I just got hired to do a party at this restaurant. This will be my first time perfoming at a restaurant. I am a close up magician and I need help finding the right tricks. I know alot of card tricks, so I know i'll deffiantaly bring a deck of cards. As for the other stuff i'm not to sure about. I was thinking the Sponge balls, bite out qaurter, d'lites, pen through dollar, TT, and the invisible deck. I was wondering if these tricks will work good. Please let me know what you think.

You don't have a show written up or a routine figured out and you accepted a job at a restaurant. Well another restaurant burned for magicians.

Call the people up and cancel, tell them you have terminal diarrhea, tell them ANYTHING but don't do the show. If you have to ask what "tricks" to do in a show you are screwed. You need a routine consisting effects that you can do in your sleep.

BTW as for the bite uot coin, think, you are going to take a bite of something, then spit it out, and do this OVER SOMEBODY'S FOOD. Need I go farther?

thanks for your post, but i know routines that will keep the audiences entertained for 2 hours. I know a whole bunch of card tricks, but I was asking what are the right tricks to do at a restaurant. You told me that the bite out quarter is not going to be good soo i wont use that trick. I was pretty much asking if sponge balls or the invisible deck would be okay to use at the restaurant. I have routines for all of the tricks I mentioned before soo I dont have to learn the tricks. SO I just need to knopw what tricks people normally use in a restaurant. And the gig isn't for a couple of weeks, soo i have alot of time.

Ok, though I agree that you should not have accepted a show if you don't already know what you're going to do, I will tell you a few things. First, it sounds like you already know some apporpriate things to do as you stated in your original question. No bite out coin. I'm assuming this is a one time gig that will be at a restaurant and not for a restaurant. If that is the case, then you may do ok. However, if it is the restaurant that hired you, you may want to reconsider until you already know what you're going to do without having to come to Penguin town and ask what to do when most everyone here couldn't give good advice if their life depended on it (that's mainly because they have no experience in the matter). However, Paddy is not one of them. His advice should be taken to heart.

Now, most of the things you listed are appropriate, however, you must have a routine for each one of them. With the right routine, the following items work great in restaurants.

Sponge Balls ( I like 3D Multiplying rabbits)
TT
Pen through dollar (must be done at appropriate times, like when money is already on the table)
d'Lites (don't over do it, you need a routine)
Invisible deck can be done, but it has to be done at the appropriate time. you can do this and then switch decks so that you can do another card trick. I wouldn't use it because it's one more thing that I have to pack and it can only be used for one trick. Make sure your regular deck back matches the ID back.


Good luck.

Hey thanks alot creecy! yeah this gig is going to be only one time and one time only unless they want me again at the restaurant. i really appreciate your advice. I do have routines for all of the tricks i mentioned. I think I'm a good magician (I'm not braggin), because i used to work part-time at this magic shop in atlantic city at the Tropicana Casino. So I know alot of routines for tricks. I know I might sound like a beginer or i'm knew to magic for posting this topic, but I have been doing magic for over 8 years, and yes I'm only 16 years old. I just wanted to know what was appropiate for restaurant magic because I have never done this before. Thanks alot for your advice.

You shouldn't say you have many routines. You should have one flowing routine for one solid show.

Good luck with this one

...i say, yet again

I like how someone brought up the fact to NOT do the bite out of quarter over someones food, that made me laugh!

yeah i thought using the bite out qaurter while people where eating was funny, but it made sense. Some people might find biting a peice of metal and blowing it back on disturbing so i think it is best not to use this trick. Thanks again for all of the advice and I will keep you posted on how my gig works out.

hey i just did my gig at the restaurant and it seriously went great! I performed table to table and i did like 4 tricks to each table. I performed tricks with a normal deck of cards, invisible deck, yes and no trick by jay sankey, spongeballs, disappering silk, and d'lites. Everyone loved it and I made alot of money on tips. thanks everyone for your advice.

reastraunt magicians pack light that means no cases, or boxes ect. small things that play big bring TWO decks of cards just incase. Make sure you have esentials for your tricks sharpies, rubber bands, ect. Small tricks pen through bill is good, sponge balls are good though i love sponge bunnys I say stick to the balls because they are a bit more versitile. Do about 3-4 tricks per table no more no less. have 3 different 3-4 trick routines ready and practised. alternate between them as you see fit. you can always repeat the same routine on a different table. so trick wise these are the things i bring table hopping.

-2 packs of cards one red one blue
-rubber bands 4
-1 sharpie
-one paper cliped card
-4 2inch sponges, three 1/2 inch sponges
-8 half dollars
-pen through bill
-tt for vanishing salt, sugar, and a silk vanish
-one ring
-one string
-one mini wand

I can fit 3 hours of entertainment in just those 11 things
so remember pack light, but be prepared. good luck

yeah all of my tricks i did all were in my pockets. that's a really good post. I'll use it next time if they hire me again.

cool magic man so i guess it went pretty well? Good job hope you get hooked on restraunt magic like me its fun.

yeah it was really fun. i hope they call me up to do it agian. i think they will cause everyone there loved it. I think i might alreadyt be hooked

Okay so I am 11 and cant do restaraunt magic, but need close up impromptu stuff. Any suggestions for tricks??

Get Wilson's On the Spot DVD.