3 magic tricks to make you the life of the party

These magical tricks are easy to do and will wow your friends.

Ask a volunteer to do the following calculation in their head, so that you zero in on their brainwaves. Just follow this script:

• "Pick a number between one and 10 … multiply it by nine … if it's a two-digit number add them together … subtract five."
• "Pick the letter of the alphabet that corresponds to that letter, whatever it may be: A for 1, B for 2, and so on…"
• "Now think of a country that begins with that letter. Think of an animal that begins with the second letter of that country. Think of the colour of that animal."
• Now say, "That's odd: I'm getting a vision of a grey elephant in Denmark!"
• Nine times out of ten you'll be right: the answer to the calculation is always four, Denmark is the obvious country beginning with D, and an elephant the obvious animal beginning with E. But they don't know that.

1. Shuffle a deck of cards and ask a volunteer to take one and show it to the audience. Turn your back to assure them you can't see it.
2. While your back is to the audience, turn the pack of cards face up, and turn the top card over and place it face down on the pack.
3. Turn back to the audience, and showily wrap the elastic band round the pack width-ways. With the pack in your left hand, ask the volunteer to push their card face down into the pack.
4. Now the sleight of hand: pass the pack from your left hand to your right, left palm down. Now pass it back to your left hand. Ask the volunteer to twang the elastic "to release the magic".
5. Remove the band and fan the cards out (but don't let the audience look too closely). The volunteer's card will be face up in the middle of the pack — allowing you to name it with a triumphant flourish.

A great trick to do early in your set, this will establish your magical credentials:

1. The audience sees that your wand wondrously sticks to the palm of your hand though you aren't holding onto it.
2. What they don't see is that the wand is held in place by a pencil that you're holding in your other hand.
3. You could try tucking the pencil into the band of your wristwatch, but you'll have to practice hiding it at the end of the trick.

Magic tricks are a great way to have some fun at parties. These ones are easy to do and are sure to bring smiles to the guests.