Five of Spades

There's a card trick/joke that I came up with when I was about 12. It's really not original, although at the time I thought of it, I hadn't seen it (or any of the variations of the same theme) before.

The way it goes is this: I start out with the well-known "pick a card, any card." While I'm obviously not looking, I have you select your card. Then, while I'm still not looking, I have you put your card back in the deck anywhere you like. I then take the deck. Depending on how much of a production I want to make of the trick, I may shuffle or cut the cards. I then take the deck in my left hand, and, while concentrating very intently on the feeling I'm getting from the cards, I move the thumb and middle finger of my right hand up and down the outside of the deck, trying to get a sense of the proper place to cut the deck to reveal your card. Again, depending on how much of a production I want to make of this, I can spend quite a bit of time doing this. When I'm ready, I cut the deck and reveal a card, asking, "Is this your card?" When the answer is revealed to be the obvious "No," (like I'm going to happen to cut the deck right at the card you picked?), I reply with a completely indifferent "So?" and move quickly to the next topic of conversation. Or, under the right circumstances, I'll toss toss the cards in the air, to spill about the table and floor. Or, sometimes, I'll reassemble the deck, and, with a bit of bend of the deck between my fingers, flip the cards in succession in the direction of my trick/joke stooge. I know, not terribly funny. Like I said, I was about 12 when I came up with it.

I tried the joke today with my wife. After she selected and replaced her card, I did my prestidigitation, and cut the deck to reveal the 5 of spades...

"Is this your card?"

"Yeah."

(pause)




"Really?"

"Yes."

(shorter pause)

"REALLY?"

"Yes."






dammit