Had to try out the new ACAAN gimmick for real. It was great! I had it right out in plain sight and nobody knew what it was! Called out card after card, never a miss, jaws hanging open…it was COOL!
I had them turning over the cards as they “dealt”, so it became obvious (without mentioning it) that the deck was in no observable pattern. I had them stop on the card BEFORE theirs, to reiterate: random number, random card, nobody touched the card, and so on. Turning it into a kind of finale, I had them turn over the last card. When it matched, there were no words necessary. I am pleased…
Jay Sankey has a new FREE mentalism effect (“Black Market”) on his website that uses a book of matches. I’m looking for new ways to use things other than a paper and pencil or a deck of cards, but not sure how this will play for my crowd.
Thinking about the logic (ALWAYS try to tie things together, even if the threads are tenuous!): If there are candles on the table, then having matches becomes reasonable. However, since I’m not sure of the policy at the restaurant, I’ve already determined that I’m going to use battery operated LED candles in the centerpieces, so suddenly matches don’t seem so logical. Is there another reason I’d have matches in a non-smoking environment?
Also, I carry a lighter (which people may or may not know) so matches are a smelly alternative. I’m just not liking the matches, although I do like the effect.
Time to start thinking about other objects that might be substituted: something that is compact, functions as a unit but can be logically separated into parts, familiar enough to everyone that it can be handled behind the back or out of sight. Wow, drawing a blank. More thought…