Have an Out!!!

Last week I performed at Jeff McBride’s Wonderground in Las Vegas. It was a lot of fun. In my show I take a couple of risks, and usually they pay out HUGE. Let me back up a minute, I went to Wonderground with some friends who had been showcasing at the same conferences as me … Continue reading “Have an Out!!!”

Last week I performed at Jeff McBride’s Wonderground in Las Vegas. It was a lot of fun. In my show I take a couple of risks, and usually they pay out HUGE. Let me back up a minute, I went to Wonderground with some friends who had been showcasing at the same conferences as me for the last two weeks, so there were very familiar with my act. When something went wrong, they all noticed it.


In my show someone from the audience guesses what card another person from the audience picked. It’s a great trick and because I’m lazy, the card is always the same card. Yes, when I do gigs with multiple shows at the same venue on the same or adjacent days, I mix up the card. However I don’t when the gigs are in different states. When I did the show at Wonderground the person guessed the wrong card!


When the person said the Five of Hearts instead of the Two of Diamonds, all of my friends knew something was wrong. After the show they told me that they all got worried for me. However one guy, who is a magician that I’ve toured with told them all to calm down and that I was a pro and would handle it.

Guess what happened?


I had a plan, it’s my way back up plan, and in about a year, I’ve only needed to use it once, but it’s always there and ready. I produce the card from elsewhere. It took all of my friends by surprise. Having a back up plan for anything that can go wrong is the way to go…even if you only need it once a year!

Ambitious Card…

A couple weeks I performed at Wonderground in Las Vegas.  This is a monthly magic/variety show put on by Jeff McBride.  It’s a very fun show and if you get the chance, I highly recommend doing it!   The one thing that stresses me out about this show is the close up, I’m fine with … Continue reading “Ambitious Card…”

A couple weeks I performed at Wonderground in Las Vegas.  This is a monthly magic/variety show put on by Jeff McBride.  It’s a very fun show and if you get the chance, I highly recommend doing it!

 

The one thing that stresses me out about this show is the close up, I’m fine with the stage show.   It stresses me out because there aren’t a lot of original plots in my close up set, sure I have my own twists on things, but at it’s core it’s Ambitious Card.

 

About a week before  I performed at Wondgeround I was visiting with Nick Lewin and we chatted about the close up stressing me out.

My concern was that the Ambitious Card was too common of a trick for the audience there.  Not all of the audience there are magicians, however they are magic fans, so they’ve seen it.    Nick commented that it’s the “greatest card trick” and I agree…that’s why it’s so common.  The plot is simple and when done right it’s impossible!

 

I ended up doing a trick where someone feeds me marshmallows.  It played well!
Louie Foxx at Wonderground in Las Vegas

Personally I think there is one trick when done correctly that might be better than the Ambitious Card, and that is Any Card at Any Number. It’s got a simple plot:

Name a card, name a number, count down to that number and the card is there.

The problem with ACAAN is that is gets mucked up when people try to make it easier.  They limit selections or use convoluted processes to make the trick work.  Also what I think most of people who do this for a non-magician audience misses is repeating it.  You need to do it twice.

 

So that’s my thoughts on the best and close second for card tricks.