<p>Ok, so I have seen several times, the “fortune telling” trick where the magician places nine cards in a three by three grid down. He then leaves the room and the group picks one. He comes back and accurately asserts which card it is. I think there’s generally a “spy” or whatever you would like to call them that works with the magician, but they never touch the cards. How does this trick work? I tried googlingg it but I can’t think of a search bar description for it. Any thoughts on this?</p>
<p>Could you explain this a little more? Does he randomly take 9 cards out of a deck or not? Does he point out which card (“The middle card of the last row”) or does he name it (“9 of spades”)?
It would be fairly easy to have a prearranged signal with they spy - arms crossed is row 1, palms outward is row 2 or something like that - if you’re just point out the card.</p>
<p>I’ve seen it done two different ways, but I’m 85% positive it’s the same trick.</p>
<p>The first time it was a a 3 x 3 grid of playing cards at random. The “magician” would leave and me and a friend would pick a card. He’d come out and get it correct. He had briefed her before hand on the trick, but she never pointed and never moved her hands (that I noticed). And he would switch between pointing, specifically saying the card, and the general location.</p>
<p>The second one I saw was in a large class. The teacher drew a 3 X 3 grid on the whiteboard, with a different picture in each. He would leave the room. The class would quietly decide on a square. He would come in and guess by saying/pointing. I’m guessing their was a “spy” for him, but couldn’t figure out who.</p>
<p>It’s a spy.</p>
<p>Figured as much… Wish I could have figured out who had done it and their sign… Darn… Why can’t I be more observant?</p>
<p>youtube- “Amazing Mathematical Card Trick Revealed”</p>
<p>is this roughly what you are referring to, because i see how it could work in the situation you described, with no spy</p>
<p>sorry, im not sure how to actually embed a video</p>