How to Use a Key Card in Magic Tricks

A key card is a card used in magic tricks to mark an unknown card so you can locate it. For instance, if you pick the King of Hearts as the key card, you place that King of Hearts on top of a card that someone selects so you can find the card that was chosen.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Choose a card to mark the card that is chosen for this magic trick. In this case, you choose the King of Hearts.

2. Make sure that the King of Hearts is at the bottom of the deck.

3. Do a "Hindu Shuffle" with the deck by quickly taking the cards off the top of the deck in your right hand (held between your thumb and fingers) with the fingers of your left hand and placing them in the palm of your left hand, which is lower than the original deck. Keep the cards in your left hand close to the original deck as you do so, which makes it appear that you are shuffling the deck.

4. Tell your friend to tell you to "stop" anytime while you are "shuffling" the deck.

5. Ask your friend to pick up the card on top of the cards in your left hand after he has said "stop." Tell him not to show you the card, but to show it to anyone else who might be in the audience with him.

6. Place the half of the deck in your right hand (which has the King on the bottom) on top of the cards in your left hand after your friend has replaced the card that he has chosen. The King will now be directly on top of your friend's chosen card.

7. Thumb through the cards and pick out the card that your friend chose. This will be the card directly behind the King of Hearts.

Tips & Warnings

• If you can't do the "Hindu Shuffle" have your friend choose a card from the deck and then place the half of the cards with the King on the bottom on top of the card your friend has chosen so you can find their card.