How to Perform Card Flourishes

Whether you are a magician or you just sit around with some friends playing card games, showing a few card flourishes can be very impressive. But caution and care should be taken not to "show off" to your crowd, especially if you don't know the flourishes well. Here are some tips on the etiquette of how and when to perform card flourishes.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Deck of cards

1. Set your magic routine for the evening. If you are on stage and performing a whole show for an audience, you can be a little more liberal with the amount of card flourishes you are doing. However, if someone is paying you to be a wandering magician at a party, exercise caution and limit it to a couple of flourishes as you entertain different groups of guests at the party.

2. Read the people you are performing for at the party. Be intuitive about how "into" your act they seem. If you perform a flourish or two, and they do not seem that interested, then simply thank them for their time and move on. Also, never take someone not being "into" your act personally. When you are a wandering magician at a party, you never know what conversation you've just interrupted or stumbled upon.

3. Seek an invitation from people to continue performing. If people you are performing for are into your act, they may ask for a specific trick. This gives you license to show the trick they requested and to get a little fancier with the rest of your bag of tricks. Throw caution to the wind and go for it.

4. Keep a comfortable distance from people when you are performing flourishes. Remember, as a wandering magician at a party, you are approaching people who most likely know each other and have a comfortable rapport. While they may be close to one another, it does not mean you should be. Keep a comfortable distance while exhibiting the flourish.