Simon asks: 'I'm not a magician, but I'm looking for a few magic tricks I can show friends in the pub. What do you recommend?'

If you just want a few tricks to mess with your friend’s minds then these suggestions are for you. These pub tricks are all very easy to learn, in most cases the magic trick is actually a clever prop that does most of the work for you. Easy to learn, easy to perform and guaranteed reactions!

Coin Unique – Show two coins, close your hand around them and when you open it up one of the coins has completely vanished! No sleight of hand necessary!

Pen through Banknote – Borrow a banknote from a friend and push a biro pen right through its centre. Rip the pen out of the banknote and mysteriously there is no hole in the banknote. No switching notes and the pen can be examined right away after the trick!

Invisible Deck – Have a friend call out any playing card they can think of. With no funny business you take a deck of cards out of their box (which has been in full view the whole time!) and spread through them. There is only one card that is face down – it is the playing card your friend has just freely named! No restrictions, ANY card can be named, easy to do, instantly repeatable with a different card!

Thumb Tip – The thumb tip is a magician’s best friend. Make banknotes, silks, sweet wrappers, salt, water and many other things completely vanish from your closed hand. A classic in magic that never fails to get a great reaction!

Lit Cigarette Vanisher – What could be more powerful than taking a friend’s cigarette (that is lit!) and pushing it into your bare fist, only to show a second later that it has completely vanished! This is what real magic looks and feels like. This one is ideal when you are standing outside as your friends finish their smoke.

Self Tying Shoelaces – At any point in the evening you could look down, or even better your friends look down and realise that your shoelaces are untied. Once they tell you that you need to tie your laces you simply smile, and give your foot a little shake and your laces visually tie themselves right in front of your spectators! Your shoelaces can immediately be examined, they really are tied!

Kinetic Ring – A great prop that allows you to do many great tricks. Make a fork spin and fall off of the edge of a table, stop a friend’s watch with your mind power, push a coin into a bottle or even a coin through a table. With this great prop you will be able to do all this AND more!

Changeling – Magic with money is always intriguing. Changeling is a DVD that will teach you how to make a money gimmick you can always carry on you to do the impossible. Every magician should be able to make more money, now with changeling you can do this so easily it is almost criminal! Hold a folded £10 in your hand and close it into your fist. As soon as you open your hand you now have a £20! This can even be done in a friend’s hand or visually inside a glass! Easy to do, carry it with you at all times, instantly repeatable.