The Sixteen Cards  

Materials: a deck of cards

Procedure:

1.) Shuffle the cards. Take the first sixteen off the top of the deck. Then ask for an assistant from the audience. It doesn't matter who. Deal the cards into four columns of four cards. Tell the assistant to think of one of the cards down on the table. Tell him to point to the column where the card is. Pick up the cards. Memorize which column the assistant pointed to.

2.) This time make four rows of four cards. The rows should be the same as the columns. Tell the assistant to point to the column with the card in it. Find the row which was the original column. Now pinpoint which card it is. If the second row is the original column and the assistant points to the third column, then the second card in the third column is the card.

3.) Now that you know what the card is, collect the piles. Remember where it is in the pile. Then deal them out face down in squares. You should know where the card is if you memorized where the card was in the deck. Tell the assistant to point to two squares. Make sure the one with the card in it is left. Even if the assistant points to the square get rid of another and say,"You have chosen that pile". Now ask the assistant to point to on square. Again, make sure the square with the card in it is still there. Now tell the assistant to point to two cards. Make sure the card is still on the table. Even if the assistant points to the card say,"You have chosen that card". Tell the assistant to point to one card. Make sure you get rid of the card that is not the assistant's card. Now flip over the card with a flourish and wait for the applause.

(Look at the pictures below for reference)