Pull a rabbit out of a hat.

This is the most typical of all magic tricks, originating back in the early 1800s. The magician first shows the audience that there is nothing in the hat next to him on the table and then pulls an adorable live rabbit out. So how does he do it? Let’s take a look…

Explanation of pulling a rabbit out of a hat

This trick requires more props than meets the eye. As you may have already guessed, the rabbit does not appear out of thin air: the hat is placed on a table with a hole in it, and the rabbit is placed in a bag under the table, which is hidden from view by a long tablecloth. The magician reaches through the hole and snatches the rabbit out of the bag, creating the illusion that he has just made a rabbit out of thin air!

Sword Swallowing

When you attend a circus show or performance, you are bound to see a sword swallower. It happens as follows: The performer takes a frighteningly long dagger or sword, tilts his head back, and then shoves the blade down his throat. So how is this truly amazing (or terrifying, depending on who you ask) trick performed?

Compared to the other stunts on this list, “sword swallowing” requires no sleight of hand or gimmicks…. The performer swallows the sword! This stunt takes years of training, requiring you to severely tense your neck and train your upper esophageal sphincter to relax as the sword slides down your throat millimeters away from your vital organs. But as dangerous as the art of sword swallowing can be, there have only been 29 reported fatalities since 1880. However, do not attempt this at home!

I saw a person in half.

Typically performed in front of a live audience on stage, this classic trick is performed with the magician’s assistant lying on a table and locked in a box. Then, the magician “cuts” the assistant in half and slides the two halves apart so the audience can see them. In doing so, the assistant is exemplary even though he has just been cut in half.

Here’s how they do it…

In reality, this trick requires not one but two assistants to work. In this trick, the second assistant hides in a box designed for the feet of the first assistant and then sticks his feet out, giving the illusion that there is only one assistant. After the magician slides the boxes apart, both assistants move their limbs simultaneously, letting the audience know they are completely unharmed!

Levitating Man

The levitating man is an audience-favorite trick guaranteed to make passersby stop on the spot. In this stunt, the person sits cross-legged and floats, holding only a thin pole. So, how does this fantastic trick work? Believe it or not, it is straightforward.

The levitating person floats in the air, holding a thin pole next to him with one hand, but in fact, this pole is equipped with a wire. The wire forms a basket where the person sits and is then covered with their clothing – usually a long garment. The base of the pole is a platform that supports the entire apparatus, traditionally covered with flowers or some other unsuspicious decoration.

Biting the coin

Biting a coin is another familiar trick street magicians perform on passing tourists. The magician asks a random spectator for cash and then may even ask them to try to bite off the coin themselves. After a failed attempt, the magician bites off the currency himself without much effort, and the spectators wonder how he managed not to break a tooth.

Does your jaw hurt when you read about this trick? That’s okay because you don’t have to break your teeth to do it. Once the spectator unsuccessfully tries to bite off his coin and gives it to the magician, the magician uses a sleight of hand to switch to a trick coin that is supposed to break under pressure. The hardest part is discreetly changing the coins without the audience noticing what is happening!

I saw a man in half.

This classic trick is usually performed in front of a live audience on stage, with the magician’s assistant lying on a table and locked in a box. Next, the magician “cuts” the assistant in half and slides the two halves apart so the audience can see them. In doing so, the assistant is exemplary even though he has just been cut in half.

Here’s how they do it…

In reality, this trick requires not one but two assistants to work. In this trick, the second assistant hides in a box designed for the feet of the first assistant and then sticks his feet out, creating the illusion that there is only one assistant. After the magician slides the boxes apart, both assistants move their limbs simultaneously, letting the audience know they are completely unharmed!

Flexible Spoon

The bending spoon trick is usually performed at events where food is served. During the performance, the magician takes an arbitrary spoon from the table and begins shaking it vigorously until it bends. He then quickly returns the scoop to its original shape as if nothing had happened.

Assuming that the magician has no magical powers, how can he accomplish such a feat?

Like many other tricks on this list, the spoon-bending scheme requires the magician to master the art of sleight of hand fully. The principle is as follows: in addition to the spoon, the magician holds a small silver coin in his hand, which the audience cannot see. This coin plays the role of the tip of the spoon, and since it remains stationary, the illusion is created that the scoop has lost its shape.

Coin through glass

This trick is another proven classic that is guaranteed to impress your friends. With this trick, the magician pushes a coin through ordinary uncut glass with little effort. He places the cash in his hand and then taps the mirror several times without letting the currency out of his hand. The coin mysteriously passes through the glass.

Below is a diagram of how to perform this old classic trick, and it’s easier than you think!

He squeezes his fingers over the coin more between the magician’s strikes on the glass. Then, at the last strike on the glass, he moves the cash to his fingertips and calmly tosses it into the air into the glass. As you can see, this trick takes a lot of practice and manual dexterity. But all this is done so quickly and gradually that the spectators do not even have time to notice!

floating cup

In the floating cup trick, the magician gives the impression that the cup is floating in the air between his hands, creating the illusion that he is moving it only with his mind. He starts by holding the cup in his hands as usual but then slowly spreads his hands apart until it is evident that the cup is floating.

So, how does he manage to pull off this simple but convincing trick?

Alas, no one has yet figured out how to make objects float in the air (as far as we know). Nevertheless, this trick is perfect for anyone performing at a party to impress unsuspecting friends. All you have to do is make a hole in the back of a Styrofoam cup and use your other hand to distract the audience and keep them from getting caught. This part takes some skill, and you must ensure the spectators stand right before you so they can’t see what you’re doing from the side!

A pigeon appearing out of thin air

Rabbits aren’t the only animals that are often used in magic tricks. For example, in this trick, the magician tells the audience that a pigeon will appear out of thin air before their eyes. Then, after a flash of light and a loud explosion, the pigeon appears.

As it turns out, the flash of light and the loud explosion are not just for nothing – they distract the audience from the fact that the pigeon has been there all along. The magician hides the pigeon in his sleeve and quickly pulls it out while the noise and lights distract the audience. Of course, it takes a very obedient bird to make this trick go smoothly!