8-CARD PREDICTOR (#56)

"8-card Predictor" (#56)

(This is an old trick, but effective in the simplest way)

Someone in the audience chooses one of eight cards while the magician is out of the room (or has his back turned). The magician's assistant points to the cards one at a time, asking the magician if each is the chosen card. The magician guesses the correct one.
Supplies:
~8 cards -- one of which must be an eight (let's say the eight of hearts for our explanation)~an assistant who's in on the trick...

Preparation:
Arrange 8 cards in the same pattern as the hearts on the eight of hearts.

Secret:
Have the magician leave the room. Have the assistant choose someone from the audience to pick one of the eight cards. Show it to everyone. Place the card back in the correct position.
Have the magician come back in the room.
Have the assistant point to cards one at a time, in no particular order, asking "is this it".
Now here's the trick... the assistant must point to the 8 sometime before they point to the card that was chosen. When the assistant points to the 8, he should point to the heart on the eight that is in the same position as the card on the table (remember, we arranged the cards just like the hearts on the eight). This will tell the magician which card is the correct one.