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Spell Your Card Trick

By: Chris Welsh - Updated: 28 Aug 2012 | comments*Discuss
 
Spell Your Card  Magic Trick Card Trick

An easy trick to learn and perform using a classic method of finding the spectator’s card with a twist.

The Effect
The magician asks the spectator to choose a card, memorise it and place it back in the deck. After thumbing through the cards to show that it is a normal deck, the magician then asks the spectator to spell their card. Removing one card for each letter, the magician revels their card as the spelling is completed.

The Secret
Using a “key card” the magician spots the chosen card when thumbing through the deck.

Materials
No special materials needed, just cards.

Preparation
Make sure you know the proper spelling of diamond and practice, practice, practice.

Performing the Trick

This is one of those card tricks that are taught to young magicians and for a good reason. It takes one of the basic methods for locating a card and expands upon it, showing how many ways a magician can use a tool once they know it.
  1. magician shows audience chosen cardThe magician shuffles a deck of cards and then spreads it, asking for a spectator to choose a card. After a moment to memorise the card, the magician asks the spectator to replace it. 20px break
  2. magician motions where to place the card The cards should be cut about halfway down and as the magician says “place your card here” he should get a look at the bottom card of the top half of the deck. This will be the “key card” that he should remember. 20px break
  3. The chosen card will be below the key card when the cards are face down. When looking at the cards, the magician will find the chosen card to the left of the key card.

  4. magician thumbs through the cardsNow the magician needs an excuse to look through the cards. “Just to show you that I am, indeed, using a full deck, I’ll thumb through the cards.” 20px break
  5. The cards should be held face up and even so that both spectator and magician can see them clearly. Skipping through the first bunch of cards is advisable, while slowing down near the middle. As the magician sees the key card he should quickly note the chosen card and then begin to spell it in his mind.

  6. magician counts off the cardsFor example if the chosen card is the Ace of Clubs the magician should start counting off one card for each letter as he thumbs through the deck. “A-c-e-o-f-C-l-u-b-s.” On “s” the magician holds a break with the fingers of his right hand as he thumbs past the final counted card by a few to throw off any suspicion. 20px break
  7. During the thumbing process the magician can say, “Now, you will likely see your card but I don’t know what it is, so don’t sing out or give me any hint what it is. I’m a smart guy and I might pick up on that.” Once he has counted out the cards, made the break and counted a few more, he should say something like “Okay, that should convince you this is a normal deck of cards. Now it is time for you to do a little magic.” As he says this his hands should separate, each holding a packet of cards. The packet in the right hand, which ends with the last counted off card (at the break) should wind up as the top packet when the cards are face up.

  8. magician reveals chosen cardNow the magician has the spectator spell the card, dealing off one card at a time as he does so. When the spectator gets to the last letter, the magician turns over that card to show the chosen card. 20px break

Magical Tip

Practice this trick with a variety of cards to see if you are confindent spelling diamond, queen, or anything else. You can change this trick slightly by having them count out the value of the card, or spell just the suite and value and not the “of.”

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