How to Do the Surefire Card Trick

Blake Vogt is a professional magician who performed before millions on live TV on America’s Got Talent. In this trick, Vogt introduces what magicians call a “key card.” All you need is a regular deck of cards.

STEP 1

Before telling your friends that you’re going to perform a little magic for them, make sure you know which card is on the bottom of the deck. This is your key card.

STEP 2

Fan out the cards and ask a friend to pick a card, any card. Tell them not to show it to you, just to memorize which card it is.

STEP 3

Put down the deck and cut the cards so that the top half is bigger. Tell your friend to put their card back in the deck. Indicate they should place it on top of the larger pile while you pick up the smaller bottom half of the deck.

STEP 4

After your friend has put their card on top of the stack of cards, place the bottom half of the deck on top of it. Now the card that was originally on the bottom of the deck — your key card — is directly on top of their card.

STEP 5

Tell your friend to concentrate on their card while watching you turn over cards from the deck, one at a time, face up. Tell them not to let on if they see their card.

STEP 6

As you turn over one card after another, keep an eye out for your key card. When you see it, you’ll know the very next card will be your friend’s card. You could end the trick by revealing it as you turn it over — or you can take it to the next level …

STEP 7

After you turn over your friend’s card, turn over two or three more cards.

STEP 8

Announce that the next card you turn over will be your friend’s card. They’ll think you blew the trick, because you already passed their card.

STEP 9

Vogt says this is where it gets really fun. Reach your hand out as if you’re going to turn over the next card in the deck, then bypass the deck and pick your friend’s card out of the pile.