A Magician Teaches You a Classic Card Trick!

“Is this your card?” 

Such a satisfying thing to say to someone: their shocked and delighted expression, the rush of confidence in your veins…the satisfaction of pulling off a perfect illusion. Today, Vineet Sepaha from theory11 will teach you how to do just that: called the Invisible Reverse, it’s a riff on the ol’ “is this your card?” go-to illusion. Click the play button below for the video on the trick and how to pull it off…and read below for the step-by-step.

1. To start the trick, grab any number 5 card and put it at the bottom (face up) of a face-down deck of cards.
2. Grab four additional cards and put them (face down) right below the 5 card that’s face up. (So, unbeknownst to the audience, a face-up 5 card will be mixed among the face-down deck, toward the bottom.)
3. Fanning the cards in such a way that keeps the face-up 5 hidden, ask the audience member to select a card. (This could take some practice, but should be easier than you think, since the face-up 5 is close to the very bottom of the deck.)
4. Once they select a card, put it face down on the top of the deck. Have the audience member cut the deck as many times as they like. 
5. When they’re done, snap your fingers. (This activates the magic!)
6. Spread out the cards on the table to show the 5 card, and ask if this is their card. Act confused, and say, “Let’s use this 5 to locate your card.” Count 5 cards away, and turn the card up. The card at that position will always be their selected card.
7. Enjoy their shocked expression!