Open & Shut - Mark Strivings

Open & shut is a squeaky clean mental miracle. A deck of playing cards is freely shown to be well mixed. A prediction is written and placed in the center of the table. The performer does not touch it again.

The spectator names any number between 1 and 52. The cards are counted very fairly and cleanly to the selected number. The card arrived at is tabled face down. The cards on either side of the selection are shown to be random cards. Finally the selected card is turned over. The predicction is then opened by the spectator and read aloud, THEY MATCH!

Read this very carefully...

• The number selected is a free choice.
• You count directly to the number called (not to the number and then take the next card)
• Once the prediction is written (before the number is named) you never come near it again
• The deck can be shown both before and after the revelation to be in a random order

...In short, it looks like a real miracle.