Open Minds

For a clean cut mental stunt with a borrowed deck of cards, this one will be found hard to beat. It is simple to follow, direct in its action and astonishing to the nth degree. Effect:

The performer hands a deck of cards to a spectator for shuffling, and that person is to think of a three figure number as he mixes the cards. The deck is given a second person who shuffles and also thinks of three figures. The same thing happens with a third person. The performer retrieves the pack, fans through them and removes four cards which he places in a face down row on the table.

Next, in order that the remainder of the pack be kept intact, he puts a heavy rubber band around its width. A fourth spectator is now asked to sign his name across one end of the face card of the deck, in this case we'll say it's the Two of Clubs 2.

Each of the original three thinkers now jots down his mentally chosen figures on the other end of the card, which results in three rows of three figures each. And the fourth person acknowledges his signed card and adds up the vertical columns to reach a total. This he does with the single card in his own hands.

The sum is read aloud. The magician turns face up the row of four cards that he previously took from the deck. They represent the total reached by adding the three numbers thought of by the spectators!