Four Simple and Fun Card Tricks

Here are four easy card tricks.

Trick 1: Spelling Bee (Starting on Step 1)

Trick 2: Guess the Card (Starting on Step 8)

Trick 3: 4 Jacks (Starting on Step 15)

Trick 4: It's a Snap (Starting on Step 22)

Supplies:

1 Standard Deck of 52 Cards (No Jokers)

Step 1: First Trick: Spelling Bee

The goal of this trick is to spell out the name of each card as you "randomly" lay the cards out.

Step 2: Preparing the Deck

In order for this trick to work you must prearrange the deck.

1. Start by removing thirteen cards from the deck. One of each number making sure that they are not all the same suit.
2. Now, arrange the cards from the top card down in this order: Three, Eight, Seven, Ace, Queen, Six, Four, Two, Jack, King, Ten, Nine, and last Five.
Note: This means five should be on the bottom of the set of thirteen cards.
3. Place the thirteen cards on top of the rest of the deck.

Step 3: Shuffling the Deck

Now for the trick, begin shuffling the cards but make sure that the original 13 cards do not get mixed in the deck.

Step 4: Removing the "Randomly" Arranged Cards

Tell the audience that you are removing the top thirteen cards then fan them out so they can see that the cards are "randomly" arranged.

Step 5: Spelling Out the Cards

Begin spelling the first card, "ACE", as you say each letter remove the top card and place it on the bottom of your deck of thirteen cards.

Step 6: The Reveal

After the whole word is spelled then flip the top card and reveal that it is the card you spelled.

Step 7: The Reveal, CONT'd

Repeat steps 5 and 6 until Ace through 6 are laid out in front of your audience.

Note:

It is possible to go until all 13 cards are laid out, but the trick can become repetitive and long.

Step 8: Second Trick: Guess the Card

This trick requires no skill and with a little mental arithmetic it just works.

After a seemingly random series of stacking cards you will eventually "guess" an unknown card and impress the audience.

Step 9: Shuffle the Deck

1. Start by giving an audience member the deck and allow them to shuffle the deck however much they desire. There is no pre-ordering of the cards required.

Step 10: Creating the Stacks

Tell your audience that you are going to lie out some cards. Make it sound/look like you are doing it randomly. Do not make it obvious to the audience of any addition or counting performed in the future steps.

2. Turn over a card face up on the table (if the first card drawn is a King put the card randomly back in the deck and flip another card).

3. Count cards (in your head) up to 13 from whatever number card was first flipped and place them face up one by one on top of the first card. i.e. if 4 was first flipped, another 9 cards would be put down. Ace is considered 1.

4. Once the “13th” card is placed down flip the entire stack over.

Step 11: Creating Multiple Stacks

5. Start a new stack for steps 2 through 4 (the king scenario does not matter now) and make a neat grid of all of the upside down stacks.

6. Continue step 5 until as many full stacks can be completed. If the final stack cannot be fully completed put the remaining cards to the side upside down.

Step 12: Pick the 3 Stacks

7. Face away from the cards (so the audience doesn't think you memorized the cards) and ask an audience member to pick any 3 random stacks to keep.

8. Have them arrange the 3 stacks side by side and then put the remaining stacks, and any extra unstacked cards from your side pile, into a singular pile face down.

Step 13: Count 'em Up

9. Turn over the top card of the two outside stacks.

10. (In your head) add up the numbers of the two face up cards and add 10 to that number. i.e. An Ace and a 6 would give 7 then adding 10 would give 17.

Step 14: The Reveal

1. Take the piled, face down stack of cards and count out the number of cards calculated in the last step.

2. Keeping a fluid motion from the previous step count out the number of cards remaining.

3. The number counted in 2 (above) is the middle card! Tell the audience what you "sense" it is and flip it over.


Keeping a fluid motion throughout the entire trick is vital. You do not want the audience thinking you are counting cards, but rather just putting down cards into random stacks and sweeping through the remaining cards in the deck.

Step 15: Third Trick: 4 Jacks

The goal of this trick is to have the four Jacks "Appear" from the top of the deck, at the very end. If you follow these directions, you will be able to do just that.

Step 16: Preparation

Deck Preparation

    This needs to be done before you go to show this trick to anyone.
    You need to remove the four jacks from the deck, fan them out so you can see all four, and then place 3 cards on top of the top jack, but directly behind it so that the audience cannot tell they are there.

Step 17: Story and Beginning Placement

 Explain the Story

    Tell the audience about how the four jacks are best friends, and they are going to rob a bank together.

    To rob the bank, they are going to break in from the roof.

Placing Jacks

    Set the jacks and three extra cards in a single stack, it is no longer necessary to have them separated.

    Place this stack, on top of the rest of the deck, with the three extra cards on the very top (this is crucial, this step IS the trick).

Step 18: Placing the Cards

Placing the First Card
    Take the top card off the deck, explaining that the Jack was searching the first floor of the bank, and place the card near the bottom of the deck.

Placing the Second Card
    Take the next card off of the top of the deck, explain how the next Jack is going to search the second floor, and place the card somewhere in the middle of the deck.

Placing the Third Card
    Take the final random card off of the top of the deck, and explain how the third Jack is going to the vault, and place the card towards the top-- but far enough down that it does not get put into the middle of the actual Jacks (now the top four cards in the deck.

Step 19: Showing Off the Last Jack

Fourth Jack is the Lookout
    Tell the audience that the fourth Jack is the lookout, and therefore is staying on the top of the deck. Show the top card to prove it to the audience.

Step 20: The Cops Are Coming!

Have the last Jack warn all the others that the cops are coming, so they all need to get to the top!

Tell the audience all of this, then have the final Jack knock on the roof. Tap on the top of the deck four times.

Step 21: The Getaway and Checking the Deck

The Getaway
    Show off the four Jacks running away by flipping them one at a time from the top of the deck.

Checking the Deck
    Allow someone in the audience to search the deck, to make sure you did not insert extra Jacks into it.

Step 22: Setting Up

To set up this trick, select any two cards. You may find it better to use cards of different color but any two cards will do.

Step 23: Setting Up 2

Place the card that you want to "disappear" on top of the card you want to "appear" with both cards facing the same direction.

Step 24: Setting Up 3

Line up the edges of the two cards so that it looks like you are holding just one card in your hand. Make sure that the front of the card is facing toward the audience.

Step 25: Holding the Cards

It is important that you hold the cards in this way:

-- Place your index and middle fingers on the bottom of the front card
-- Place your thumb on the corner of the back card

Step 26: Create a Distraction

With the cards held correctly use your other hand to flick the back of the cards on the opposite side from where you are holding them. 

--This step and the next step should be done simultaneously

Step 27: Making the Card "Disappear"

At the same time that you are flicking the back of the cards, loosen your grip on the cards and slide the top card down with your middle finger. As you are pulling down with your middle finger, push the back card forward with your thumb.

Step 28: Finishing the Trick

Slide the top card completely behind the new front card so that the audience cannot see it.

-- The technique and timing of this trick takes a lot of practice. You will probably not get this trick right on the first try. Practice, practice, practice.

Step 29: Usability Survey

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