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[nayost]

i've always loved magic since i was a kid, but it's not until about a year ago i started to practice slight of hand on cards. i have learned quite a few card tricks via books and dvds. however... when someone asks me to show them something, i draw a blank. i can't remember the tricks! is this just my memory problem i need to work on or does anyone have any suggestions on may be setting up routines or what not? thanks for all the help in advance.

nayos

 

[Huruey]

Have an ACR, and make sure you learn it well. It's an any time anywhere routine.

Huruey

 

[nayost]

ACR - is this a name of a routine? where can i find it?

 

[imdan247]

I have had the same problem at times.

The best advice I can give you is to learn 3 or 4 tricks or routines to perfection and put everything else in the back of your mind. That way you will always have those few tricks ready at all times because you know them so well.

The worst thing you can ever do is to learn as much as you can at once, because then you won't remember anything when you need to. Learn a few tricks to perfection, and be practicing one or two sleights or tricks at a time and you will be on the road to stardom, sorta.


BTW: ACR = Ambitious Card Routine

 

[remy]

ACR=Ambitious Card Routine. Basically, the whole routine is based around a card (could be a spectator's signed card, if there are no dupes) that repeatedly comes back to the top. For instance, a very, very basic performance of an ACR phase would be performing a double lift, putting the x card in the middle, and showing the top card as their selected card.

Remy

 

[d34thg0d]

Try to get pick a few tricks out of those books and dvds. Learn these tricks really well until you perfect them. And whenever anyone asks you to perform, you can remember those tricks and do it for them.

 

[nayost]

thanks a lot guys for your input.

yeah, i do have a ACR (now that i knwo what that means!). biddle count, and two card monte. that i do quite often. i guess from reading the responses, i'll just have to do more of those routines to different people. does anyone have any suggestions on how a routine should flow? like slowly build it up to the final slight, etc.? thanks again.

nayos

 

[tsarothpaco]

Yeah that still happens to me, just need to know a routine very well that you are comfortable with and it'll pop in your head once you get asked.

As people said an ACR is great and if you can slip in the setup or have it set up just in case, 2 card monte is a great one that always comes to mind.

For me Cameo always pops in my head when someone asks and it hits hard.

Just find a routine you like and remember it and practice it.

~PaCo

 

[Ben Long]

I always try to have a routine in mind. I have developed several in-the-hands stand up routines and several table routines. Let me share my short stand up routine with you.

In-the-Hands (cards only):

Two Card Monte (I'm always set up for it)

Hello Goodbye (Aaron Fisher--The Paper Engine) and Card to Mouth (Dan and Dave handling found in lecture notes and on the Trilogy)

Inversion Routine: selection turns face up in deck (Aaron Fisher); Bizarre Twist (Daniel Cros Variation--Found in Art of Astonishment Vol. 1); Entire deck turns face up while out jogged selection remains face down (Aaron Fisher--The Paper Engine; Daniel Garcia--Blueprints)

Card to pocket (or pants) with Deck Vanish (Brian Tudor Vanish variation, or David Stone "Ghost" variation)


I'm most likely to do something from that routine or the entire routine when asked spur of the moment. I like that routine because it has a lot of movement and some audience involvement. I also like it because I can go as far into it as I want; I can stop anywhere I want and it still has closure (if that makes any sense).

It's taken me a while to structure this just right, so don't just go and copy it trick for trick. Build your own routine that flows well. The more you practice that routine, the easier it will be for you to perform it. It needs to become second nature. You should be able to finish a trick and just innately know what comes next.

Hope that helps.

 

[Elyk]

if your into cards you can start off with a trick that requires a set up then go into impromtu tricks.

for example:

you can start with 2 card monte, then the biddle trick, and finish off with ACR

 

[KAL-EL]

A good routine is a must, in my opinion, for those spare of the moment tricks.

What I usually do is a simple "pick a card any card & reveal" trick, I then use that card to do a four card production (there are tons of them out there, pick one a learn it well). I then use those for cards for "Dream of Aces" or "Mercury".

It's a small routine but this is what I use most of the time when someone asks to see something and it's a spare of the moment kidda of thing.

 

[nayost]

if your into cards you can start off with a trick that requires a set up then go into impromtu tricks.

for example:

you can start with 2 card monte, then the biddle trick, and finish off with ACR

interesting that you suggest that. because that is kinda what i have done in the past. one thing i have came across is that the biddle trick (whilst it requires less slight of hand skills, but more build up from acting) actually gets a bigger reaction from the people i'm performing for. so i kinda save that for the end. what are your thoughts?

nayos

 

[Ahmed Fouad]

I would start by say letting the spectator select a card then reveal it in a flourishy way like hot shot cut or any color change then go on with that selected card to any other trick like card to mouth or ACR.
As for remembering tricks , i actually wrote them done in my phone as a note in abbreviations i would remember and i put them in the order that i will perform them in because i had the same problem for forgetting tricks in the beginning.

Hope that Helps...

 

[Dylan P.]

ACR - is this a name of a routine? where can i find it?

no. no. ACR stands for Ambitious Card Routine. It can be bought at Ellusionist though.

 

[Dylan P.]

Have 2 or 3 tricks in your mind at all times. learn some really powerful tricks that you won't forget. definetly get an ACR. Maybe learn a simple mindreading trick or stigmata. Those are a couple of good ones.

Dylan P.

 

[Chr!s]

you should get paul harris' art of astonisment series. huge tomes filled with over 200 effects and routines, beautifully constructed, to fit almost any scenario or performing arena.

still the best purchase i ever made.

C!

 

[adjones]

If you want to have a good ACR, get Daryl's DVD on the subject. He goes over basically everything you'll need to know to put together your own original ACR. Or you can just steal his! Which would be highly unethical... but he does have a good one!

 

[Wallmott]

I start so sing and play a bongo drum just like this to get into the right magical feeling:

I am the mindfreak(mindfreak),
there's no reality,
just this world of illusion,
that keeps on taunting me,
I am the mindfreak (mindfreak),
I am the mindfreak (mindfreak),
I am the mindfreak (mindfreak),
I am the mindfreak,
mindfreak,
mindfreak,
mindfreak,
mindfreak,
are you ready?
I am the mindfreak(mindfreak),
there's no reality,
just this world of illusion,
that keeps on taunting me,
I am the mindfreak (mindfreak),
I am the mindfreak (mindfreak),
I am the mindfreak (mindfreak),
I am the mindfreak,
mindfreak,
mindfreak,
mindfreak,
mindfreak,
are you ready?

Then i just do an ACR, i think the ACR is much stronger if you set upp that some magic is going to happend by singing this song.

 

[adjones]

It's kind of creepy that you know the whole song.

 

[KAL-EL]

You might want to start by picking 3 to 4 easy tricks you have no problem performing. Then spend some time working on which will be your opening trick, your "in between" tricks, and your closing trick. That way you can perform the whole routine or just pick one and perform it on a moments notice.

Don't flood yourself with trying to learn too many tricks at a time, this will only add more things you'd have to remember.

Another thing that might help you is to write down the names of tricks you all ready know on a piece of paper and place it in the which ever deck you're carrying with you at the time.

Just a though!!!!