The best effect isn't always the most complex one

Sometimes it's worth giving our inner magician a wake-up call. We often undervalue certain routines because of their inner workings—"Oh, it doesn't have a top change, a Double Lift, or a palm, so it's weak..." Not true! It's a common mistake; laypeople don't see the sleights, they see the effect and the result—the external performance. The internal mechanics mean nothing to them; they only matter to us.

This past weekend, I decided to run a little experiment.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaZsPdvJjbm/?igsh=MWl2OHA1Mmk0YmtxOA==

I performed a simple effect at a friend's birthday dinner—"Bored of Shuffling," which is just a prediction with zero sleight of hand. Later, I performed "Jazz Aces" with its Elmsley counts and Double Lifts... Anyway, a little while after performing them, I asked: "Out of curiosity, which one did you like more?"

And everyone said the prediction.