The Bet: 

To push a quarter through a dime-sized hole in a business card without tearing the paper.

The Setup: 

Trace a dime onto the center of a business card. Tear or cut out the outline creating a dime-sized hole.
Bet that you can push a quarter through the hole without tearing the paper. After they take the bet, place the quarter on the table and hold the card above it. Push the tip of your finger through the hole and begin pushing the quarter across the surface of the table. This will typically receive boo’s and hisses from the spectators.

Then say, “Would you really like me to push the quarter through the hole?” Most will be eager to see you accomplish this feat, which seems impossible.

The Secret:

Fold the card in half. Place the quarter into the fold of the paper so that it can be seen protruding through the hole. Pull the ends of the paper upward and the coin will fall through the hole as the paper is slowly stretched (Fig. 1). You may have to push the coin from above to make it go through the hole.

Any type of paper can be used, but the thickness of a business card works best for this trick.

Here’s a good riddle to follow up with: What is something that the more you take away from it, the bigger it gets? Do you know the answer? What did you cut in the paper?… Aha!