There is a competition coming up in Singapore and I am wondering how much difference exists between the professional competition and the amateur competition.

So how do you categorize yourself as the amateur type or the pro type?

Well, there is one thing I didn´t understand in what you posted: are the two categories in the competiton in Singapore, or are you talking about the difference between pro. competitors and amateurs?

If the answer is the first one, well, I think that you always have to get to amateur competition. Why? Well, if you are a beginner, or middle magician, who´s not dedicated profesionally in the magic world, you have more possibilities in an amateur contest. But if you are a professional magician who enters the amateur contest... then you'll win for sure!

If you are talking about the second, I think that in a contest, an amateur with good work could do better than a pro even.

All the best magic,

Pablo Tejero

The only distinction I've encountered in competitons is how professionally they were run and the amount of the cash prizes.

There will always be performers who don't belong in a competition but perhaps are doing it for the experience. Usually for the smaller local competitions, there are no qualifing rounds or video required. In the larger ones a video is now needed to qualify.

Of course the bigger the prizes that are offered, the tougher it will be to win since better performers will be attracted to it.