Only Time Will Tell No ratings yet.

A spectator is asked to shuffle a pack of cards – their own if they wish it and whilst doing so, to think of any one of the four suits. The performer, turning his back, instructs the spectator to remove from the pack all the cards of that chosen suit – except the King which stays where it is.

The spectator now lays out the cards in the form of a clock face, using the Queen as twelve (12), the Ace as one o’clock and so on round to the Queen again. The spectator is now asked to stare at the clock and imagine a time (say for example 9 o’clock) which they are not to reveal at this stage.

The performer asks the spectator to pick up the rest of the deck and holding it face downwards in the left hand, gather the cards lying on the table and place them one by one face down on top of the pack, beginning with the Ace, then the Two and so on. He should then finish up with the Queen on top. Now thinking of the chosen time earlier thought of, they are to remove that number of cards from the bottom of the pack and place them on the top. This needs to be done silently giving the performer no clue at all, after which the cards are squared up.

The performer now turns round, finally asks the spectator to deal the whole 52 cards face down on the table in a completely random manner.

Taking the spectator’s hand, the performer asks them to concentrate on both the suit and the time, and moving their hand over the cards the performer at last pushes it down onto one card. The spectator now reveals the suit and time and when the card is turned over it is a perfect match!

As long as you give clear directions to the spectator there is not much to worry about until they begin to deal the cards face down on the table. When they do this start counting and watch where they deal the 13th card – this one will be the suit and time thought of. The rest is just down to presentation.