French kiss is a killer routine

PDQ 2 by Paul Harris. The spectators hands are use quite effectively as the "table". Also, Incredible Coins Across by Michael Ammar (similar but with quite an interesting ending).

I like steve valentine's card transpo. It's simple, easy, fun, gets great reactions, and most importantly gets the audience involved. What more could you want?

I really enjoy "A Charming Chinese Challenge by Troy Hooser" everything is done in the spectators hands, it always gets a great reaction. Also, the "Einhorn Nesting Wallets Trick by Nicholas Einhorn", it another go to chose.

Nothing that I do in my 45 minute school program needs a "working surface", as the dealers always say/said in their ads...

"No table needed" is one of my criteria. Early in my working years, I used Abbott's DISECTO. It was a very strong, very funny, five minutes. I also used INERTIA (the eggs, tray, and glasses juggling bit). --Another five minutes of fun, with strong applause at the finish.

Whenever I had to work on a gym floor, with the audience seated on chairs, on the floor, I had to substitute something else. due to sight lines They both were finally "red lighted".

When I was 15, I watched my mentor while we were standing in the lobby of a hotel. He was in his tuxedo, waiting to do a club date. The bell hop asked Stuart to "show me a trick". Stuart brought out a deck of "steamboats" and did the "Ten Cards Across" for the bell hop and the desk clerk. (He always did the Ten Cards in his school show!)

Thinking about it afterwards, I realized that almost everything in his platform school show, could be done in a close up situation, too!

From then on, I planned to develop material that could/would play almost anywhere, for almost anybody. That "plan" has made it possible for me to work steadily for 50 years. When an agent or potential client called, I usually could meet his needs!

When I was about 16, the late Vincent Malmstrom, an amateur magician from Ishpeming, Michigan, loaned me his six volumes of the TARBELL COURSE IN MAGIC. (SIX volumes was the COMPLETE, 1941 edition, course, then.) I thought that I had died and gone to heaven! (A few years later, I MET, Doc Tarbell!.)

Not only did I learn tricks, I learned PRINCIPLES! It didn't take long to realize that the patter and presentation was somewhat dated, BUT, the PRINCIPLES were there! I've used those PRINCIPLES, ALL MY LIFE!

Of course, I read other books, too (Erdnase, Ralph W. Hull, Bobo, Fitzkee, Maskelynne & Devant, et al) but Tarbell "opened the door"!

To get back to the OP's "killer tricks that you can do in the hands", when in an informal, strolling situation, I do "stuff" with generic props, like coins, cards, rope, ring, handkerchiefs, etc.

The tricks/routines, meet my CRITERIA! --Visual Effect, Visible prop, Angle Proof, Recognizable Prop, No Set up, N0 TABLE, Spot Adaptable, Pack Small.

I have a meeting to attend, I'll return and list some of the tricks, later.........

Ha! The meeting is tomorrow! I gotta check my appointment calendar more closely!

So! With handkerchiefs or silks, I still use Dissolving knot, and Fadeaway knot (Tarbell) Silk vanish & repro (Vernet TT) Abbott's Perpetual Ball, occasionally Bill Williston's Visible ball penetration thru silk, Burling Hull's Elusive Silk. Vanishing square knot (Scot's Discovery) and, occasionally various Napkin Folds, (Tom Osborne's book)

Rope: Vanishing Overhand knot, and Rope Thru Neck (Ralph W. Hull's "Fifteen Minutes With A Piece Of Rope") G.W. Hunter's Shoe Lace Knot, & Impossible Knot, miscellaneous rope & ring bits, Professor's Nightmare, "my" YOYO .

Cards: All the flourishes and fancy shuffles from Erdnase. I never got interested in doing card "tricks", although I knew most of the top card men in the last 50 years. --(Elmsley, Charlie Miller, Ricky Jay, Dai Vernon, Johnny Thompson, Jon Racherbaumer, et al)

Coins: I usta do the Four Coin Roll, the Five Coin Star, Down's palm for casual Misers Dream, and other flourishes, but arthritis has "deleted" those, Bobo's Copper/Silver Extraction, Bobo's Expansion of Texture. Oh! Tarbell's "Pencil Coin Vanish & Reappearance" (Vol. I) J.B. Bobo and I became very close friends, when we met at his lecture in 1951.

Fun note...Jon Racherbaumer "hosts" an informal weekly "round table" at a restaurant in New Orleans. Several young guys showed up, one night about ten years ago, and Jon said to me, "Show 'em something." I did a few flourishes (can't do 'em anymore --arthritis) and some stuff from Bobo. They said, "Is that something new? Is that for sale?" They didn't know who Bobo was.....

Like "The Amazing Jumping Arrow" from Meir Yedid Magic.

Doug

A questionable trick by Greg Wilson although I have changed the presentation completely and I've modified the handling a little........I used this only today after being put on the spot to show something and it absolutely killed as they say

I also like Lubor's Lens.

Doug

This sounds good. I'll have to look it up.
kj

Dr. Daley's last trick. Uses four cards only and the magic happens in the spectators hands.

Ace by Richard Sanders

Sleepy

- 3 balls and net,
- My single rope routine based around the single rope routine on fiber optics,
- Coins across I get 2 spectator to hold saucers to make a large sound as the coins fall on to saucer,
- A routine using silks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcniuPad1h4,
- A single needle by Wayne Houchin,

All the trick mentioned above fit your crita but I add these as they do work as close up but play bigger.

Hope this helps

Ignition by Magic Smith never fails to amaze. The sugar packet penetration with it is great especially if you have a few loose granules of sugar you can drop at the point of penetration then show packet undamaged.

Some things not mention or I don't see vodka and orange juice or scotch and soda or Senor Osterlind sugar packet restore.

Stand-up Monte by Garrett Thomas
Stairway by Marcus Eddie

For totally impromptu: Gravity Coins from Klutz Book of Magic.
All it requires are four pennies (or nickels or whatever).

Packet tricks like The GOAT or BWAVE could work for you.

Zombira by Jimmy Fingers. No IT, no "zombie" gimmick. A new principle. I did it in BROAD DAYLIGHT! They didn't see a thing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfiozfb7sCE&t=82s

Get it here. It's called Zombira:

http://www.jimmyfingers.com/products

Doug