How to Do Simple Magic Tricks

Begin with 15 cards out of a regular card deck., Lay the cards out in front of you., Narrow the card options down to two., Ask your subject which pile her card is in., Show the subject her card.

5 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Begin with 15 cards out of a regular card deck.

    Fan the cards out facing away from you and show them to your subject.

    Tell them to select a card in their mind, but not to touch it or say aloud what it is., Lay out three rows of five cards in vertical rows in front of you.

    Then pick up each stack of cards, one row at a time, and ask your subject whether their card is in that group.

    When they say yes, be sure to place that group of 5 cards on the top of the deck of
    15. , Place the cards in front of you in three rows of five again, but this time, be sure to deal the cards from left to right.You will know that the subject’s card will be one of the first two in the left or center columns or the first one in the right column. , Pick up each pile, one at a time and ask the subject to identify which pile her card is in.

    If she chooses the pile on the right, you know it has to be the top right card.

    If she chooses the pile on the left or in the center, you know that it must be one of the two cards in that row.

    You can repeat the narrowing procedure one more time if the subject’s card is on the left or in the center, or you can decide if you want to have 2 guesses on selecting her card. , This is the end of the trick—try showing her the card with a flourish.

    If she says no, it’s likely you sorted the deck wrong, lost track of the original 5 cards, or she may be lying!
  2. Step 2: Lay the cards out in front of you.

  3. Step 3: Narrow the card options down to two.

  4. Step 4: Ask your subject which pile her card is in.

  5. Step 5: Show the subject her card.

Detailed Guide

Fan the cards out facing away from you and show them to your subject.

Tell them to select a card in their mind, but not to touch it or say aloud what it is., Lay out three rows of five cards in vertical rows in front of you.

Then pick up each stack of cards, one row at a time, and ask your subject whether their card is in that group.

When they say yes, be sure to place that group of 5 cards on the top of the deck of
15. , Place the cards in front of you in three rows of five again, but this time, be sure to deal the cards from left to right.You will know that the subject’s card will be one of the first two in the left or center columns or the first one in the right column. , Pick up each pile, one at a time and ask the subject to identify which pile her card is in.

If she chooses the pile on the right, you know it has to be the top right card.

If she chooses the pile on the left or in the center, you know that it must be one of the two cards in that row.

You can repeat the narrowing procedure one more time if the subject’s card is on the left or in the center, or you can decide if you want to have 2 guesses on selecting her card. , This is the end of the trick—try showing her the card with a flourish.

If she says no, it’s likely you sorted the deck wrong, lost track of the original 5 cards, or she may be lying!

About the Author

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Brittany Hayes

Writer and educator with a focus on practical organization knowledge.

84 articles
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