Card Prediction

by John C
(Orem, UT, USA)

THE EFFECT: You are able to predict playing cards your spectators choose without even seeing them!


THE SECRET: This trick works best in a small group of about 4 or 5 people and is more easily explained from a "right hander's" point of view. Borrow a deck of cards (or provide your own for inspection if no one has one). Have anyone shuffle it any number of times they want.


Take the deck back and secretly glimps the bottom card. Then start looking at the backs of the top 4 cards placing them on the bottom one at a time, stating: "This is a marked deck of cards!", claiming that you can read the backs of the cards - which you proceed to do (this will really amaze a lay audience when it is a "borrowed" deck).


You remember your card which is now the 5th from the bottom. Spread the cards out on the table. Ask one spectator to "just point" to a card, touch it and not pull it out. You separate it out slightly from the other cards, apparently studying the back. Now state the name of the card that you memorized at the beginning, known only to you which was the 5th from the bottom (we'll call this one "your card").


Take out the card the spectator pointed at, not showing it to your audience and keep it facing you so they can not see it. Do not make a big deal of concealing it from your audience, this is just the way the trick goes for maximum effect.


Now ask someone else to "point to another card". You separate it from the rest studying it's back. You state the name of the card that you have in your left hand that only you saw, pick it up and put it on top of the first card. You now have 2 cards in your left hand and have mentioned the name of 2 cards, one of the 2 in your left hand and the other card mentioned was your card still in the deck on the table.


Have someone else "point to a card, touch it only", You separate it, study it, announce the name of the second card in your other hand, again not the one you are touching that is face down on the table. Place it on top of the first 2 cards in your left hand, again facing only yourself. You now have 3 cards in the left hand packet.


You can do this again and again with other spectators or for just one. Keep in mind that it is difficult for an audience to memorize more than 3 or 4 cards at a time.


Now for the close, and be ready for a standing ovation and/or some really amazed faces staring back at you.


You now state that it is your turn to point to a card (because you want to participate in your own show). This is the time for you to go to your card, casually and slowly for dramatic effect (remember it is the fifth card from the bottom of the deck) separate it, study it and name the last card in your left hand which has not been mentioned yet. Pick up your card and place it with the rest of the packet in your left hand.


Now you can mix the packet up, place it on the table and have your audience recognize their card. Or while you are looking at your audience, shift the last card you picked up to the top of the packet. Now the cards are in the order they were called (not the order you picked them up in) and you can ask your first spectator the name of their card and place the top card from the packet face up on the table.


That will be the card that you told them was their card in the beginning. Continue this, in this order and the cards they believe they chose at the start will be layed out in order, face up, on the table.


Stand back and take your bow!

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