After performing a trick for one of my brothers, he always makes guesses outloud. Sometimes they are REALLY close and other times they are no where close to accurate. This poses a question for me. Should you attempt to prove to a guesser that there guess is inacurate(whether they're right or not). Should you simply ignore them and let them guess as many times as they want?

Just ignore 'em...let them guess whether they're right or not.

i was feeling lazy one dayso i used a stripper to do an ambitious card routine, and one of my particularly bright friends said, you're turning the deck around everytime! he would go on to explain the concept of the stripper deck. anyways, after that, i was ticked at him, so i did the same trick without the turning of the deck...

i just did a riffle pass and a couple color changes to achieve the same effect...that got his brain wheels a turnin for sure

I once performed "Fearsons floating cigarette routine" on stage and one of the guys in the audience yelled out loud: I saw the tread!!!!!!
I HATE when that happends

yeah, my brother does that too, i was doing the floating bill trick and my brother grabbed the gimmick and yanked it and yelled, here is the.... i stopped him there tho, thank god. then i killed him so he wouldnt say anything!

When people start guessing- especially those who do it while you're within earshot- it usually means that they're confused. It's a shame that they just can't enjoy the bewilderment for a while, huh?

I usually agree with the outlandish theories, or make up my own to confuse (i.e. "This card can float because of the natural magnetism of the earth and my body, and the litle machine in my pocket which makes it all work together"). Or if they're close to the secret and the trick is either ungimmicked, or I have the gimmick seperated from the examinable part- I give them the trick, and have them "do it themselves".

Remember, it's natural to wonder how it's done (we do it ourselves!), but some people are tactless about their wonderment. It's our job to guide them back to fantasyland, as opposed to reality, where what they just saw is impossible.

I found the best way to stop 'the guessers' dead in their tracks is to use one of the following statements, delivered with a slight smile and thoughtful look on my face:

1. Hmmm, I never thought of doing it that way, maybe I will try it next time.

- or -

2. ummmm, okay.

works for me, hopefully it will help someone else out as well

I don't think you should try to prove the guess wrong. Especially if it was right, but in either case they may be right but just throwing stuff out. If you don't indulge them then they may go on to other ideas of how you did it. Almost everyone knows there's a trick, that it isn't REAL magic, so most people are going to try to figure it out.

I let the first guess go by without a comment. The second time it happens I pack it in and say "If your a magician go and finish up." When they start to sputer and stammer I will tell them "I will be glad to teach you how to do this effect, Lessons are $100 an hour with a 5 hour minimum fee paid up front. Cash only."

It will shut them up in a hurry. Also I never let a person get close enough to make a grap at me or touch me so they can not grab any ITR or other gimmick.

Peter

If people start rambling out guesses I like to emphatically affirm every single guess now and then. Then if they happen to hit on the right answer it will be muddled together with all the wrong ones.
"How did you do that? Did you use invisible thread?"
(A little sarcasm) "Yep! Exactly! That's right!"
"Wait, I inspected the dollar... did you use a wire?"
"Yep! That too! You got it!"
"You didn't use either of them, did you?"
"Yep! You're hitting the nail on the head! Good eyes!"
etc

I normally run into the audience and say loudly I love you and give the person a long kiss on the forehead and say that will save me so much time in the future and thank you again