I talk a lot about the nerves that ruin so many magic tricks. These same nerves are the reason some magic tricks never make it past the practice stage. These nerves are usually born from a lack of confidence and this can only be overcome by getting out there and performing in front of people… but how can you do that when you are too scared because your nerves have overcome you. It can be a vicious cycle.
If you are looking for a classic magic trick, you can’t go past the “Cups and Balls Trick”. There have been many, many versions over the years that have been performed over the years. The effect is known as “acetabula et calculi“ and it is known to have been performed by Roman conjurers as far back as two thousand years ago.
The Cups and Balls trick has been used by many street performers around the world. The magic trick is not effected by what angle the audience is viewing the trick from which is good for street performers who have audiences from all angles. The Cups and Balls trick is also not affected by the elements and can still work a treat even if there is a light rain or a particularly windy area. The metal cups can also play a part in creating an audience because of the sound they create throughout the duration of the magic trick. These are just some of the reasons the Cups and Balls Trick is in many street performer’s repertoires.
Torn and Restored Sleight of HandIf you are looking for a fast and simple sleight of hand trick, look no further than the “torn and restored napkin” trick.
Sometimes magic tricks can be negatively affected by over complication. You know the type I mean: Here I have four Queens that I have removed from a deck of playing cards. If we put those Queens in between the two Kings, then give the deck two riffle shuffles and two cuts then I turn the deck upside down and…. The over complicated nature of a magic trick such as this, results in a loss of the trick’s overall strength.
This is not an issue when it comes to the torn and restored napkin trick.
The Penetrating Matches Trick focuses on the important subject of convincers.
A convincer is a subtle thing you say or an action you take that gently helps convince the audience that what you say and do is actually what is happening when, in fact, you are lying through your teeth. As long as it is in the name of fun, I enjoy lying through my teeth.
If you use convincers well, they will often be the things that your audience uses to recount the magic trick to their friends. Things like ‘his hands were completely empty’ or ‘she never went anywhere near the deck of cards’.
