Blog entries from Bruce

Envelope Vanish Coin Tutorial

Nic Bruce — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:26:25 +0100

The Effect:

A fairly heavy Manila paper envelope is prepared beforehand by cutting a slot at the bottom right corner. With a pair of scissors trim a small sliver of paper from the bottom of the envelope. When the envelope is prepared this way the opening will offer no resistance to the coin and it will fall freely into your hand.

The Secrets:

From a piece of paper the same color as the envelope, cut a round piece theRead More...

Invisible Deck Secret!

Nic Bruce — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:00:00 +0100

Effect:

A magician asks a person to think of a card. He then acts like he has an invisible deck of cards. The spectator removes his card and turns it over. The Magician then pulls out a deck of REAL cards. He asks what the card was. The magician then opens the deck and fans the cards. Only one card is upside down. The chosen card.

Props needed:

A deck of cards with rough backs.

Secret:

Every card in the deck has anotRead More...

David Blaine Trick - How To Make a Nail Writer

Nic Bruce — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:00:00 +0100

Effect:

The magician asks for a person to think in a number of 3 digits. After the person thinks of a number, the magician writes in a paper block the number that she thought. The number that she thought is the same as it is written in the block.

This trick has an excellent effect.

Items Used:

A very strong glue, a tube of white glue, a penknife or probe, a pencil, a scissors, ribbon adhesive of the colour of the skin, a paper block andRead More...

Math Hat Trick

Nic Bruce — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0100

For this lovely piece of magic it is a good idea to have a hat and before you do the trick put in number cards with these digits on. You also need a calculator.

Ask your spectators to choose a number between 1 and 6 and enter it on the calculator. Then follow these instructions:

Multiply the number by 9Multiply the answer by 111Multiply the answer by 1001Divide the answer by 7.

Say all theRead More...

Math Age Trick

Nic Bruce — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Do you really want to know your granny's age?

...this is a sneaky way to find out!!

Just follow these simple instructions:

Ask the person to multiply the first number of his or her age by 5. (This is usually the tens digit, but if the person is less than 10 years old the first digit will be zero eg a five year old will be 05. If the person is over 100 then it will be both of the first two digits eg 103 will be 10)Then add 3.Then double the answer.Next ask the peRead More...

Dice Dynamics - Math Magic

Nic Bruce — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0100

This is an amazing way to work out what numbers are on two dice. Ask your friends (or other victim) to roll two dice, but not let you see what numbers come up.

Then ask them to do the following:

Double one of the numbers.Then add 5 to it.Then multiply the answer by 5.Add the second number.Finally subtract 25.Ask them what answer they have. The two digits of the anRead More...

3 Digit - Math Tricks

Nic Bruce — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0100

For this piece of magic you need a pretty clever audiences who is good at taking away (or can use a calculator).

Ask them to work this sum out:

Write down a three digit number where all the digits are different.
eg 317Reverse the digits eg 713Take the smaller number from the larger number
713
317
----- -
396Ask them to tell you the hundreds digit or the units digit and you will be able to tell them the whole answer without knowing what numbers they chRead More...

Math Square Numbers

Nic Bruce — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Have you seen those square Easter eggs I got one and it was delicious!

This magical maths trick involves square numbers. Remember, you get a square number by multiplying a number by itself. For example 6 x 6 = 36. 36 is a square number.

There is an amazingly quick way of squaring a two digit number which ends in 5. All you have to do is multiply the first digit by the number one more than it, and then put a 25 on the end of your answer.

Eg: 35 squared
3 x 4 = 12
puRead More...

Turn Around - Easy Card Trick

Nic Bruce — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

This trick is easy to learn and easy to remember. It will be great fun to watch your friends struggle with it. Then, when they have tried this way and that, becoming more and more entangled, show them how simple it is by doing it in no time at all!

Even after they see you work it, they probably will fail unless you tell them just where the Read More...

The Number 1089

Nic Bruce — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Have you ever heard the number 1089? No, then learn this mathemagic 1089 to amaze your friends!

Ask a spectator to put a three digit number into the calculator (They have to put the digits in descending order, like 741 or 942).Press the subtraction key.Then enter the same number in reverse order eg 147 or 249.Press the equals key.Keep the answer on the display. Remember it and mentally reverse the answer.Press the add key.Enter the three digit number which you reversed.Press the equalRead More...