Card Trick
The spectator shuffles the cards to their content. The magician then removes two seemingly random prediction cards from the deck; say the nine of clubs and the queen of hearts. The deck is given back to the spectator who places the prediction cards face up anywhere in the deck he likes... only to find that right next to the nine of clubs is the nine of spades and right next to the queen of hearts is the queen of diamonds.
The reason that this trick is so effective is that the cards are almost never in the magician's control.
Trick Secret
This trick's brilliance is in its simplicity. It is so simple that the outcome is out of your hands, it will always be the same.
Explain to the spectators, "Have you ever heard of precognition? It is the direct knowledge or perception of the future... to know something before it happens. Many psychics claim to have this ability, but you may have experienced it first hand. Have you ever had a dream that came true the next day? Scientists generally don’t believe in precognition, but occasionally I have odd visions that manifest themselves in cards. To show you what I mean, during this trick, I will refrain as much as possible from touching the cards. Please take them and shuffle them thoroughly."
Hand the cards to one of the nearby spectators.
"Thank you. Now if you would allow me to simply look through the cards, I am having a vision as we speak."
Take the cards back from the spectator. As if seeing a vision in your head, look through the cards, noting the top and bottom card, say the nine of clubs and the queen of hearts respectively. Find the matching cards, in this case the nine of spades and the queen of diamonds, and place them face up on the table as you find them. Square up the cards, keeping the top and bottom cards in their place.
"There we are. That is the last time I will touch the cards for this trick. Here, would you please hold them in a dealing grip."
Hand the cards to another spectator, showing them with your hands what a dealing grip looks like so that they won’t try to reshuffle the cards.
"Now, if you will, begin dealing the cards one by one from the top of the deck onto the table here. Keep dealing the cards until you feel like stopping and then stop."
While instructing, mime with you hands the act of dealing cards one by one from the top of the deck. This will minimize confusion and possible errors made by the spectator. When he stops, have the spectator take the prediction card that matches the bottom card of the deck, in this case the queen of hearts, and place it face up on top of the pile of cards that was dealt on the table.
"Now place my prediction, the queen of hearts, on top of those cards to mark your place in the deck. Now place the remainder of your cards on top of the queen of hearts. Will you hand the deck of cards to the lady on your right?"
Having the cards handed to another spectator, instruct the new spectator to repeat the previous process.
"Will you please begin dealing the cards one by one from the top of the deck onto the table here. Again, keep dealing the cards until you feel like stopping and then stop. Now place my second prediction, the nine of clubs, on top of those cards to mark your place in the deck. Now place the remainder of your cards on top of the nine of clubs. Thank you. As everybody can see, I have not touched the cards or set up this trick in any way. I simply made two predictions and two of you have chosen two cards. This whole trick has been out of my hands."
Reaching down, cleanly and openly ribbon spread the cards across the table to show the two face up prediction cards. Slowly push forward and out of the spread the card above the queen of hearts and the card above the nine of clubs.
"Will someone please reveal the first selected card."
The ooos and awes begin. Build the suspense.
"Will someone please reveal the second selected card."
