SIX cool bar tricks that anyone can master.

Paul Michael — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:40:54 +0000

As some of you regular Wise Bread readers know, I’m a big fan of bar tricks, friendly hustles and harmless wagers. Well, as we’re approaching the peak of partying season I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the newest, coolest bar tricks I’ve picked up. And these ones are really easy to learn, even my dear old mom could do them.

I found a site called easybartricks.com quite by accident and I was glued to it for over half an hour. I watched some of these videos over and over again to get the trick down cold.

Remember, no-one likes to be completely conned but these are all just a harmless bit of fun. Do it with your friends and co-workers and then let them in on the trick afterwards. They’ll be just as happy to learn the secret. You don’t even have to do any of these as a bet, they’re also great talking points when the conversation stalls.

What’s more, for you guys (and girls) looking for a way to break the ice with someone who catches your eye, magic tricks and bar bets are a nice easy way to get the conversation started. Enjoy.

1: Bill beneath the bottle (link )
Find out how to remove a bank note from beneath an empty beer bottle with tipping it over.

2: Magnetic Match (link )
How does the match move? The answer is static.

3: The hold & hit coin trick (link )
There are a few ground rules, but the answer is agonizingly simple.

4: The trapped bill (link )
How do you remove the trapped bill with letting the bottles fall? It’s a snap.

5: Lighter below the bottle (link )
Several ways to get the lighter out from under the bottle without letting it fall. Genius.

6: The coin memory bet (link )
My favorite of all, because it seems completely easy but is actually almost impossible in the time.

As always folks, drink responsibly. And don't go drinking and driving, either.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Carnival Of Scams - Top 4 fairground cons

Paul Michael — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 21:06:32 +0000

Go to the fairground, get taken for a ride. Yep, those sneaky Real Hustlers are at it again. This time they've been uncovering the basic tricks and cons performed by your friendly neighborhood fairground staff.

I looked these up before going to a fair (just doing my homework, as any good Wisebread reader should) and was quite glad I did. Of course, I'm not implying ALL carnivals rip you off. No no no. That would be a terrible thing to imply (wink). But take a look at some of the 'oldest tricks in the book' and then decide for yourself whether you want to give your money away next time you fancy winning a giant teddy bear for the love of your life.

Note: All of these videos were filmed in my home country, good old England, but the same rules apply around the world. Where there's a carnival or a fairground, there's a con just waiting for a 'punter.' Here we go...

1: The Steadfast Stack of Cans
Looks easy for any eagle-eyed ball thrower. Just knock 'em down with three balls. No problem. Until you find out that three of the cans are light and three are heavy. And the way they are stacked makes all the difference. Check it out.

2: One Dart, Many Balloons...No Chance.
I can play darts. No shock there, I spent many years after work in many a public house in London. But I challenge even the sharpest of sharp shooters to pop one of these balloons. The reason...they're really underinflated, making the skin thicker, and the dart is as blunt as a butter knife.

3: Bottle Bowling BS
They were doing this trick hundreds of years ago on the streets of old London town, and it's still working today. The reason is that it looks very very easy to win, but it is in fact almost impossibe. Knocking down two bottles with one ball is simple if the bottles are set-up evenly. Bt if you offset them, one bottle takes all the energy out of the shot and the other bottle will almost always be left standing.

4: Hoops Hoopla
I'll be honest. I've tried this one a few times. Most of the time, I didn't even get close. Once I got so close I almost cheered. But it was still a failure. And that's because the way the trick is set up makes the chances of winning almost zero. The secret lies in the base...an offset bunch of blocks covered in velvet that grab the hoop and stop it from sliding down. Sneaky? You bet.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: