Best opening card effect

[2ndhalfblood]

i know there are other threads like best card tricks or best impromptu card tricks, but i am looking for best effective opening effect you can do with cards, so has to be short, quite visual, not too much explaining/talking - basically attention grabbing
eg. something like card to mouth

[SJBrundage]

Holy Cow! Thats a tough question. There are a million awesome opening cards tricks.

ACR is a great routine to start. Card Under Box is an amazing trick to do. Happens within 10 seconds of the start of the trick and gets amazing reactions. The list goes on and on.

[goatears]

Chicago Opener

[heatedjeans]

Static by David Jade

[D ICE R]

Its what feels right for you, are you going to go up to a spectator with cards in hand or are you going to introduce yourself properly first. I mean if you go up to someone introduce yourself as a magician and then you need to remove the cards and go from there. This complete introduction is your opener and requires a lot of dead time before you have done anything.

As far as what is the best opener it should be dependent on who you are as a performer rather than what is best for me. When I was working doing close up as a magician at cocktail parties I would never open with a card trick it was always something which felt very organic usually producing something. If I was to open my set with cards I would load a deck into some ones jacket and after a brief chat I would leave to get a drink and come back only for someone to ask what I do. When I told them I was hired as a magician they ask to see a trick I inform them that I don't have my cards on me and ask to borrow the person who I loaded earlier. I then promise to return them after the performance.

I would then use a full routine I have been using for years that is basically an ACR using four of a kind. Personally I care more about the connection with theaudience than anything else.

It should be noted that this is my take in the environments which I was working and you need to decide in what will work for you.

[Randy]

Card under the box seems like an actual effect and more like the climax of an actual routine. What with how you could literally end just about ANY card routine with it. ACR ends with card under box, etc etc.

I would say that any opener should show the group that you know your stuff and be quick and to the point. Something simple like Card in hand would work, or simply even simpler by just having somebody select a card, control it to the top and to a DL, then do some transformation into their card or reveal it however you see fit. In your pocket, wallet, reversed in the deck, in your shoe, in a card box, under card box, etc etc.

Really it's pretty much up to you and it also depends on the situation you are performing in.

[ChristopherT]

As D ICE R said, it depends on you. I do frequently 'open' with cards, but only after I've chatted with the audience a little bit first. I usually like to open with a quick mind read, as that fits my character. But other people can't necessarily pull it off like I can, so it wouldn't be wise for them to copy me.

You need to look at your own character, your own skills, and your own repertoire and figure out what will work for you.

[2ndhalfblood]

usually, more often than not, i try to classic force for my opening and if they picked the card i go on mind reading but if they dont, i go to card to mouth as a opener, i was looking to expand on that

[Toby]

I usually do not open with cards, but if I do, it's Chicago Opener. It can be done as quick or as slow as you want it to be. If you want to grab their attention right away, you can always produce a deck of cards out of thin air and go into CO, you can use flash paper, or you can just take the cards out, do some type of flourish (ie. Sybil) to "mix the cards up" and then proceed with CO.
But, honestly, if you need anything more then your words to grab spectators attention, you're doing it wrong.

[SJBrundage]

Card under the box seems like an actual effect and more like the climax of an actual routine. What with how you could literally end just about ANY card routine with it. ACR ends with card under box, etc etc.
.

The reason i put just Card Under Box. Is because i have a 4 phase card to box that is great. First the card jumps under the box. Then the deck of cards jumps under the box. Then their card jumps under the box... THen i pretend im switching tricks.. and the card jumps under the box a 4th time! : )