Oct
05
2008
How to solve this card trick?
Posted by: dmin in Card Games, tags: Card Deck, Card Trick, Magician
Duke Kent Ravenger asked:
A magician told me to choose a card from my own deck without showing him the card. Then he told me to put the card back to the deck and suffle itm myself. Then he show me exactly which card I chose. Can you tell me how to solve this trick?
A magician told me to choose a card from my own deck without showing him the card. Then he told me to put the card back to the deck and suffle itm myself. Then he show me exactly which card I chose. Can you tell me how to solve this trick?
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Did he watch you shuffle the cards? Some people have the ability to follow a card through the deck by counting them as you shuffle.
Most likely, the backs of the cards all have a VERY slight difference that nobody would see (usually on the upper left and lower right - so they’d be the same if the cards are fanned). This is very commonly the way, pick a card tricks are performed (hence the fanning). It still takes alot of skill and practice. If he didn’t appear to look through the cards when you handed them back then he is most likely using a gambling trick called “breakdecking.” When a deck is shuffled (esp. by a non-pro) it forms segments when can be seen from the side (magic cards sometimes even have small stratifying marks on their edges and are printed on slightly thicker stock) then he needs to get a glimpse of the segment and strata. This is usually catchable if he turns the deck to the side to “shake” out your card after you give it back. There are a million different tricks but these are the two I’m most familiar with. If you’re interested in magic, try a magic camp (even as an adult- it’s ok) like David Gindy’s out of Florida. Or pick up a book by Harry Anderson (of “Night Court” fame) as he explains a lot of card tricks I believe.