Mind reading with two pack of special cards. The cards are very easy and simple to make, the sophistication is in the system and the logic of them. And always works, repeatable, quick and amazing. Total success!

Step 1: Perfect Mind Reading

Well, guys, this trick is from the magic bag of a very famous hungarian magician name Rodolfo. If you show it, the audience will be amazed, and everyone will ask you to tell, how it works, but you DON’T! Don’t, because it is so easy, the amazed people will surely say: „Ah, of course! Is this all? Yes, anybody can repeat it...” and THIS may be the biggest fail after this incredible and breath breaking trick. So, keep your secret, and repeat the trick any time you want: nobody will figure out the method until you reveal it.

Step 2: The Show

The magician places some cards face up on the table. These cards are not the normal playing cards, but special ones with a lot of numbers on the face, without any order or system, and their colour is the same (for example green). The ideal is 6-9 cards, the printed numbers on them are 3-6 digits. (Since you will make them, I will explain the exact infos later.)

The magician asks somebody to choose a card, take it, and memorize a number from it, but - of course - don’t reveal which number is the chosen one. After memorizing, collect the cards, these cards won’t play after.

The magician now places another card pack with numbers, but these cards are different colour (for example red). There are numbers on them, too, but not in the same order; a lot of shuffled, big number, seemingly without any system.

The magician asks the partner try to find the chosen number on any red card, and, if found it, give that card to him. The partner will find his number, the magician lifts the given card, and puts it onto the partner’s head, and after some hocus-pocus he tells the choosen number. Always. Always, and deadly. Never fails, if he wants, can tell it at once at the second when gets the card, or can play a bit, may be pathetic, may be humorouos, may be devilish, may be hysteric, but one thing is sure: at the moment, when the partner is just touching the red card, the magician surely can recognize the number. Everything after this is just theatre...

The trick is repeatable, the audience will not find ANY system nor the order, neither the value of the numbers, but, making an advanced version, the trick works with even foods, animals, names instead of numbers. And always wins!

Step 3: The Mechanism of the Trick

You will have to make two card packs; the first pack is the „choosing pack”, the second is the „finding pack”. The colours are optional, you can make even simple white cards, just don’t forget only one thing: the choosing and the finding packs must be different. I made packs with very low budge, using CAPITAL and small characters, or simply different fonts, or normal and bold numbers - not important. Just let them be different.

The secret is - of course - the order, but this order is a very tricky one. Let’s look now the simpliest way, the numbers, and after you’ve understood the system, the animals or names will be clear too.

So. Begin it with 5 cards (more is better, but the system is the same). Let’s operate three digits (more is better here too, but the system is the same). Make 5 cards in green, with 5-5 different, 3 digits numbers on each of them. The only rule is: the LAST (in this case the fifth) numbers on the cards must be special ones: the middle digit of them must give the order. An example: on the first card the last number is 314, on the second card the last one is 525, and so on: 736, 142, 957. Now you can recognize the list order of them: when somebody picks a card; you look quickly the LAST number on it, read the MIDDLE digit of it, and this is your key to mind reads. The other numbers are random, but never duplicate them, and be careful, rather use „boring”, „systemless” numbers to make the audience associations harder. Good numbers: 217, 893, 174, 179, and bad numbers: 555, 909, 246, 500...

Well. Now look how to use your key number to read mind. Very easy: the „finder” (red) pack is ordered too, but it’s a more sophisticated system. Using the „choosing” numbers, the vertical green-card order is „spreaded” horizontally on the red cards: the FIRST numbers of each green cards are listed on the first red card, the SECOND numbers are listed on the second, and so on.

Understanding this system you may sure, if the partner had choosen the third green „choosing card”, and found his number on a red „finder card”, that number is in the THIRD line from up. And, to prove this theory, with this system the special numbers including the key digit, are collected on the last red card.

So you have to make a vertical list with a secret-listed last number, and spread it horizontally. All the things after this is a simple counting and - as I mentioned before - theatre.

Step 4: And How to Convert This System to Names or Animals?

Easy. Collect a lot of animals, and put the last line an animal, which has a special name to call an association to a list number - for example: two:toucane; three: frog; five: finch... (I’m sorry, I’m not a native, perhaps these animals are silly examples, but in my language I made these cards with foods, animals, names - the original Rodolfo trick used names.)

I attach my own number cards, but this pack is a very low budget one, I strongly recommend you to try it, and create a bigger, more serious pack using the system. My serious cards with foods and animals are in Hungarian language, I’m afraid, nobody could even pronounce the words on it...:-( The numbers are the universal language...

And - to make the trick more unrevealeable, use minimum 9 cards when operate with animals or names, and use five digits numbers when operate with numbers. The key digit may be anywhere in the last number, it’s not important to place it to the center. Be creative. And really - never reveal it, because this little trick will loose al of its magic after it... I think, it is a lesser hit to be a tricky man for two minutes while you collect the ’oh, of course’-s and ’what a trick’-s, than preserve your fame for a long time as a man, who have a magic card which he can read mind with.

Step 5: How to Make the Cards

This is very easy: plan your numbers or names, animals, foods, or anything (disasters, insects, lethal viruses...), arrange them in a table using a word processor, as I've explained before, and find some distinctive feature on the different packs (font, style, capital letters), or, on the simpliest way use two different colour sheets when printing the tables. Send the project to printer, but or use some thick sheet for harder cards, either laminate the normal paper. Cut the cards, round the sharp corners, if you want, and try it first „in the ship-dock” - I mean, don't show the trick without some practice; be sure you can recognize the keys, and – this is very important – find a good story, or a nice gag to play the mind reading believable.