Easy Magic Trick With 21 Cards for Beginners

This trick is an easy one that anyone with a deck of playing cards can perform, and impress their friends with.

You will need:

• One deck of playing cards
• A flat surface

Step 1: Setup

1. Have a viewer shuffle the deck of cards. That way the trick is more effective.
2. Deal out twenty-one cards from that same deck.
   • Place one card in the first column, then place one card into the second column, and one card into the third column.
     • Repeat this until each of these three columns have seven cards
     • The cards need to be face up.

Step 2: Ask a Viewer to Pick a Card

1. Tell a viewer to pick a card silently and to memorize it.

For these instructions we will use the Five of Clubs as our example.

Step 3: Ask the Viewer Which Column Their Card Is In.

1. Make note of the column that their card is in.
2. Condense the columns into their own separate piles.
3. Finally, combine the piles together, and make sure you sandwich the viewer's column in between the other two columns.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT shuffle the cards. Shuffling the cards will make this trick not work.

Step 4: Repeat the Step 3

1. Deal out the cards into three columns of seven face up row-by-row.
2. Make sure to count in your head as you lay the cards down.
3. Make note of the Eleventh Card in the sequence
   • The Eleventh spot will eventually contain their card
4. Repeat this process until the viewer says their card is in the middle column.
   • If the viewer says that their card is in the middle column after either the first or second time you deal out the cards, then continue repeating this process until the card is in the middle column again.

5. Combine the piles together, and make sure you sandwich the middle column in between the other two columns, and then move on to the next step.

Step 5: Make Piles of Four

1. Deal out the twenty-one cards in piles of four face-down.
   • Make sure to keep track of the Eleventh Card. This should be the viewer's card.
   • The last pile will have five cards in it.
2. Have the viewer pick two piles to begin with.
   • If the viewer picks the pile that does not contain the Eleventh Card then discard the two piles they selected.
   • If the viewer picks the pile that contains the Eleventh Card discard the other three piles.
   • MAKE SURE NOT TO DISCARD THE ELEVENTH CARD'S PILE
3. At this point you will have either two or three piles
   • Have the viewer select a single pile

     • If the viewer picks the pile that does not contain the Eleventh Card then discard the pile they selected.

     • If the viewer picks the pile that contains the Eleventh Card discard the remaining pile(s).

     • Repeat this until only the pile with the Eleventh Card remains.

Step 6: Revealing Their Card

1. Separate the remaining pile and place the cards in a line.
2. Have the viewer select two cards.

   • If the viewer does not pick the Eleventh Card then discard the two cards they selected

   • If the viewer picks the Eleventh Card discard the two cards they did not select.

3. Finally, two cards should remain.
4. Have the viewer select a single card.
   • If the viewer did not select the Eleventh Card discard that card.
   • If the viewer did select the Eleventh Card discard the other card.
5. Have the viewer flip over their card!!!