right ive been flirting with the idea of going into table magic for about a year now and never really got anything sorted. Ive decided to bite the bullet and get something going. Im just in the 'formative stage' at the moment- constructing routines and the like... basically the purpose of this post is to get your opinions on what tricks work - not what type of tricks ive done my homework so hopefully not just another tell me what to do type of thread. Ive decided to keep the routines pretty loose, one card trick a table, and other interesting stuff. So with cards im looking at doing:

a short but decent ambitious card routine with paperclipped ending or to somewhere else (shoe, sealed box, salt shaker that sort of thing)

Ammars card to ceiling (restaurant permitting)

invisible deck

cross twist perhaps

love to do torn but it is too 'angly' but if im showing couple of people stuff at a bar then might work.

couple of other things...

other material would do ring leader type thing, some TT work - i see the value of being proficient with sponge balls. Id also like to include my swami.

What other effects and areas do u find to work? im after classy stuff if you know what i mean no 'silly stuff' please - no offence to anyone who may take that the wrong way? And do you have any objections to the effects above? I thought about loops? sound good?
many thanks

I'd highly recommend you leaving Card on the Ceiling out of the equation all together. That deck doesn't always come straight down.

That's an awful lot of card work. Try to have more variety.

i meant one card trick per table, i.e. one per routine - sorry if that wasnt clear. Or do you still think thats too much? I thought the effects i mentioned were not too 'pick a cardy' and long - more direct. I dont plan to do loads of card stuff what else do u find effective. I may add pyro perception to a routine, with a view to having around six routines? Basically what im asking is what works for you - what strong magic do you perform that gets strong reactions in a restaurant environment.
thanks

i meant one card trick per table, i.e. one per routine - sorry if that wasnt clear. Or do you still think thats too much? I thought the effects i mentioned were not too 'pick a cardy' and long - more direct. I dont plan to do loads of card stuff what else do u find effective. I may add pyro perception to a routine, with a view to having around six routines? Basically what im asking is what works for you - what strong magic do you perform that gets strong reactions in a restaurant environment.
thanks

i meant one card trick per table, i.e. one per routine - sorry if that wasnt clear. Or do you still think thats too much? I thought the effects i mentioned were not too 'pick a cardy' and long - more direct. I dont plan to do loads of card stuff what else do u find effective. I may add pyro perception to a routine, with a view to having around six routines? Basically what im asking is what works for you - what strong magic do you perform that gets strong reactions in a restaurant environment.
thanks

One of my most well-received table-hopping routines is just card effects. Don't be afraid of putting together an all-card routine, provided the effects are unique, strong, and varied -- and you have the people skills to pull it off.

Remember that you are looking at 5 to 10 minutes per table. Ring Leader is a performance in itself, as can be a good sponge ball routine (or C&B or Chop Cup) or a rope routine.

If you are mixing and matching effects with different props, keep two things in mind:

1) the typical table-hopping performance arc: quick visual opener, participatory middle, strong memorable closer
2) pocket management -- how much stuff do you want to carry around? the more you can do with the fewest props, the better. Take one trick ponies like the Invisible Deck...is carrying a whole deck for pretty much one effect really worth the space? If I'm going to carry a one-trick pony deck while table-hopping, it's going to be CardToon -- plays better across more ages, is repeatable (kids will want it repeated), and has the same use as an "out" as does the ID

I agree with just dropping Card to Ceiling. You'll end up NOT doing it more times than you do it. And the swami...what are you going to do with it? Do you want to carry it simply because you know effects that use it or because those effects are really restaurant-worthy? Although I do some menal magic in table-hopping for banquet/convention scenarios, I don't bring it into restaurants.

As for T&Rs, go for the low-effort ones with little angle-sensitivity. Ultimate Rip-Off comes to mind...perhaps J.C. Wagner's. Of course, if you're going to take time to rip up cards, why not do something like a linking card effect...Immaculate Connection, for example?

tt with a silk
sponge balls
acr
scotch and soda


THAT IS ALL YOU REALLY NEED