“Pretty sure Moe would have been fooled by this.” – Ryan Schlutz

“A clever method for a memory demonstration.” – Christian Grace

Note: The effect outlined below represents only a portion of the entire e-book, which includes various methods for the “Move a Card” plot.

The “Move a Card” plot has its roots dating back to the 1930s, popularized by Moe Seidenstein. Over the years, numerous techniques have emerged. However, I consider this method to be the ‘Holy Grail’ due to its seemingly impossible conditions. This method allows for any borrowed deck, is entirely impromptu, and requires no physical interaction with the cards at any point.

Below is a full performance video (thanks to my friend for capturing it), along with a detailed written description of the effect:

Imagine this scenario:

The magician requests a spectator’s deck of cards, encouraging them to shuffle thoroughly in any manner they prefer. The spectator complies, and the magician assures them that he will not touch the cards at any time.

After shuffling, the spectator spreads the deck face-up on the table for the magician to memorize the order of the cards. Once he has observed the cards, he turns his back to the spectator.

While facing away, the magician instructs, “Select any card from one side of the spread and move it to a different location on the opposite side.” After this is completed, he adds, “Now, square up the spread to conceal any evidence of the card’s original and new positions.” The spectator follows these instructions.

Once finished, the magician turns back around and states that if he truly memorized the order of the cards, he should be able to identify the moved card. He asks the spectator to spread the deck face-up once more.

After a moment of contemplation, the magician confidently reveals the identity of the moved card without any fishing.

Key conditions to note:

• The effect utilizes a borrowed, shuffled deck.
• The magician never touches the cards at any time, making it suitable for performance over video calls with the spectator handling the deck.
• No gimmicks are involved – this is entirely impromptu.
• Minimal memory work is required, making it accessible for anyone; the magician doesn’t need to memorize multiple cards.
• The magician discovers the identity of the selected card only after reviewing the face-up spread at the end, eliminating any peeking or forcing.
• No fishing for information is necessary; the magician can always reveal the selected card’s identity without asking questions.