There is no such thing as a "stand up comedy trick." A great comedian is what makes something funny. Look at the material in Mac King's, Larry Wilson's, or Michael Finney's act - there is nothing inherently funny about any of it. THEY make it funny.
Now, there are some tricks that come with a pre-written script that most people find easy to deliver and get laughs. If you are working for your friends, it's great. But if you are trying to work a comedy club, stay away from it. Tons of magicians have gone into comedy clubs with their "comedy magic." They all look like cookie cutters and comics have ZERO respect for them (comics tend to show no respect to magicians at all, unless you prove yourself to them.)
But, in an effort to be helpful, if you are old enough to pull it off, a lot of magicians love "Stan, Kate and Edith" available from Doc Eason. It's so overdone that it is almost "hack" these days, but with the right crowd you will still pull laughs from it.
If you want a real lesson in comedy, but the three volume Michael Finney DVDs from LandL. Don't steal his material. Just watch and learn.
Finally, there are many factors which influence comedy. A small group is harder to pull laughs from especially depending on the size of the room and its lighting. Good luck,
Brad Henderson
