Card Stab

Here's some Dinner Table Magic that takes "cutting the cards" to a whole new level. All you need is a deck of cards, a napkin and a butter knife and you'll be ready to amaze friends and family at your table!

A deck of card
A paper napkin
A butter knife
An adult volunteer

SOMETIMES WE USE MATERIALS THAT REQUIRE ADULT SUPERVISION…LIKE SCISSORS SO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY AROUND WHENEVER YOU DO MAGIC TRICKS!

1. To prepare for the trick, take the king of hearts out from your deck. Using your thumbnail, start at the center of the back of the card and crease it outward toward the corner. Do it four times, once for each corner. This will create a slight bump in the front of the card, which will help later. It’s important to use a face card for this because it’s harder for your volunteer and audience to see the creases.
2. To begin the trick, place the king of hearts at the bottom of the deck. Fan the deck out and have your volunteer select a random card.
3. Have your volunteer place the card he or she has selected back on top of the deck. Then cut the cards once, placing the bottom half of the deck over the top half. Now the king of hearts is positioned right over the card your volunteer selected.
4. Have your volunteer cut the deck again, placing the bottom part of the deck over the top part. It doesn’t matter where he or she cuts the deck, or how many times, because the bump created in the king of hearts will always create a buckle in the deck wherever it is; it will keep that card and your volunteer’s card from separating.
5. Pick the cards up and quickly find the buckle in the deck. There should be a gap where it is. Cut the deck one last time from that gap, bringing the bottom part of the deck to the top. Now the king of hearts is on the bottom of the deck and your volunteer’s card is on the top.
6. Open up your paper napkin and place the deck in the center. Wrap the deck up in the napkin like a present.
7. With the help of your adult volunteer, take a small, blunt butter knife and gently stick it through the napkin into the side of the deck, “cutting” it literally. You or your volunteer can stick the knife anywhere. Just make sure you don’t hold the deck with your hand underneath to prevent injury.
8. Run the knife back and forth where it has cut the deck to show your volunteer that it is cut.
9. Now it’s time for some misdirection. Ask your volunteer to hold the knife while you split the deck. As your volunteer removes the knife, flip each half of the deck as you split it. This will bring the king of hearts face-up at the top of one half of the deck and your volunteer’s card face-down on top of the other half.
10. Reveal your volunteer’s card to them and watch their surprise!