Magic tricks lay at the heart of the art of magic and a performance, so the amount of work and practice that magicians put into their tricks is understandable. All magic is based on a set of principles that have been designed and used for centuries and when performing magic tricks magicians rely on sleight of hand to pull them off in front of crowds. For this reason, the fact that there is a trick to every piece of magic, a magician’s performance has come to be named a set of magic tricks instead of just magic.

We know that there is an explanation behind all magic tricks, but those explanations are not always obvious to viewers. Keeping the trick concealed and unapparent to the crowd is the main job of the magician, if his audience were to figure out or notice the trick, all element of surprise would be lost and the magic show is over. For this reason, there is also an unspoken code among magicians regarding the basic principles and sleight of hand that is used. In keeping these basic practices secret, magicians can perform their tricks confident that their audience will not be able to easily guess at how the tricks are being accomplished.

Even though all magicians base their magic tricks off the same set of principles and use some degree of sleight of hand, creating their own tricks and performance is integral to the art of a magician. Over time, magicians will create signature magic tricks or become better in one form of magic over the others. Each type of magic trick falls into a different category, and magicians may work more towards performing one than another. A vanishing and a production are two of the oldest types of magic illusions and the most commonly performed tricks. Other illusions like, predictions and penetrations are not considered by everyone to be an entire type of illusion on their own for one or several reasons.

The many schools of magic and magic tricks that are performed are generally past down from magician to magician, but no magician will share his secrets with someone who refuses to take a magician’s oath. Only then can someone train to learn the magic tricks of other magicians and learn enough sleight of hand to be able to create their own routines. The sharing of techniques and execution by all magicians regardless of skill level is important to the continued life of the trade. For this reason, not only do magicians pass on their knowledge to those that will work with them, but they form clubs or groups of trusted magicians in order to share information with each other.

While the presentation of magic can be in any form, from the theatrical to the serious to the horrific, the magic tricks are the root of the show. Without good knowledge of the principles of magic and hard work to master sleight of hand, convincing magic tricks are just not possible.

 


About the Author:

This is a real baffler from Scotland. It appears that you use very clever sleight of hand. However, it is very easy to do.

How it looks To The Audience

The Magician counts two even piles of cards onto the table. He then takes an odd card and asks the spectator which pile he would like it added to. With a mysterious wave of the hand, he causes the odd card to jump from one pile to the other!

How The Trick Is Done

This is a very effective trick and it all depends on suggestion and the way the cards are counted.

STEP ONE

Ask the spectator to place both hands flat on the table, as though he is playing a piano.

Take two cards from the deck and hold one in each hand, face down.

Say ‘Two cards, a pair, always even’ and place the two cards between the little and third fingers of the spectator’s left hand. The spectator clips them between those fingers, so the cards are held vertically.

Take another two cards from the deck and hold one in each hand, face down, and again say ‘Two cards, a pair, always even’. This time place the two cards between the third and second fingers of the spectator’s left hand.

Continue placing two cards between all his fingers (including first fingers and thumbs) until you reach the fourth and fifth fingers of his right hand. Then take one card and say ‘one card, always odd’. Place the card between his fourth and fifth fingers of his right hand.

STEP TWO

Remove the first pair of cards and place them side by side on the table, saying ‘two cards, a pair, always even’. Continue doing this until you reach the single card. The position at this stage is that you have two piles of cards on the table.

Hold the single card and say ‘one card, always odd’.

Ask the spectator which pile he would like you to place the odd card, then do so.

STEP THREE

Tell the spectator that you will cause the odd card to jump from one pile to the other. Wave you hand over the cards and them take the pile that the odd card was added to and count them out in pairs again (two cards, a pair, always even). The pile will come out even with no odd card remaining.

Take the other pile and count them out in pairs. After all the cards are dealt, you will be left with one odd card. The odd card has apparently jumped across!

A FURTHER EXPLANATION

There are seven pairs of cards and when they are dealt into two piles there are seven cards in each pile. So each pile is odd to begin with. However, by saying ‘two cards, a pair, always even’ all the time, you suggest to the spectator each pile is EVEN.

When you add the single card to either pile it will make it even, so the trick is self-working.


wedding gifts