10's in The Corner

by Blake Webb
(Florence, KY, USA)

THE EFFECT: Reveal a spectators chosen card with a little MATHgic!


THE SECRET: This is a mix of two tricks that I learned to make it my own. I learned the main part from Scarrn's book of card tricks.


Start with a full deck of cards without the jokers. Mix the deck to show there is no marking the deck. Count off 13 cards, the audience or the performer can do this.


[13 Cards] [Deck] Both face down


Have the audience pick out 4 cards from that 13 card deck and place them FACE UP on the table, to make a square (one in each corner).


[c] [c]
[c] [c] All face up

[13] Face down


Now tell the audience to take 1 card from the remaining 9 cards, look at it, remember it and place it FACE DOWN on the table.


[c] [c]
[c] [c]

[8] [c] [D] (Face down)


Place the chosen card on top of the remaining 8 card packet and place the now 9 card packet on the bottom of the full deck.


[c] [c]
[c] [c]

[D] (The deck should be arranged as the deck, picked card, then the 8 cards)


Now explain "This trick is called 10's in the corner. Each corner card will have a total point value of ten. 10's, Jacks, Queens and Kings are all ten. Ace through 9 are face value."


Example:
[K] [6]
[10] [A]


"Since the King is already worth ten I will not add any cards to that corner. The 6 card needs 4 more cards to add up to 10."


From the top of the deck count off 4 cards and place them under the number 6 card. "The 10 does not need another card either, but the Ace needs 9 cards." Count off 9 cards and place them under the Ace.


[K] [6] ]]]]
[10] [A] ]]]]]]]]] [D]


"Now all the corners add up to 10 each. Earler I asked you to pick a card and place it FACE DOWN. I don't know what the card is that you picked but by the cards that you picked to put in the corners, you are telling me where it can be found. I will add up all of the cards on top of the 4 corners and that number will be how far down that card is in the deck."


Now add together the face value of the original 4 picked cards. Example: K+10+6+A= 27.


Count down 27 cards in the deck, placing one at a time on the table, face up. Flip over the last counted card and the next card will be the chosen card.


There is no real 'trick' to this trick, It is all math and it will work every time. If they pick 4 kings add no cards to the corners and count off 40 from the deck. If they pick all aces add 36 cards to the corners and count off 4 cards!