# How does this magic trick work **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2000, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021 "2000-03-20T17:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Zambezi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Mr.Zambezi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Zambezi)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/1 "2000-03-20T17:18:00Z")
Here is a link to a site that purports to have a real magic trick. [http://www.timwike.dircon.co.uk/card3.html](http://www.timwike.dircon.co.uk/card3.html) I have done this thing about 40 times and I can’t figure out how it could possibly work. Can anyone figure it out. It is pretty damn cool! ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/2 "2000-03-20T17:22:00Z")
You’re gonna kick yourself, **Z** , when you figure it out. Try it again. * * * [Change Your Password, Please](http://204.95.48.199/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ubbmisc.cgi?action=getannounce&ForumNumber=3&Start=2451545.99&End=2451911&Session=2451598.1854) and don’t use HTML, as it has been disabled, but you can learn about superscripts [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000795.html) ---
**Author:** ![Steve-o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Steve-o](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve-o)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/3 "2000-03-20T17:22:00Z")
Easy one… none of the cards from the original screen are there. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/4 "2000-03-20T17:30:00Z")
Yeah, like Steve-o said. Don’t feel bad, Mr. Z. I fell for this the first time I saw it. It was on Penn & Teller’s website. Our admin secretary told me of the site, and I spent the whole morning playing it over and over. I examined the source code and saw no special scripts or other tricks. She finally told me the answer, and I slapped my head _very_ hard. * * * Wrong thinking is punished, right thinking is just as swiftly rewarded. You’ll find it an effective combination. ---
**Author:** ![Steve-o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Steve-o](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve-o)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/5 "2000-03-20T17:47:00Z")
Hey AWB, I keep seeing your tag line there at the bottom of your posts, and I think it needs to be ammended. It should read as follows: “Wrong thinking is punished, right thinking is just as swiftly rewarded - except where Steve-o works. The rest of you will find it an effective combination.” ---
**Author:** ![Timothy\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Timothy\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timothy_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/6 "2000-03-20T17:53:00Z")
I figured it out in one go. It’s really a good “trick” – I salute the person who thought it up. * * * Are you educated, erudite and maybe a bit eccentric? Please help us test a [new web game](http://www.pyroto.com)! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/7 "2000-03-21T12:32:00Z")
I figured it out the first time. I caught a couple of people with it, but most figured it out quickly. That’s why “magicians don’t repeat a trick”! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Delta-9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Delta-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delta-9)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/8 "2000-03-21T14:42:00Z")
Add me to the list of “head slappers”. I even scanned through this thread and didn’t notice that Steve-o gave the solution. Haven’t had my caffiene yet this morning. * * * Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines. [Delta-9 Home Page](http://www.delta9studio.com) ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/9 "2000-03-21T15:54:00Z")
Hey, that is NOT where the trick is. The trick is: [http://www.timwike.dircon.co.uk/card.html](http://www.timwike.dircon.co.uk/card.html) whew. I almost wondered how it new the finish of the trick before I even saw the trick. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/10 "2000-03-21T17:45:00Z")
Sorry, Steve-o. My sig is a quote from a TV show; it’s not open to amendments. 🙂 * * * Wrong thinking is punished, right thinking is just as swiftly rewarded. You’ll find it an effective combination. ---
**Author:** ![EnigmaOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EnigmaOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnigmaOne)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/11 "2000-03-21T17:52:00Z")
{{{Sorry, Steve-o. My sig is a quote from a TV show; it’s not open to amendments. }}}—AWB Pssst! Steve-o, it’s Trekkie thing. 😉 * * * – **Kalél** [TheHungerSite.com](http://www.thehungersite.com) “If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.” “Well, there was that thing with the Cheese-Wiz…but I’m feeling **much** better now!” – John Astin, Night Court ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/12 "2000-03-22T00:28:00Z")
Yeah, they change them all but you can still amaze your friends with it. Even make your own version, if you want. ---
**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/13 "2000-03-22T07:53:00Z")
Everyones link to this “trick” leads me to a dead site. Anyone care to try again ? ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/14 "2000-03-22T14:27:00Z")
For those who are not magicians out there, the trick is called the “Princess” card trick. It was originally done with real playing cards. 7 cards were fanned out, one was mentally selected. The cards were brought together, then refanned and one was missing: The card that was selected. Would anyone care to venture how the LIVE version was done? * * * -Dragwyr “If God had meant for man to eat waffles, he would have given him lips like snowshoes” -Rev. Billy C. Wirtz ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/15 "2000-03-22T21:21:00Z")
just in case you’re interesterd, and to reveal my own pointless life, AWB’s sig is from the episode “The Gamesters of Triskelion” from the original Star Trek. * * * Cecil said it. I believe it. That settles it. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-magic-trick-work/9021/16 "2000-03-22T22:38:00Z")
Dragwyr, sleight of hand. You have a pile of both sets of cards. First you fan one set, then the other. Ta da!