Your worst screw-ups - share your stories here!

[coquito]

Over the summer I went down to Peru to go visit family and such so I had to perform for them. During the very first phase of the ACR, I somehow managed to put 3 cards instead of 1 over the signed card and didn't know it so I looked like an idiot when I said their card would rise to the top. So after the double I did a triple, but it wasn't it so then I did a quadruple which did end up being it. I still got the reactions at the end, just wish that never happend haha.

Just a small story, I performed Daniel Garcia's Torn after doing a signed card routine for my class back when I was in high school and this jerk decided to sit directly to the side of me instead of being with the class which they were infront. So he practically saw everything and was trying to tell the class how it was done at the end, but everyone just ignored him and tried to make him feel stupid. It wasn't a screw up but when you have the group worked up and you make them believe in the magic then they will believe in it.

 

[MaxDeVill]

I do a rubix cube bit where I let them screw it up and I fix it in under 5 mins. Pretty easy really when you know the tricks... but for some reason I just couldn't get it right that day.. glad I didn't bet money on it.

Not too horrible really, but I was embarassed.

 

[kartatrik]

I recently dropped by a house warming party on my way home to change out of my sweaty clothes I had on from playing Ultimate, I intended on staying for a brief hello before I popped out again, however the young woman at the home was told I performed magic and that I did insane things with cards and coins.

I ended up using a borrowed deck, but wanted to warm up, so I did some stuff for friends at the party (making my way to her). I performed an AC routine for one girl; a cell phone effect I created, for another girl and some other stuff.

When I did get the atmosphere I wanted for her, I quickly found out that she was very suspicious of magic and especially of card handlers. I wanted to perform a modified AC/Mind-Reading effect, however she wanted full control of the cards. So using the aid of one of my favorite forces, I gave her the deck to shuffle, butter, love, hold and nurture for as long as she wanted. She didn't want me touching the deck, but I really wanted to do something special for her.

After some patter, and making sure to include the people around, the heat was off me, and the memory of me ever holding the deck-long gone. I decided I would do a mind-reading effect, positioning her in the "right light" for me to see her eyes, and all that. It was a simple effect, but I did my best to build up to my abilities. When I told her that I 'thought her card might me this'-when in fact it was another, I said."Nope.... not that, let's try again, look deeper into my eyes...no no forget my good looks, concentrate". After a few seconds I calmly and quietly said her card.

She freaked, and so did her friends, who were all around me standing on chairs and sitting on the floor. After waving her hands around excitedly, (not that she needed the attention), she declared with a lump in her throat "...not only did he guess my card...it's the first card on top of the deck, but there's no way he could have done that!"

It was purely by accident, and I'm sure many of my peers would shoot me a few good grins, but the effect on her in of itself and the impression on her friends was something I could never earn or buy, and it felt a little, just a little like real magic

I wouldn't say this was my worse screw-up, in fact I'd say I just chose another effect over another, but reading some of the posts reminded me of that one night when I beat the scrutiny with a little luck, and the lesson I learned and what I'm seeing in these posts is, don't give up! Ever! Let the creative juices fly!

-KT->

 

[TeeDee]

My favourite screw-up was when I was performing in a bar.

I was doing some kind of ambitious card-type thing, and the selection was on top of the deck. I turned over a double to show an indifferent card then colour changed it, leaving the indifferent card on top and revealing the selection. Unfortunately, the spectator wasn't quite as drunk as I had thought and spotted exactly what I'd done. "You just left the other card on top of the deck." he said triumphantly. "What was that?" I said, leaning in as if I couldn't quite hear him as I executed a pass to leave the card he'd just seen in the centre. He repeated himself. "Really?" I said, turning over the top card, and the second and the third. "Nah, it's gone...completely vanished.....look....you can look through the whole deck if you like." I spread the deck in front of him, praying I'd be lucky. And I was. He didn't even bother looking at them, just grinned with the resignation of someone who's just been fooled by a sucker trick and gave me a tip. I felt more like a magician then, with that moment of improvisation than I had for the whole rest of the night performing my prepared routines.

 

[The Dark Angel]

Oh, one time I was doing Liquid Metal for some friends.
I did the whole thing to one guy who thought that I was using witchcraft or something, cause he could barely bend the forks at all.
Well, when I did it again, there was one guy watching my every move who figured it all out.
Fortunatly the first guy was so shocked and amazed by it that he convinved his friend was seeing things and that I had real powers, so his friend said "Yeah, I guess you're right..."

 

[Jeff]

Jordan, the 20-cards-force you mentioned is it the one you taught me? I love that!

Anyway, I remember my worst one was this:

I was performing a mentalism act on stage using the Breakthrough Card System, which I totally forgot the card I should remember. Just before I try to read my audience’s mind, I went ‘Holy Shit…’ and my mind went blank.
However, I prepared another deck in my back pocket so I proceeded saying that was a demonstration about what we are going to do and she can keep the previous deck as a souvenir (I ended up gave her both decks after the demonstration). I know it is not the best line to recover my mistakes but luckily they didn’t know I was about to screw everything up. I was lucky…

And for my most amazing magic I have done, it was a bout two years ago. I guess this won’t happen again in my entire life. Here it is:

I spread an unprepared deck face up on the table to show some card tricks to my friends in my living room, about 15 of them. I didn’t touch the deck again ever since. Before I began, it is my routine that I ask what is my audience favourite card. At that point, I didn’t realise there is one card missing in that 51 cards deck!
She said: Ten of Diamonds…
I said: Could you please take your card out and sign your name on it.
After a brief moment, I realised that I don’t have that card! And the rest is classic… crazy mentalism effect and my best card trick in my life! Sweet memories…

 

[Eddie]

I rarely performed to others(and all of them were for my dad)
I try to do biddle trick to my mom and I controlled the wrong card... yeah... thats it .

 

[The Dark Angel]

Here is a really weird one:

Last night I was doing the biddle trick, and I made a slight variation where, instead of placing the cards into their hands, I place it into the box.
Well, I screwed up the first time ebcause I had the 2 halves facing the wrong way.
So I did it again, and put the second half of the cards into the box, but again I put them in the wrong way.
Well, I got upset and say "Oh damn, I did it again" but when me and my dad looked in again they were all the same way!
And then, I controlled the wrong card (He had Queen of Diamonds, and I somehow controlled the Queen of Spades, but I was able to convince him that he had actually picked the QS)

 

[magison83]

Heres a good one. I was doing my version of card too pocket at a party,

everything was going great. I was on my third round when some one grabbed

the deck from me and said," there all the ace of spades"!!. I was like crap.

So anyway I don't use gaffs, at least not for that routine, so like any good

drunk he gets angry and throws them in to the ceiling fan, cards go every

where, sacred the hell out of the cat. But guess what ending I was going to

do. You got it card on ceiling. He didn't know the chosen card and he didn't

see the wax on the bottom of the deck. Ok guess where the card ended up,

No not stuck to the cat but to one of blade of the fan. That was cool. But the

rest of the cards endded up in the fish tank and coverd in vomet.

 

[scott huff]

once i was doing the invisible deck for about 5 people and i had a girl think of a card. i went through the usual stuff, and i revealed the face down card, but as i was showing that there were no other face down cards i accidently flashed one. i knew it was the seven of hearts or something b/c of the corresponding card above it and i kind of panicked and said "well looks like someone was thinking of the seven of hearts too" i was just hoping that everyone would be impressed that i knew what it was and just assume that someone else was thinking of it, but when i took it out this other girl just screams, and was like "OMG, i was thinking of that card!!! I never even told him!!!" and she just flipped, it was the most amazing mistake i have ever made

 

[codename_magicsimon]

Oh man, much like a lot of people, ive too many to really remember but this one really sticks in my mind..

I was doing a card to mouth as a closer to a 5 minute routine for this table in a bar, really built the whole thing up, and produced this card from my mouth but it was the wrong one. Id used a different way to control it, and it ended up second from top rather than on top. So i panicked, i was like "Ive made such a big deal of this, and ive really screwed up." Everyone around me noticed.
Luckily though, id worked the same table like half an hour ago with a different group, and there was a card on the floor from a TnR effect. I caught sight of the index and it was the same as the selected one for this trick, 10D if youre interested (side note: What are the odds of two duplicate cards both being chosen for effects where cards are destroyed?) So i made out like "While you were busy watching my mouth i got the card under your stool.. they took it, looked at it and then i thought "Sh*t! Its not signed and they signed this one!" Screwed up my recovery plan. But their signed card was still on top of the deck, so i palmed the TnR card, and made like i was repairing it and putting their signature back, and bloody hell, they bought it, and bought me drinks =P

Little bit of advice, keep an Invisible Deck with you all the time. Its one of the best outs for any screw up. Just ask, what was your card? Oh, i thought youd pick that one, i was so sure i turned one card over in this other deck thats been in my pocket.

Never fails.

 

[S3al]

Well I decided to try to do a mental affect I made. It was just something I thought of out of thin air, that sort of happens to me after watching Derren Brown. So I got the 6 of hearts, and the 9 of hearts. I miscalled them to see if anyone would catch it. The guy did, he's like, no the 6 is over there and thats a 10. Now the six was over at the other side, but the 10 was a 9. I'm like really? he's like yea you cant fool me. So I said, well its really a 9, he freaked out, and said I changed the card. But I never did. I really did not expect the effect to work out that way but hey, I'm not complaining.

 

[jdstyle]

i was doing two card monte to a bunch of girls in the U.S when suddenly one girl kneels down to see what cards the other girl had but lucky enough she didnt tell them.... It is so hard to focus when theres somone in front of u that understood the trick.

 

[Fergus O']

i do more cardistry than magic but i have a few screw-ups.

one recent one is that at the end of the day at school, i took out a deck and started just doing charliers or something simple to warm up. the teacher noticed as i was leaving and asked to see a trick.

i thought what the hell so i decided on subway as it was quick and i wanted to get home. so i did everything with the patter and all, but when i got to the reveal, i messed up.

"what was your card? well if i look between these two face up ones i showed you, you will see..." *i spread the two cards and there is no card there* "...sh*t, where'd your card go?" now the teacher threatens me with detention if i so much as take out a deck at lunchtime

 

[Chumi]

mine was cool
i was controling the card to the top... a friend pushed me and i messed up i thought the card ended at the bottom... it didnt... top... nope---
sigh i guessed i needed to do another trick fast and while they looked at the new card i would find the card of the messed up trick which i got flashed 3S
i was about to classic force... but the guy got like 20 cards after the wanting to force one (he directly went to that one.... and it was the last tricks selected card but FACE UP xDand the whole deck was face down

 

[Katastrik]

I was doing my riffle pass during my ambitious card routine, and all of the cards blew out of the side.

very embarrassing lol

 

[The Dark Angel]

I've had several people say "That wasn't where I siad stop..." during a riffle force.

 

[Jack The Magician]

I've had several people say "That wasn't where I siad stop..." during a riffle force.

I usually say that it takes the mind several femtoseconds to process a signal from the neurons - that's why I stopped a little after you said to stop.

This prevents them from asking questions because they have no clue what I said, so they just accept it.

Cheers,
JTM

 

[roby11]

A mistake I did when I first started magic was performing a two card monte and only ended up changing one card instead of both and still got good reactions

 

[TheAsian]

Just a couple of days ago, I was performing a simple four ace production as part of a gambling card cheat routine. I showed the aces to be in different parts of the deck and went ahead with a Hindu Shuffle control to get the aces to the top of the deck. As I'm shuffling, the cards are face up. Imagine my surprise when I see first one, then another ace appear as I'm shuffling! I stopped shuffling and spread through the deck and found that not a single ace made it to the top of the deck when it was supposed to! Needless to say, I killed the trick and quickly moved on to something else.

On a side note, it still turned out to be one of my best performances.

~The Asian