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 How The Wonder Deck
Works
The Wonder Deck is composed of 26 ordinary cards and
26 cards that are all the same. These 26 cards have been
cut shorter than the regular cards. We refer to these
shorter cards as our “force cards”.

How to set up the deck

Alternate the cards so that there is a force card on top,
then an ordinary card, then a force card, and so on, all
throughout the deck. Every trick with the Wonder Deck
starts with the cards in this position.

Learning to riffle the cards

Performing magic with the Wonder Deck relies on one
core move: the riffle. To do this, hold the deck in your
right hand by the short ends with your thumb on top
and fingers below. Curl your right first finger behind at
the back of the deck to add a little backward pressure
with your first finger. Hold your left hand flat under the
right hand and then carefully allow the cards to fall off
the right thumb one by one. But the real secret of the
Wonder Deck is that the way the short cards are trimmed
means that actually, you’re automatically riffling off two
cards at one time.

There are two ways to riffle the cards. If you riffle with the
faces toward the audience (fig. 3), the cards will all look
different. If you riffle the cards with the backs toward the
audience, the cards will all appear to be the same.

Forcing a card
To force a card means to ensure that someone appears
to select a random card, but in reality, you ensure that
they can only select one of the 26 all-alike cards.

Start by riffling the cards (showing them to be all differ-

ent) and ask someone to say “stop” at any point. When
they do, stop riffling the cards and allow them to take
the top card of the lower portion. This card will always
be the force card.

Another way of forcing the card is to riffle them and al-

low someone to insert their first finger into the cards as
you are riffling. Stop once their first finger is inserted.
Because of the way the cards riffle off in pairs, the card
below their finger will automatically be one of the force
cards. This version is a little trickier to handle the cards,
but works perfectly with practice.

Shuffling the cards

Surprisingly, it is possible to shuffle the cards and keep
the cards in their pairs. To do this, you must do an in-
the-hands riffle shuffle. This way, just like the riffle move
you have already learned, the cards drop off in groups
of two. The end result is that the cards are shuffled, but
the pairs of force cards and regular cards remain intact.
 A Basic Wonder Deck
Routine
Start with a force card on the top of the deck (which
means there is also a random card on the face of the
deck).

Riffle the cards to show that the deck is thoroughly shuf-

fled. Then riffle through again, forcing one of the cards
onto a spectator. Ask that they remove the card from the
deck, show it around, and then replace it back where
they got it from.

Carefully square the deck and then turn over the top card
to show that the card has apparently jumped to the top
of the deck. Cut the deck and complete the cut. Then
show the top card once again to show that the selected
card has jumped to the top again. You may repeat this a
few times.

Ask someone to name a number between one and ten.

Push off that many cards from the top of the deck (with-
out reversing their order). If they named an even num-
ber, the next card will be the selected card. If it’s an odd
number the last card you count will be the selected card.
Square up the cards and give them another cut.

Cut off about a third of the deck from the top and place
it on the table. Cut off another third and place that next
to the tabled packet. Finally, place the remaining cards
on the table. So long as you cut off the cards from the
short ends (fig. 6), the top cards of all three packets will
be the force card. Ask someone to point to a packet and
show the top card of the packet; it’s the selection again!
Pick up all three packets in any order.

Cut the deck, this time from the sides, and complete the
cut. This puts a force card on the bottom of the deck. Ex-
plain that at this point, people sometimes expect that all
of the cards are the same. Riffle through with the backs
towards the audience and show that indeed … all of the
cards are the same! Then cut the deck (this time by the
ends) and square up the cards. Turn the cards so that the
faces are toward the audience and riffle them again to
show that you were only joking and that in reality, all of
the cards are different.

Put the cards away in the box and place them in your
pocket. You have performed a complete routine with the
Wonder Deck!
 41 Tricks With Your
Wonder Deck
The Prediction
Because you know in advance what card will be select-
ed, simply write the name of the force card on a slip of
paper in advance of your spectator’s selection. Give it to
the spectator to hold, then force one of the force cards
on her and then reveal the prediction to be correct.

Card to Pocket
Take one of the force cards off the top of the deck and
place it in your pocket before you perform.

Have a spectator select a card, and put it back in the

same place. Give the deck a couple of cuts to appar-
ently lose the card in the deck. Now pass the deck close
to your pocket. Riffle the deck forwards to show him his
card is gone, and then calmly remove it from your pock-
et!

Card Through Table

Remove one of the force cards before your performance
and secretly put it in your lap, while seated at a table.

Have a card selected and returned back to the same

place. Put the deck on the tabletop and slap your hand
down on the deck. Then bring out the “selected” card
from your lap to show that you pushed the card through
the table.

Card on Forehead
Have a card selected and replaced in the deck. Since the
force card is always on top, this routine is easy. Slowly
flip forwards through the deck to show that the selected
card has mysteriously vanished.

Holding the deck in the right hand, place the deck

against your forehead and tell your spectators that the
card is definitely on your mind. When you take the deck
away, the top card will stick to your forehead, with its
face towards the audience! If the card doesn’t stick, you
might need to apply a little moisture to the back of the
top card first.

Card in Envelope
Before performing this effect, take the top force card
and seal it inside an enve­lope.

Have a card selected and re­placed. Riffle the deck for-

wards to show that the selected card is gone, and then
take the sealed envelope from your pocket. Tell your
specta­tors that you are going to magically transport the
selected card into the sealed envelope. Have the same
person that chose the card open the envelope to show
that you did it!
Card At Any Number
Flip the deck forward and have a spectator touch any
card. Cut the deck at this point. Show the card he touched
(the force card, naturally) and then cut the deck several
times to apparently lose the card. Ask him to give you
any num­ber between 1 and 52. Carefully count off the
exact number he gives you, keeping them in order. If the
number is an even num­ber, show the spectators that the
next card is the selected card. If the number is an odd
number, the card you stop on will always be a force card!

How to Win a Bet

After a card is selected and placed back in the deck, tell
your spectator that you are a great magician and that
you will turn over his card, be­fore his very eyes. Cut the
deck sev­eral times. Take the bottom card from the deck
(it will be an ordinary card) and lay it face up on the table.
Take the next card from the bot­tom of the deck (this will
be the force card) and lay it face up beside the first card.
Then take the next card from the bottom and lay it face
up also. Now bet your friend that the next card you turn
over will be his card. He will assume that you mean that
you’ll turn the fourth card over from the deck, and since
he sees his card already on the table he will accept the
bet. When he does, turn the force card on the table face
down, and collect your bet! This is a version of a very old
trick called the Circus Card Trick.
The Hat Trick
For this trick, you need a hat such as a bowler or a derby
(any gentlemen’s dress hat will do, so long as it has two
creases in the crown). Have a card selected and returned
in the usual manner. Give the deck several cuts to appar-
ently lose the card. Place the deck into the hat and hold
it above eye level. When you do this, place the deck in
one crease, and the top card in the second crease. Now
just flick your finger hard under the hat, below the sec-
ond crease and the selected card will jump out!

Transposition
When you hold the Wonder Deck in your left hand and take
off the top card by its short (top and bot­tom) edges, you
will automatically pick up two cards; a regular card with its
force card riding on its back. If you slightly curve the cards
in­wards, it will look like just one card. The following trick is
based on this secret technique called the Double Lift.

Pick up the top card(s) in the manner described above

and show your spectator an ordinary card, let’s say it’s
the King of Clubs. Place the card back on top of the deck
and slide the top (key) card onto the table and cover it
with any object, such as a plate.

Have someone pick a card in the usual manner. Have the

card re-inserted halfway back into the deck in the same
place it was selected from, leaving one end of the card
sticking out. Now say, “I’m going to make the King of
Clubs, and the [name your force card] change places.
I’m going to push it right through the plate [or whatever
the object is that you’ve covered the card on the table
with].” At this point, push the ex­tended card squarely
into the deck.

Flipping the deck forwards, show that the force card has
appar­ently vanished. When you come to the top card
say, “Look the King of Clubs has jumped back into the
deck.” Have another spectator pick up the plate and
turn the card over. It will be the force card!

The Wrong Card

Here is another trick using the “double lift” principle of
the Wonder Deck. Have a card selected and re­turned.
After giving the deck a riffle shuffle, and a few cuts, take
the top two cards as one from the top and show it to
the spectator saying, “Is this your card?” He will say no.
Place the two cards back on top of the deck, and place
the top card face down on the table saying, “Well, OK,
I guess I was wrong. What was your card, any­way?” He
will name the force card. Turn the card that is face down
on the table to show that it has changed.

Phone Prediction
Knowing the card a spectator will select in advance is a
big ad­vantage for the performer. Here is one of many
tricks based on this knowledge. Inform a friend that
whenever you call them, they should answer with “Hey,
the selected card is the [force card].” This way, you can
force a card and have your participant call your friend
on your phone … and they’ll be surprised to hear the
predicted card!
Card in Lemon
Buy a deck of cards to match the back of your Wonder
Deck. Take out the card matching the force card, and
wrap it in a plastic bag. Tape it up so it will not get wet.
Roll the covered card up in a cylinder. Poke a hole in the
bottom of a lemon with a pencil or pen, and insert the
rolled-up card.

Have a card selected and returned. Flip the Wonder

Deck forwards to show that the card has vanished. Cut
open the lemon (without showing the hole in the bot-
tom) and produce the rolled-up card.

Place the Wonder Deck in your jacket pocket. If a spectator

asks to see the deck, bring out the regular deck with the
matching back. He will note that his is the only card miss­ing.

Card Under Plate

Here’s a good one for a dinner party. Take the force
card off the top of the deck and place it face up un­der
someone’s plate in advance. Have a card selected and
returned in the normal Wonder Deck fashion. Flip the
deck forwards to show the card has disappeared. Now
have the spectator lift his plate!

It Grows On You
Buy a jumbo deck of cards. Take out the matching force
card and place it in a brown envelope. Have a card se­
lected in the usual manner. Cut the deck at this point
and lay it face down on the table. Holding the brown en-
velope in front of the cards (between the deck and your
audi­ence, so that it hides the deck) with the flap open,
pretend to place the spectator’s card into the envelope,
but really put it back on top of the deck. Now seal the
envelope.

Flip through the Wonder Deck for­wards to show the card

is gone. Tell the spectator that this is a card trick that
“grows on you”. Then have him open the envelope and
remove the jumbo card.

Shrinking Card
Follow the previous routine, but in­stead of a jumbo card
use a miniature card and a smaller envelope.

Stuck On You
Take a piece of double-stick tape and attach it to the
top force card on the deck. Have a card selected and
returned. Flip the deck forward to show the card has
vanished. Have the spectator stand up and face the au-
dience. When he does this, place the deck behind his
back say­ing that you’re going to try to find his card with-
out looking at the cards. Briefly press the top of the deck
against his back and the force card will stick to his back!
Bring the deck out from behind his back and again flip
forwards to show the card is gone.

Take a step backwards and ask the spectator to turn

around and face you and his card will be revealed. The
audience will see the card stuck on his back and will start
laughing. Ask him to name his card, and get a double
laugh from the crowd!
For the Wise-Guy
This one is for the wise guy that you get every once in
a while that claims he didn’t pick the force card. If this
happens, simply let the deck flip backwards into your
hand, and ask him to point to the card that he did pick.
If he cries that the cards are the same just flip the deck
forward and ask him what he’s been drinking!

The Piles Trick

With the force card on the bottom and a regular card on
top, break the deck into two piles. Pick up the first pile
and flip the cards forwards to show ordinary cards. Pick
up the second pile and flip the cards backwards to show
all force cards. Now take the bottom force card from one
pile and transfer it to the other pile. Tell your spectators
that all the force cards got jealous and jumped over to
the other pile (flip it backwards to show all force cards).
Where they saw all force cards, flip forwards and show all
regular cards. Put the deck back together and place it in
your pocket.

The Sit Down Trick

Have three different people select cards and return them
to the deck. Of course, you will know that it’s the same
card, but the audience won’t. Now have all three stand
up.

This is where things get really clever. Tell them you will
name the three cards that were picked, and when they
hear their card they are to sit down. You can’t name the
same card three times! So instead, say your force card,
plus two other random cards. Say it fairly quickly, and it
will appear that they all heard different cards named. It
is a good idea to pick people who are sitting apart from
each other so that they won’t compare notes!

What’s in a Name?
Here’s one that will throw them off the track. Have a card
selected and returned. Either riffle shuffle or cut the deck
several times to mix them up. Then ask the person their
first name. Count down that many letters. If their name
has an even number of letters, the next card will be the
chosen card. If their name has an odd number of letters,
the last letter will be the force card!

Stubborn Card
Have the force card found any way you wish. Then cut
it into the middle of the deck. Tell your spectators that
the card is very stubborn and likes to be on the top of
the deck. Slap the deck and then show the top card. It
will always be the force card if you cut from the top and
bottom (the short edges of the deck). Cut it back into the
center, slap the deck again and show that it jumps to the
top. Do this as much as you wish, but don’t wear it out!

Cards and Coins

After having a card selected and returned to the deck,
have the spec­tator take out of his pocket any coin of his
choosing. Have him add the digits of the date together,
and count down that many cards. If the num­ber is even
the next card will be the selected card. If the number is
odd, the last card will be the selected card!
Cuts Like a Knife
After having a card selected and returned, wrap the deck
in a piece of newspa­per. Take a table knife and carefully
stab the deck anywhere! Either the card above or below
the knife will be the chosen card; you just need to sub-
tly look at the card above it first, and if it’s not the force
card, proceed to ask the participant to turn over the card
below the knife.

The Homing Card

When you take the deck from its case, secretly leave the
top card in the case in preparation for this effect.

Have a card selected and returned to the deck. Riffle the

cards forwards to show that the card has disappeared.
Tell your audience that the selected card is like a homing
pigeon and likes to go back to its “home”. Have a spec-
tator open the case and take the card out!

Backwards Card
Turn one of the force cards over in the deck so that it is
face up. Have a card selected in the normal manner and
replaced — surprisingly the reversed card won’t show.
Now give the deck a cut while telling your audience that
selected cards have a way of turning over when you’re
not looking. Spread the deck face down to show the re-
versed card!

Business Card
Write the name of the force card on the back of a few
of your business cards. Keep one blank business card in
your pocket along with several cards with your predic-
tion written on the back.

First, take out the blank business card and casually show
it to your spectator, then re­turn it to your pocket. Now, as
if having second thoughts, bring it back out again (only
this time bring out one of the marked cards) and lay it
writing side down on the table. Have a card selected and
returned to the deck. Pretend you can’t find or guess the
card show the reverse of your business card!

The Book Test

Here is a great mental effect. Get any book that is fa-
miliar to you and memorize the page and word on that
page, that corresponds with your force card. For exam-
ple, if your force card is the Ten of Spades memorize the
tenth word on page ten.

Have a card se­lected and give the spectator the book.

Tell him to turn to the page number that corresponds
with his card, and also to count down that many words.
Then simply read his mind by naming the word.

Nested Envelopes
Obtain three or four different sized en­velopes. Take a
deck of ordinary cards and remove the one that match-
es your force card. Tear a corner off this card and place
the torn corner in your pocket. Then seal the rest of the
card in the smallest envelope. Seal this envelope into
the next larg­est, and so on, until you have a set of nest-
ed, sealed envelopes.
Have a card selected from the Wonder Deck. Keeping
the extra corner concealed in your hand, tear the card
into sev­eral pieces, giving the spectator one of the piec-
es to hold (naturally give him the extra corner that you
are secretly holding). Do something to destroy the card
(for example, tear it up). Now take out your set of nest-
ed envelopes and let the spectator open them all and
match the torn corner to the card!

Super Sensitive Fingers

Have a card selected and re­turned to the deck. Place the
deck on the table and cover it with a napkin. Now tell
your spectators that you have super-sen­sitive fingers and
you can cut to the selected card. Just cut the deck any­
where, you’ll have a pile of cards left on the table. Either
the force card will be on top of that pile, or it will be the
bottom card of the pile in your hand!

Alternate Piles
This trick requires that you sepa­rate the Wonder Deck
into two piles with one pile containing all the force cards,
and one with all the regular cards. Place the pile of force
cards on top of the pile of regular cards.

Casually show the deck to be different by fanning out

the bottom part of the deck to your audience. Cut the
deck into two piles and lay them face down on the table.
Have someone select a card from one pile and place it
on top of the other. Then have a card selected from the
other pile and place it on top of the first pile. Ask the
people who selected the cards to shuffle their packets.
Then pick up each pile separately one at a time and bring
forth the se­lected card. This is really easy to do as you
will be able to feel the ends protruding from the short
pile, and you will feel a gap on the ends of the long pile,
at the selected cards!

Two Card Monte

Take the “top” card by the short edges and you will
automatically pick up two cards instead of one. Show
your spectator the face of the double card and place it
back on top of the deck, then deal the top card onto the
table. This will really be a force card, but the audience
won’t know that. Now slide the next card off the deck
and place it face down on the table next to the force
card.

Bet your friend that he can’t pick out the card you just
showed him! You can move the cards around a little bit
if you wish, but don’t make it too hard for him. When he
selects the card, he will be wrong!

Post-It
Write the name of your force card on a piece of paper
and seal it in an envelope. Mail this to your friend with
instructions not to open until the date and time of your
performance. After having him select a card, have him
open the sealed envelope and show that your mailed
prediction is correct!
X-Ray Vision
Here’s a trick that should be done slowly. Have a card se-
lected and removed from the deck in the usual manner.
Tell your audience that you have X-Ray vision and can
name the card by looking at the backs of the other cards.
Spread the deck face down on the table and proceed to
ponder over them. Name the card slowly, starting with
the color, then the suit and number.

Osmosis
Place a force card in an ordinary folded table napkin.
Have a card selected and replaced in the normal man-
ner. Place the deck on top of the napkin, and say that by
the process of os­mosis the card will filter down, out of
the deck and appear under the napkin. Open the napkin
to reveal the card, and flip the deck forward to show that
it is not still in the deck!

Card on Ice
Cut the corner (showing the suit and value) from a reg-
ular playing card that matches your force card. Freeze
it into the center of an ice cube. Put the ice cube into a
glass and add water, just before you perform this trick.

Have a card selected and re­placed in the Wonder Deck.

Tell your audience that you have great fortune-telling
abilities. Pass the deck over the glass, drink the water,
and take out the ice cube showing the frozen indices to
your audience!
A Piece of Cake
Here is an over-the-top trick for a birthday party, or any
kind of party. Have someone bake a cake for you, with
a duplicate of the force card hidden in the center. After
you have had the card selected and returned, pretend
to miss it and keep finding the wrong card. Then say,
“Well I guess that one didn’t work. Let’s get on with the
party!” When the cake is cut someone will find the card.
Then you say, “No wonder I couldn’t find it!”

Topsy Turvy Card

For this trick, you will need a du­plicate regular deck of
cards, and a box, matching your Wonder Deck. Take out
the card matching your force card and reverse it in the
deck (face up). Place the box in your pocket, next to the
box containing your Wonder Deck.

Take out the Wonder Deck, and have a card selected

by riffling the deck and having someone say stop. Have
them pull the card part-way out and look at it and then
push it back into the deck. Replace the deck in its box
and place it in your pocket, saying, “Don’t forget your
card!” Now as if an afterthought has oc­curred to you,
bring out the box con­taining the regular deck, take out
the cards and tum them over several times saying, “This
is a topsy-turvy deck and can’t seem to make up its mind
which way it wants to sit on the table. Would you like
your card to be the only one face up or face down?” If
they say face up, spread the deck face down. If they say
face down, do the opposite, revealing the reversed card!
You’re Sitting On It
This is a great gag for a group of friends. Find a chair
with a cushion on it and place one of your force cards,
face up, under the cushion.

When everyone is seated, go over to the person who

is sitting on your card and have him select a card and
return it. Now replace the deck in the case and tell him
to stand up and hold it above his head, then sit down
again. Take the box from him and open it. Flip the deck
forward to show that the selected card has apparently
vanished. Now tell your spectator that you think he’s sit­
ting on the selected card. This is always good for a laugh
when he stands up and you reveal the face-­up card un-
der the cushion!

Penny Pitch
This effect requires that you separate the deck before-
hand into all force cards on top, and all regular cards on
the bottom.

Casually spread some of the bottom cards to show that

they are all different. Then turn the deck over and have
a card selected, by spreading only the top portion of the
deck. This means that the participant can only select one
of the force cards. Have the card looked at and returned
to some­where in the top section (amongst all the other
force cards).

Cut the deck two times to lose the selection. So long as

you cut roughly the same number of cards each time, it
will return most of the force cards to the top portion. Lay
out about twelve cards in rows of four, with four cards
in each row, face down. Because of the way you cut the
cards, they should all be your force cards.

Have someone flip a penny from a short distance away,

aiming to land the penny on one of the cards. Keep do-
ing this un­til the penny lands on one of the cards. Re-
move all the other cards and quickly put them away. Nat-
urally, the card the penny landed on is the cho­sen card!

It’s in the Bag

Prepare a plain brown paper bag, by taping a brown piece
of matching paper (cut from another bag), rect­angular
shaped, to the inside of the bag. Use double-stick tape
or glue to attach three sides of the piece to the bag, in
the shape of a pocket, big enough to hold a card. Now
place a force card in this secret pocket.

In performance, quickly show the bag to your audience,

letting them briefly see the empty inside. Stand the bag
up­right on the table. Have a card se­lected and replaced
anywhere. Drop the deck into the bag, and close the
top of the bag, by either bunching it together or by roll-
ing the top partway down. Shake the bag up thoroughly.
Now hold the bag above your eye level, reach in and
take out one card (from the pocket, naturally). It will be
the selected card.
Surprise Surprise
Here’s a good gag to pull with a crowd of people. It’s a
magic trick that only works for one person as everyone
else is in on it. Have a card selected by a spectator and
ask him to hold onto it. Then have the spectator stand
with his back to the audience. Now tell him that you will
hypnotize the en­tire crowd into revealing his card, even
though he hasn’t shown it to them. Stand where the par-
ticipant cannot see the card and simply riffle the deck
backwards to show the audience a deck full of the force
cards! Have everyone shout out the name of the card
simulta­neously … the spectator will have no idea how
everyone knows!