Cardistry vs Magic: Which is better?

Dear friend,

You find yourself in a grand hall, surrounded by the world’s most eminent mathematicians. Their eyes, alight with curiosity, are intently focused on you. In your hands lies a simple deck of playing cards, an ordinary object that’s about to save you a headache…

Your task? To perform a singular, self-working card trick that will captivate these connoisseurs of numbers and logic. Success means not just their applause but also their promise to assist you with your mathematics homework! Choose your trick with care, my friend – it should be designed to appeal to their deep appreciation of patterns and probabilities.

You can only perform one self working card trick, fail and you’ll be left alone to ponder the mysteries of Pythagoras into the night’s wee hours, possibly questioning if a² + b² really equals c² or why right triangles never seem to get it wrong.

What do you choose?

I’d personally go for Out of this World by Paul Curry!

This trick involves pattern recognition and decision-making, which could greatly appeal to mathematicians. The concept of seemingly random choices leading to an orderly outcome aligns beautifully with mathematical principle! (it also allows them to participate and make decisions, which may be more engaging for a group of thinkers).

If you’d like a collection of the best seven self working card tricks, including this one explained in detail click the link below…

https://ambitiouswithcards.com/self-working-card-tricks/

Now, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of this guide...

What are Self Working Card Tricks?

Self-working card tricks are magic tricks performed with cards that don’t require sleight of hand or complex manual skills. They are the easiest kind of card trick to do as they typically rely on mathematical principles, specific card arrangements, or psychological techniques.

In this collection of self working card tricks I’ve put together a list of the five super easy card tricks that you can learn right away. You are also going to be introduced to some important principles of card magic, such as the key card! The key card principle is so simple, so fair and so diabolical magicians even use it to fool other MAGICIANS.

#1 The spectator freely selects a card, which is then lost in a genuinely shuffled deck. Through a series of intriguing steps involving numbers and card placements, the chosen card mysteriously reveals itself in an unexpected and inexplicable way. 

#2 The magician lays out 21 cards and asks the spectator to mentally choose one without revealing it. After the spectator selects a column containing their card, the magician repeats the layout and selection process two more times. In the final round, the magician accurately reveals the chosen card.

#3 The spectator shuffles the deck, and you set aside a prediction card. They then deal cards into piles at their discretion. After a series of choices and eliminations, only two cards remain: one determines the suit, the other the value. In a stunning revelation, the prediction card, visible the entire time, matches the composite card exactly.

#4 Invite the spectator to mimic playing a piano, then place pairs of cards between their fingers, adding an unpaired card. Split these into two piles, each starting with seven cards, but secretly add an extra card to one pile. Despite the different numbers, you create the illusion that both piles have equal counts, cleverly using language to maintain the appearance of paired cards throughout.

#5 Both you and the spectator each have a deck of playing cards. Following the same sequence of actions, including shuffling and card selections, you both astonishingly end up choosing the same card from your respective decks! (best self working card trick on the list,  there are more variations of a shuffled deck than atoms in the galaxy, and then you shuffled TWO decks, 8 times!

Click HERE to learn all effects in First Steps (FREE).

Self Working Magic Tricks VS. Non Self Working

Want a collection of 88 Self Working Card Tricks, including one of the greatest EVER? Click HERE!

Self Working Magic Tricks can be a great tool for beginner magicians when they don’t have enough sleight of hand knowledge, and even for more advanced magicians they provide an alternative and impressive form of magic!

For the rest of this post, i will be weighing up the pros and cons of self working tricks, as well as referencing some of the best tutorials on them.

The Pros:

Self working magic tricks are ideal for the amateur magician, mainly because they don’t require any advanced moves or expensive gimmicks.

They can usually be performed with any kind of deck, which means you can also borrow a deck for your tricks- always a bonus.

The methods are often very methodical and become second nature once you have the patterns down.

The effects are often based on mathematical principles, so are very hard to explain or understand (some seem like real magic even to you too!)

There are LOADS of resources for learning them, especially on YouTube.

The Cons:

Self working tricks often require a full deck; it can be a bit of a hassle to count out 52 cards every time you perform a trick.

Self working tricks can be (really) long sometimes, because of their mathematical nature, which can sometimes lose the attention of your audience.

The methods can often require a lot of memory work before you are ready to perform.

Want a collection of 88 Self Working Card Tricks, including one of the greatest EVER? Click HERE!

Wrapping it up…

I personally view self working card tricks as a little bit similar to long walks; they’re nice to engage in every now and then, but if you did them every day than you’d get pretty tired pretty quick. By all means, go ahead and learn three or four good quality self working tricks. But make sure that you don’t neglect the other types of tricks.

My favourite types of card tricks use the brilliant memorised deck. These types of card tricks are insane and they will usually fall into one of the following 4 categories, but they can vary wildly between themselves based on their ‘angle’ and position within that view. 

1: Mental 

Convince your audience that your mind has powers beyond most mortals by revealing cards they’re thinking of, displaying stunning feats of memory and intuition, and finding cards lost in a shuffled deck!

The memorized deck makes all of the above ‘child’s play’. In fact, the effects listed above are some of the MOST basic effects you can do with a memorized deck.  

2: Coincidental

Create moments that are ‘impossible coincidences’. 

Cards appear at randomly chosen numbers, the spectator freely chooses cards that exactly match yours, and so many more instances of ‘fate’ that can only be explained by magic (or, y’know, a memorized deck.)

3: Technical

Display stunning skill with playing cards—even when you have NONE at all! The memorized deck is like ‘cheat codes’ for sleight of hand demonstrations.  

4: Musical

Improvise, jam, and put together miracles on the spur of the moment—creating unique ‘one of a kind’ moments that will never be repeated! 

Just like watching rock n’ roll concerts, the memorized deck is the greatest tool in magic for creating the ‘moment’ with your audiences—moments that have only happened once, and won’t happen again for anyone else! It’s special, and they feel it too. 

If you’d like to learn more about the memorised deck click the link below…

https://thedailymagician.com/memorised-deck-books

Thanks for reading our Complete Guide to Self Working Card Tricks! We hope you enjoyed it!

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Whether we’re pulling apart the science of creativity, brainstorming methods with world-class magicians, or discovering what card tricks look like in Vietnam, we’ll take you ‘behind the curtain’ with us.  

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The Daily Magician

Dear friend,

This is a really simple and organised guide that will walk you through 100 of the most amazing easy card tricks that you can start learning today, taken from the 15 pillars of card magic.

The world of card magic is continuously evolving, but there are lots of classics and pillars of card magic that will never go out of style. There may be new and innovative effects created by genius card magicians, but they will always, more or less, fall under these 15 card trick categories that have been around for decades…

Types of Card Tricks

1. Self-Working Card Tricks 
2. Impromptu Tricks
3. Trick Decks
4. Other Gaff or Gimmicked Effects 
5. Pick a Card & Find a Card 
6. Reversal Tricks
7. Storytelling Tricks 
8. Packet Tricks
9. Four Ace Tricks
10. Sandwich Tricks
11. Colour Change Tricks
12. Vanishing Tricks
13. Prediction & Mentalism Tricks 
14. Memorised Deck Tricks
15. Tricks from Moth-Eaten Magic Books

Ready to dive into some card tricks?

This guide’s got you covered! If you’re just starting out, begin from the bottom and work your way up – the categories are listed from easiest to hardest. If you’ve been in the game for a while, feel free to jump towards the end for the more complex stuff.

The following is a description of 100 card tricks from the 15 pillars of card magic and with links to where to learn them.

Everything on this page is free – but if you’d like a video tutorial of some of the most easy but fooling card tricks there are, we think you’d love Base.

Here’s just one of the performances…

Watch 8 more performances below and learn some of the easiest card tricks ever.

1 timeless principle, 8 knockout effects, 3 FREE bonus routines—Ollie Mealing finally shares his EASY system for effortlessly powerful card magic.

https://thedailymagician.com/base

That said… Let’s begin!

Self Working Card Tricks

Self-working card tricks are magic tricks performed with cards that don’t require sleight of hand or complex manual skills. They are the easiest kind of card trick to do as they typically rely on mathematical principles, specific card arrangements, or psychological techniques.

In this collection of self working card tricks I’ve put together a list of the five super easy card tricks that you can learn right away. You are also going to be introduced to some important principles of card magic, such as the key card! The key card principle is so simple, so fair and so diabolical magicians even use it to fool other MAGICIANS.

#1 The spectator freely selects a card, which is then lost in a genuinely shuffled deck. Through a series of intriguing steps involving numbers and card placements, the chosen card mysteriously reveals itself in an unexpected and inexplicable way. 

#2 The magician lays out 21 cards and asks the spectator to mentally choose one without revealing it. After the spectator selects a column containing their card, the magician repeats the layout and selection process two more times. In the final round, the magician accurately reveals the chosen card.

#3 The spectator shuffles the deck, and you set aside a prediction card. They then deal cards into piles at their discretion. After a series of choices and eliminations, only two cards remain: one determines the suit, the other the value. In a stunning revelation, the prediction card, visible the entire time, matches the composite card exactly.

#4 Invite the spectator to mimic playing a piano, then place pairs of cards between their fingers, adding an unpaired card. Split these into two piles, each starting with seven cards, but secretly add an extra card to one pile. Despite the different numbers, you create the illusion that both piles have equal counts, cleverly using language to maintain the appearance of paired cards throughout.

#5 Both you and the spectator each have a deck of playing cards. Following the same sequence of actions, including shuffling and card selections, you both astonishingly end up choosing the same card from your respective decks! (best self working card trick on the list,  there are more variations of a shuffled deck than atoms in the galaxy, and then you shuffled TWO decks, 8 times!

Click HERE to learn all five of these effects for three!

Impromptu Card Tricks

Impromptu card tricks are performed spontaneously, often with a borrowed deck, and without prior setup. They showcase a magician’s skill in sleight of hand and adaptability, perfect for on-the-spot performances.

About 6 months ago, Ollie Mealing told us about a simple system he uses to create incredibly fooling magic that can be performed anytime, anywhere—with ANY deck of cards. This system is based on one laughably easy principle that pretty much every magician on earth is aware of.

Ollie shared a few effects with us, all based on this idea, and we were blown away by their quality and deceptiveness. Not only are they easy enough that you’ll be able to master them in a half hour or so of practice, they’re so cleverly assembled that they’ve fooled some of the best card magicians in the world.

#6 Your spectator shuffles the deck, then hands it back to you. You dribble the cards onto the table until they call ‘stop’. You show them the card at that point, then throw it back into the deck. After another shuffle by the spectator, you successfully name the card they are thinking of.

#7 Your spectator thoroughly shuffles the deck, cuts it, and views a card before returning it to the deck. After a few more cuts, they select four cards from a face-up spread, one being their card. You guess which one is theirs by reading their expression and hand it to them, instructing them to place it invisibly in the deck. When none of the remaining three cards are theirs, you spread the deck to find their card now visibly face up.

#8 Allow your spectator to shuffle the deck and cut a portion of cards, holding onto them. Reveal the top card of the remaining deck. Place this card in the middle of the deck, then have them sandwich their cut portion back into the deck, followed by another shuffle. Begin picking and guessing a couple of cards until you correctly identify their card.

#9 Invite your spectator to shuffle the deck, then have them pick a card from a spread and memorise it, followed by more shuffling. Predict two or three cards, revealing them to be jokers and claiming they represent any card. After a brief moment of their annoyance, clarify that their chosen card isn’t these cards but is between them. With a shake of the deck, their selected card astonishingly appears between the jokers! (this one belongs in the wild west)! 

#10 Give the deck to your spectator for overhand shuffles, showing how the bottom card changes. After they understand, let them shuffle face-up and choose a card at random. They memorise their card, place it on top, and cut the deck. Set a challenge: with the cards face-down, have them turn around. As you run your hand along the deck, they call ‘stop’. When they turn back, they find you’ve stopped on their chosen card.

#11 Your spectator shuffles the deck. Take it back and instruct them to say ‘stop’ as you drop cards to the table. When they do, let them memorise the card they’ve stopped on and think about it after placing it back in the deck. Explain that while magicians often claim they lose track of the card after shuffling, this isn’t always true. Finally, dramatically reveal their chosen card.

#12 Your spectator shuffles the deck, then selects a card by telling you when to stop as you riffle through it. After they memorise their card and put it back, they shuffle the deck again. Noting their Christmas jumper with a reindeer, you suggest using ‘Rudolph’ for a magical touch. As your spectator spells ‘Rudolph,’ the card revealed at the final letter is their chosen card! (if you do this trick at christmas time, you are a legend)! 

#13 Invite your spectator to shuffle the cards, then choose a card in a secretive way as you riffle through the deck. They call ‘stop’, memorise their card, and shuffle the deck again. Announce that you’ll give yourself three attempts to find their card, and select three cards at random. After they reveal their card (Ace of Clubs), show that your three chosen cards are all Aces, but not the Ace of Clubs. Ask for one more chance, and if agreed, skillfully flick the Ace of Clubs out of the deck. 

#14 Your spectator shuffles the cards, and you spread them face down on the table. They select a single card in a very fair way, and then shuffle the deck. You spread the cards face up and instantly reveal their chosen card. 

Click HERE to learn all these effects in BASE. 

You might also like this trick:

What do great magicians perform when they’re feeling lazy?

A trick so easy, my 11-year-old sister used it to fool her middle school teacher…

https://store.thedailymagician.com/products/forcing-by-telepathy

Card Tricks with Trick Decks

Trick decks are specially designed decks of cards used by magicians for specific tricks. These decks may have unique features like marked cards, cards with different backs, or cards of the same value.

#15 A spectator freely names any card. The magician claims to have predicted this choice and removes a deck from his pocket. Without any sleight of hand, he reveals that among 51 face-up cards in the deck, there’s one face-down card – the spectator’s freely chosen card. 

#16 A spectator picks a card from a normal deck and returns it. Without sleight of hand, the magician makes the card appear at various places in the deck – top, bottom, and in between, almost simultaneously. The magician then reveals a stunning twist: the entire deck has transformed into 52 copies of the spectator’s chosen card. (this is an effect that had always blown my mind as a kid, learning the method was so exciting, performing even more)! 

#17 A spectator freely chooses any card from the deck, then replaces it in the middle. The magician shuffles the cards face up into face down, fairly, and shows them to be all mixed. With one quick cut and a wave of his hands, all of the cards right themselves except for the one selected card.

#18 A spectator names any card from the deck — a totally free choice. The magician removes a real deck of cards and spreads through them face down. Not only is the freely thought-of card the only card in the face-down deck that’s facing up, it’s also revealed to be the only card that has a different coloured back.

#19 Up to three different spectators freely select a playing card. All three are placed back into the deck in different spots. The magician places the deck down in his hand, and without any touching or movement from him, the deck begins to MOVE. Slowly, hauntingly, the deck slides back and forth, spookily jutting all three chosen cards out by itself. (this is one of my favourite effects out of the tricked deck collection, a spooky one for halloween). 

#20 A spectator chooses a card freely from an ordinary-seeming deck of cards. No matter the selection, the magician is able to divine and reveal the card in any number of ways.

#21 Showing a completely ordinary deck of 52 different cards, a spectator freely selects any one of them. No matter the selection, the magician is able to name or reveal the card in any way he wishes. 

Click HERE to view the best Invisible Deck (# 15), click HERE to view the best Svengali Deck (#16) click HERE to view the best Stripper Deck (#17), click HERE to view the best Brainwave Deck (#18), click HERE to view the best Haunted Deck (#19), click HERE to view the best Forced Deck (#20), click HERE to view the best Marked Deck EVER (#21)

Card Tricks with Gimmicks

In card magic, “gimmicks” refer to specially crafted tools or devices that assist in performing tricks. These can include altered cards with hidden features, mechanical devices, or additional elements that blend into a standard deck but offer unique capabilities.

Gimmicks allow magicians to create effects that might be difficult or impossible to achieve with sleight of hand alone, adding an element of surprise and enhancing the overall illusion. They are often used to simplify complex tricks or add an extra layer of deception (great for beginners!)

#22 You rip up a playing card. As the broken pieces are thrust towards the spectators hand, they unite in mid-air to end as a completely clean, inspectable solid. 

#23 You present a card with a dice image and offer a challenge: the spectator rolls a real die, and your card will match the outcome. They roll; you flip the card, showing the identical number. In a ‘Bank Night’ twist, several envelopes are numbered like a die. They roll again, and as predicted, the dice card and the corresponding envelope both reveal the same number—the envelope with the money.

#24 A spectator calls ‘stop’ as you riffle through the deck and select a card. You fold the card in half and hand it to them to tear it further. Once torn, you staple the pieces to confirm its identity. They sign the fragmented card, after which you magically restore it to its original state, intact and with their signature still present. (legend has it that this card trick was so STRONG it restored a BROKEN relationship). 

#25 The spectator signs a card and it’s lost in the deck. You bet them a clean $100 you’ll find their card. Right in front of their eyes, and with zero sleight-of-hand, a card instantly appears between the folded bill. You tip it out onto the deck – and when it’s turned over, it’s THEIR SIGNED CARD.

#26 You declare you’ll perform a card trick with just one hand, tucking your other hand in your pocket to eliminate any suspicion of sleight of hand. The spectator simply peeks at a card, and you immediately identify it with unerring accuracy. When they search the deck for their card, it’s nowhere to be found. With a dramatic flourish, you reveal that the selected card has been in your pocketed hand all along. (one of the few card tricks that make your heart skip not just one but TWO beats). 

#27 You present a deck of cards with movie posters on each face. A spectator cuts to a card, memorises the movie poster, shuffles, and hands the cards back. You then accurately reveal their chosen movie poster. Another spectator receives a packet of cards. Before they begin, you write a prediction. They deal through the cards, stopping at will. The selected movie poster matches your prediction perfectly, demonstrating an uncanny foresight. (If you like your movies, buy this trick. It’s awesome!)

#28 You present a deck and a face-down prediction card. An audience member selects a number between 1 and 52. As you deal to their chosen number, the card at that spot matches your prediction, in plain view all along.

But there’s more. When you spread the deck face-up, the audience is stunned to see every other card is blank. They can examine the cards closely, yet there’s nothing unusual to find.

#29 You show an index card with a question mark on one side, and a claimed prediction on the other. After a card is chosen, you humorously reveal the words “Your Card” written on the prediction side. But then, with a simple shake at your fingertips, the text astonishingly transforms into the name of the actual chosen card. (this is insanely visual, and very funny. One of the best magic tricks of 2020)! 

#30 You video call a friend. Both of you grab a deck of cards. Both of you shuffle face-up cards into face-down. You instantly and magically your deck, leaving the 4 Aces face up. The exact same thing happens in the spectator’s deck!. 

#31 You start by showing an envelope with a prediction inside. You ask a spectator to freely name any card from the 52 in a deck. Emphasising the freedom of their choice, you invite them to select any card, even encouraging them to avoid commonly chosen ones like the Queen of Hearts or Ace of Spades. Once they name their card, say the Six of Hearts, you reveal the prediction from the envelope. It’s a single piece of paper with one card written on it – the exact card they named, the Six of Hearts. (BAM. This is insanely good, I love it)! 

#32 You present two sets of cards: one with red backs and the other with blue, claiming both are sets of Queens. Each set is placed before different spectators. They are asked to freely name any Queen. When you spread the packets, the named Queens are not only face-up but have also astonishingly swapped places – the blue-backed Queen is in the red pile, and vice versa. For a final twist, you reveal that all the other cards are Jokers. The only Queens in play are the ones the spectators named, making their choices uniquely impactful.

#33 In this effect the audience names any number from 1 to 52, looking for just one card.

It’s not there, and they applaud your failure.  But then it’s revealed that the entire deck is the same card, the card they were looking for. And the only position they named, was the only position it didn’t exist in. 

Click HERE to view Icarus (#22), Click HERE to view Dice Roller (#23), Click HERE to view Revive (#24), Click HERE to view Implosion (#25), Click HERE to view Pocket Nightmare (#26), Click HERE to view CineMental (#27), Click HERE to view instaCANN (#28), Click HERE to view, Click HERE to view Virtual Triumph (#29, Click HERE to view Outstanding, Click HERE to view Twisted Sisters 2.0, Click HERE to view Failure at Any Number. 

PICK a Card and FIND a Card

“Pick a card”, find a card tricks are a classic in card magic where a spectator selects a card randomly, which is then lost in the deck. The magician, through various methods like sleight of hand, memory, or trickery, finds the chosen card. These tricks showcase the magician’s skill in manipulating and controlling the deck to locate the specific card.

#34 A spectator confirms your empty pocket, shuffles the deck, and secretly picks a card. After they shuffle their chosen card back into the deck, you place the deck in your pocket. Pretending to blindly search for their card, you humorously fail multiple times. Finally, revealing the trick’s name, “Last Man Standing,” you disclose that one card remains in your pocket. The spectator retrieves it, finding it to be their chosen card.

#35 The spectator selects a card from a dealt deck, views it, and returns it to the deck. Your task is to find the card, but instead of the usual search, you use an ordinary hair comb. By thinking of his card and combing through the deck, the chosen card, the King of Spades, sticks out, uniquely attached to the comb.

#36 You hold up a deck of cards and ask the spectator to call out “stop” at any moment as you riffle through them. The spectator stops you at a random card, which both they and the camera can see. The chosen card is then placed back into the deck, and the spectator is given the opportunity to shuffle the deck thoroughly, mixing the card back into the pack. After the shuffle, you make a series of cuts in the deck. Astonishingly, you reveal the spectator’s selected card right at the cut.

#37 A spectator selects a card which is then lost in the deck. Miraculously, this card continuously jumps to the top of the deck after being placed in the middle or even the bottom. Despite shuffling and cutting, the chosen card repeatedly emerges as the top card, defying all logic. (One of the most famous and popular card tricks in the world)

Click HERE to view Last Man Standing and Comb (#35, #35), Click HERE to view Quick Card Trick (#36), Click HERE to learn the Ambitious Card Routine (#37)

Reversal Tricks

Reversal card tricks in magic involve a card (or cards) mysteriously turning the opposite direction from the rest of the deck. After a spectator selects and returns a card, the magician shuffles or manipulates the deck, and the chosen card is found to be the only one facing a different way.

These tricks often use sleight of hand or special deck setups to create the illusion of the card reversing its orientation magically.

#38 A card is selected by a spectator and then expertly lost within the deck. You perform a series of shuffles and cuts, adding to the mystery of the card’s location. Remarkably, when the deck is spread, one card is found facing the opposite direction – it’s the spectator’s chosen card, standing out amidst the uniformly oriented deck, creating a striking and memorable reveal.

#39 A spectator selects a card and returns it to the deck, which is then thoroughly shuffled. The magician, invoking the concept of reversing time, magically causes the deck to return to its original order. Astoundingly, when the cards are spread, they are found to be in perfect sequence, except for one card that is out of place – the spectator’s chosen card, revealing itself in a dramatic and unexpected way amidst the now orderly deck.

#40 The spectator selects a card which is then lost in the deck. The magician shuffles the deck, intentionally mixing cards face up and face down, creating a chaotic arrangement. With a magical gesture, the magician instantly corrects the order of the entire deck, aligning all cards to face the same way except for one. Astoundingly, this lone reversed card is revealed to be the spectator’s chosen card, standing out in the now uniformly oriented deck.

Click HERE to view all three of these effects for FREE!

Packet Tricks

Packet card tricks are a type of card magic involving only a small number of cards, typically a subset of a full deck. These tricks often focus on surprising transformations, sequences, or storylines using the limited set of cards.

(Packet tricks are quite popular due to their portability and the ability to create powerful illusions with just a few cards, making them ideal for close-up magic performances)!

#41 Eight cards of identical value are displayed on the table, arranged in a mix of face-up and face-down positions. The magician presents the “wild card,” distinct from the others. Each time the magician touches the other cards with the wild card, they transform to match its value.

#42 Three cards are presented: one blue and two red. In this gambling game, guessing the blue card wins a dollar; a wrong guess costs one. You recall repeatedly choosing wrongly, always finding red instead of blue, and losing money. Suspecting a trick, you challenge the absence of the blue card, yet it appears in unexpected places, increasing your losses. Doubting the use of just three cards also leads to a wrong conclusion. In a final double-or-nothing challenge, with one card revealed as red and another as blue, the third card’s color seems predictable but ends up being an unforeseen surprise. (perhaps most popular packet card trick EVER)

#43 You bring out four cards and ask your spectator to name any queen. You then cleanly spread those four cards on the table. The only face up card is the chosen queen. Then you turn it over and its back is a different color than from the rest of the cards. As further proof that you already knew queen they would say, you turn over the rest of the cards and they are all completely blank. (“The best packet trick of the 20th century.” – Eugene Burger)

Click HERE to view Wild Card (#40), Click HERE to view Color Monte (#41), Click HERE to view B’wave (#42)

Four Ace Tricks

Four Ace tricks in card magic typically involve the four aces being lost in a deck and then magically reappearing or being located by the magician through various methods. These tricks often showcase skills like sleight of hand, misdirection, and storytelling, and are popular due to their impactful reveal and the iconic status of aces in card games.

#44 A spectator selects two black cards (Ace of Spades and Ace of Clubs), which you place in your hands. The spectator then chooses two red cards (Ace of Hearts and Ace of Diamonds), holding them themselves. With a magical gesture, you cause the cards to transpose: the black cards now appear in the spectator’s hands, while the red ones materialize in yours. (perhaps the best four ace trick EVER)

#45 Four groups of cards are laid out, each led by an Ace. The Aces represent different leaders of their respective groups. As the trick progresses, the Aces mysteriously migrate from their original groups to congregate in one pile. Despite being clearly placed in separate locations, they magically assemble together, leaving the other piles Ace-less.

#46 You present four Aces, all facing down, and performs a series of twists. Each twist causes an Ace to turn face up within the packet, one after another. The final Ace, the Ace of Spades, initially resists this transformation, remaining face down even after a twist. However, with a double twist and no additional moves, the Ace of Spades astonishingly turns face up, completing the sequence.

Click HERE to view all three of these effects for FREE!

Sandwich Tricks

Sandwich card tricks involve two identical cards (like two Jacks) ‘sandwiching’ a chosen card. The selected card is lost in the deck, and through a series of maneuvers, it mysteriously appears between the two identical cards. These tricks are visually appealing and often involve clever sleight of hand or special deck setups.

#47 Four aces and four random black cards are used. The aces are laid out, and the black cards are shown. One by one, each black card is placed onto an ace, and with each placement, the corresponding ace mysteriously jumps to join the leader ace, leaving only black cards behind, culminating in a final reveal where all the aces gather together!

#48 Four ‘cannibal’ kings are introduced, and several other cards (typically random selections or ‘victims’) are placed between them. In a surprising and magical twist, the ‘victim’ cards vanish one by one after being sandwiched between the kings. You demonstrate this eerie phenomenon repeatedly, heightening the intrigue and mystery. Each time, the ‘victims’ are seemingly consumed, leaving no trace behind, showcasing the kings’ insatiable and magical appetite. (this is a super entertaining effect, I love it)

Click HERE to view Jazz Aces (#47), Click HERE to view The Cannibal Cards (#48).

Storytelling Card Tricks

Storytelling card tricks are a captivating blend of magic and narrative, where the magician’s tale unfolds alongside the cards’ movements. For example, in a trick recounting a bank heist, each card represents a character or action, with the plot’s twists mirrored by surprising card reveals.

#49 The spectator stops the magician while dealing cards and selects one. After viewing and shuffling it into the deck, the magician forms an ‘X’ with the cards, like a pirate’s treasure map. The central card, symbolising the ‘treasure’, is isolated. In a surprising reveal, this card is revealed to be the spectator’s chosen card, perfectly located at the ‘X’ spot.

#50 In this story, the four Jacks, portrayed as brothers, plot a daring bank heist. They arrive at the bank, represented by a deck of cards, in a helicopter. Each brother takes a position on a different level of the bank, searching for the vault. Suddenly, the lookout Jack on the rooftop spots cops encircling the building. Reacting swiftly, the three other brothers rush to the roof, and all four make a narrow escape in the helicopter. (The first card trick I EVER learned)!

#51 the spectator embarks on an imaginative journey, visualising a path leading to a door, the colour of which represents a card suit. They then imagine trees with leaves shaped like card suits, and a gust of wind determines the final suit. The number of trees visualised sets the card’s value. Combining these elements, the spectator mentally creates a specific card, like the Eight of Clubs. Remarkably, this imagined card coincides with the one they had cut to in the deck earlier.

#52 In the tale of Sam the Bellhop, a hotel employee, he assists four gentlemen (kings) seeking female companionship. Sam introduces them to four ladies (queens) from the 654 Club. As the evening progresses, the men, growing bored, ask Sam to find card players. Sam returns with four Jacks, also from the 654 Club. During a card game, the men encounter a problem with the ladies and require Sam’s help to cash a $40 check. Impressed by his service, they inquire if Sam plays cards. The story concludes with Sam recalling impressive Poker hands he witnessed at the 654 Club, culminating in the revelation of a spectacular straight flush. (One of the most famous storytelling card tricks in the world)!

#53 The participant selects a ‘suspect’ card, and through a series of card piles, Jack, represented by a face-up card, narrows down the search. The mathematical formula behind the trick ensures Jack’s success. As the piles diminish, the suspense builds until only two cards remain: the face-up Jack and the selected suspect card, marking the climax of Jack’s quest and the trick’s conclusion.

#54 You share with your audience a story about your grandfather, a skilled gambler, who had a signature trick. To honour his memory, you carry his old playing cards. Pulling out a wallet, you reveal five vintage cards he used. You tell your audience that, even now, your grandfather’s trickery lives on. The spectator freely chooses one of the five cards, with no force involved. Then, in a remarkable display, you demonstrate how your grandfather’s foresight still prevails, as you reveal he had predicted their choice all along.

Click HERE to view Treasure and The Magic Tree (#49, #51), Click HERE to view Cops and Robbers (#50), Click HERE to view Sam the Bellhop (#52), Click HERE to view Jack the Bounty Hunter (#53), Click HERE to view Legacy (#54)

Colour Changing Card Tricks

Color changing card tricks involve a card visibly changing its color or design while being manipulated by the magician. This visual trick typically employs sleight of hand or special gimmicked cards, creating an immediate and striking effect that surprises and delights the audience.

#55 You fan out eight cards and invite the spectator to select any card. When they choose, you place their card face-up on the table. Next, you reveal the backs of the remaining seven cards, all the same color, emphasizing your anticipation of their choice. In the finale, you flip over the spectator’s chosen card, astonishingly revealing it as the only one with a distinctively different coloured back

#56 A spectator’s chosen card is lost in the deck, but a wrong card, usually a red queen, appears and changes into the selection. The chosen card is then lost again, only for all other cards to turn blank, leaving only the red queen, for a surprising visual finale.

#57 You perform a captivating trick with a blue card box, promising that the spectator’s choice will determine the colour of the cards inside. The spectator is given the option to choose between blue or red Bicycle playing cards. Despite the blue box potentially suggesting blue cards, Andy chooses red. Miraculously, when you remove the cards from the box, they match the spectators choice and have red backs.

Click HERE to view 8-Card Brainwave (#55) Click HERE to view Red Hot Mama (#56), Click HERE to view Red and Blue by Ollie Mealing (#57)

Vanishing Card Tricks

Vanishing card tricks involve making a selected or random card disappear from the deck or the magician’s hands, often reappearing in an unexpected place, such as a wallet! This type of trick relies on misdirection, sleight of hand, and sometimes special gimmicks to achieve the illusion of the card vanishing, creating a sense of wonder and surprise in the audience.

#58 A spectator takes the deck and counts out 10 cards. They think of any one of these cards. Upon recounting, they find only 9 cards left — their thought-of card is gone. To their amazement, you reveal it’s been in your pocket all along. (This trick is so powerful, so hands off, so startling, that if you wanted to blow someone away, you could just do this one effect).

#59 A selected card is signed and returned to the deck, only to vanish completely from the pack. As cleanly as is possible, you remove your shoe, tap it gently, and a folded card falls out. The folded card is opened by the spectator – and sure enough – it’s the signed selection.

Click HERE to view Any thought of Card to Pocket (#58), Click HERE to view Card to Shoe (#59).

Prediction and Mentalism Card Tricks

Prediction and mentalism card tricks involve the magician foreseeing or influencing a spectator’s choices, such as predicting a chosen card or the outcome of a shuffle. These tricks blend illusion with psychological techniques, creating an impression of mind-reading or extraordinary mental abilities, and are often marked by a dramatic reveal that leaves the audience astounded at the seemingly impossible feat. Ollie Mealing is a genius with these type of card tricks.

#60 You invite a spectator to choose a number between 1 and 52, avoiding 51. They pick, for example, 19. Counting to the 19th card in a shuffled deck, you then lead them through choices of colour, card type (number or picture), suit, and finally, a specific picture card. Based on their selections — say, a black King of Diamonds — the 19th card is revealed to match exactly, showcasing an astonishing prediction.

#61 A spectator shuffles a deck, cuts it, and places the cut portion in a jar. You estimate the total numerical value of the cards in the jar and write down a prediction, like 76. Explaining that the goal is to guess the sum of the cards’ values, not their count, you reveal the astonishing match when the cards are counted (picture cards as 10). The total perfectly aligns with your prediction, leaving the spectators baffled and the cards open for examination.

#62 A spectator shuffles the deck and secretly selects a card. You then use their personal item, like a ring, to connect with their choice. They place the ring where they picked the card, transferring its energy. After returning the card to the deck and shuffling, you perform psychometry on the ring. Through this process, you astonishingly reveal their chosen card, demonstrating a unique connection between the ring and their thoughts.

#63 After a spectator shuffles the deck, they secretly select a card and place it between your fingers while your back is turned. Your initial attempt to identify the card fails, but upon refocusing, you correctly name a new card. To further challenge yourself, the spectator then selects a card from a spread deck and places it unseen into a card box. Remarkably, you successfully name this card as well, under even more stringent conditions.

#64 A spectator uses a stopwatch on their phone to time the selection of a card in their mind, such as the Queen of Hearts, through a series of questions. The stopwatch is stopped randomly, for instance, at 22 seconds. The trick posits that the 22nd card in a shuffled deck under the phone matches the chosen card. Remarkably, when the deck is dealt to the 22nd card, it is indeed the Queen of Hearts, aligning with the spectator’s mental selection.

#65 You start by ‘finding’ a card from a deck and placing it in the spectator’s pocket without either of you seeing it. Then, you simulate the steps of the trick in reverse: you shuffle the deck and have the spectator select a card. They choose, say, the Three of Diamonds, but it’s supposedly the same card already in their pocket. When they inspect the deck to find their chosen card, it’s nowhere to be found. Revealing the trick’s clever structure, the spectator checks their pocket to discover the Three of Diamonds, the very card they chose moments later.

#66 The spectator picks a card, shuffles it into the deck, and then names a different card. Utilising your insight into how choices can be influenced and predicted, you analyse their named card to intuit the original selection. This method reveals a pattern in human behaviour, enabling you to accurately identify the spectator’s initial choice, such as the Four of Clubs, based on the card they later describe as different.

#67 You ask the spectator to think of a card and secretly communicate it to the audience. They deal cards to indicate the card’s value and then spell the suit’s first letter with more cards. After they’ve done this, you turn back, unaware of their actions, as the cards are squared and hidden beneath the deck. Relying solely on intuition, you accurately deduce and reveal the spectator’s chosen card, such as the Four of Hearts, showcasing an extraordinary and seemingly impossible perceptiveness.

#68 The spectator shuffles and selects a card from the deck, keeping it close without revealing it. Your attempt to divine the card by writing it down is interrupted when the pencil lid breaks, leaving only an incomplete clue. Adapting to this mishap, you then sift through the deck and astoundingly pull out the exact card the spectator had chosen.

#69 The spectator freely chooses four cards from a shuffled deck. You then reveal that earlier, with a different deck, you selected four cards, which have been in your pocket all along. Astonishingly, when you display these pre-selected cards, they match the spectator’s choices exactly.

#70 a spectator shuffles a deck of cards and selects one at random, holding it close to their chest. They are then instructed to whisper their star sign to the card, imprinting it with their ‘voice print.’ After the spectator shuffles the deck again, the magician listens to the cards and, guided by the unique voice print left on the selected card, successfully identifies it among all the others.

Click HERE to view all these card tricks in The Mealing Collection.

Memorised Deck Card Tricks

Memorized deck card tricks involve the magician committing the order of a shuffled (or shuffled looking) deck to memory. This allows for astonishing tricks like quickly identifying missing cards, predicting the order of the deck, or locating any card requested by the audience. These tricks showcase incredible memory skills and often lead to complex, mind-boggling routines that amaze spectators!

#71 The spectator chooses any number. Both you and the spectator have a different deck—which you show them by spreading cards on the table. The spectator deals cards face up to the table, while you deal face down. When you reach the chosen number, you both stop. You turn over the facedown card you stopped on. It’s the SAME card as theirs. You demonstrate that the rest of the cards are different. Then, just as they think the effect is over, you do a magical gesture.

You say: “I cheated. See, we were actually using the exact same deck the entire time!” Take the two piles of cards and spread them on the table to show that they’ve magically transformed—both the decks are now IDENTICAL. (this card trick is so strong it fooled it’s own creator)

Click HERE to view on Ellusionist.

#72 Your audience chooses a book from your shelf. You tell them they’re going to use the book to pick a card, in a totally fair way. They flick through the first 52 pages, and can stop on any one of the pages. Whichever page they stop on, they note the page number. They also note the first word on the page. Whatever that number is, they deal that many cards to the table and stop on the card they come to. (you’re not even in the room for this whole part!) Once you return, there’s surely no way you could know the card. Yet, not only do you reveal the exact identity of the card…You also tell them the WORD they were thinking of!

#73 A three-part exploration into the Weighing the Cards effect. First, a method for Weighing the Cards with a deck that the audience partially shuffles. Secondly, a method for Weighing the Cards with a deck that the audience genuinely shuffle. Third, a method for Weighing the Cards with a borrowed, shuffled deck!

#74 You split the deck in half, and have the audience genuinely shuffle each half. The two halves are then shuffled together. Without any extra moves or set up, someone picks any card and places it anywhere in the deck. You look through the deck, and after a single question, tell them their card with 100% accuracy.

#75 Your spectator freely chooses ANY number. You hand the deck out to various members of the audience and let them shuffle. Next, another spectator chooses a card. You count down to the freely chosen number, in the shuffled deck, to find……the chosen card!

#76 A variation on Juan Tamariz’ ‘Neither Blind Nor Stupid’ with a setup that can be displayed BEFORE the trick begins. The spectators shuffle the deck. They then cut, look at a couple of cards, and return the cards. They then cut and deal the cards into two piles. The magician is able to figure out the exact identity of the card the second he looks at the piles. The cards can be examined after performing.

#77 One audience member freely names a card. The other audience member cuts the cards as much as they like, and then cuts face up anywhere they like. The card they’ve cut to isn’t the named card—but when we spell the identity of the card, we land on the exact named card! The method for this effect does not include a description of how this works for each of the 2,704 possible combinations but rather a four-step strategy that make this effect actually possible in the majority of cases.

#78 One spectator names ANY number. You give the deck a genuine shuffle, place it on the table, and don’t touch it again. Another spectator picks a card from a different deck. Of course, the chosen card is found at the named number in the shuffled deck.

#79 You hand a deck to your spectator. They riffle shuffle the deck, then cut and remove a bunch of cards. They shuffle the cards in their hand, then choose one of them. A second spectator cuts another bunch of cards from the remainder and does the same. They swap their chosen cards and shuffle the packet in their hands again. Despite all this, the moment you pick up their shuffled packet—you know both their cards!

#80 You hand a deck to your spectator and show them that it’s a regular deck—with one key exception. Each card has a number on the back—from 1 to 52. You let the spectator shuffle the deck as much as he likes, then place it on the table, out of your reach. Next, he names a number out loud. In a second deck, the spectator picks a card. You pick up the cards from the table and spread them face up until you reach his card. You ask him to repeat his number.  Finally, you turn over the chosen card to show that the number on its back is the exact number the spectator chose!

#81 Someone freely names ANY card. You tell them that you have such incredible sleight of hand skill that you can ‘track’ their card as you shuffle the deck, and ‘place’ it in a specific place. “It’s the 33rd card in the deck right now…now it’s 7th…now it’s 3rd…now it’s 20th.” You hand the deck to the spectator and have him count 20 cards. Sure enough, their card turns up on the 20th card. You tell him: “That was hard. But you know what was harder? Doing it in that sealed deck over there…” You pick up a deck from off the table, still in the card case. You take it out, and without doing anything to the cards, deal 20 cards. The 20th card is their named card.

#82 Your audience helps you shuffle the deck. You then invite two audience members up to help you. The first spectator cuts the shuffled deck in half, giving the other half to the second spectator. They shuffle their packets and are instructed to place them in their pockets. Next, you remove another deck from your pocket. This deck again is shuffled by the audience. You act as if presenting ‘Out Of This World’ and get them to try to sort the cards by red and black by ‘feel.’ When you turn over the cards at the end, it appears they messed up. However, you reveal that in fact, each spectator dealt themselves the exact same cards as the ones previously placed in their pocket (from a previously shuffled deck!)

#83 You genuinely shuffle cards, and ask your first spectator to name one of them. Once they do, you turn to a second spectator, and tell them that they’re going to “find the first spectator’s card using a different deck.” In a second deck, you let them freely pick any card. Unfortunately, it’s not the first spectator’s card. You let them pick another card, and yet again, it’s not the chosen card. You give them one more chance, and once more they fail to pick the right card.

It seems the effect has gone horribly wrong, until you point out: “I said that you would FIND the card using a different deck…not PICK it!” You lay the three cards face up, and add them up. Whatever the total is, you deal that many cards down into the first deck, to find…the first spectator’s card!

#84 The spectator deals off 16 cards from a blue deck and 16 cards from a red deck. You shuffle both packets. The spectator freely selects a packet. The spectator then freely selects a card from their chosen packet (we’ll use red for this example) and then shuffles them.vYou deal through the red packet face up, telling your spectator to say ‘yes’ in their mind when they see their card.vYou hand them the packet back, facedown on the table. In a stunning display of mental power, you correctly reveal the identity of their card.vWithout doing any extra moves, the red-backed chosen card magically vanishes from the spectator’s packet and appears inside the packet of blue backed cards.

#85 You shuffle the deck and deal the cards out in facedown rows on the table—so each individual card is isolated and visible. You tell your spectator you’re going to test their intuition. First, you start easy and ask them to pick a red card—without looking at the faces. They pick up a single card and lay it facedown to the side. Next, you make things a little more challenging and ask them to pick a card with the suit Spades. They again pick up a single card and place it off to the side, facedown. Next, you give them their hardest challenge yet—you ask them to pick a specific card, the 8C. Once they do, you pick up the three cards they placed aside, and show that somehow…

…they picked EXACTLY the cards you asked for! (This trick will look slightly different each time)!

Click HERE to get any of THREE of these effects in our Mystery box! (If you don’t just how powerful a memorised deck is click HERE)

Moth-Eaten Magic Book Card Tricks

If you asked any magician—whether a seasoned professional, top-class children’s magician or a member of the magic circle—THIS question…“Where are the REAL secrets?” They would most likely give you THIS answer…They’re in the books. We couldn’t agree more.

#86: One of the simplest but most direct ‘spelling’ card tricks we’ve ever seen—straight from the mind of Jean Hugard.

#87 You drop one deck into an ordinary box that a spectator shakes to mix the cards. A spectator cuts another deck and turns over the top card. You immediately plunge your hand into the box and produce the requested card. No duplicate cards, no palming, and everything ends up examinable.

#88 A card being freely chosen from the pack, replaced, and the pack shuffled to make any given card turn into the one chosen. 

#89 The spectator picks any card from a borrowed deck, you take back the deck placing it on the floor, the spectator then gives the deck a few cuts – you KICK the deck and reveal the chosen card.

#90: Your spectator chooses a card that gets shuffled into the deck. Another spectator names a number from 1 to 20. You cut a packet of cards of the top of the deck. 

#91 The cards are counted and it turns out you cut exactly the desired amount! But even better, the card now on top of the deck, below the cards cut…is the chosen card! (this is a variation on an effect found in one of Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue’s less well-known books. It uses a very clever Dani DaOrtiz subtlety!)

#92 A stunning piece of mentalism with cards that Nate Leipzig called “one of the most puzzling of all impromptu feats with cards.”(extremely simple method but most magicians will assume some kind of complex stack work or mathematics)

#93: Any two cards are chosen from a deck, the deck is shuffled, you wrap the deck in newspaper and pull out two knives. The spectators stab the deck in two separate locations, they both stab at the location of their chosen cards. (an effect from Dr. Jacob Daley)

#94: The spectator picks any card and you put it in your pocket, it is on full display the entire trick. They then name any card, very slowly you reach into your pocket this turns out to be the named card.

#95: You leave the room. The spectator cuts the deck, looks at their card, and replaces it. Then THEY shuffle the deck. When you come back in, you can instantly find the card.

#96: You ask spectators to choose cards one at a time. Each time, your partner writes a message for the spectator BEFORE they choose their card. When the messages are opened, they perfectly match the chosen cards! (and no, the method isn’t just forcing cards each time!) In this video, we present a modernised version of an Al Baker classic where your partner sends text messages with the predicted cards to your spectator’s phone!

#97: This was one of legendary English magician David Devant’s favourite card tricks. Today you’ll see David Blaine perform it for celebrities and it’s still just as good.

#98: You write a prediction. They freely choose any card. You immediately turn over the prediction to show that you correctly guessed the card. There’s zero delay between the card being chosen and the prediction being turned over. (This is a trick that Jean Hugard said was the best thing he’d seen in ‘moons’.)

#99 A method to perform the classic ‘Weighing the Cards’ routine WITHOUT needing to memorize a stack! Yet we still get it to hit every time…

#100 You write a prediction. They insert a card somewhere in the deck and leave it sticking out. You cut the cards where their card is inserted and reveal the card you predicted on the face of the deck.

Click HERE to view all these effects in a 138 Classic Magic Trick Collection or HERE for 368 Classic Magic Books!

P.S. We think our Classic Magic Trick Collection contains many of the BEST card tricks in magic.

But we aren’t just teaching effects.

We tried to pick effects that covered as WIDE a range of card techniques as possible, including…

• Forces
• Palming
• Misdirection, spatial and temporal
• Naturalness
• Tension and relaxation
• Switches and changes
• False counts
• Passes
• Stack work
• Second dealing and other false deals
• Memory techniques
• Fishing
• Proper motivation
• Overhand shuffle controls
• Controls
• Nail writing
• The one ahead principle
• Psychological ‘convincers’
• Scripting
• Productions
• Vanishes
• Double lifts
• Dual reality
• Color changes
• Equivoque
• False shuffles
• Psychological forces
• Arming
• Coin sleights
• Glimpses
• Key cards
• Stripper deck and other gimmicked decks
• Gimmicked cards
• Short cards
• Breather crimps
• Punched cards

These are just the ideas that come to mind right now—and there’s so much more waiting to be unpacked.

From analyzing advice from Slydini on how to move our body for maximum misdirection while performing a top change to how you can use time and space to ‘erase’ the memory of card controls—we wanted this to be a masterclass in not just tricks but magic itself.

If you’re new to magic, this product contains both all the tricks you could ask for AND training on all the sleights and techniques required to perform them.

If you’re an experienced magician, you’ll appreciate the fresh subtleties and variations we’ve found that turn some of these classics on their head.

(many of the ideas in here are ‘cutting edge’ and combine old routines with new principles and props in a way you’ve never seen before)

There’s truly something in this project for every magician…

Your next adventure awaits…

138 Classic Magic Tricks

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Want to learn more about how magicians think?

Check out this video – you might not be made for card tricks, maybe mentalism is your thing.