Hands off the Pack!

This is a trick which can be performed without ever handling or even seeing the cards.

Ask your friend to shuffle a pack of cards and then select any spot card. ie. not a picture card.
Turn your back so that you can't see what he is doing then ask him to place the selected card face
down on top of the squared up pack. Now tell him to remove its value in cards from the bottom
of the pack and place them on top of it - for instance if he chose the Seven of clubs , he simply
takes seven cards from the bottom and puts them on the top, above his card. He must do this
silently giving no clue as to the number of cards he is moving.

Next ask him to deal the cards from the top of the pack one at a time on to the table, and call out
the name of each card in turn. He must deal the cards without giving any clue in his voice until
he has gone right past his own card until you tell him to stop. Then you name his card.

Here's how the trick is done: When he calls out the cards, you simply ignore the first one, then in
your head, count one, two, three, as he calls out the remainder. When he calls out a card which
corresponds with the number you are counting, then this will usually be the card, but let him go
on further for a few cards, then stop him and surprise him by naming his card.

Occasionally more than one card will correspond with your silent count but if this happens you
have to guess which is his card and if he says no then straight away call out the other.

Impossible Mind Reader

Remove 25 cards from the pack and allow the spectator to shuffle and cut the cards as much as
they want then lay the 25 cards out in 5 rows of 5 cards face upwards from left to right in neat
rows following a sort of grid pattern.

Ask the spectator to think of any one of the cards in any row and to tell you which row their card
is located in. When they tell you, note the card* at the left hand end of the row. Take up the
cards, beginning first at the last or right hand card of the bottom line, placing it on the face of the
card immediately above it and then place these 2 cards on top of the card immediately above, and
so on up to the top.

Do this with each of the rows in turn and you should be left with 5 piles of cards on what was the
top row.
Collect up the cards, placing the 5th (right hand) pile on top of the 4th, then this stack on top of
the 3rd, then on top of the 2nd, etc, until you're left with a single stack of cards.

Then once again, keeping the cards face up, deal then into another 5 horizontal rows as before.
Ask the spectator to tell you once again which row their card is located in. When they tell you,
look along the top or the bottom row for the card which you noted* earlier was first in the row
they had indicated. Above it or below in the row to which they now point, is the card which they
originally thought of.

Amazing Prediction
A spectator is asked to shuffle the cards, then remove any twelve from the pack and to further
shuffle these twelve. Whilst this is being done the magician writes a prediction on a piece of
paper he places face down on the table. The spectator now takes any four cards from his selected
twelve and lays them in a row face up on the table, the remaining eight cards are put with the rest
of the pack. This is now taken up, and from it cards are dealt onto each of the face-up cards so as
to bring its value to ten. For instance, if a four then six cards are to be dealt on top of it. All
picture cards, however, are valued at ten so no cards are put on these.

This having been done, the total value of the four cards is ascertained. For example, supposing
the four face-up cards happen to be the Three of Hearts, the Seven of Clubs the Jack of Spades
and the Four of Diamonds, their total value would be twenty-four. The card which lies at that
number is now counted down to in the pack that remains. When it is turned over, amazingly
matches the original prediction.

This self-working trick requires no skill and can be done with a borrowed pack as long as the
pack is complete.

Reversa-Card
You can use any pack for this trick.

Ask a spectator to shuffle the pack and cut it into 2 piles. Then let them select one of the piles
and you take the other. Turn your back to the spectator and ask them to select a card from their
half pack, note it and then replace it on top of their pile of cards.

Turn round and place your half pack on top of theirs. Give the spectator the complete pack to
hold behind their back. Instruct them to take the bottom card and insert it somewhere near the top
of the pack, the top card and insert it somewhere near the bottom of the pack and then finally, to
take the top card, reverse it and place it somewhere near the centre. The spectator should then
give the cards back to you. When the cards are spread out on the table, the card which they
reversed will be next to (ie. to the left of) the card they selected.
That's Odd
This trick can be repeated over and over again without any fear of detection.

Using any pack, openly remove five red and five black cards, (It is best to keep to spot cards
though not essential.) then discard the rest of the pack.

Put the two stacks of cards face to face - that is, all cards of one colour together face up and all of
the other colour face down on top of them. Thoroughly mix the cards, using an overhand shuffle
being careful that none of the cards turn over while you shuffle them.

Place them behind your back and count off the top five, turning this stack of five over. Bring
both stacks round to the front again. Spread them in two separate strips along the table and there
will be an equal number of face-up cards in each pile. But they will all be alike in colour in each
pile.
Double Cross
The perfomer asks a spectator to tell him to mix up some cards, following the performer's
instructions to the letter. No matter how much they're mixed up, they end up in the same order as
at the beginning of the trick.

Before you begin the trick: Take a full suit of 13 (any one) and lay them down on the table,
face up, in numerical order. Tell a spectator to note the order of the cards. Square them up and
hold them face down in your left hand.

Here's how it's done:

Having first shown the spectator the suit of cards in numerical order and then taken them back
into your hand, keeping them face down ....

You say: "You must tell me exactly how to deal these cards so we can be sure they're
thoroughly mixed"

Explain that the instructions you need from them are: "DEAL" and "DOUBLE CROSS".
When they say "DEAL" you'll put one card on the table (face down) and when they "DOUBLE
CROSS" you'll take the next card from the pile in your hand, put it under the first one (on the
same pile) and then deal both of them together on the table (again face down).

You then follow their instructions and deal the cards exactly as they say into a pile on the table.

You square up the pile and then suggest that to be sure the cards are really well mixed, you do it
once more.

Once again you follow their instructions and deal the cards as they say into a pile.

Then ...picking up the pile you say:

"You're now going to see that no matter what you tell me to do with the cards, they will
only do as I tell them!"

Turn the cards over so they're face up and spread them out in a line. All 13 of them will be in the
same numerical order as at the beginning of the trick!

Only Time Will Tell

A spectator is asked to shuffle a pack of cards - their own if they wish it and whilst doing so, to
think of any one of the four suits. The performer, turning his back, instructs the spectator to
remove from the pack all the cards of that chosen suit - except the King which stays where it is.

The spectator now lays out the cards in the form of a clock face, using the Queen as twelve (12),
the Ace as one o'clock and so on round to the Queen again. The spectator is now asked to stare at
the clock and imagine a time (say for example 9 o'clock) which they are not to reveal at this
stage.
The performer asks the spectator to pick up the rest of the deck and holding it face downwards in
the left hand, gather the cards lying on the table and place them one by one face down on top of
the pack, beginning with the Ace, then the Two and so on. He should then finish up with the
Queen on top. Now thinking of the time earlier thought of, they are to remove that number of
cards from the bottom of the pack and place them on the top. This is to be done silently giving
the performer no clue at all, after which the cards are squared up.
Blacks and Reds
You can use any pack for this trick.

Before you perform this trick, make sure that tyou separate the deck into 2 piles of cards, one
having the red cards and the other the black cards. Next, put these 2 separate piles back together
into 1 - but you must NOT shuffle the cards. When you begin your performance, separate the
piles again laying them face down (of course your audience does not realise that the 2 piles
consist of separate reds and blacks).

Ask a volunteer from the audience to choose 1 card from each of the 2 piles in turn, then
memorise each one and place them anywhere into the opposite pile from the one from which
they were removed. Ask the volunteer to shuffle each pile, still face down, and then put the 2
piles back together, one on top of the other.

Take the deck of cards from the volunteer and confidently announce that you can easily identify
the chosen cards.
Marker tricks

Come Together
The effect of the trick:

The spectator cuts an ordinary pack of cards in two and they and the performer take one half
each. They each choose a card from their half, look at it and return it to the pile. When the two
piles are put together, the two chosen cards magically come together next to each other.

Before you begin the trick:

Practice glimpsing the bottom card from a pile in your hand. This is the key to making this trick
work.
Here's how it's done:

Give the pack of cards to the spectator and ask them to shuffle them, then deal cut them into two
piles.

Ask them to give you one half and they keep the other.

Tell the spectator that you each need to shuffle your own pile of cards.

When this is done ....

You say: "Take any card from your pile, look at it and memorise it. I'll do the same."

Look at the card you selected but don't try to remember it - instead glimpse and remember the
bottom card from your pile. Note: It's important to do this smoothly and without being noticed.

You say: "Now place your chosen card face down on top of your pile. I'll do the same."

Now place your pile on top of the specator's pile. (The bottom card from your pile that you
memorised is now on top of their chosen card).
Tell the spectator to cut the cards so as to lose the two selected ones within the pack.

You say: "My chosen card was ....... (the bottom one you memorised). Wouldn't it be truly
magical if mine had come together with yours and they were right next to each other? "

Hand the cards to the spectator and ask them to look for their chosen card. They'll find it right
next to yours!
Best Buddies
The effect of the trick: Two cards, inserted into a deck at very different points, magically come
together.

This trick is a simplified version of Come Together (above)

Hand a pack of cards to an audience member and ask him/her to shuffle it and cut it into two
fairly equal piles, giving one to you and keeping a hold on the other.

At this point, you sneak a peek at the bottom card of your pile.

Ask the volunteer to select a card from his stack, secretly to look at it, remember it and then
place it on top of his pile. While the helper is doing this, you make a show of doing the same.
However, unbeknown to the volunteer, you don't actually remember your card, - it doesn't matter
at all - the important card for you to remember is the one on the bottom of your pile.

Next ask the volunteer to put his pile face-down on the table and you place yours on top of it.
The two selected cards are now separated by half the pack, but the card you earlier sneaked a
peek at, previously the bottom of your pile, is now on top of the volunteers card. Explain that the
two selected cards are best buddies and that they will come together despite any efforts to keep
them apart.

Ask the volunteer what his card was, name the card you sneaked a peek at then spread the pack
face-up and the two named cards will be right next to each other in the centre.
Turning The Tables
The effect of the trick:

From three piles of cards the spectator chooses one single card and memorises it. All the cards
are then merged together by the performer who tries to find the selected card and makes the
spectator to think he's got it wrong. The tables are then turned - the performer suddenly finds the
correct card!

Before you begin the trick:

Practice glimpsing the bottom card from a pile in your hand. This is the key to making this trick
work.
Here's how it's done:

Take an ordinary pack of cards and spread them, showing them all face obviously all different.

Close the spread, cut the deck and then square up the pack. As you're squaring up the pack,
glimpse and memorise the bottom card. Note: It's important to do this smoothly and without
being noticed.

Put the pack face down on the table and ask the spectator to cut it into three even piles. Tell them
to select a card from the middle of any of the three piles.
Note: It's important to follow which of the piles has the card you memorised at the bottom.

Ask the spectator to then replace their selected card onto the top of any of the three piles.

The next step has 2 options and the one you take depends on which of the three piles the
spectator has put their selected card ....

Option 1) If the spectator replaces their card on top of the pile containing your memorised card,
then ask them to cut that particular pile and replace the cut. This will put your memorised card
on top of theirs. You then take all the piles and put them together.

Option 2) If the spectator replaces their card on top of either of the other two piles which don't
contain your memorised card, simply put all the piles together, making sure that the memorised
card goes on top of the spectator's.

You then turn the pack face up and cut it into three piles. Then take each pile in turn and spread
it in your hand to show all the cards.

Ask the spectator to choose the pile which contains their card.
Note: At this point you will have already seen the card you memorised and know it's next to their
chosen one.

Having picked up this pile, hold it face down and eal the cards one by one face up onto the table,
slightly overlapping each one as you go.

As you deal your memorised card you must note the card that follows it - this is the spectator's
chose card.

Deal a few more cards after that and then stop and ....

Say: "Now the next card I turn over will be your chosen card."

The spectator will think you've got it wrong and notice that you've already passed by his card.

You pick up his card and turn it over, face down. You did get it right after all!
Reverse Marker Card Trick
The effect of the trick:

A spectator selects a card, memorises it and replaces it face down in a face down deck. When
the performer spreads the cards face up on the table, one card is seen to be face down. It is the
spectator's chosen card.
Before you begin the trick:

Before you begin your performance, you need to turn the bottom card over so that it faces the
opposite direction to the rest of the cards in the pack.

Move the deck towards the spectator fanning it slightly in the process. Make sure that you do not
let the spectator see the card which you have secretly turned over. Get the spectator to select a
card and whilst he or she is memorising it, secretly turn over the deck so that the reversed card
which was at the bottom of the deck is now on top. Of course to the spectator it will look as if the
reversed card is the top of the face down deck. Make a quick riffle holding the deck tightly and
slightly angled down and as you do so, ask the spectator to push his card back into the deck.
Obviously you need to make sure that the spectator can't see the other cards in the deck which of
course are face up.

In as relaxed manner as possible, turn your back to the spectator and go to a table and secretly
turn the top (reversed) card face up so that it is now facing the same way as the other cards then
with a sweep, spread the cards face up on the table, allowing the spectator to see that one card is
reversed. Ask he or she to name their card and as they do this, turn the face down card over
revealing that it is indeed their selected card.

Magic Name Prediction

The effect:
The magician gets some members of the audience to shout out the names of around a dozen
different famous people - either dead or alive and writes them down on pieces of paper which are
then mixed up in a hat. The magician then writes down a prediction. A member of the audience
picks one of the pieces of paper and reads out the name written on it and it is seen to be the name
that the magician predicted.

How this mental magic trick is done:

Make sure you have available around a dozen pieces of paper, a piece of coloured card, a pen
and a hat. Ask a member of your audience to call out a famous name then write this name down
on a piece of paper and drop it into the hat. Request another name but this time instead of writing
down the name which is called out to you, actually write down once again the first name that was
called. This means of course that both of the pieces of paper in the hat have the same name
written on them.

Carry on in this manner apparently writing down names which are called out from other
members of the audience but in fact writing down the same name all the time until you have
around a dozen pieces of paper in the hat all with the same name on them. At this point you now
make a big show of making your prediction (the same name again) the piece of coloured card
which you place somewhere where it is in sight of the audience but to where they cannot see the
name.

Next, get a member of your audience to shake up the hat containing all the pieces of paper and
dip in their hand to choose one of them which they must then read aloud. Of course now you
simply need only to show that you magically predicted the name and possibly more importantly
to get rid of all the other pieces of paper in the hat so that no wonder realises your deception!

The Magic Number Nine

The effect:
In this mental magic trick you will confuse the sceptics in your audience by correctly predicting
the result of a very complex series of calculations and then revealing your prediction in an
extremely unusual way.

Before you begin:

You will need a magazine, a piece of card, a pencil and a marker pen. You will also need to open
the magazine at page number nine and write in bold letters using the marker pen, "I got here
first" as this will be your prediction!

Here's how this mental magic trick is done:

1.Ask a member of the audience to think of a four digit number in which all of the digits are
different. Tell them to write the number down but not to tell you what it is.(a below)
2. Get them to jumble up the four digits and write the new number below the first (b) if it is
smaller or above the first number if it is larger.
3. Now ask them to subtract the smaller number from the larger number. (c) Next get them to add
the digits of the total together (d) and if the total of this calculation is a two digit number then
these two digits should be added together as well. They need to carry on like this until they are
left with a single digit number.(e) Magically, this number will always be a 9!

As a demonstration of this magical calculation:

(a) 8253 (first number thought of)
(b) 3285 (orig. digits jumbled up)
(c) 8253 minus 3285 = 4968
(d) 4+9+6+8 = 27 so as this is 2 digit number add the two digits: 2+7
(e) =9

Obviously to complete this routine all you need to do is to give your spectator the magazine and
ask them to open it at that page which corresponds with the number that they finished up with
and which of course you couldn't possibly have known!!

The Mind Reading Magic Trick

This is a mental magic trick which is really very audacious and cheeky but you will be amazed
how much you can fool an audience.

The Magic Effect:

The magician tells the audience that he has the power to transmit thoughts from his powerful
mind without the need to speak and that he will now demonstrate this principle in full view! A
spectator is chosen and asked to leave the room and whilst this person is out of the room, the
magician invites the others in the audience to quietly choose a number between 1 and 10 and this
will be the number that he will transmit to the absent spectator upon their return. The absent
spectator is brought back into the room and asked to place their fingertips on the temples of the
magician who magically transmits the number without speaking a word. The spectator who had
been absent during the choosing of the number now magically reveals the number to the
audience. Apparently this number has been conveyed from the magician's mind by mental energy
alone!

Before you begin: make sure you have a stooge in the audience who will help you with this
magic trick.

How this mental magic trick is done:

When the stooge who has been out of the room, touches the magician's temples, the number is
conveyed to the stooge by the subtle action of the magician clenching his jaw. When a person
clenches their jaw, they automatically cause their temples to pulse. In this manner the magician
is able to clench his jaw the exact number of times to correspond with the number chosen whilst
the stooge was out of the room. All the stooge have to do is count and then reveal the number!

Magical Mental Imagery

This is a really old classic, based on a mathematical quirk. It's a great mental magic trick to try
on a friend or indeed on a member of an audience.

Effect:
The magician apparently predicts the thoughts of the spectator..

How this mental magic trick is done:

1. Ask the spectator to choose a number between 2 and 9.
2. Tell them to take the number that they've chosen and multiply it by 9.
3. This should give them a two digit number. Told them to add the two digits of the number
together. For example, if their number is 14, take the one and four and add them to make five.
4. Tell them to subtract five from the resulting number.
5. Ask them to take the number they now have and make it correspond to a letter in a alphabet.
ie. A =1, B=2, C=3, etc.
6. Ask your spectator to take their letter, and think of a country that begins with that letter. For
example, "B" might make them think of Brazil, "D" could be Denmark or "F" could be France.
7. Tell them to take the second letter in the name of that country and associate it with an animal.
For example, "P" may go with Penguin and "Z" may associate with Zebra.
8. Ask the spectator if they now have a country and animal and that they have to hold those
thoughts in their mind whilst you with the magician concentrate.
9. Ask the spectator in a really puzzled voice: "Are there really elephants in Denmark?"