What are some of the most impressive magic tricks you can learn?

Jun 19, 2018
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The tricks don't have to be "easy" or "self-working". I am willing to put in the effort for a good magic trick.

And while simple, low-impact magic tricks are great, since not every trick you do has to leave people screaming with excitement, but right now, I want to hear what you consider to be some of the most impactful tricks ever.
Preferably, I have to be able to buy the DVD or PDF or video or whatever.

Personally, I think silverware bending (people in this forum are probably starting to get sick of listening to me talk about fork bending) is one of the more impressive tricks.
 
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Antonio Diavolo

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Jan 2, 2016
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Ive found that any sort of mind reading really freaks people out. Making things move without touching them. Doing things in their hands or with borrowed objects. This is just what ive found. Any trick can be a miracle if the magician makes it into one.


And a lot of people on the forum are probably tired of hearing me talk about it but WikiTest is one of my favorite tricks to perform right now. Its expensive but imo it’s 100% worth it
 
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Oct 6, 2017
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While it is not my favorite, I have received the best reactions from levitating a card or doing a haunted deck routine. It is the one thing that people will come back and ask to see again.
My roommates who I have lived with for YEARS will still ask to see it
 

CWhite

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Jul 22, 2016
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While it is not my favorite, I have received the best reactions from levitating a card or doing a haunted deck routine. It is the one thing that people will come back and ask to see again.
My roommates who I have lived with for YEARS will still ask to see it

I tried the haunted deck for my daughter. The ***** snapped and I guess I was too close, the end damn near took out my eye..
Been terrified to try it again.. #freakaccident
 
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CaseyRudd

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If your main goal is to impress spectators with your tricks, you've already missed the point.

Don't perform magic to impress.

However, to answer your question, it's any effect that is performed extremely well. But even then you don't want them to be impressed by your skill; you want them to feel as if your skill had nothing to do with the effect at all.
 

Antonio Diavolo

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Jan 2, 2016
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If your main goal is to impress spectators with your tricks, you've already missed the point.

Don't perform magic to impress.

However, to answer your question, it's any effect that is performed extremely well. But even then you don't want them to be impressed by your skill; you want them to feel as if your skill had nothing to do with the effect at all.
Well said!
 
Jul 26, 2016
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The truth of the matter is that spectators often hire magicians on the basis of having been super-impressed by a certain trick(s). And there is nothing wrong with that. They know real magic doesn't exist (or at least they believe it doesn't), so the default is tricks which blow their minds and at least convey the impression of great skill. I remember performing at an upscale event one night, and the following day, I got a call from one of the guests. The first thing he said was, "You're the magician who turned playing cards into credit cards, then turned the credit cards into $100 bills." What could I say but, "Yes, that's me." Within a minute of that exchange I was hired for his 50th Anniversary party. This is not to say that great presentation is not important, but super strong tricks get the money.

Here are some on my short list:

Chop cup with 3-fruit final load production
Signed Card on Ceiling
Invisible Deck
Magic Square coupled with mind reading of the number using a p _ e _ wallet
Floating Dollar
 
Jun 27, 2018
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If there was a simple answer to this question, then all magicians would be doing just those tricks. The fact is that everyone does magic a little differently. There's a difference in style/personality, in the audiences performed for, conditions performed in, etc. For example, David Copperfield flying on stage and David Blaine making a coin disappear on the street have both been presented in ways that make them worthy of television. They are both amazing in their own way at the right time in the right conditions.

I would recommend developing a broad range of effects to start with and then you'll find your style over time. Then you can focus on the best effects for that style of magic.

If you insist on a simple answer to the question, then yes, strong mental effects and well executed animation (floating, moving, bending) effects tend to play very strong. As do effects where the magician doesn't seem to touch any of the objects involved. That's just a general trend though - not an absolute rule.
 

Josh Burch

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Aug 11, 2011
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Really, it is any effect you put effort into to make it your own.

RealityOne and Christopher echo my thoughts.

When you are learning an effect imagine what the ideal version of that effect is. Practice it until you can get close to that ideal version of the effect. Then perform it until everyone watching experiences that version of the effect. Almost any effect can be made incredibly impressive.
 
Jun 19, 2018
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I completely agree with all of you. Magicians are entertainers, after all. While tricks are great, the personality of the magician also truly matters. As I always say "Good tricks don't decide the quality of the magician. Good magicians decide quality of the tricks". Smaller tricks, like Banachek's ABCD prediction (where they cross one out, and that letter is written on the back side of the paper) from Psychological Subtleties 1 gets me great reactions, even though it's a 1/4 chance. Which is quite bigger than a 1/52 chance with playing cards, which doesn't get quite as good reactions.

But if I wanted to be reminded of that again, I could have just read the 1479 other posts you guys have made which stated exactly that.

Right now, I am trying to expand my knowledge of magic tricks. Whenever I perform, I just feel like I don't have enough. I do spend time practicing and perfecting my tricks, but I want learn of more tricks so that I can find exactly what suits my style.

I wrote "impressive" to get my point across. For some time, I have looked at magic youtube videos, and as expected, most of the tricks aren't that great. Either, the method is unclean and obvious, or the entire trick is just plain up lame.

Maybe it would have been better to write "What are some of your favorite tricks to perfrom"?
 
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WitchDocIsIn

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Sep 13, 2008
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When we say "it's all about the performer" we're being serious. You can ask "What's your favorite trick" and get lists upon lists of tricks. But what good would that do? Unless you're going to look into every single trick listed, you're just seeing names.

For example - when I busk, I do a stupid gag to open. The "No" prediction. Where you have "No" written somewhere, and ultimately end up saying something along the lines of, "If I asked you, 'do you know what's written here?' what would you say?" and they say, "no". It's a stupid joke. But you know what? I open every solo busking show that way and it always does well - because I've tweaked it and played with it and made it into something that does exactly what I need it to do.

So, if you want lists - I just got home about 20 minutes ago from the second weekend of the fair I do every year. I've been performing:
"No"
Bounce/No Bounce
Free Will
Dream Lock
The Solution
Nailed It!
PK Touch
Voodoo Doll (My own creation, which is a variation of PK Touch, not Okito's doll)
Strait Jacket escape
Through and Through
Razor Blade Threading

That's what I personally do in three separate shows (My "A" list, "B" list, and a side show with my wife), and doesn't include our partner acts like Bed of Nails (Which I really enjoy) and her glass walking routine.

But even if you go out and buy every one of those, you wouldn't be doing anything like what I'm doing - because I don't do any of them the way they're taught in the instructions. Some of them I've changed the presentation, some I've changed the method, some I've changed both. In other words, the routines I do that are impressive are not impressive because of the trick - they're impressive because I've turned a trick into an experience for the audience.

This is why we keep saying that the impressive tricks are the tricks that you make impressive. That's what showmanship is.
 

Antonio Diavolo

Elite Member
Jan 2, 2016
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California
When we say "it's all about the performer" we're being serious. You can ask "What's your favorite trick" and get lists upon lists of tricks. But what good would that do? Unless you're going to look into every single trick listed, you're just seeing names.

For example - when I busk, I do a stupid gag to open. The "No" prediction. Where you have "No" written somewhere, and ultimately end up saying something along the lines of, "If I asked you, 'do you know what's written here?' what would you say?" and they say, "no". It's a stupid joke. But you know what? I open every solo busking show that way and it always does well - because I've tweaked it and played with it and made it into something that does exactly what I need it to do.

So, if you want lists - I just got home about 20 minutes ago from the second weekend of the fair I do every year. I've been performing:
"No"
Bounce/No Bounce
Free Will
Dream Lock
The Solution
Nailed It!
PK Touch
Voodoo Doll (My own creation, which is a variation of PK Touch, not Okito's doll)
Strait Jacket escape
Through and Through
Razor Blade Threading

That's what I personally do in three separate shows (My "A" list, "B" list, and a side show with my wife), and doesn't include our partner acts like Bed of Nails (Which I really enjoy) and her glass walking routine.

But even if you go out and buy every one of those, you wouldn't be doing anything like what I'm doing - because I don't do any of them the way they're taught in the instructions. Some of them I've changed the presentation, some I've changed the method, some I've changed both. In other words, the routines I do that are impressive are not impressive because of the trick - they're impressive because I've turned a trick into an experience for the audience.

This is why we keep saying that the impressive tricks are the tricks that you make impressive. That's what showmanship is.
Is Free Will that trick where you correvtly predict the location of 3 shapes using equivoque?
 

WitchDocIsIn

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Sep 13, 2008
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It's not really equivoque, but more or less, yes. Three wood tokens, one ends up in their hand, one in your hand, one in the bag, and you predicted it all along. I'm still fine tuning how I want to perform it, but currently I use it as a follow up to the "No" gag to be a little more serious.
 
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Jun 27, 2018
12
14
Right now, I am trying to expand my knowledge of magic tricks. Whenever I perform, I just feel like I don't have enough. I do spend time practicing and perfecting my tricks, but I want learn of more tricks so that I can find exactly what suits my style.

Maybe your question is more like: There are a thousand tricks out there, and I am just starting out, so what should I learn first? Is that a fair representation?

If so, then I would recommend not looking at individual tricks but rather at one or two books that teach you all the basics while also introducing you to a basic version of almost every mentalism effect there is. I personally feel Corinda's 13 steps is hard to beat, though I'm sure the "best beginner's book" question has been well discussed elsewhere on this forum. Whichever book you choose, make sure it covers a broad range of techniques and read it cover to cover. You'll learn lots of absolute miracles along the way as a bonus...
 
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