The Effect
A spectator thinks of any card in the deck. You ask only for the suit and then have them perform a simple calculation using the value of their card.
You count through the deck and reveal their thought-of card at exactly the correct position.
The trick feels like mind reading, but nearly all of the work is done by the secret setup.
Before You Begin
Separate the deck into four piles, one for each suit. Arrange every pile from Ace through King.
Remember the three important setup numbers: 10, 7 and 4.
Arrange Each Suit
Separate the deck into four suit piles. Arrange every pile in ascending order, beginning with the Ace and ending with the King.
Keep the four piles laid out from left to right.
Use the 10, 7 and 4 Setup
Take the first pile on the left. Find the Ten, then move the Ten and all cards beneath it to the top of that pile.
On the second pile, do the same with the Seven. On the third pile, repeat the process with the Four.
Leave the fourth pile unchanged.
Collect the Piles
Pick up the prepared piles from left to right to form one complete deck.
The last card collected should be a King. Remember its suit, because this becomes important during the performance.
Check the Bottom King
Confirm that the bottom card is a King. Note which suit it belongs to.
The deck is now prepared and ready for the performance.
Performing the Trick
Place the deck face down and ask the spectator to think of any card. Then ask them to name only the suit.
If their suit matches the King on the bottom of the deck, the setup is already correct.
Adjust for Their Suit
If the spectator names a different suit, casually look through the deck and locate the King of that suit.
Lift that King together with all the cards beneath it and place the packet on top of the deck.
The matching King is now secretly positioned on the bottom.
The Number Principle
Ask the spectator to think of the value of their card. Use these values:
Ace = 1, Jack = 11, Queen = 12 and King = 13.
Tell them to double the number, then double the result again. In other words, multiply the card value by four.
For example, if they are thinking of the Three of Clubs:
3 → 6 → 12
Their card will be found at position 12.
Reveal the Card
Deal the cards face up one at a time, counting aloud until you reach the spectator’s calculated number.
The card at that position will be their thought-of card. Pause before turning it over to build suspense.
Advanced Presentation
Once you are confident, allow the spectator to give the deck several complete cuts before the trick begins.
Complete cuts preserve the repeating arrangement. You only need to reposition the King matching their chosen suit onto the bottom before continuing.
Performance Tips
Do not draw attention to the setup. Present the trick as a demonstration of intuition or mind reading.
When adjusting the deck for the chosen suit, explain that you are placing one card into a special position. This gives the movement a natural reason.
Count slowly during the reveal and pause briefly before showing the final card.