How to Perform the Psychic Card Trick

The Trick

• 1

  Lay a row of 11 cards face down on the table.

• 2

  Instruct the other person to move any number of cards one at a time from your right to the left end of the row. Turn your back or leave the room while he does this.

• 3

  Return to the table, and move your hand magically back and forth over the cards.

• 4

  Stop dramatically over one card and slowly turn it over. The number on the card is the same as the number of cards moved.

How It's Done

• 5

  Use the ace through 10 of any suit, plus a joker. When you lay the cards out on the table, the order must be: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 A J 10 from your left to right.

• 6

  Use the last card on your right - the 10 - as your count card.

• 7

  Suppose that the other person, who has been told to move as many cards as he wants, moves six cards. The order would now be: 4 3 2 A J 10 9 8 7 6 5.

• 8

  Your count card in this case was 10, so while you're waving your hand over the cards, count from the left end and turn the tenth card over. Here it is a 6, the same as the number of cards that were moved.

• 9

  Start again with the far right card as your new count card. In this example, it's 5.