This trick is easy and requires no sleight of hand or knowledge of magic.
- To start the trick you could ask a spectator to shuffle the cards.
- Once they finish their shuffle, hold the pack and flip the cards over. Then spread them into a fan, to show them that it contains all of the cards, and that they are arranged at totally random order.
- Then ask the spectator to cut the pack of cards and keep them in two piles.
- Assuming Pile 1 contains cards from the top and Pile 2 contains cards from the bottom
- Tell the spectator that you can tell them the value of the fourth card in Pile 1 by looking at the fourth card in Pile 2.
- Look at the fourth card in Pile 2, and act as though you are puzzled and contemplating the value of the other card.
Remember: The power of Magic is all about presentation
- Now here's where the trick is: During step 2, when you create a fan, you have to remember what the fourth card from the top is. Assuming the spectator has cut the pack beyond the fourth card from the top in step 3, you are perfectly safe.
- You can take the magic further by merging both the piles but this time keep pile 2 on the top, since you already know what the fourth card is.