Card tricks are the most popular performing magic arts. While it may look simple,  a single card trick involves a lot of complicated moves and precise skills. A card performance requires sleight-of-hand skills, mathematical calculation, excellent eye-to-hand coordination, and photographic memory. If you’re a magic enthusiast or beginner, or you’re just looking for some party tricks to liven up family time, there are some beginner-level tricks you can learn. All you need is a deck of cards and some practice. Let’s start from the easiest.

Classic pick a card – This trick involves asking your audience to pick a card, and after shuffling the chosen card in a deck, you randomly pick out the selected card from the deck. You will need to remember the cards quickly for this. The steps involved in this card trick include:

• Fan out your deck face down and ask your spectator to pick a card.
• Ask them to pick out the card and memorize it without showing you.
• Arrange your cards back into a deck and divide the decks into halves.
• Hold each half in separate hands.
• Quickly look at the bottom card of the top half in one hand and memorize it. Ask the spectator to place their chosen card on the top of the half-deck in your other hand.
• Join the two halves and fan out so that the cards are facing you.
• Quickly look for the card you memorized. Pick the card to its right and ask your spectator if it is their card.
• Enjoy the wonder on their face.

Levitate a card – This trick requires pre-performance props and color manipulation. You will need a straw, black thread, and transparent tape.

• Cut the straw and attach it to the back of a card with the transparent tape.
• Put a string of black thread through the straw. Tie the ends of the thread into a loop that your thumb can fit into.
• Tape the other end of the thread to the back of the card.
• Put your thumb into the tied loop on your left hand and your right thumb into the loop you made by taping the other end of the thread.
• Ensure that you’re wearing a shirt that matches the color of your thread so that it can blend in as you pull.

Finding a card – This basically involves finding a card in a ‘shuffled’ deck.

• Ask someone to draw a random card.
• Show it to your spectators.
• Quickly place the card under the top card without anyone noticing. You can create a subtle distraction.
• Display the deck and pick out the first two cards as a single card.
• Show it to your volunteer to confirm if it’s their card.
• Put the secret top card into the middle of the deck. Your spectators will think it is their card.
• Turn over the first card to surprise your audience.

These routines are the basics of card tricks. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it at first. With regular practice, you can move to advanced tricks in no time.