Well I want to know what tricks you do when people ask to do a trick when your not really prepared for it. Maybe if you only have a few coins or borrowed coins or maybe you just have a TT or just a deck of cards. I like to do 3/4 Across from Greg Wilson's On the Spot.

First, make a good routine for yourself...
4/5 tricks that you know verry good, and talk them smoothly together.
Then, if you have a good routine that you can do when you walk up to someone, practice some easy card/coin tricks that doesn't require a set-up, or a small set-up...

I'll post a vid soon on how I "Manipulate" my spectators

I have a bunch of IMPROMTU tricks resting in my mind that get brought out constantly in these situations.

well, if you don't want to do a trick is a different issue then you are not prepaired to do a trick. if you are not prepared, then always carry around stuff, or be able to do stuff with almost anything. if you don't want to do a trick, tell them. i was at taco bell yesterday, the person their said "show me a trick" i said "ch, why don't you show me a trick?" then she said "if you don't show me a trick you are not my friend anymore" i said to my buddy so she could hear "i think she is just using me for my magic!"

of course we were just kidding around, and i did show her a few tricks because magic is cool.!

When people ask me to show them a trick, if I'm not in the mood or I don't have the set-up I don't do it. If they ask,"why not?" I say I'm not a slave or a robot just waiting for you to do your bidding.

Thank you,
lolx

If I'm in the mood...

"Without a trace" from Card College volume 2. It's a simple control-and-DL trick but very effective. In principle it's one of the easiest tricks in my repertoire but everything is thought through carefully and I use my own pass and the vernon DL replacement.

revolution coin vanishis awesome. make pennies apear out of nowhere with a TT. with a deck of cards i always do the daley show or synergy or maybe the invisible palm. you could perform Torn but i dont like to ruin cards. try the holy grail. it takes a lot of practice but its impromptu. throw a couple of gaffs in your deck so you always have them. maybe like a blank or a db. what i like to do is have them pick a card. then keep forcing them the same card using different forces over and over again. it really makes people laugh and try to outwit you but your always ahead of them. thats all i could think of right now

I always carry 3 Bee's for a real 3 card monte routine.
Also a deck of cards in my jacket at all times.
I have a standard non gimmicked routine I have with a plain deck. Full routine takes about 6-10 minutes (15-20 if they are really loving it and I sprinkle some more tricks in).

You should always carry something in your wallet to perform because this is the one thing you will always carry with you even without your cards handy. Keys also work.

Most of my tricks dont require deck set-ups. We'll acually, only one of them does (most of which Ive made up myself, except another, which the man who got me into magic taught me) so if Im in the mood I can usually do a trick. also, the one trick I have which requires a set up is a very easy setup and I usually just keep my deck setup like that before I put them back into the pack.

Spec: Show me a trick

You: (stare at him) What am I? A dog?

Tell them to show you a trick. When they can't, say, "What do you want me to do pro bono work?" Then say that you're only kidding, and that you have to go for now but will make up for it the next time you see them.

As an aside, I would simply make it policy to always carry a deck of cards, irrespective of the gimmicks you carry with you on top of that.

-- Dan Skahen

3 words... sleight of hand

Hold up one hand with your fingers extended but your thumb tucked in. Say "okay, how many fingers do you see?"

They'll say "four". Say "good, now watch this".

Put your other hand in front of the first, slightly higher to conceal all your fingers. Curl in all the fingers on the hidden hand... except the middle one. Everyone behind you will see what you're doing and start laughing. Say "okay, are you ready?"

When your spectator says "yeah", pull your hand away, but at the same time curl your middle finger in to make a fist so you don't REALLY flip your audience the bird.

Now say "oh crap, I dropped it - nobody move!" and start looking around the floor. Everyone who gets it will laugh even harder. Your spectator will be looking around trying to see what you dropped. Point to the floor beside the spectator and say "is that it?"

As they turn to look, leave. Quickly.

Do Joe Russell's Dis-Jointed