Close Up Linking Rings

I always had this love hate relationship with the linking rings. It has all what you expect a routine to have. It's big, loud, impossible shit to hand out, interaction and all that jazz. Yet there are drawbacks. Not all rings can be handed out. Certain displays are more than fishy. Doing it with a small set takes away the "size" of the routine, but it enables you to do something else. You can switch an entire set. or part of it. So this is how the routine plays out now. I have all rings handed out. Each one. four single ungimmicked rings. Then I do my business and when I'm at the point where I link all of them in a chain of four I let go with my other hand. This fools most magicians. You can still show the set close up. When the rings are hanging I even point this out to laypeople "When you see other magicians do that, they will always hold their hand somewhere on the rings. I don't. I want you to remember that little detail."

I know that this is extremely unfair towards other magicians, but I love it that way. Handing all rings out in the beginning is crucial. if not you waste the whole effect. The spectators have to know that there is no opening. Otherwise you lessen the effectiveness of the trick drastically. I'm very unforgiving towards magicians who don't do that. There not milking the Linking Rings for what it's worth.