How to Do Magic Tricks

• by Greg S

Introduction

• Magic has been entertaining young and old alike for generations. From the classic stage illusions of magicians like Harry Houdini to the modern street magic of Criss Angel, hocus pocus has a long and proud history.¹

• There is an art to doing magic well by using misdirection to fool the mind.² Fortunately, you don't have to go to Hogwarts to do tricks like Harry Potter. In this guide, we'll show you how to do tricks that will amaze your audience.

Step 1: Magic Basics

• Before you start learning specific tricks, you should learn as much as you can about the basics of magic, the so-called "second oldest profession."³

Sleight of Hand

• Sleight of hand is a collection of techniques magicians master to surreptitiously perform key moves in magic tricks without the audience knowing.

• In their act, the famous magicians Penn and Teller have explained their "seven principles of sleight of hand" and how they work.⁴
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• YouTube: Penn and Teller Explain Sleight of Hand (Time: 3:22)

• Their principles are:

1. Palming: Holding an object in your palm when it looks empty.⁵
2. The Switch: Craftily exchanging objects.
3. Misdirection: Diverting the audience's attention so you can set up your trick.⁶ This can be anything from simply distracting the audience with words to bringing out an attractive assistant.
4. Steal: Secretly aquiring an object. For instance, having a card hidden up your sleeve and bringing it out when the audience isn't looking.
5. Ditch: Secretly disposing of objects. For instance, slipping the card back up your sleeve when the audience isn't looking.
6. Simulation: Convincing the audience that something has just happened, when it actually hasn't.
7. Load: To sneakily move something where you need it.

• Though Penn and Teller have caused some controversy in the magic community by revealing how many famous tricks work, their informative and funny routines can be an invaluable resource for beginners.⁷

Sleight of Hand Moves

• So you know the general goals and philosophies of sleight of hand, but what are some specific moves that you can apply when you're learning magic tricks? Many can be learned using playing cards and coins, making card tricks and coin tricks a great place for beginning magicians to cut their teeth.

• Some key moves to learn include:⁸

1. The one-handed cut: Cutting the deck with only one hand.⁹
2. Finding the chosen card: Picking out the exact card an audience member has chosen.¹⁰
3. Forcing the choice of a card: Making the audience member think they chose a random card that you've actually given to them.¹¹¹²
4. Card breaks: Using your fingers to hold places in the deck. ¹³
5. Vanishing card move: Making a card disappear and reappear right before the audience's eyes.¹⁴
6. Coin palming: Holding a coin in your palm when it looks like you have nothing.⁵
7. Fake coin transfer: Appearing to transfer a coin from one hand to another while keeping it in the original hand.¹⁵

• As you dive deeper into magic, you'll probably buy some trick decks and special props for more complicated tricks. But before you can really feel ready to tackle those, you should practice the basic card and coin techniques until you're extremely comfortable with them. This will help bridge the gap to more complicated sleight of hand—or at least to some of the tricks in the next step!

Brain Teasers

• Misdirection (one of the seven principles above) is a key element to magic. By keeping the audience's focus on one thing, magicians use the distraction to make moves to set up the trick.

• The human brain is easily fooled, and learning how to misdirect someone's attention will be a key aspect of your craft. For example, there is an online "card trick" called the Cave of Magic, in which the card you mentally choose is "magically" removed from the screen.¹⁶

• While it's a bit shocking at first, the more you pay attention to the trick, the more you realize that you've just been duped: none of the cards on the second screen appear on the first. So while you're looking for the Queen of Clubs that you chose, you don't even notice that none of the other cards are the same, either.¹⁷

Watching the Pros

• Your technique is only part of the equation, of course. Magic is all about the delivery. Watching routines by well known and respected magicians such as Penn and Teller, David Copperfield, David Blaine, Criss Angel and others will help you identify and study techniques that they use, even if you're not entirely sure how the tricks work.

Step 2: Practice Some Basic Tricks

• So now you know a few slick moves—the next step is to put them to use in a good trick to impress all your friends!

Card Tricks

1. The Reverse Card Trick
   • This is an impressive trick to do with a deck of cards, and it's so easy that it's a great trick to start out with.
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   • YouTube: The Reverse Card Trick (Time: 1:43)¹⁸
   1. Prepare for this trick by getting a deck of cards and flipping the bottom card in the deck so it is facing the other direction.¹⁹
   2. When you fan the cards for an audience member to choose one, take care not to show that the bottom card is reversed.¹⁸
   3. While the chosen card is being memorized and/or shown to the audience, flip the deck over in your hand.
      • It still looks like you're holding a normal deck, because the back of the reversed card is on top. However, all the cards underneath are facing the opposite direction.²⁰
   4. Ask the audience member to insert their card back into the deck.
      • Don't fan the deck out or you will reveal the trick; just hold it out as a solid stack.¹⁸
      • Your audience will wrongly assume the card is going in the same side up as the rest of the deck.
   5. As you explain that you will now find the card that was just picked, casually flip the whole deck over again.
   6. Fanning the deck this time will reveal their card face up in an otherwise normal deck.
      • Again, make sure not to reveal your reversed card on the bottom.
2. Cut to Aces
   • Some tricks involve a quick setup, simple mathematics and a good presentation. With this one, you can make the audience member think they cut the deck to all four aces.
   1. Prepare the deck by Placing all four aces on top.²¹
   2. Have an audience member cut the deck into four piles.
      • Take note of where the top pile (containing the aces) is.
   3. With each non-ace pile, have them take three cards off the top, then deal one card on top of each of the other piles.²²
      • Now the ace pile has three random cards stacked on the four aces.
   4. Finish with the ace pile. This will discard the top three random cards and distribute the aces onto each of the other piles.
   5. Complete the trick by dramatically revealing the aces.²²
   6. While this is a very basic trick, more complicated variations can be developed using sleight of hand techniques.²³
3. More Card Tricks
   • There are so many card tricks to choose from. Here are some more to take a stab at:
   1. About.com: Easy Magic Tricks with Playing Cards  ²⁴
   2. YouTube: Easy Card Tricks with Explanations (Time: 6:44)²⁵
   3. YouTube: The Disappearing Card Trick (Time: 2:36)²⁶
   4. YouTube: Quick as a Wink Card Trick (Time: 2:05)²⁷

Coin Tricks

1. The Vanishing Coin
   • This popular trick requires nothing more than a coin.
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   • YouTube: Vanish Coin Magic Trick (Time: 1:40)²⁸
   1. Hold a coin in your right hand. Show it to your audience.
   2. Hold out your left hand, palm side up.
   3. Clasp the coin between your right thumb and index finger and bring the coin towards your left palm.
   4. Begin to close your left hand around the coin you're holding between your right index finger and thumb.
   5. Just before your hand is closed, use a motion not unlike snapping your fingers to quickly scoop the coin behind your right index finger and into your right palm.²⁹
   6. Clasping the coin in your right palm, let that hand drop naturally to your side.³⁰
   7. The audience will think you've clasped the coin in your left palm. Open that hand now, revealing it to be empty.
2. The Coin Matrix
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   • YouTube: Coin Matrix Revealed (Time: 2:46)³¹
   1. Place four coins in a square pattern in front of you.
   2. Get four playing cards to lay over each coin. As you place the first card on a coin, stealthily pick the coin up in your hand.³¹
      • Now the card looks like it's covering a coin, but there is nothing underneath.
   3. As you place the fourth card down, release the coin. The fourth card is now covering two coins instead of the perceived one.³²
   4. Next, you will lift that card to reveal that two coins are "magically" underneath. At the same time, lift one of the other cards that has a coin underneath.
      • When you pick up the second card, grab the coin underneath with your thumb and finger. Now when you lift the two cards, it will be empty under this one and it looks as though the coin has instantly moved under the card with two coins.
   5. Using the hand holding both a card and a coin, re-cover the two revealed coins. When you take your hand off the card, release the coin you were grasping, making it three coins under the card.
   6. Continue until the cards are all revealed and all four coins are in the same pile.
   • You could also do this trick using just your hands and no coins at all. Try coming up with your own variation.³³³⁴
   • TIP: Perform this trick on a soft surface such as a carpet or table cloth to reduce the chance of the coins making a sound.
3. More Coin Tricks
   1. Expert Village: How to Do Magic Coin Tricks³⁵
   2. YouTube: Quick and Easy Coin Trick (Time: 1:13)³⁶
   3. YouTube: Coin Bite Magic Trick (Time: 1:53)³⁷
   4. YouTube: Chapstick hidden coin (Time: 2:53)³⁸
   5. YouTube: How to Do Basic Coin Tricks (Time: 3:54)³⁹
   6. YouTube: Elbow Coin Vanish (Time: 1:17)⁴⁰

Other Kinds of Tricks

• There are all sorts of other kinds of tricks that involve anything from money to balls and cups to spoons.⁴¹ Here are a few examples.

1. Cups and Balls: A simple trick performed with three opaque cups and some small balls (often foam or cotton so they don't make noise).⁴²
2. The Rubber Band Up the Nose: This trick is gross but funny, and it's always a hit with party crowds or kids. All it requires is a rubber band.⁴³
3. Ropes: Another simple prop found around the house, there are magical possibilities for rope and string!⁴⁴
4. Prop Tricks: For things like linking rings, colored handkerchiefs, etc., you'll need to go to your local magic store (or an online magic store) to buy the props.⁴⁵⁴⁶
5. Rabbit Out of the Hat: OK, you're on your own for this one!

Practice Tips

• Before you do your tricks in public, you should practice your tricks to perfection.

1. Practice in front of a mirror.⁴⁷
   • This will help you grow accustomed to performing.
   • By practicing with a mirror, you will see exactly what your audience sees.
2. Start slowly until you get used to the movements you have to make.
   • Practice until your sleight of hand feels (and looks) totally natural.
3. Plan out your "Patter," or the things you will say when you perform, and rehearse it often.⁴⁸
   • Talking while you do your tricks helps keep your audience distracted, so they will be more surprised by the end result.

Building Your Repertoire

• After mastering all the tricks that the Internet has to offer, you may find that the magic bug has bitten you and you want to find more magic for your act.

1. Visit your local library for books and DVDs about how to do magic tricks.
   • Remember that good magic tricks never really become dated. A card trick from an old book can still dazzle people today.
   • If you'd rather not have to return it, check your local book store.
2. Find a magic shop in your area.
   • Stores will have props, trick decks, and other goodies to spice up your magic act.
   • You may be able to meet some magicians and ask them for advice.
   • Some magic shops also offer classes.

Step 3: Doing Magic Tricks For an Audience

• You've learned your tricks and practiced them well. You're ready to begin doing magic in public.⁴⁹ There are a few things you should do to make sure your performance goes smoothly.

1. Select an appropriate place to perform.⁵⁰
   • Obviously, you don't want to perform anywhere that's too noisy, windy, etc.
2. Wherever you perform, always make sure your audience is directly facing you.⁵¹
   • This way, you can control what they can see and can't see at all times.
3. Keep your audience engaged by interacting with them.
   • Tricks that require audience participation ("Pick a card, any card...") will help keep things lively.
   • You can ask an audience member to be your assistant.
4. Borrow items from the audience like handkerchiefs or dollar bills to use in your tricks.
   • This will make your trick seem more impressive, because they will know you're not using some trick prop you brought yourself.
   • Always be sure to return these items unharmed. You don't want to make your audience angry!
5. Be prepared for mistakes when they happen, and try not to get flustered.
   • Sometimes you can just ignore the mistake and hurry on to the next trick, and sometimes you can make a short joke before moving on.⁵²
6. Resist the temptation to repeat tricks for your audience, even if they ask to see the same trick again.⁵¹
   • The more people see a trick, the more likely it is they will discern how it really works.
   • Don't tell them how it was done!

Step 4: Performing a Full Magic Routine

• You can do a relatively simple display of magic, or you can work the magic into a more elaborate routine.⁵³

1. A full magic routine involves multiple tricks. Pay attention to pacing when planning your tricks, so you start with a quick trick to get attention, perform your more complex tricks in the middle of the act and end with your most impressive trick.⁵⁰
2. More elaborate routines often involve a lot of props. You'll probably want to buy or make a magician's box to carry everything.⁵⁴
3. Some pro magicians liven up their acts by creating a character or a persona for themselves.⁵⁵
   • There are comic magicians, and then there are the more quiet, brooding types like David Copperfield.⁵⁶ Magicians like Copperfield employ a rather dark, "mystical" persona, and audiences enjoy believing that the magician has genuine supernatural powers.²⁰
   • Other magicians opt for a much lighter approach, incorporating comedy into their acts.⁵⁷
   • Generally, you'll do best with a persona that is a natural outgrowth of who you really are, rather than some totally affected character.⁵⁸
4. If you perform magic for children, bear in mind that this requires a different mindset than performing for adults.
   • Avoid potential choking hazards and keep your routine short so the children don't become bored.⁵⁹
   • You should obviously remove any off-color jokes or really scary tricks from your routine.
5. You can delight kids by doing tricks like Harry Potter.⁶⁰ You can even involve classic magic tricks, but use the incantations from the J.K. Rowling novels.

Conclusion

• There are many ways to use magic. You can become a pro magician, you can entertain your friends or you can use it to break the ice with strangers. However you choose to use it, if you learn your tricks well and perform with confidence, your magic will never fail to amaze.

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References for How to Do Magic Tricks

1. ↑ The American Experience: Houdini: Harry Houdini
2. ↑ LiveScience: Study Reveals How Magic Works(November 20, 2006)
3. ↑ Economist.com: The Capitalism of Magic (September 18, 2007)
4. ↑ YouTube: Penn and Teller Explain Sleight of Hand (Time: 3:22)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} YouTube: Palming Coins (Time: 3:54)
6. ↑ About.com: Magic & Illusion: Misdirection
7. ↑ Fresh Air: Penn on "Fresh Air"(April 1, 1994)
8. ↑ About.com: Basic Magic Technique 
9. ↑ About.com: The One-Handed Cut 
10. ↑ About.com: Finding a Spectators Card 
11. ↑ About.com: Making a Spectator Select a Card 
12. ↑ YouTube: Card Fanning Techniques (Time: 3:19)
13. ↑ Expert Village: Magic Card Trick Break Technique (Time: 1:49)
14. ↑ YouTube: Simple Card Trick (Time: 1:43)
15. ↑ About.com: The Coin Vanish 
16. ↑ Online Magic Trick: Cave of Magic
17. ↑ HowStuffWorks: How the Cave of Magic Works
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2} YouTube: The Reverse Card Trick (Time: 1:43)
19. ↑ Answerbag.com: How to Do the Reverse Card Trick (March 25, 2008)
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} Helium: Easy magic tricks: Reversed card
21. ↑ About.com: Easy Magic Tricks: Cutting to the Aces
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1} eHow.com: How to Perform the Chasing Aces Card Trick
23. ↑ Metacafe: Ace Cutting Routine (Time: 1:45)
24. ↑ About.com: Easy Magic Tricks with Playing Cards  
25. ↑ YouTube: Easy Card Tricks with Explanations (Time: 6:44)
26. ↑ YouTube: The Disappearing Card Trick (Time: 2:36)
27. ↑ YouTube: Quick as a Wink Card Trick (Time: 2:05)
28. ↑ YouTube: Vanish Coin Magic Trick (Time: 1:40)
29. ↑ YouTube: Tutorial for Coin Vanishes (Time: 2:16)
30. ↑ ZOOM: Disappearing Coin Trick
31. ↑ ^{31.0 31.1} YouTube: Coin Matrix Revealed (Time: 2:46)
32. ↑ Metacafe: Learn the Coin Matrix (Time: 1:03)
33. ↑ YouTube: The Coin Matrix (Time: 0:58)
34. ↑ YouTube: Magic Coin Matrix (Time: 1:14)
35. ↑ Expert Village: How to Do Magic Coin Tricks
36. ↑ YouTube: Quick and Easy Coin Trick (Time: 1:13)
37. ↑ YouTube: Coin Bite Magic Trick (Time: 1:53)
38. ↑ YouTube: Chapstick hidden coin (Time: 2:53)
39. ↑ YouTube: How to Do Basic Coin Tricks (Time: 3:54)
40. ↑ YouTube: Elbow Coin Vanish (Time: 1:17)
41. ↑ About.com: Easy Magic Tricks 
42. ↑ YouTube: Cups and Balls Magic Revealed (Time: 1:44)
43. ↑ YouTube: Rubber Band Up the Nose (Time: 2:15)
44. ↑ eHow.com: How to Do Rope Magic Tricks
45. ↑ YouTube: Bornstein's Linking Rings (Time: 4:12)
46. ↑ About.com: Color-Changing Handkerchiefs  
47. ↑ eHow: How to Do Magic Tricks
48. ↑ About.com: Magic & Illusion: Patter
49. ↑ eHow: How to Work With Spectators During Magic Tricks
50. ↑ ^{50.0 50.1} eHow: How to Prepare to Do Magic Coin Tricks
51. ↑ ^{51.0 51.1} eHow: How to Do The Best Magic Tricks
52. ↑ WikiHow: How to Recover from a Bungled Magic Trick
53. ↑ eHow: How to Perform Magic Tricks
54. ↑ WikiHow: How to Make a Magicians Tool Box
55. ↑ Expert Village: Your Persona During Your Magic Act
56. ↑ Official Site: David Copperfield
57. ↑ eHow: How to Do Comedy Magic
58. ↑ Helium: Good magic tricks for beginning magicians
59. ↑ eHow: How to Put on a Magic Show for Children
60. ↑ WikiHow: How to Do Harry Potter Style Magic Tricks

How to Do Magic Tricks Videos

• YouTube: Penn and Teller Penn and Teller Explain Sleight of Hand(Time: 3:21)
• YouTube: Coin Bite Magic Trick Revealed(Time: 1:54)
• YouTube: How to Do Magic Coin Tricks and Illusions : Retention Vanish Coin Magic Trick(Time: 1:39)
• YouTube: Cuts & Shuffles: How to Do Magic Card Tricks : Explanation of the Reverse Card Trick: How to Do Magic(Time: 1:43)
• YouTube: Cups and Balls magic revealed(Time: 1:45)
• YouTube: Magic Tricks Revealed : Learn Popular Illusions Free : The Rubber Band Up the Nose Illusion : Magic Tricks Revealed(Time: 2:14)

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