I believe that this is what most of us are going for. Having said that many may just prefer to take out the entertaining part and want to be seen as "spiritual unique mystifiying" magicians.

Any the case, what are your most impactful tricks that got you the best reactions?

Personally, signed objects to impossible location and the haunted deck have served me very well. Most magic that happens in spects hand has been a brilliant suprise to many.

To side track a little, what about the most entertaining tricks you have up your sleeves? Maybe the seniors in the industry could tell me more about this! Looking at Alexander's performance was quite an eye opener for me. He made the most mundane trick very interesting and very interactive. I do believe that for any trick, its the performer that makes it entertaining. Having said that, I also believe that some tricks have more entertainment value than others. For example, sponge bunnies works better than spongeballs when you use the mummy daddy patter (I know you can apply the same thing to spongeballs too). Hopefully someone gets my point.

If this post has been posted, or it doesn't comply with the rules, pardon me!

Personally, mine was "Stigmata". A close second is PK.

For card effects, it is, surprisingly, Biddle Trick.

The truth is (at least for me), mental effects got the best reactions. For others like cards or coins, the best are the gimmicked ones... eg: ID, Dark Card, Scotch & Soda etc...

Maybe, unlike Alex, I haven't be able to elevate my effects to a higher level.

Personally sponge balls gets the best reactions. I'd always get a sense of satisfaction when i see the audiences' reaction when they see a big handful of sponge balls spilling out from their hands.

Thanks for the kind words guys. Very flattering.

Well, after attending Ice's Master class today, I am able to verbalise what I think is important when I present my routines.

You should present it not only as yourself, but an exaggerated version of yourself.

Just to share what I learnt from Ice Masterclass too. Enhance your identity.
Eg. If you are a funny guy as a person in everyday life, then enhace that funny guy in you when you perform. (That is almost exactly word for word what Ice told me)

Oh yes, even Ice thinks that Alexander close up is good when we spoke to him.

During a show, Sponge routine works good for me, and as well as the classic card trick, ACR.

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Not suprisingly Stigmata gets me pretty good reactions too. I just don't feel accomplished enough after such an effect though. Tsk. Having said that I agree that its a powerful trick!

Alex does the biddle trick pretty often too! I think its quite entertaining particularly when you can engage a couple of audience into such an act.

You mentioned that mental effects gets you the best reactions! Just out of curiousity, how do you present your acts? I always felt that magic and mentalism shouldn't come together. If you are doing a mind reading act, then a coin vanish, people tend to dismiss your mental prediction as a trick.

I have seen quite a few mental acts at the Singapore Street magic Competition. Joel won and he presents his mentalism magic not as tricks, but as feats that people may take it for more than tricks. What about yourself? Do you present it as such? Or do you think it blends well with sleight of hand magic.

Hey! I think multiplying spongeballs in spects hand is amazing too. How many do you usually have for the final load? Are they the same size as the intial few? Do you ever have problem of others noticing that they are holding more than what they should think there is?

Hello Alexander! When I was watching your performance, I saw such rich facial expressions! It really did felt like you are doing the magic, and enjoying every part of the experience. I thought it was qutie a learning point for myself. Am hoping to watch you perform more!

Wow. It sounds like you people got alot more than magic tricks out of Ice Lecture! To enhance your identity and exaggerate what you already are.... HMMMMM that's something to work on I guess. I think I understand what it means. Time to put in some work! haha!

Im skeptical about ACR actually! Have to watch your presentation soon! MEET UP SOON!

I usually squeeze about 12 balls (that's all i have anyway, haha). They are all the same size. By the final load, they more or less would be guessing that they are holding more than what they should be holding since you have been making more and more sponge balls appearing. It's only a matter of how many. They usually guess a 1 or 2 more.

For me, the spilling effect caused by the expansion of the 12 sponge balls gets pretty decent shock/surprise reactions. I had my mother-in-law throwing the sponge balls on the floor and taking 2 steps back. Hahaha.

If it's a kid, i'll use less since they've got smaller hands, prob about 8.

Hmm... I must qualify that I don't do THAT many mental effects. Stigmata and PK are just about the only 2 I do.

I have never present myself as a mentalist (in a Derren Brown sense), at least I don't think I am able to pull it off. Whenever I perform Stigmata, it is usually as a closer or really impromptu (read: unprepared) stand-alone effect.

Eg:

After doing a few effects with cards or coins, I would say something like,"Ok, many ppl would put those down as fast hands or props (I never say sleight of hands or gimmicks, those are magician lingo)... but I am going to show you all one last one that borders on eh... little bit of science and black magic. Ok, let me just show you what I mean..." (proceed to trick)

I would end the whole thing there.

For PK, I would not mix it with other stuff. It would be an act on its own.

So to summarize, you could say I probably present it as something like science, but not quite... maybe Fringe sciences. I would always say I learned it from a mentor who is into weird subjects.

Wow. Thats quite alot! Are they all 1.5" spongeballs?

Do you intentionally pick another spect for the final load so that he/she is not familar with the pressure that comes from 2 spongeballs compared to compressed pressure from 12?

Ah.. I understand. I guess you did differentiate the effect apart from "Tricks"!

Oh yes, what PK did you mean? Generally just moving objects with the mind? IT work? PK effects? Or is PK a name of a card effect that I am not familar with?

I use the 1 inch ones. Same spectator. Based on the routine i do, he/she would have only felt 2 sponge balls in his/her hands only once. And it will be at least some time later before he/she holds the balls again. There is time misdirection, he/she would have forgotten how 2 sponge balls feels in their hands.

And i also pre-soak the sponge balls and squeeze dry them. They look bigger and feel fluffier (sp?). Quite frankly speaking, whether 2 or 12....i don't feel the difference personally.

This is the routine i do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xDavfho1po

Yes, ashamedly i haven't been able to design my own routine. It's actually Eugene Berger's routine taught in the WGM (Spongeballs) DVD, if i am not mistaken.

O! One inch thats pretty small! Its SUPER obvious for myself when im holding 2 compared to holding on to 10. Sigh.

Side tracking a little, do anyone know where and how much does it cost per BIG super soft spongeball that allows you to load the smaller ones in?

Do you guys get them to squeeze really hard?

They won't be able to feel the difference in pressure that much imo.

PK is psychokinesis. Yup, moving objects with the mind but I usually refer to it as metal bending. Maybe I should have been a bit more specific.

Anyway, although I don't do sponge balls, but you guys might want to be a bit careful on your words on sponge ball effect.