You Caught Me Off Guard...

[mattjones]

Hey guys,

I normally carry a deck of cards and a Sharpie everywhere I go... But what about the occasional day you wake up late and rush out the door without any cards?

How many times has this happened to you? Someone walks up to you and says, "Hey, show me a trick!" You reach into your pockets looking for anything to do some simple sleight with... nothing.

If anyone has any ideas of things to say to get out of a situation like this (without saying, "I left my talent in my other pants...")... post it.

If anyone has any simple tricks or sleights you can do with almost anything... post it.

If anyone has any experiences to share that would help out the magician in this situation.... post it.

This is the official, "You caught me off guard" thread.

 

[tazer]

steal their watch

always have loops on your wrist




any loops effect is a miracle, and watch stealing is as well

 

[CoryOOreo]

It seems that every time someone asks to see something, I never have anything on me.

 

[DuTcH_MagIcIaN]

In these days, people have always coins with them. Do some stuff with that. Make a coin disappear and re-appear behind the spectators ear. Or do the ellusionist stuff like factory sealed and bullet. Sinful is also a good effect. If they don't have any coins, try a mentalism trick... Then there is stuff like the balducci levitation, disjointed and other body effects. Plenty no-card effects that can fit perfectly in your performances. You choose!


P.S. I never leave my cards at home when I go on the streets. Always check if you forget your cards at the front of your door. It helps...

Hope I helped you a lot,

Björn

 

[Addy]

Don't limit yourself to just cards. Get into coins and/or loop work. These both can be done at the spur of the moment, and they're easy to carry (not to mention you can easily just borrow some change from somebody).

Or if you're lucky perhaps you can borrow a deck from somebody asking you?

If all else fails...do the old trick where you pull your finger apart and put it back together.

 

[tsarothpaco]

steal their watch

always have loops on your wrist




any loops effect is a miracle, and watch stealing is as well

Well if you can forget cards you can forget loops.

I'd say get into (or at least some tricks) of coin magic, if you don't get change they probably do.
Some pencil tricks (pretty much the pencil tap vanish (don't know what its officially called)) or anything to do with simple items you would or someone would have. Also I'd say a pickpocket effect (just give it back lol).

~PaCo

 

[Ajatustenlukija]

I have few tricks (I do mentalism) which I could do naked without any kind of stuff. closeup and stage. I think it's good to know few things you can do when you literally got nothing, you may have a situation where someone wants to hire you and asks to see a trick, and then "I can't do it" just wont go.

 

[domar]

You can always perform Control ; ]

 

[Johnlawl]

You can always perform Control ; ]

Hell yeah. AND do the David Copperfield hand trick.

 

[ManningMagic]

I do the "stretching thumb" trick. Cheesy, yes. But it gets some laughs.

However, I have learned from mistakes and have a deck in my locker, along with the one i carry everywhere.

 

[joshrobarts]

the last two versions of stigmata would work with a little tweaking. and they are both very powerful effects

 

[Sean_Raf]

Not necessarily magical but it's still a nice quick little thing to do.

I saw it here first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyENfzGqaAY&feature=related

Obviously you could present it as some sort of mentalism thing.

- Sean

 

[adjones]

I just promise them that I'll show them something next time. Or, if I'm wearing the proper clothing, I'll do the 360 degree arm twist.

 

[mattjones]

Alright... We've got a few things to work with now:
1.) Control
2.) Loops (if you remember)
3.) Tricks w/ coins
4.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyENfzGqaAY&feature=related
5.) Last 2 versions of Stigmata
6.) Pickpocketing effects

What are some good tricks w/ borrowed rings?
D'Ring?
Ring Thing?

 

[adjones]

360 degree arm twist!!! Add it! lol

 

[iq92]

Try tricks that use cigarettes. I like Cyril's cigarette routine but haven't looked much into learning it yet, if I can. Also, keychains and keys and money, and any other kind of mentalism will work. And Paul Harris' Fizz too. Did I get the name right?

 

[2ndDeal]

How many times has this happened to you? Someone walks up to you and says, "Hey, show me a trick!" You reach into your pockets looking for anything to do some simple sleight with... nothing.

If someone asks to see a trick, I almost always simply state: Maybe later.

I don't personally want to be that guy who shows tricks when you ask. I want to be that guy who sometimes if your lucky shows you a trick.

 

[Jakeh]

If someone asks to see a trick, I almost always simply state: Maybe later.

I don't personally want to be that guy who shows tricks when you ask. I want to be that guy who sometimes if your lucky shows you a trick.

Same here. I hate feeling like a performing monkey.

 

[Twozwozer]

At school I have become the performing monkey, everybody always asks to see some magic, and some people get pretty angery when I say no ( what the hell????). But when they do I turn round and say (note, they have bugged me for the past 2-3 months) "Im the magician, your the audience, Its my show, Ill show you magic when I want to". Obviously I dont say this to everyone that asks me, just the people who are really annoying and wont take no for an answer.

But when I do want to perform some impromtu stuff, Ill just to some mental stuff.
A good DVD to have a look at is Greg Wilson's On The Spot, you'll never guess what it's about.

Cheers, Tom

 

[2ndDeal]

At school, it's impossible to show something good and new everytime you are asked to show a trick. You have to either show tricks again, or perform something that is not ready. And performing something else than new (to the audience) and ready is wrong.