Do the Turnover Card Trick
Learn and perform the Turnover Card Trick using a deck of cards to amaze friends while practicing counting, timing, memory, and simple sleight techniques.
Step-by-step guide to Do the Turnover Card Trick
Step 1
Shuffle the deck to mix the cards.
Step 2
Count out the top 21 cards one by one and make a neat face-down stack.
Step 3
Ask a friend to pick any one card from the 21 and memorize it while you look away.
Step 4
Tell your friend to place their card back anywhere into the 21-card stack and press the stack together.
Step 5
Deal the 21 cards face-down into three piles of seven by giving one card to pile one then pile two then pile three and repeat.
Step 6
Ask which pile contains their card and place that named pile between the other two piles to restack them into one stack.
Step 7
Deal that stack face-down into three piles of seven again by dealing one card to each pile repeatedly.
Step 8
Ask which pile contains their card and place that named pile between the other two piles to restack them again.
Step 9
Deal that stack face-down into three piles of seven one more time by dealing one card to each pile repeatedly.
Step 10
Ask which pile contains their card and place that named pile between the other two piles to make the final stacked 21-card packet.
Step 11
Count down slowly to the 11th card from the top of the final stack and turn that 11th card over to reveal your friend’s chosen card.
Step 12
Share a photo or video of your Turnover Card Trick performance on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a standard deck of playing cards for the Turnover Card Trick?
If you don't have a deck, cut 21 rectangles from paper or index cards and write unique card names or numbers on them so you can follow the same steps of counting out 21, dealing into three piles of seven, restacking the named pile in the middle, and revealing the 11th card.
What should we do if the revealed 11th card isn't the chosen card?
If the turned 11th card isn't the chosen card, repeat the three cycles of dealing into three piles of seven and asking which pile contains the card while carefully placing the named pile between the other two each time and dealing at a steady, even pace to avoid miscounts or misstacking.
How can we adapt the trick for younger children or make it more challenging for older kids?
For younger children, reduce the stack to nine cards and deal into three piles of three so the chosen card becomes the 5th card, while older kids can keep the full 21-card routine and add misdirection, patter, timed performance, or sleights before filming the trick for DIY.org.
How can we personalize or extend the Turnover Card Trick to make a cooler performance?
Personalize the activity by decorating card faces or backs, creating a short story or character to narrate during the three deals, or increase the challenge by using more cards or combining this routine with another trick and then share a photo or video of the performance on DIY.org.
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Facts about card tricks and sleight of hand
⏱️ Good timing and a tiny pause of misdirection often make a simple move look like real magic — more important than flashy speed.
🃏 A standard deck has 52 cards (not counting jokers), and many card tricks rely on that exact number.
🎩 Card tricks are one of the oldest forms of entertainment — playing cards were used by magicians in Europe as early as the 1500s.
🧠 Expert magicians sometimes memorize a whole deck order (a "stacked" deck) to perform amazing routines without searching for cards.
🔢 Practicing card tricks helps children improve counting, sequencing, and short-term memory while they have fun performing.
How do I learn and perform the Turnover Card Trick to amaze friends?
What materials do I need to practice the Turnover Card Trick?
What ages is the Turnover Card Trick suitable for?
What are the benefits and safe variations of the Turnover Card Trick?
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