Trying to identify a trick

Mar 2, 2023
4
0
Hi. Years ago my dad had showed me a card trick. I'm not sure I remember every detail. It involved spreading the cards out, and telling the vaulnteer to pick a cars. Can't remember if it was just color or value and suit. At the end there was some reveal that showed they were choosing correctly. I want to say you showed the last card and it was the exact one you asked them to pick. Sorry for the garbage description. Obviously I'm not looking for anyone to reveal how it's done, just a name or a resource that might have some info. Thanks in advance.
 

Antonio Diavolo

Elite Member
Jan 2, 2016
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California
It's kind of hard to tell based on this description alone. There are a lot of tricks that work very similarly. Are there any other details you remember?
 
Mar 2, 2023
4
0
There is one other detail, but it involves what I remember of how it's done and I don't want to inadvertently spoil someone's trick. Maybe I can phrase it like this. I seem to remember the volunteer hands you each card for you to confirm it's correct. They do not look at it but you do. You then set it aside face down.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
My first guess is that it is "The Betting Card Trick" from Scarne on Card Tricks p. 74. A card is selected and returned to the deck. The magician (or spectator) deals off cards face up with the spectator to saying nothing if they see their card. It can be varied so the spectator holds up the card so that only the magician see it. In the course of dealing the cards, the the selected card is dealt to the table and the magician lets the dealing keep going three or four cards past it. The magician then asks "do you want to bet the next card I turn over is your card?" The magician goes to the stack of cards that were already turned face-up and turns the previously dealt selected card and smiles. It can also be done so that the magician says the next card will be it, and it is.

If not, answers to a couple of questions would help. Was the spread a full deck or just several cards? Were the cards spread face up or face down? Did you think of the card or pick it up? Was the card returned to the deck or left in place?
 
Last edited:
Mar 2, 2023
4
0
Wow thank you for the detailed response. While I will now be looking that trick up, it is not the one I'm thinking of. It is full deck, spread face down. The card is not one the spectator pre picked to the best of my recollection. You are telling them which card to pick. I also seem to remember the magician might pick the first card. The reveal is You turn around the last card and it is the one you had just told them to pick. Sorry I'm going on a 20 year old memory. It's been a while since I have regularly performed card tricks.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
Alright... guess #2 - "Calling the Cards" which is the first effect in Scarne on Card Tricks. Magician spreads the deck around in a wide pile on the table. The spectator points to a card and the magician names it (the magician can name it first and then the spectator points to the card). The magician picks up the card. Repeat for four more cards. The magician might pick the last card. At the end, all of the cards are revealed to be the ones names.

If that isn't it, you will need to walk through it step by step, as I'm not clear on what order things are done.

While I will now be looking that trick up,

Scarne on Card Tricks is a great book of self-working effects. There are three or four that I regularly perform for folks when I'm not in ideal conditions (bad angles, people burning your hands, on an airplane, borrowed tattered deck, etc.)
 
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