How to Perform the Shipwreck Card Trick

With a story dictating the action, confused cards sort themselves out.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tables
• Playing Cards
• Tables

1. Take all of the aces, jacks, queens and kings out of a deck.

2. Put them into four piles, each representing one suit. The cards must be face down, in this order: J Q K A - with the aces on top.

3. Pile the four stacks on top of one another so that you have just one pile of cards.

4. Begin your story: "Once upon a time there were four families heading for America on a ship. The Kings, the Queens, the Jacks and the Aces."

5. Point at the pile of cards.

6. "The trip was pleasant. The wonderful weather kept their spirits high, until one night they encountered a terrible storm. They were thrown to the left ... " Have a volunteer cut the pile to the left. You complete the cut.

7. "And they were thrown to the right." Have the volunteer cut the pile to the right. You complete the cut.

8. "Then they were thrown forward." Again, have the volunteer cut the cards, this time forward. Complete the cut.

9. "Then the ship wrecked! All of the people were scattered onto four different shores."

10. Deal the first card face down on the table.

11. Deal the next card to its right.

12. Deal the third card below the first card and the fourth card below the second card, forming a square of four cards. The fifth card goes on top of the first one.

13. Follow the pattern until all of the cards are dealt.

14. "But, as you can see ... "

15. Turn over the first pile of cards.

16. "The (whatever the cards happen to be) family ended up together on one shore."

17. Turn over the second pile.

18. "And the (next group) family found each other on another shore."

19. Continue the story with the remaining groups of cards.

Tips & Warnings

• Get the story down pat so your delivery is smooth and conversational.

[twinmom99]

on 4/28/2009 That was a fun trick. Very easy, but will amaze the kids.

[CPLelupon]

on 10/7/2008 Kyp19duron, you're doing the trick wrong. At the beginning, you put A, K, Q, and J of the same suit one pile, until you have four piles, with each pile containing four cards of the same suit. Then, at the end, you should end up with all kings in one pile, all queens in another, all jacks in another, and all aces in the last.

[kyp19duron]

on 10/30/2007 I found that at the end of this trick, in each pile there will be one A, K, Q, and J. However, they will all be in different suites. To correct this, make sure at the beginning of the trick, you put all four piles in the same order. For example, if you put the Aces in the order of Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, make sure you do the same for the Kings, Queens and Jacks. This way, at the end of the trick, all the Diamonds will be together, all the Clubs will be together, all the Spades will be together, and so will all the Hearts.