Tricks differ in a few ways.

1. Relevance to the problem at hand. For instance, you wouldn't use a sorting trick to compute the Least Common Denominator.

2. Speed to implement. Sometimes you can write a solution in one line of code, but it might not work for large groups of numbers.

3. Speed of execution. Some tricks might take longer to write but can execute faster.

4. Memory requirements. Some tricks can be very easy to implement and quick to write, but only if you have the memory resources to handle them.

I don't like the word algorithm.

• Hard to spell.
• Too many syllables.
• Makes things sounds too complicated.

From the Wikipedia definition of algorithm:

In mathematics, computing, and related subjects, an algorithm is an effective method for solving a problem using a finite sequence of instructions. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and many other fields.

Each algorithm is a list of well-defined instructions for completing a task. Starting from an initial state, the instructions describe a computation that proceeds through a well-defined series of successive states, eventually terminating in a final ending state. The transition from one state to the next is not necessarily deterministic; some algorithms, known as randomized algorithms, incorporate randomness.

A better term: trick

Instead of algorithms, I'm going to use the simpler word trick.

A trick is a way to solve a problem. A good trick solves it efficiently.

A good magician can perform many different tricks and knows when to use them. Likewise, a good programmer knows many tricks(formerly called algorithms) and knows when to each them.