Read the Cards

Effect:

Magician lays out 11 cards and asks a volunteer to move several cards over from the right side to the left side while the magician's back is to the cards so he/she doesn't see how many.

Then, when the volunteer is done the magician turns back around. He/she waves his hand over the cards and turns over one of the cards. The number on the card is the number of cards the volunteer moved.

Supplies:

11 cards from a regular deck of 52. Take 1 joker, an ace and all the numbers up to 10.

Secret:

Lay out the cards face down in this order: 6 5 4 3 2 A J 10 9 8 7 (A is Ace and J is Joker).

Then have someone move the cards one at a time from right to left.

Say they moved three cards (the magician wouldn't know it though) the position of the cards would now be

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 A J 10

Then wave your hand over the cards and silently count 7 cards over from left to right. Turn the 7th card over. It's the three!!!

It doesn't matter how many cards they move over, this will always work.

Always count 7 cards over (starting with the setup above) and it'll be the number of cards they moved.

If they decide not to move any at all the card will be a Joker and this tells you they didn't move any at all.