All right now, there's many discussions on heckler dealings but we've never really focus on a specific area.

There's many ways to deal with a heckler. Some chooses to argue. Some ignores. Some just walks away after a magic is done , they don't deserve to be entertained.

But every now and then, was the guy really an heckler? The wide range of area that i'm talking about now is this :

Many of us in SMC, in fact(correct me if i'm wrong ) all of us started out magic on a regular basis from basic card routines to impromptu tricks to harder sleights of hand and throughout all these learning journey in exploiting the interest in magic, we tend to come in contact with gimmicks basically to achieve the result of what seems amazing and completely stunning to people.

However, those 'so-called' hecklers would now and then spoil the show by saying : " Sure not? Do it again lah. Then i believe." When of course it requires us to reset the gimmmick for use again.

Now, usually we can just turn them off easily with many 101 excuses that can be found in books, easily handy in popular. The gimmick is afterall, hidden beneath the clothes, making it undetectable.

But what about gimmicked cards? Gaff cards for example. The goal of gaff cards produced by Ellusionist is to achieve things never before and make it totally, and i'm saying totally unbelievable.

Therefore, it is also totally natural for them to want to take a look at the deck. Normal ghost cards already look suspicious for those people who do not have the knowledge of this. Heckler we call them? I don't think so, everybody will be curious enough to want to check a deck after such a feat is done.

I hope that there will be a thoughtful discussion on how do we react and what do we do when people wants to check the deck with actually the gimmicked cards still inside the normal deck and there is simply no time in taking out those cards, with all eyes and attraction turned upon you.

Thanks for taking the time to read and hope i have made myself clear. Hope to hear your replies ^_^

When you say gaff cards do you mean cards like the 3 1/2 of spades? Or do you mean cards that are made in a special way to perform an effect which would otherwise not be possible with a normal card?

If you're refering to the former, just hand it out to them. It's a novelty that they are seeing such a 'different' card from their daily lives anyway.

If you're talking about the latter, do a TC.

I for one would never perform at my professional shows with the gaffs (the ellusionist misprints for example).

Magic is already under scrutiny, whether our props are normal, and at times we're already fighting for people to believe what's happening is real at some level.

By smearing card's prints with my fingers, (to me) I am already as good as openly showing people that I use "specially" printed cards, whether or not they're just novelty prints or not. I am already using special, "magic" cards in their eyes. Just one routine like this would affect the overall look and feel of my performance. I speak only for myself of course.

That said, these cards make great collectibles... but they have their place and I would only perform with such gaffs for family and friends, not when I am working.

Gaff cards are something that I tend not to perform too regularly because of the prior set up it requires. Besides, I only carry a deck of cards around with me.

Although the reaction it will give you from your spectators are generally really good across the board, the ins and outs of it are just a tad risky to be performing it on a regular basis.

I remember walking up to a patron of a place I was doing a function at to show him a card effect, and he immediately looked me right in the eye and said

"I've seen this one before".

Luckily, I got a warm reception from the other members of the table, and when I looked back at his face, he was pretty much wowed by the effect... OBVIOUSLY something he hadn't seen before.

I think cards in general tend to incite a certain "cha-chink" in spectators' minds that "if he's REEEEALLY a magician, then why does he have to use cards?" Plus, most of us have had the experience of a relative showing us a certain routine involving 3 rows of 7 cards- this is almost the same effect of generalization that people have when they see jugglers- they feel that if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all! We know very well that isn't true- there's so many layers to card magic, and the same with juggling. In fact, that skewed paradigm can almost be applied to anything, if you so choose:

"If you were REEEEALLY athletically skilled, why would you have to use a raquet and ball? Why can't you just beat the living hezboolah out of the other guy?"

"If you were REEEEALLY poetic, why would you have to write a deep, philosophical play about a dyslexic agnostic insomniac? Couldn't you just say a few words?"

"If you were REEEEALLY psychic, why would you have to use all those clipboards, envelopes, and books?"

And the list goes on. In terms of subjectivity, being unfamiliar with magic (card magic especially) is probably the reason why these thoughts race through the minds of the-people-who-watch-us. I guess that as long as you connect with the audience and touch them in some way (not THAT way, you sick pervert), then they'll be more inclined to just let the wonder wash over rather than thinking too analytically about it.

Long story short, the magic isn't in the cards- they're just a visual aid, a channel for your powers. Or lack thereof.

-Kev H

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I'm glad that you guys have given thoughtful solutions. What i'm talking about is this:

You'll probably wow them with all the pips moving to and fro and cards dividing into two. They are probably overwhelmed by it.

They are impressed. Really are. And they just casually ask: " Is it something to do with the deck? Can i take a look at it?"

Well, that's the reluctance of it. Showing them spoils it all, they know it's all trick cards. Surely no magicians, after showing those tricks would then reveal it in the end.

Instead of people saying: " Chey, no wonder. ", we always like to hear a comment or two like: " Hey, you're incredible". So by showing them the cards it's like throwing the career away.

How do we prevent this? How do we actually turn them down in a nice way. How do we say No.

By the way, pardon me but what's a TC? Take Care?

For me i'll try to p*** or c** the gaft cards then let them check the deck.

Or u can just switch the whole deck

Instead of trying to misdirect and palm away stuff on the spot, why not try to prevent them from asking all together?

Prevention is better than cure.

Erm, I suggest building up of effects so that they would not think you are using trick cards.

1. Show some ungimmicked stuff first, so that they are comfortable with you using cards. Then when you bring out a trick deck, trust me, they would not ask to check it. Even if you don't do a deck switch and blatantly pull a trick deck out and say "I need to use a different deck, that one was getting mouldy", they would accept that it is normal. Audience control, ya?

2. When they don't see it, they don't remember it. After doing a gimmicked packet trick that cannot be examined, put it away and let the EFFECT sink in. However, don't give them time to think about how trick cards could be used.

3. There's something called "Defusing a Gimmick" that i have heard of somewhere before. It is something like at the end of a routine, actually using the gaff/gimmick as the ending or climax, so that the gimmick is actually in full view, but it has become part of the effect.
My opinions.

- harapan ong

hey.

i think it depends on what kinda of a gimick you use. Most of the time if you know how to weave the gimmick in like say if you use a stripper or invisible deck, they wouldn't think to inspect it because it is so impossible.

CSJ

I believe why spectator ask for the deck is because of poor spectator management. all this takes experience. get books that teaches how to manage spectators.

i used to believe in a normal deck but i have seen the effectiveness of gimmick cards being used. The thing is, spectators are not used to seeing this type of cards. Once i used a double face and gave it to the spectator, their first reaction was to try to split the cards. ( i did a effect merging to single cards together)

Even when Dai Vernon tricked Houdini, he used a gimmick card.

So gimmick or not gimmick, it is how you performed. Don't blame the gimmick cards if you cannot perform well. Use what you have wisely.

Adrian

It could possibly be poor spectator management. Another reason i can think of too is that I feel how some people are brought up in Singapore's society could make them more skeptical and they will start wrecking their brains in how you did you tricks or how the deck turned out not to be a 'normal' deck. Maybe it hasn't come to a point where people here can fully enjoy the performance without thinking much into it. Generally i still would say that they enjoy it though.

Anyway what I usually do with gimmicked cards and props is to use them probably towards the end of your performance. Like a in a previous reply, I usually use normal decks first to get acquainted with the crowd and to test out what kind of spectators they would be. End of with a one or a few gimmicked card tricks so that you can end on a high note. If you don't mind you can let them keep the gimmicked card. It works well especially with hecklers as they can't refute something that's printed in.