never get tired of it but it may be overexposed by now, I exist in a vacuum here at the studio. Also theres McDonald's Aces and Peter Kane's Variant (I think I spelled that right) as well as about any version of Wild Card. If you don't mind tearing up cards take a look at Parallax Revisited in the book, The First Five Years of the MAGIC MENU.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Originally posted by Six:
I hate doing a few card effects to somone ...

It can be fun to do card tricks FOR someone.
And there are scores of books full of tricks that do not involve any selected cards. Folks here have been talking about stuff like 'Sam The Bellhop' for quite a while here.

Have you tried 'Out of This World', or 'Oil and Water'?

[Michel Huot]

Hi Six,

If you do Twisting the aces, you are in a very good position to do Dr. Jacob Daley's last trick which is A KILLER. there is a lot of possibilities but start with this one...

[NikMikas]

An idea of Vernon's was to have them name a card, this added a little to the effect and also stayed away from the usual "Take any card".

If the identity of the card must not be known to you, then you may have them peek a card instead of taking one. I believe Leipzig used this, as it made the spectator's believe that they had just thought of a card.

Of course, the best solution is to have a variety of effects that do not require any card to be taken at all. Ace Assemblys, Oil and Water (I personaly think that David Ben's is one of the best there is, and it is the one I use. It is based on the Danny Dew version from Magic and Methods, which is also very good), Out of This World type effects, etc...

[Countelmsley]

A GOOD IDEA MIGHT BE TO KEEP A COUPLE OF GOOD PACKET TRICKS ON YOU; FAST-PACED EFFECTS THAT GO WELL BETWEEN OTHER USUAL PICK-A-CARD TRICKS. FOR A LONG TIME I' VE USED NICK TROST'S "TRICK CARDS". LOOK AROUND; THERES A WHOLE LOT OF GOOD OVERLOOKED PACKET TRICKS IN THE APOCALYPSE "BIBLES". ALSO IN NICK TROST'S BOOKS. I STRONGLY BELIEVE PACKET TRICKS ARE ALWAYS THERE TO HELP YOU OUT OF A DITCH (OF COURSE, THEY STAND WELL BY THEMSELVES ALSO). MAKE SURE THEY RESET AUTOMATICALLY, OR AT LEAST IN A FEW SECONDS, WALKING FROM ONE TABLE TO ANOTHER. WHAT I SOMETIMES DO IS I KEEP SOME REGULAR DUPLICATE CARDS OF MY PACKET TRICK IN THE OTHER SIDE OF A HIMBER WALLET, JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY ASKS TO SEE THOSE CARDS. I NEVER HAND THEM OUT UNLESS SOMEONE ASKS ABOUT THEM! WHEN I'M DONE WITH THE EFFECT, I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE CARDS IN THE WALLET THAT WAS LEFT ON THE TABLE AND I TAKE MY TIME TO PUT THE WALLET IN MY POCKET, GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO SAY SOMETHING. IF THEY DONT, THAT'S FINE AND IF THEY DO, I' M MORE THAN HAPPY TO OBLIGE!

[Curtis Kam]

Or, don't change procedures, change what's at stake. In other words, in 99% of all pick-a- cards, the only dramatic issue is whether the card will be found. And if you miss, well, there's mild disappointment.

Now, imagine a card trick where the stakes are higher. It's the same "piccacard" plot, but if you fail, you will suffer instant and horrible punishment.

Now that's the kind of dramatic structure anyone can get behind. Imagine the tension in the air when you slowly, carefully, place the deck into the jaws of a large Rat Trap. Your mission: to find the card without losing anything else. This is the one they'll remember, no matter how many others you do.

Check out the RAATPACK, at "www.themagicbakery.com". It brings a whole new meaning to the word "caught".

[Guest]

I too have avoided overusing the pick a card set up. Avoiding over use, however, is pretty different than avoiding the plot all together. It's important to look at why this trick is a classic before dismissing it as cliche. It is a simple way of involving a spectator. You learn they're name, get them into your comfort zone and have a number of different dynamics to play between yourself and the spectator.Most people who've even done a few birthday parties , know that all the kids are pretty darn eager to help. I think that adults would act the exact same way if they felt like it was socially respectable, that's why it's nice to have cards selected. The other nice thing is that if someone is sort of shy and doesn't really feel like being part of the action, it's not a big deal because they're just taking a card, nothing big. There's a reason why when you have someone pick a card, immediately another person goes, oh can I take one.Sorry that this is a bit long winded.