Instructions / Assembly

MYSTERY DECK CARD TRICKS

HOW THE MYSTERY DECK WORKS

The secret is all in the setup of the deck. Read this carefully and make sure your cards are always in order.

All of the cards are tapered at one end; that is, one end of the deck is slightly narrower than the other. See

FIGURE 1. If any card is turned in the opposite direction, if can be found instantly because its wide end

sticks out among the narrow ends. You can easily remove that card by running your thumb and pointer

ﬁnger lightly over the sides and pulling the card free from the pack. This is called “stripping out the card.”

All the Mystery Deck tricks depend on this movement.

2 3

5 6

PRACTICE HANDLING THE DECK

1. Hold the deck in your left hand with the narrow ends furthest away.

2. Spread the cards between both hands and have a volunteer select a card. See FIGURE 2.

3. After a card has been removed, close up the spread and hold deck in your left hand.

4. Ask the volunteer to look at the card and remember it. Transfer the deck to your right hand in the

following way: grasp the outer, or narrow, end of the deck, and turn it so that the narrow end is closest to

you. See FIGURE 3.

5. Have volunteer put card back. Then overhand shufﬂe the deck. See FIGURE 4. This mixes but does not

disturb the reversed position of the chosen card.

6. Bring the chosen card to the top of the deck by “stripping out” the card while pretending to cut the deck.

A. Hold the deck face down in your left hand with your thumb and ﬁngers around the sides. See FIGURE 5.

B. Grasp the back end of the deck, or the part closest to your body, with your right hand. Pull out the lower

half of the deck and place it on top, as though you were cutting the deck. See FIGURE 6.

C. Repeat Step B two or three times. The last time, “strip” the chosen card and place it on top in the same

manner as cutting. Use this method when you have two or three chosen cards that you wish to get on top

of the deck.

TIP: When referring to playing cards, a card's "face" denotes the number on the card – like Ace, 1, 2,

3...10, Jack, Queen, King. "Suit" refers to Hearts, Diamonds, Spades or Clubs.