I was trying to decide which tricks I wanted to add to my wish list and reread the favorite Tenyo post. So I tried to figure out which were my favorites and why. Although I don't have that many (40) It finally dawned on me what I think makes a trick great (for me). It's when it appears that I created the magic more than the machine creating it. A few examples of the tricks I feel the machine is creating the magic are; any of the zig zag tricks, the crystal cleaver (which I love and think is a really smart trick), invisible zone, superspike and some of the other drawer type tricks, alpha tunnel. I think you get the idea.
Some of the tricks that I feel performer gets the credit for are: Flash dice, Magical door, soft coins, see through card, balloon illusion, krazy keys, some of the mentalist tricks (grand derby).
OK, I know this is kind of a grey area, and there is definitely some overlap; like the prison box. Because of the performance of screwing the bolts, magic under a scarf etc, the performer gets the credit for a great machine.
Anyway, I just thought it an interesting observation.

I'll answer your thread edshern ...

Be it the performers sleight(s), or the self-working machine that creates the illusion. It is always down to the performers delivery which makes it magical and entertaining ... as you already know.

To the spectator, there is no difference, they are not aware how the illusion occurs.

For me ...
"Fast & Loose" is the perfect "smooth criminal" magic routine going ...
and
"Premonition" by Eddie Joseph as a "machine" which does all the work for you ...

regards,
WulfieSmith