Effect:

This is a mind reading magic trick that will blow them away. You find a volunteer to perform your trick on. Say you are going to leave the bar, and whilst outside they are to choose an optic from behind the bar and inform the "audience" of their choice. When you return, you will magically read their mind and tell them the drink they are thinking of. You can even bet them a pint and have a cheap night out, but it may be best to try it a couple of times first to be on the safe side!!

Method:

You actually have a friend secretly help you to achieve this magic mind reading trick. While you are out of the room, after the optic has been chosen, your friend will take a sip of his drink and then replace it on the bar at a specific place which will tell you what optic was chosen. Let us say there are 15 optics on the wall. We will number them 1 to 15 from left to right. So you need for your helper to secretly tell you a number between 1 to 15. Assuming there are three beer pumps on the bar and your friend is sat in front of these, he can use the following magic principle: to divide the bar up (in your mind so put your jigsaw away!) as shown in the following table:

The pumps are shown at the top, the second row is on the bar area, next to the pumps, the next row is in the middle of the bar and the third is on the other side of the bar closest to your helper. If your volunteer chooses the 6th optic (counting from the left), your helper will place his drink down in front of the Kronenbourg pump in the middle of the bar. If the 13th optic is chosen the drink will be placed in front of the heineken on your helper's side of the bar and so on....

Remember that magic is an illusion that you can do something out of the ordinary, so never reveal your secret and you'll be surprised at the reaction!!!

If you have fun with this trick, and are perhaps new to the world of magic, you'll find the Vanishing Lit Cigarette a cheap starter trick but probably one of the most entertaining bar tricks of all time. It requires no sleight of hand, comes with a free on-line video tutorial and will earn you many free drinks and an acclaimed magician status.