Hobson’s Choice by Michel W. Potts

Hobson’s Choice

A spectator thinks of a card while the performer places another card face down on the table. When the spectator announces their chosen card, the performer reveals that it matches perfectly. This effect requires no fishing or questions, and includes four unique variations.

Doudecouple

After ensuring their selected card is lost in the deck, the spectator deals the cards into several packets, which they then rearrange randomly. The performer, without looking at the faces of the cards, astonishingly identifies the spectator’s card. Two different methods for the revelation are provided.

Compliance

Two spectators each select a card that is visibly buried in the deck. The performer then turns the deck over, allowing each spectator to find their own chosen card in a surprising yet fair manner.

Curried Dice

A spectator rolls three dice to generate a random number that determines how many cards will be used. After mixing the cards, the spectator thinks of one and shuffles them again. Once the cards are returned to the deck and placed back in the box, the performer reveals the spectator’s chosen card.

ESPial

Two spectators receive a packet of ESP cards to shuffle. Each is shown all the cards and asked to think of an ESP symbol. When they later remove their mentally chosen symbol from the packet, they will be astonished to discover they both selected the same symbol. Regular ESP cards are utilized for this effect.

Fin de Charlier

This technique provides a visually deceptive conclusion to the Charlier False Shuffle. All effects, except for ESPial, can be performed using a standard deck of cards.