I always start my ambitious card routine with some a small line that always gets a laugh. I ask the spec to think of a card... After a dramatic pause, I look them dead in the eye...and barely whisper, "Turn over the top card." They take it, look confused and shake their head, and then I shrug and giggle, "It'd be good if it was though, wouldn't it?" Basically, it never ever is their card and the line is used to disarm the audience; thus, providing some misdirection while they enjoy a laugh.

But...

Tonight.

It happened.

The chance is like one in 1:112 000 or something (probably didn't calculate correctly...but you get the picture.)

I was entertaining at a dinner party, and I had just walked up to the kid of one of the guests. As you would expect, as soon as I knelt down to this kid's level all the adults adoring eyes lock on you both... You know they're just expecting you to whip a coin out of their ear or make some chocolate appear.

I started shuffling the cards and said the usual line. The adults continued to smile benevolently, and the kid just grins as he has not seen any of my tricks thus far. He nodded his head and whispered his choice to the audience. It was only here that I stopped shuffling. I had been shuffling the whole time. Then, in the most mysterious of tones, I told him to turn over the top card.

For a moment, I thought the kid's look of confusion was because he had missed the joke. My insides crawled. But then, I looked at the faces of the adults... They were aghast, utterly stricken and speechless. One guy quickly stifled a gasp, while others just stared. It had been his card...the 8 of diamonds. The kid's face was priceless!!!

The adrenaline surged through me, but I kept a smug grin on my face and said, "Did you like that one?" I got a huge round of applause from my audience, and people kept commenting on how fantastic it was for the rest of the night. Normally I'd go on with the routine, but that was enough. I left on that note! What's even funnier is that people were asking the kid if he was in on the trick, and he fervently told them that he wasn't.

I just thought I'd share that with you guys, as my heart is still beating furiously. I mean, what are the chances?!?!?! Please tell me what you think of this and if you have had any similar experiences.

Great story...and good call to leave after that one effect!

Here's a thought. Most people will usually think of the Ace of Spades or the Queen of Hearts. Before doing the joke, put one on top and one on the bottom. If they say the Ace of Spades, then have them flip the top card over. If they say the Queen of Hearts, tell them to turn the entire deck over to reveal the bottom card.

If they say anything else, then you have your gag! This just adds to the chance of it happening again and you looking like a god in someones eyes.

Just a suggestion....

The more often you attempt the trick, they more likely you are to eventually hit it. The probability is 1 in 52. To the audience, it seems like one in a million.

Sounds like you played it well.

I have had a few similar experiences, although not always with cards. With cards, I once held up a single card and asked a lady to name any card. It proved to be that card.

Here are some of these other True Story Anecdotes.

I do that every night, at least twice. Sometimes I hit it...sometimes not. A great reaction when it works. A great laugh when it doesn't. A win-win no matter what!

I've been doing a similar effect w/ "The Insurance Policy". They put the card back in themselves after I've forced one, they shuffle the cards, and they spread them out. I then say there's only one move left, and that's to take your card out! Sometimes they actually do! If they don't I'll say, "That'd be a good trick?" and so on. I then pull the Policy out and say I'm insured in case this happens...
What's funny is when the card is taken out on that first try, and it happens more times than you'd think, I've heard someone say, "I know how you did that." LOL! Do ya think? Jeff

One time, I asked someone to remove a thought-of card from the deck.
It wasn't there, and I had no idea why as it was not part of the trick.
I found that I had accidentally left 2 cards in the card box. One was the one named. I pulled it out to good effect.

If you start to do mem-deck work, you can get into what is called "jazzing" and you can make this happen fairly predictably.

I did John Bannon's "Tattoo You" to this very skeptical guy, and after I had done the first "phase" (where the prediction matches), this guy leapt in and said, "I'd be more impressed if you could make my signature jump onto that card with the different coloured back." (Bear in mind, this is exactly what I was going to do anyway!) I couldn't believe it, but I played up a bit saying, "I can't believe your asking me to do that. Bloody ****, you're making my job tough." (I didn't overdo it, though.) He was crying like a baby at the climax. It was a sweet moment!!

You're right, you didn't calculate it correctly.

And, unfortunately, the correct calculation turns out to be very, very disappointing; i.e., this isn't nearly as rare an occurrence as you suggest.

The chance is . . . get ready . . . one in . . . dramatic pause . . . fifty-two.

(Assuming a thoroughly shuffled deck and equal probability of each card being imagined by the spectator.)

I know, it's not nearly as impressive. Sorry.

There are ways to tip the scales to give you better chances for success. If you do something like the Invisible Deck, just make mental notes over a period of time which cards are named more frequently than others. I came up with my own top 5. I kept 2 on top, 2 on the bottom, and one reversed in the center.

If they name the top card, turn it over. If they name the 2nd from the top, do a DL. If they name the bottom card, turn the deck over. If they name the 2nd from the bottom, do a glide and pull it out. If they name the reversed card, just spread the deck.

This gives you even better odds, as you are now almost at a 10% chance of hitting it. Leave 1 in the box and have one in each of 2 coat pockets, and you increase your chance to over 15%.

However, even with a 1 in 52 chance, done enough times, you will probably hit it one day.

Even though this is the long shot, it usually registers as much more impressive than that (and impossible) to an audience, and that's all that counts. Fudging the odds doesn't diminish that in their minds, if they don't know.

Wanna know what bites about this?

Well, Michael beat me to the 1 in 52, that should be pretty self explanatory. LOL BUT the thing that bites is that this is a far better joke than trick!

When you hit it, it is just too good. The laugh and disarming nature of it really makes it great. Hitting it just leaves them standing there reactionless. IT BITES.

I went as far as when I was doing comedy clubs to name a card I knew full well was NOT in the deck! (I had a card in my pocket for 51 cards to pocket, so I ALWAYS named that one.) It can really take away momentum, and you have a tough time for the next few minutes.

It is a FAR better joke than trick. ESPECIALLY if you are as surprised as they are! LOL.

IDK...seems to me the odds are greater than 1 in 52. The only way they can be that would be if they name the same card over and over again, and you get rid of the card if it was incorrect. Considering that any person can name any card, and the deck can be in any order, makes the odds greater than 1:52. I've never been one to argue with logic, but it seems there are far more variables involved and makes the odds that much harder to hit the right card...

Just my thoughts.
Steve

Steve, one card, 52 choices. It is a 1 in 52 every time it happens, right?

Technically, it is a series of independent trials. EVERY time it is 1 in 52, right? The next person you ask does not get an "already called card" list to look at. It is a series of 1 in 52 odds, I think. I can be WAY wrong mind you, but the cards have no memory. This does not allow for "psychological" things, such as AS or QH.

I'm not that good with statistics, but I would have thought that if they can name any card, that's 1 in 52. And any card can be the top card, that's another 1 in 52, etc., etc. There's lots of variables involved, e.g. shuffled deck, psychological thing, etc., etc.

Maybe someone who's good with statistics can clarify.

Thanks,
dan

The problem is, Daniel, 55% of statistics are made up on the spot.

What about the other 55%?

Yep, it's 1 in 52. That's easy.

Next question:
If you had them name 3 cards, what are the odds they get all 3?


Only one rule: Bill (s2000) is not allowed to answer.

It's like odds in roulette. People think if the ball lands on red five times, the odds turn in favor of it landing on black the next time. It doesn't. The odds are the same every time. (Even when you add the green spaces that are on some wheels, the odds stay the same for every spin.)

With a randomly shuffled deck, the spectator has a one in fifty-two chance of naming the top card. Even if you place a highly "hit" card on top, they still have a one in fifty-two chance because they can name any card they want. If you do as Michael Baker does and have five known cards in various places, you have tipped the odds in the spectator's favor to five in fifty-two.

Ah, I see where you're going with this now. Yes, it is 1 in 52 times for that particular person. I thought you guys were saying it's going to happen 1 time out of every 52 times he does it....lol. I plead ignorance. Seriously.

Best.
Steve

Danny, as usual, is right. You can win over an entire group of people by it being the wrong card and playing it as Danny suggested (being as surprised as they are).