Scam School

Create an Amazing COINCIDENCE! (2011x35)

: 31, 2011

Minds will be blown when you orchestrate a crazy, coincidental reveal using matches and a shuffled deck of cards! This week you create an amazing coincidence -- grab two buddies and have them totally shuffle up a deck of cards. Meanwhile, dump out a matchbox full of matches, a fist-full of coins, tic-tacs, or anything else that can be used as counters... just make sure you have *exactly* 21 of them. Have your friends divvy up the counters between them (they can have any number of them each, as long as none are left over), then deal out the cards from the shuffled deck in a face-up pile, counting off each card as you go through them (the first card is "one," second card is "two," etc.). By the time you reach the mid-twenties, each of them should have a card that corresponds to the number they picked earlier. THAT's the card each of them need to remember. Finally, scoop up the face-up cards and place them back on the deck. Run off 10 cards and place them in your left hand, then cut the remaining cards in your right hand into two piles on the table. Place the 10 run-off cards on top of the bottom half. Now: tell each of your volunteers to watch for their card, as you flip over the two top cards of each pile simultaneously, one at a time. If you've followed the directions correctly, no matter what number or card they picked, both of their hands will shoot up at the same time, as both of their cards are turned over simultaneously!