How to Assemble a Svengali Deck

One of the most popular card decks for magic tricks is the Svengali deck. Basically, a Svengali deck is equally composed of mixed cards and the same card. Many Svengali decks are pre-assembled, but you may have to assemble it again if you drop the cards while handling them.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Take out the Svengali deck and look over the cards. You'll quickly see mixed cards and trick cards throughout the deck.

2. Separate the two types of cards into two different piles. All of the mixed cards are in one pile while the trick cards are in the other. You should double check the cards after you finish.

3. Alternate the cards as you put them together. Start with a card from the mixed card pile and then place a trick card on top of it.

4. Continue the process until the deck is complete. Svengali decks contain an even number of cards, so you should not have any left over at the end.

5. Keep the Svengali deck assembled at all times. There's no reason to disassemble the deck. If you leave it disassembled, you may forget to put it back together before a show.

Tips & Warnings

• You can perform many simple magic tricks with an assembled Svengali deck. One of the simplest tricks is to have you guess a "random" card that is pulled from the deck.
• Don't let any audience members examine the assembled Svengali deck. They may notice the trick cards in the deck.