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The Powers of Three!
The mystery of numbers revealed!

Here's an easy-to-do card trick that works by itself. This is one you can do again and again! Print this out, get a deck of cards, and follow along with the routine below.

I saw a strange card trick today!  The guy said it's easy and works every time.  It has to do with the number 3.   Let's see if we can do it now.   Shuffle the deck or let your friend shuffle it.

Everything has to be done in 3's so I'll deal out three piles of three cards each.  I'll have to do this three times as we go along, so this will be the first.

Deal out nine cards, face-down, by putting each card into it's own pile; one, one, one, two, two, two, three, three, three. Set the deck aside.

All right, pick up any pile, your choice, and look at it.   In your mind, select one of those cards and remember it.   Got it?  Don't let me see it!

Now, reach out and touch one of the piles on the table.   Good, we'll make that pile "1".  Put your pile on that one for "2", and we'll put the last pile on top for "3". Make sure the pile with his card is always sandwiched between the other two!

Okay, now we deal them out again for the second time.   As before, deal them across, one, one, one, two, two, two, three, three, three.

Great!  Pick up and look at the middle pile.   Is your card in there?

If he says, "Yes," smile mysteriously and say, "It's working!"
If he says, "No," look worried and have him look at the other piles to find it.
In either case, sandwich the pile with his card between the other two piles, just as you did before.  Hmm, well, put your pile on one of these and I'll place the third one on top.

For the third and last time, I'll deal them out again.
Do so as before. His card is now the middle card in the middle pile! It works automatically!

Now we can spread the cards out at random around the table. As you spread them, move the middle card of the middle pile over to one side. Keep your eye on it and don't lose track of it!

Okay, now the third card I turn over should be your card.   Here's one...here's two...and here's three!   Is that your card?  Weird, huh?  Want to try again?