Magicians obsess over this trick. Laypeople — not so much. But it remains a splendid trick, and if performed well, it kills. So, let’s imagine you have a group of friends, and you are all in someone’s living room — perhaps at a game night.
A card is selected randomly from a borrowed deck.
The magician does not see the card.
Then a random number is freely named - 17.
The magician asks for a second deck of cards.
The host retrieves another deck for the trick.
They count down the cards onto the table.
They pause before number 17.
“For the first time, what card did you choose?”
“The eight of clubs.”
They turn over the next card.
The 17th card is the eight of clubs.
Your friends love you forever and ever.
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