Oct
Easy Bar Tricks
Bar tricks have always existed, even before bars existed. A form of both entertainment and revnue, bar tricks usually have some form of wager associated with them. The well respected Elks Club with lodges through out the country was originally called the Jolly Coks after a bar trick. Prospective members were brought into the circle at the tavern and instructed on a new game. Everyone would put a cork on the table, and on the count of threee, the last to raise it above his head was the loser and must buy a round of drinks. On the count of three, the rube would raise his cork above his head as everyone sat still watching. This made him the first, the last, and the only one, thereby losing the game.
Bar tricks continue to be popular as ice breakers, or just entertainment for youg and old alike in different social settings. Sometimes it is just the clever wording of a wager, or something requiring sleight of hand, and occassionaly might need the help of a sly assistant. Eeven though bar tricks don’t need to be performed in bar, very often they are, and somewhat often they can get people angry if the trick involves them getting wet or their clothes getting ruined.
There’s numerous books and DVDs available to teach magic tricks, and a few particularly focused on the bar trick genre. For those who just want a sampling of some tricks to pass the time or entertain, there are several on the Internet offering a collection of tricks and wagers. BartenderMagic.com and GoodTricks.net are two that offer some simple tricks or clever wagers folks can easily master. The website, EasyBarTricks.com, where the accompanying video is from has even more tricks available to learn from their online video collection.