The Philosopher's ACAAN

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I promised you an ACAAN earlier this week. This one is not it. This one is…hmm… I’m not sure what this. It’s an idea I had about a week ago. On its own, it’s just an absurdist, jokey moment. But it could also be an introduction to another ACAAN performance. And, very occasionally, it's an amazing trick.

You say:

“Shuffle up the deck. Okay, now I want you to name any card in the deck.”

They name the 5 of Diamonds.

“Okay, now there are 52 cards in a deck. Name any number between 1 and 52.”

They name 19.

“Great. I’m not going to touch anything. I want you to deal down to the 19th card. But, before you do, tell me how you’d feel if that card is the 5 of Diamonds.”

“Amazed,” your friend says. “That would be incredible.”

You smile, knowingly.

“Go ahead. Deal to the 19th card.”

They deal down… 17, 18, 19. You hold out your hand to pause them and build suspense.

“Okay. Turn it over,” you say.

They do.

It’s the 8 of Clubs.

You smile broadly. “Amazing.”

“That’s not the card I said,” your friend remarks.

“Well, right,” you say. “But you said it would be amazing if the 5 of Diamonds was there.”

“Yeah?”

“And the odds of the 8 of Clubs being in that position were the same as the 5 of Diamonds being in that position. So this must be equally amazing, when you think about it,” you say, sagely.

“No, that’s not the same—”

You cut your friend off. "Yes. It’s kind of beautiful, really. Little miracles, happening all around us—if only we choose to see them." (You rub your chin, staring off into the distance, lost in thought.)

That’s it.

Yes, it’s stupid.

But also weirdly true.

And amusing (at least to the two people I’ve tried it on so far).

It also makes a good lead-in to a real ACAAN, if you want to go that route.

And, 1 out of 52 times, it actually works.

And on that day, you have the cleanest, most direct version of this trick anyone has ever performed.

In fact, I now contend that this is the “ultimate” “definitive” “holy grail” version of ACAAN. And—I mean this seriously—I think ten years from now more people will be doing this

But it doesn’t always work, Andy!

Ah, yes. But it doesn’t ever not work.