Tricks with Short Cards

These tricks will work with a Regular Deck.

It’s the Second Card,…Put a short card on the bottom of the deck.  Have a spectator select any card from the deck.  Place the deck on the table.  Have the spectator put their card on top of the deck.  Now, they should cut the deck.  This places the short card immediately above the spectator’s card.  With your eyes closed, cut the deck using the short card and announce that the spectator’s card is the second card in the pile. 

Pick a number,…Put a short card on the bottom of the deck.  Have a spectator select any card from the deck.  Have the spectator put their card on top of the deck.  Cut the cards as normal.  Now the chosen card is below the short card.  Now, cut the deck again, but this time, make sure that the short card ends up on the bottom of the deck.  This means that the chosen card is back on top.  Ask the spectator to choose a number between 1 and 10.  If they say 4, count 4 cards, one at a time and reach for the 5^th card.  Before you turn that card, say “oops.”  You said the 4^th card and I’m on the 5^th.  We’ll start over.  Place the pack on top of the 4 cards.  Cut the cards as normal.  Then cut them so that the short card returns to the bottom.  The chosen card is now the 4^th card from the top of the deck.

So you want to shuffle the Deck,…Put a short card on the top of the deck.  Have a spectator select any card from the deck.  Have the spectator put their card on top of the deck.  Hand the cards to the spectator and have them shuffle the deck.  Have the cards returned to you.  Cut the cards and make sure that the short card ends up on the top of the deck.  It is very likely that the chosen card is on the bottom of the deck.