Do you want to know how to perform some quick and easy card tricks that can be done with an ordinary 52-card deck? Then you have come to the right place!

But before you begin, remember: know who to show a magic trick to and who not to. Some people will figure out how the trick was done immediately and tell everyone you show it to how it was done, just to be mean. Other people will be dazzled and amazed. Know your audience.

With that said, let's move on to the tricks!

Easiest Trick in the World

Although most people already know this trick, the idea behind it can still be incorporated into other tricks.

What it Looks Like to the Audience

The Magician finds a randomly selected card from the deck with ease.

Method

It's simple. All you have to do is remember the card at the bottom of the deck. Then, split the deck into two halves, and put the bottom portion of the deck in your left hand and the top portion in your right. Fan out the cards in your left hand and have the spectator choose one and tell him/her to place it on the top of the deck in your right hand. Then place the deck in your left hand on top of the deck in your right hand. As an added effect, you can cut the deck as many times as the spectator wants. Now begin to flip over cards from the top of the deck until you spot the bottom card. The card following that one is the spectator's card.

The Strange Switch

What it Looks Like to the Audience

The magician shows the spectator three cards that are not his and puts them down on the table. He asks the spectator what their card was and turns over the three cards and one of them has mysteriously changed to the spectator's.

Method

First, begin by dealing cards onto the table face-up. Remember the fourth card. After you have dealt the fourth card, tell the spectator to let you know when to stop dealing. When he/she does, turn the dealt cards facedown and move them aside. Now divide up the rest of the deck into three piles. Take the dealt cards and put the first three cards onto the top of the piles. Give the spectator the fourth card (the one you committed to memory) and instruct them to memorise the card. Then you can gather up all the cards and give them to the spectator and tell them to shuffle their card into the deck as thoroughly as they want.

After they give the deck back, look through it until you find their card. Divide the deck up placing their card second from the bottom. Set the bottom part of the deck aside. Now show them the bottom card and ask them if it is their card. When they say no, secretly slide the bottom card back towards you and remove the second-to-bottom card (their card) and place it on the table. Now move the real bottom card to the top of the deck and show them the next bottom card. When they say that it isn't their card either, put it on the table next to their card. Put the bottom card on the top and show them the new bottom card, and when they say that also isn't their card put it on the table.

There should now be three cards on the table. You can put aside the deck; all that is needed now are the three cards on the table. Gather up the three cards and make sure their card is in the middle. Now show them the bottom card and ask them if it is their card. When they say no, pull back that bottom card again and place the second to bottom card (their card) on the table. Now show them the other two cards quickly and say that neither of them are their cards either. Place them on top of their card and ask them what their card was. Turn over the three cards and show them their card.

Keep Your Eye on the Card

What it Looks Like to the Audience

The spectator selects the top card from one of three piles and, after memorising it, puts the card back. Then the magician either slaps all three piles or points to them with one finger. Then he moves the spectator's card to the top of a different pile and picks up the other piles. When the top card of the pile (where the card should be) is revealed, it isn't the spectator's card. The magician takes a card from his deck and it is the spectator's card.

Method

First divide the deck into four different piles. Put three of them face-down on the table and leave the other in your hand. Now tell the spectator to take the top card of one of the piles on the table. While he is looking at it, palm a card from the top of the deck in your hand. This is done by holding a card in your palm so that the top corners touch the joints of your fingers and the bottom corners press against the base of the thumb. You will have to curve your hand slightly to keep the card in place.

Now, with palmed card in hand, tell the spectator to place the card back on top of the pile from which it came. When he/she does, immediately slap the pile that the spectator's card is on, placing the palmed card on top of the pile. Ask the spectator if he/she would rather that you slap all the piles like you just did, or just point to them with your index finger. Do what ever he/she decides.

Now say that you are going to move his/her card to another pile. Pick up the palmed card and move it. Now pick up two piles, leaving the one that the spectator thinks his/her card is in, and place them in your hand with the spectator's card on top. Ask the spectator if they kept their eye on their card. When they respond, tell them to flip over the top card of the pile on the table. When they see that it isn't their card, show them where it really is.

Red, Black

What it Looks Like to the Audience

The magician takes three red cards and places them face-down on the table. Then he takes three black cards and places them face-down on the table. Next, he places them into one pile, alternating red, black, then red, etc. But when he turns the cards over, they are all together according to colour.

Method

First remove three black cards and three red cards from the deck. Place the three red cards face-down and place the black cards on top of them. After setting the deck aside, show the audience your six cards. Then turn them back over and place them in your hand. Now take the bottom card and put it on the table. Announce that the card is 'red', which it is. Now here comes the 'magic part.' Pull the bottom card back towards you and take the second to bottom card and place it on the table so that it overlaps the first card. Announce it as 'red' too, which it is. Then with the card still pulled back, remove the second to bottom card, again. Announce it as 'red', even though it is really black, and then put it on the table so that it overlaps the second card.

You can now slide the bottom card back into place and place it on the table. But this time, start a new column, leaving some space between the two for a third column. Announce all the cards as being 'black', even though the first one isn't. Then take the bottom-most card from the black pile and place it between the two columns, creating a new one. Announce it as 'black'. Then take the bottom-most card from the red pile and place it onto the new column and announce it as 'red'. Then do the black pile again, then the red, then black, then red, until there is only one column.

Turn over the first three cards in the pile and reveal them to be all the same colour. Then turn over the next three and they are all the same colour too.

Conclusion

Now that you can perform four great card tricks, use the methods above to make up your own card tricks. There are tons of tricks that can be devised using these same methods.

So have fun and know your audience.