When you are performing to people on the street, restaurant etc, what do you find is best to use, self working tricks or some using sleight of hand etc or do you think its best to mix them up a bit?
Thanks

I use my best, my favorite tricks, regardless of these conditions.

i like to use my fav tricks also.. but they just happened to be a mix of impromptu and gimmicks.. go figure lol

but i guess if you wanna pack lite.. the more impromtu the better.. and the less likely you are to get caught with any gimmicks.. although a nice gimmick trick here and there is good to mix things up

i think it dependse, coz if i perform tricks on the street, i usally prefer to use only a regualr deck, but if i would do only one trick on the street, i would prefer taking a gimmik with me, like the invisible deck. it also dependse on ur level as a magician, if u have a good sleight of hand and good card control, u could do tons of mircals using only a regular deck.
as for restaurant magic, i got no idea coz i don't do it (yet), but i think what i said also works there, but if u know how to do deck switches and control ur crowd not to touch anything, then u could make a combinitaion of gimmiks and none-kimmiked effects.

hope i helped,
Tomer

It depends if you are good with sleights. I favor sleights of gaffs and gimmicks because I trust myself more than I trust gaffs. Plus I enjoy the challenge...anyone can use gaffs and self-working stuff.

Some of my favorite use no sleights at all. "Impossible" by Larry Jennings is a good example.

Both self working effects and sleight of hand effects have their advantages for shaping a well rounding show (no pun intended if anyone picks up on that). I think both let you focus on certain elements of your magic, both of which are important.

First off, with self working effects, there is no work required on your part technically, so that gives you great room and freedom to accompany the magic with a strong, in depth presentation. That is obviously very important in your magic.

Sleight of hand on the other hand (once again, no pun intended) is very educational technically and gives you some sort of inner glow of satisfaction as well as a challenge to take your magic to greater heights in performance.

Both I say!

-Andrew

whatever you feel more comfortable with. Always go with the reactions. Not wether its hard

Thanks for all the replies guys. I am trying to more tricks with sleights for my own satisfaction but I will still mix the different types up too.
Cheers.

In a restaurant environment I find that for myself I'd rather use sleights, I show up with a deck of cards, some coins and 1 emergency parlor trick, but I ususlaly just use the napkins, silverware and whatever else is on the table to perform, I think it's more magical to just use stuff they've had infront of them the whole time. In the street I just do whatever I have that happens to be what I'm stuck on at the time, usually it's something rope related but sometimes gimmicks are used.

I like to use my sleight of hand skills more often than self working effects/gaffs, though I do use the latter. I am reminded of something I heard on a Martin Nash video:

Paraphrased: When you perform something that works no matter what, like a gimmick, as opposed to using your own hands to create the effect, can you take the same applause or should you share it with that gimmick?

I like to think of my gimmicks and gaffs as tools to enhance my performances, because ultimately it comes down to you as a performer rather than what you do. I also think that sleight of hand is always an important part of our art because it is the one thing we do that can never break, stop working altogether, or be bought by anyone and learned in a matter of moments. I was all over the place in this post, so if you made it this far, thanks!

Pj

^^ well said magicman202

I prefer to stick to the good old fashion sleights.

do both. sleights are REALLY GOOD, but gimmicks can do like weirdo creepy supernatural stuff. So work some of both into ur routine