Funniest things you've heard from people who aren't familiar with cards?

Jan 2, 2016
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It seems that the younger generations have become increasingly unfamiliar with a standard deck of cards. I think we've all heard someone call clubs "clovers" at some point. As a young person myself, I've heard a wide variety of funny things from people who were clearly unfamiliar with cards. Here are a few of my favorites.

  • People calling the court cards and aces by their letter. Example: "K of hearts"
  • People specifying the color of the suit. Example: "6 of the red hearts"
  • People calling the jacks "jokers".
  • One of my favorites is the different ways people try to describe and name the "spade". I've heard "the pointy one", "Arrowheads", and have even had people try to make the shape with their hands.
But my favorite interaction had to be this one when I was doing the invisible deck:
Me: Name any card.
Spectator: Oh I don't really know cards
Spec's friend: It's all just shapes and numbers!
Specator: Oh okay! Thirteen of Stars.

I've always said I want to get a gaff card of the 13 of stars made. Not sure what I'd use it for though. Anyway, anyone else have these mildly amusing experiences with people who aren't familiar with cards?
 

Zeede

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2018
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The most horrific display of unfamiliarity with playing cards has to be will.i.am on the Graham Norton show. Chris Pratt was doing a magic trick for him. He called the Ace of Hearts the "A of Hearts" and thought that cutting the deck is shuffling it.
 
Jan 2, 2016
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California
I've had someone who was confused about how many cards there are in a deck say " no...there is 52 states, I don't know how many cards are in a deck...". We live in the USA...there are not 52 states.
A surprising amount of people think Alaska and Hawaii were the 51st and 52nd states.
 
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Jan 26, 2017
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A surprising amount of people think Alaska and Hawaii were the 51st and 52nd states.
I guess it's something with "Oh there's 50 states in the [Continental] U.S. Can't forget Alaska and Hawaii". Either that or something with Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands being considered part of the States I guess?

But honestly though, how do you not know there's 50
 
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Jan 23, 2019
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I guess it's something with "Oh there's 50 states in the [Continental] U.S. Can't forget Alaska and Hawaii". Either that or something with Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands being considered part of the States I guess?

But honestly though, how do you not know there's 50

With the prices of apartments and houses continually on the rise, some people can only afford a rock.
 

Dtop

Elite Member
Jan 13, 2019
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When they called the JOKER a JACK. “Oh wow, that’s a really cool design for the jack!” It literally says JOKER in big letters across the top. If you think not knowing the states is bad, not being able to read JOKER is worse.
 
Jan 2, 2016
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881
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California
The most horrific display of unfamiliarity with playing cards has to be will.i.am on the Graham Norton show. Chris Pratt was doing a magic trick for him. He called the Ace of Hearts the "A of Hearts" and thought that cutting the deck is shuffling it.
I’ve had multiple people think I was shuffling the cards when I sprang them.
 

Zeede

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2018
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I don't know about you but I am a happy magician when I hear that my spectators think this is shuffling :D
I just know a few tricks to amuse my kids, but yes, it's a pretty good sign you aren't likely to be caught out for doing anything if this is the case.

@Antonio Diavolo *facepalm* (Also, I still can't spring cards to save my life. Anyone have some tips? I've watched multiple YouTube videos about it.)
 
Jan 2, 2016
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I just know a few tricks to amuse my kids, but yes, it's a pretty good sign you aren't likely to be caught out for doing anything if this is the case.

@Antonio Diavolo *facepalm* (Also, I still can't spring cards to save my life. Anyone have some tips? I've watched multiple YouTube videos about it.)
For me, it was just one of those things I would practice all the time until I sort of had the hand strength and the right feel to get it down. I'm not sure how you spring cards but I spring them off my thumb while holding it from opposite corners of the deck, rather than on the short edges. I found this to be easier for me and it doesn't bend the cards as much.
 

C J

Nov 29, 2017
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Once I was trying to verbally force the jack of spades. When I asked the spectator to name the card they said joker of knifes. Later I learned they ment jack of spades but it got a laugh out of the whole room
 
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Sep 29, 2018
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Well, there are always people who see a card, 'remember' it (tell me nothing about how they dunno ANYTHING about cards) and before the reveal when they are asked what card it was, they're all like,

"It was a seven."

"Of?"

"Uhh...you know that shape? Looks like a tree?"

And then I'm on a ride, guessing what suit they're talking about.

But more often I've met people who don't know how HANDLING cards works, and they, fascinated, ask me before every riffle shuffle,

"Do you split the deck EXACTLY in half when you do so?"

"Uh...I gueeeess?"

"WOW!"

And I'm like , "Hmm...didn't even have to do the spring, to impress them."
 
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Sep 29, 2018
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Btw, just asking, isn't it just kinda annoying when you do a card effect, put all so much emotion and drama in it that Netflix would be jealous AND the spectators react AWESOMELY and behave as if they have found the Holy Grail...and then when someone asks them what happened, they look at their friend and say,"Oh, [insert your name] just showed me a card trick!"

Me (mentally): After all this time?

Spectator (mentally): Always.
 
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