Want to be a magician? Want to perform some breathtaking tricks in a black cloak? Well, pulling off a couple of magic tricks is simpler than you think. Magic tricks are just tricks. So they can be performed easily with good planning and practice.

Learn a handful of tricks and you could put up your own magic show for your friends, family or classmates.

Before you begin, remember that the secret is to prepare beforehand and practice well. The success of a trick lies not only in performing the trick but in presenting it too. Creative and expressive words and actions can do wonders for your show.

A magician's rules

Here are some pointers a magician should never forget.

1. Practice till you are perfect.

2. Practice with the same materials which you will use while performing (whenever possible).

3. Keep up a lively and amusing commentary while doing the trick. You can say, “A fairy flies and pulls my hand up and moves it like this and puts magic into it. (While you move one hand accordingly, perform your secret operation with the other.) Then this hand waves with the new magic and says, “Wish-bish-kish-mish, gili-bili-mili-boo.” Hey presto! The coin has multiplied! (Now you can show the coins to the dumbstruck viewers with a huge smile.)

4. Never repeat a trick in front of the same audience, especially when requested.

5. Stand at a distance from the audience, preferably with a table in front of you. The audience must be seated directly in front of you.

6. Don’t reveal the secret even when pressed.

7. If a trick doesn’t work well, don’t keep trying in front of the audience. Say the wind has changed and you need to wait for the right wind or some other story. Move on to the next trick confidently without appearing upset or confused.

Coin tricks

There are loads of coin tricks you can try. They are usually performed by deft movements and hidden coins.
Just get some good practice so that no one will notice your movements. Here are a few coin tricks to try.
Standing coin: Take out a simple coin. Pass it around so that everyone can examine it and be sure it is an ordinary one. Place it on your open palm.

Wave your wand or hand over it saying slowly,
“Binkoorobeeeru beenu.” (or any other gibberish!)
Magic, magic, enter the coin, fill the coin and let it obey my command.”
Keep moving your wand in different ways to keep the attention of the audience. Chant,
“Coin, coin in my hand,
Obey my word and take a stand.”
While you say this in a deep, mysterious voice, slowly hold the coin with your thumb and forefinger and make it stand. Leave it. It remains standing!
Wow! Looks amazing, huh?

Psst…Here’s the secret. Hold out your palm and place a paper pin between your index finger and third finger so that the pinhead is facing you and the pin is not visible to others. Place the coin on the pin. Slowly lift the pin and coin together, using your thumb and forefinger. Make sure you have a good grip on the pin between your fingers.
Adjust the coin so that the pin is at the centre. Now slowly take off your hand and watch the coin stand. Make sure it does not appear to be leaning backwards. While you practice, choose the coin that works best with your pin.

Card tricks

With a pack of cards, there are many tricks that can be performed. Try this simple one:

Tell the audience you can see through a card and tell you whether it is black or red. Beforehand, split your pack of cards into two stacks— the blacks and the reds. Now take the stack with the black cards and fold it slightly backwards at the middle. Then take the other stack and fold it forwards. The effect should be a slight bend in all the cards.

Make sure the cards at the bottom also have a bend. Now shuffle the cards and pick one and place it face down. See if you can spot a forward or backward bend. This will help you identify any card from the pack. Make sure the bend is not too obvious.

Offer the pack to the audience and challenge them to place any card face down. You can tell them if it is black or red.

Sliced banana

Tell the audience that you are going to slice a banana without touching it. Take a knife and do the action of slicing the air around it without touching the banana. Tell them you have sliced it. Open the banana. Use a fork to pick out the slices!

The secret is, preparing the banana earlier. Pick out a firm banana with a thin skin. Take a sharp toothpick, make a hole on one side of the banana. Push it in till the end without making a hole on the other side. Move it in both directions to slice it. Make three or four slices. Make all the holes on one side. Hold the banana so that the holes face you and are not visible to the audience.

More tricks

Pick up tricks from cousins, parents and friends. Most people would know at least a trick or two. Search for books or websites with magic tricks. Soon you’ll have a good collection of tricks up your sleeve.

Magic kits

Magic kits are easily available in shops. These have objects that are made in such a way as to trick the audience. The kits come with a number of objects and clear instructions. Pick up a kit if you want to add variety to your magic show.

Dressing up

Try to make a shiny cloak with an old dupatta or cloth. Pin on shiny stars if needed. Want to be more dramatic? Make a small roll or cone from black chart paper, stick it on a paper plate painted black (turned upside down), and attach elastic to make a magician’s hat. Get a straight stick and wrap it in gold or silver paper for your magic wand.

As you add tricks to your hat, you can hold more magic shows, but remember to keep your tricks a secret always.