An incredible self-working effect in which the illusionist will have predicted exactly the sum of three cards chosen at random by a spectator from within a 3x3 square.
A new amazing automatic card magic effect where the mentalist will be able to predict what will happen shortly with a deck shuffled and cut by a spectator, having already written down on a blank card, sealed in an envelope, the exact sum of the values of three cards chosen from the nine that will ultimately be arranged to form a square!
The illusionist shows a deck of cards, shuffles it quickly and hands it to a spectator who cuts at any point. Once completed, the spectator turns over the first three cards and stacks as many cards under each one as indicated by their respective values.
Then he arranges the next ones, leaving them face down, to form a three-by-three square. He chooses any of these nine cards, turns it face up and eliminates all those in the same row and column. He repeats the procedure by turning over a second card and removing those in the same row and column. This leaves only one other card face down in the square, which is also turned over, and its value is added to those of the other two (A=1, J=11, Q=12, K=13).
Once the result has been announced aloud, the viewer will open the prediction envelope and read aloud what is written on the card, which will reveal exactly the same number!
At this point, the illusionist can continue the experiment with an open prediction second (optional) phase: he will make a new and different prediction, discarding some cards and then forming another magic square, where he will give the spectator further possibilities on how to choose the three cards, inevitably closing the experiment with further success and well-deserved applause.
Strengths:
- Thanks to the secret pre-arrangement, the result is guaranteed to be self-working.
- No manipulation of the deck is necessary.
- A simple method to stack the deck of cards is illustrated.
1st edition 2026, PDF 6 pages.
word count: 2686 which is equivalent to 10 standard pages of text
