Although I'm a kid, I have been doing magic for years and I am very good at slight of hand. My local magic shop wants me to get a job there when I'm old enough and I do magic in the mall to people to0. I have one problem though. What do you do i you are caught in the act of dirty work or you mess up. Should you laugh with them and do another trick or jus walk away.

Don't mess up. If you practice until you can do every trick blindfolded you should never mess up. However once in a blue moon something will happen out of the ordinary, this is where experience comes in. You have to learn to recover from an accident. probably nobody recovers in the same way, but you will have to just improvise and let your skills and personality rise up in those times.

One of the GREATEST magicians working today has an article written on this very subject. Check out Eugene Burger. Google him or Jeff McBride because Eugene is on Jeff's site.

Paddy

well even if they figure it out just say well if you would like to learn more go to the magic shop. or just say you were giving them a free sample

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Darwin's reaction ad-libs will give you some one liners to get the specs still on your side even if you mess up.

When I perform, I incorporate a lot of comedy in it. So if I screw up, I can easily cover it up with a joke, and no one is the wiser.

Or when you do mess up use a line like "Sorry, the real magician will be here in a minute." I think I heard that from Gazzo but Im not sure. Ive used it once and people laughed.

I forgot where I heard this or saw it in a DVD or read it but I didn’t come up with it If you mess up you simply explain to them that this is called miss-direction while your partner brings an elephant circus into the next room .

-Rob

its good that people contribute, but unless you have the real world experience, please dont. You clearly have no experience, as that line would kill you completly.

^^^

Yeah, when I read that I added it to my list of things never to say should I mess up.

say..ill try it that way next time

Haha I was just about to post that! I used it today and it worked. I did the lipstick trick and some girl was like I know how you did it! So I said wow that's a really good idea I never thought of that before!

Stop stare at the heckler, and tell them very politely, "Thank you for spoiling our fun". Then move on, ignore him, and do something amazing,

Most of the time, you can reply with something like this: "Hm... I'm not denying that its possible to do that way, but I'm not really understanding what youre saying. Would you mind demonstrating?"

This is not a sarcastic comment but a genuine request. Most of the time they will simply not be able to accomplish the effect by the method you used even if they can conceptualize it in their mind. That renders the method impossible in the minds of the other spectators, and quiets the one on the spot.