Hmm my opener no matter what is Jay Sankeys Not This Card or chicago opener then misled then into Lethal tender into ITBTWC's coins across then for a close a mentalism trick from Front Row sankey... its Great...

I've been using Richard Sander's slow burn as an opener for a while and it's been treating me very well.

You bring out a handful of money and people are gonna watch what you do with it. You do something super impressive with that money and they're gonna keep watching for the rest of your set...

Anti-gravity coin and it strikes people if done with the right presentation. It immediately hooks people to see what else I have got to perform.

I just use sponge-balls, and it works great for me.

Cirkus

Something quick that's a good introduction to you and not just magic. The magic should occur relatively fast (Within the first few minutes) and is better if you can build up to something (ACR is a good example of something that starts fast and builds, but honestly imo is too powerful an effect to show first). Also make sure the effect is good, but not too good. You want something to build upon. Daley's last trick was a good suggestion. Some simple coin stuff could work, as well.

-ArchAngel_G

That depends. If it's at a restaurant, I'd open, on the very first table of the night, by conjuring a full wineglass, after, of course, they've asked me to fetch the "top notch illusionist" I mentioned.

I usually dont open with effects, but rather by formally introducing myself.

me: ''Hi guys, I'm Daniel, your complimentairy magician tonight.''
Audiance: ''reaction X''
me: Hey you guys want to experience the impossible? (I dont say: ''something cool'' or be baffled, it sounds lame ).
Audiance: Sure
Me: Great, well first I'm just wondering if this is yours? (knife with dollar strapped to it). Do a trick by Jay Sankey called money making machine, using the paddle move. (any kind of trick really).

In my experience the key is letting the people know your
A) Complimentairy
B) Proffesional/The Magician
C) Come in at the right energy level (little NLP I use here)
D) Not going to waste their time/be gone in a jiffy (I use time constraint techniques here, also NLP)

I often tell the audiance A.

B is a little harder, its your character/congruence. I usually walk in wearing a suite/something classy. And I wear a Fedora with an Ace of spades in the band around it (The game: Godfather II gave me the idea). The rest is just how you act.

C: Energy levels is slightly more difficult, all I can say is try to come in at a slightly higher energy level. (You controll your energy level by way of speech/body movement.) If a group is very loud/having fun come in at a loud tone and have large arm movements! Make sure you're flashy and fast. If you come in with a to low energy level the group will sense you're going to dull the mood and most likely reject you.

D) Time constraint is done by saying: Can I show you something real quick. Or by doing a technique called body rocking.

Body rocking: Move in at a slight angle and give all physical signals that you're going to be walking away after your first sentence. Once their listenting turn your body so you're facing them. And continue as normal.

Hope this helps,

- Daniel

Paddy, I contest. It makes a HUGE difference what your opener is and a good ENTERTAINER would realize this. The opener sets the mood for the rest of your set as well as engaging the audiences short attention span and hopefully expanding it. A good opener should be simple, direct, as well as visual. The opener sets up the rest of your set I personally, use a muscle pass routine, that eventually leads into a bigger routine or a different one depending on the audience. I also use missing link depending on the approach.

What you said is right, "the opener sets the mood for the rest of the set." You're still wrong. Obviously you don't open with cups & balls or any long effect. But you can use any short effect to open because YOU set the mood, not the effect. The important thing is do a quick thing to get their attention, follow it with a better effect then do a 3rd, finnaly get you butt to another table.

All of these ideas are great as long as they are effective for YOU. And to add to what Paddy and Daniel posted; How one dresses, moves, the tone they use, the words they say, etc. can have a big impact. A performer who is aware of these things and works towards his "appearance" can be entertaining with a simple French Drop vanish, flourish or even just a question posed to the audience with the routine being the answer.

"Right here, right now in this place there are three specific elements producing amazement."
[While shuffling]"...The drinks poured. The food served. ...And the Aces appearing."

"Did you know that there are three elements to a winning game of poker?"
"...There are the players." [Now throw them off a bit] "Hello, my name is _____" [Shake hands, "...And you are?" etc.]
"...The bets." [Lay down some cash/coins in front of you or something interesting that you later transform]
"...And the cards." [Shuffle and magically deal out the winning hand to yourself.]

Afterwards pose the question;
"...And if I had lost? ...I could have just disappeared." [Vanish coins/bills]

Flash paper anyone? Opens your set great, and lets everyone else in the room know you are there.

Some restaurants will not allow flash paper

Very true. Some people don't like using it because it may startle some one as well. Which is why there is no 100% correct answer for everything, just tips and ideas.

I also love using Lethal Tender with a Raven set up.