I always carry Free Will of Order in my wallet. Yes, it technically uses props, but they are not props so much as things I carry with me every day. A dollar bill, my car keys, and my phone. It's super simple and fun to do!

You could learn suggestion, but is pretty difficult, however if you dedicate the time to it, it will give you awesome results

Other thing you could do is learn psychological card for##s

Obligatory Greg Wilson On the Spot plug! The man is a seemingly endless fountain of impromptu sleight of hand wisdom. If you want some anytime, anywhere sleight of mind, Marc Paul's ACTS of Mentalism lecture from Alakazam Academy has some true gems of impromptu mentalism, so worth it!

To me though, no "props" means nothing specifically "for magic." So no cards, sponges, packets, thumb-tips or other magic use items a magician would carry for the sole purpose of an effect. With that in mind, if you've learned enough (especially from the above mentioned videos) anything someone would typically carry in their pockets or purse becomes a prop. Wallets can contain so many possibilities for effects and wonders. It's good to learn a thing or two with watches. Keys have their own set of sleights. Pens and sharpies... those are the new magic wands, especially with sleeves. With a couple of business cards and a pen you should be able to bust out a more than decent mentalism act.

If you mean magic with no items whatsoever: I'll do a little faux finger-breaking, Proteus by Phedon Bilek, PK Touches, equivoque, and a bunch of other easy close-up mentalism bits.


Hope this helps!

Side note, if you managed to catch me without a coin, a pen, or a ring it's because you either waited outside the shower, found my dead body, or I'm in prison.

I thought I posted on here but can’t find it...
I find any piece of paper and start tearing pieces of it and ball them up concealing 1. While talking ill go into a sponge ball routine that ends with them vanishing, then on the off beat I will load them on the spec and reveal sometime later. Always works. There literally paper everywhere!

Starcle uses a paper napkin, Cups and Balls with paper cups or coffee cups and rolled up currency, rolled up bread, napkins or cut up pieces of wine bottle cork and a table knife or spoon for a wand, Voodoo Burn, Salt shaker through the table, Magic Square, 5 Piggies using borrowed coins but I add a couple of sleights to make it a bit harder to figure out, mental-ism effects like When Planets Align, Pateo, etc. , a couple of paddle type effects using a borrowed pencil..

Another oldie but goodie you can do a coin fold using a small piece of paper or a piece you can tear to roughly the right size and a borrowed coin..if you can borrow a cigarette lighter you can burn the paper which adds a bit to the effect..this is an old trick but nowadays I find that not many people have seen it.

If you carry or can borrow a few coins there are a lot of impromptu coin routines in Bobo's book...

Don't know if anyone mention (to lazy to surf all the forum ) the thumb off - don't just show it-do a story like "I was cutting carrots or"?? - also there is a way to fold your hands with a finger or 2 inside the clasp - counting the outside fingers there's only 8 or 9 , then there's where you count all your 10 fingers -then recount backward -but- you start with the number 9 (you just said 10),leaving an extra finger at the end of backward count, and there's the floating pencil or table knife, place a pencil on upturned palm of one hand - turn hand over and quickly hold the pencil with your other hands pointer finger and the rest of that hand grabs your wrist. Hope understand all ???? fun fun fun - Ralph (russo) Rousseau

One of the first tricks that I learned as a kid just starting out in magic is a sponge ball routine. I can take a sponge ball, and through slight of hand and misdirection have it disappear right under the spec's nose. If you can learn a simple slight like this, you are ready to do magic anywhere. You do not even need a sponge ball because anything of similar size will work.

you can also interlace your fingers with one inside. N one will count the number of visible ones.

It all depends on the surrounding environment... am I sitting? Standing?

Some of the things I have done at times like this... salt shaker through table; coins through table; coins across; two in the hand; torn and restored business card;

Pulse Rate by Matt Mello always freaks people out. If you're not doing this you're really missing out on some fun. You don't need anything but a watch or your phone.
I just did this last night for a guy at work. The reaction was great!

Sinful by Wayne Houchin. There is hardly any more stunning effect than this, and absolutely no props needed.

Another vote for Starcle by Dan Harlan. Code Breaker by Michael Murray and Gregory Wilson is great too if your spectator has a phone.

Most of my watchbands are leather (faux or real), so, I take it off and do the q-force as described in Lifesavers. Because it is a time prediction you can dress it up with any story you want.

Depends what you mean by performing with "nothing on you". If I am literally stripped down to just the clothes on my back then I will go for a mentalism move or a pinky vanish. You could also do a pinky bend.

Scorpio91 speaking of mentalism moves it would probably be worth it to carry with you a stack of billets and a pen.

As for magic tricks to satisfy the younger audience looking for more visual eye candy, a few multicolored rubber bands on your wrist should help with that.

I always go Equivoke

Joke: A doctor a a party asks a lawyer "If someone asks my professional opinion at a party, can I bill them?" The lawyer says one word, "Yes." And in two days the doctor gets a bill from the lawyer. Ha Ha Ha Ha. In a way I agree that one doesn't like to perform for free, but in certain cases it is O.K. if the person you are asked to show something to might be a potential client...so I'm thinking maybe something with a business card - yours. That paddle move type thing with the business card to show it blank on both sides. Then "print" it as it passes through your fist and out the other side. Then do it again to supposedly print it on the other side too. Then use the paddle move thing to make it seem like it IS printed on both sides. Then make the "ink" on one side disappear "You've heard of disappearing ink?" Show the card has only printing on one side and give it as a "souvenir".

I am slowly releasing dozens of Effects in a series called "Found & F.U.N" All use found objects like nuts, candy, stones, coffee creamers, etc.

Single Stone and Pair of Stones are out and FistFull of Stones ready soon. Others next year.

These have the special feature of suggestions for performing and engagement as ForeSight, Utility and Nurturing in great detail.
Every aspect of Moves, Sleights and Stratagems are discussed and many of the innovative sleights can be used to enhance your favorite routines.

Impromptu should not be an afterthought. It can be the foundation of all of your routines.