How to Perform a Mathematic Card Trick

A spectator randomly selects a card from a deck. He randomly selects another card from another deck. Through a series of short mathematical equations you are able to name his cards without ever seeing them.

Things You'll Need

• Two decks of cards

Instructions

1. Remove all tens, kings, queens, and jacks from the deck.

   Have the spectator randomly select a card from a deck. Ask him to double the value of the card.

2. Now have him add five to whatever number he ended with in Step #1.

3. Multiply that number from Step #2 by five.

4. Have him randomly pick another card from another deck. Whatever the value of the new card is, have him add that to the number from Step #3.

5. Ask him to subtract twenty-five from the number in Step #4.

6. As soon as he says his number, you will know what the two chosen cards were. The first digit will be the value of one card and the second digit will be the value of the other card.

7. Example - if he chooses a seven and an eight. Following the steps, seven times two is fourteen, plus five equals nineteen, multiplied by five equals ninety-five.

   Add the eight (value of the second card) and you get one hundred and three. Now, subtract twenty-five and you get seventy-eight (78), so the first card is a seven and the second card is an eight.

Tips & Warnings

• Use this as a warmup or something for younger kids. Not very likely to impress people after doing other street magic card tricks.