The importance of pocket management

There is nothing worse than seeing a magician, and digging around in his pockets looking for something. On this article I will try to focus on the tool-side preparation before the gig or as it is known in our trade, pocket management

I believe that when ever you are performing, all your props should be exactly at the same place every time and you should have learned before hand to know immediately where each item is placed and where it goes after its use. This placement of props should not be haphazard. It should be as effectively as possible thought out in advance.  For example in my stand-up act I have jacket on.

In my jacket I have four inner breast pockets instead of  normal two. This is made possible by tailor made jacket as I told about last time. In the upper left breast pocket I have card to wallet with prepared envelope. Also in left side on the pocket underneath the wallet I have BLUE sharpie marker and dull knife. On the right side breast pocket I have a deck of cards in its case and in the pocket underneath I also have BLUE sharpie marker and second a knife. Depending on the routine I will do I also have 4 aces in my outside breast pocket. I try to keep my side pockets empty so the jacket doesn’t bulge too much.

Some reader might have started to wonder the amount of sharpies and knifes I am carrying. In my act I need the markers two times so of course I try to carry my own marker. But why one wont do? What if the ink is dry? What if I dropped one of the markers or misplaced it by accident. As Murphy's Law stated: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong at some time.  Although I try to test that my markers are working before the gig, over the years I have been surprised that ink was tried out in the sharpie twice. The first time it happened I was not prepared… Now I am wiser and I am prepared.

I also like to have the markers in both side breast pockets because I usually take marker out with my right hand from the left side pocket but sometimes my right hand might be occupied or I am not on top of my game and without thinking I reach for marker with my left hand instead. I don’t have to worry, I will still find a marker from the pocket immediately and I don’t waste time looking for it. I have two knives for the same reason. I can take knife out on what ever hand I choose to and what works best at that moment.

In fact, this might be over doing it but I actually have three knives with me when I am performing. I have third extra one inside my briefcase and I never ever take it out or even use it. I don’t wash it or something similar.  The reason for this was also developed when performing. In my youth I once had to borrow a knife from the table so that I could cut open the Kiwi and reveal the bill inside. Also I once had to cut the lemon open scissors because I forgot to take the knifes with me because I had washed em up.  I am not the only one who had to do something like this. I know at least two Finnish magicians who told me that they had forgotten the knife from their pocket and at the end of the show had problems with the Lemon Game because they didn’t have anything to cut the lemon open. This is worst possible time to mess something up.  If this should ever happen again to me at least I know that I am prepared and I have that extra knife in my briefcase.

Although by now I have learned where I put everything by heart I still don’t trust my memory. Included inside my briefcase I also have a notepad. In my notepad I have made a small form. It contains every routine that is on my repertoire as separate item. Under each routine it lists all the things I need in the routine and their respective places. Each detail is then followed by around 30 empty squares. On the top line I can mark the date and place of the gig. The list might look something like this:

CARD WALLET

Wallet in the left breast pocket x x
Envelope loaded into the wallet x x
Sharpies in inside pockets x x
Deck of cards in right inside pocket x x
Four aces in outer breast pocket x x
Force card shorted and in the deck x x
  

A few minutes before I am introduced I go thru the list with a pen. I check the boxes after I see that the details described in them are in order. This takes about 30 seconds, but it works as the last minute check-up that as ensures that I have made all preparations correctly and I won’t find any surprises on the stage.  It also smoothens out my act because I know where everything is.

A prime example of good pocket management is Mac King. At the moment of writing this there is about four clips on You Tube on Mac King where he is doing the same card trick with the assistant. All the videos are shot from different shows. If you watch them all you notice that he will take the cards every time from the same pocket, puts the case in same pocket, takes the marker from the same pocket and places it back there and so on. Most people don’t even realise the things like this and they shouldn’t but this wouldn’t be the case if he had to dug around his pockets to find what ever he is looking for. He can completely concentrate purely on performing because he knows where everything is.