The Lucky 13

Required: a deck of 52 cards (no missing cards) 

Follow the steps below to perform the trick.

1. Have a spectator shuffles a deck of cards
2. When the spectator hands you back the deck, note the bottom card.
3. Write on a piece of paper the bottom card noted as a prediction & set aside.
4. Spread the deck face down and have the spectator remove any 13 cards from the center of the shuffled deck (stressing that the spectator shuffled the deck).
5. Spread the selected 13 cards face down and have the spectator randomly selected any 3 cards.
6. Place the remaining 10 cards on the bottom of the deck (this puts the prediction card 11 card from the bottom of the deck).
7. Turn the 3 selected cards face up.
8. Explain to the spectator that starting with the value of the face up cards, you will add cards as you count to 13 (explain an Ace is 1, Jacks are 11, Queens are 12 and Kings are 13).
9. To each face up card, add cards face down, counting to the number 13 i.e.

• for a 10, you add 3 cards as you count from 10 to 13.
• for a 7, you add 6 cards as you count 7 to 13
• for a King you add 1 card as you count 12 to 13

      Leave half of each face up card showing.

For the final

10. Total the 3 face-up cards (see #8 for card values).
11. From the remaining deck, deal face down the number of cards that equal the sum of the 3 face-up cards.
12. Set aside the last card dealt (face down)
13. Have the spectator read your prediction.
14. Turn over the card set aside to reveal if it matches your prediction.