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I'll often say "go for something obscure - try to catch me out - don't go for something obvious like the Ace of Spades or Queen of Hearts". There is then a very high probability that they will choose the 2, 3 or 4 of clubs, in my experience.

TheStoner wrote:I'll often say "go for something obscure - try to catch me out - don't go for something obvious like the Ace of Spades or Queen of Hearts". There is then a very high probability that they will choose the 2, 3 or 4 of clubs, in my experience.

Yeah I've had that same result, though I don't mention the queen of hearts when asking a woman, just because its so common that they go for it that I like to have the possibility there (having a spare queen in my pocket).

I do always rule out the Ace of Spades because people will generally change their mind from that anyway, maybe that is why I get clubs so often? I don't think I have ever had anyone name a number card higher than six though, not that I can recall anyway. Thats pretty weird come to think of it....

Perhaps this is something TMers can do research on over the next couple of weeks? How about as many of us as possible ask people to think of a card and keep a note of the replies then post them here early in the New Year? Two versions, one where the request is to just 'Think of a card' and the second where the obvious Ace of Spades and Queen of Hearts are excluded as per the post above.

Ill be up for doing that. Its part of a trick I do anyway to get them to name any card, if they choose the obvious one I roll with a prediction effect, if not I do ambitious card, so I'll keep track of what people ask for.

If asked to think of any card, I ALWAYS mentally select The Jack Of Clubs.

Barefoot Boy wrote:If asked to think of any card, I ALWAYS mentally select The Jack Of Clubs.

Think of a card...

For what's it worth, during our Edinburgh Fringe show last August, during one effect we asked one audience member to think of a card and another to think of a number between 1 and 52. Quite often (although possibly not enough to be statistically significant) we got King of Spades, and the number 47.

I said I'd keep a tally of this, whether or not it is useful at all or not I've done it anyway so I'll post it.
Ive done many card tricks this christmas, for fresh audiences too such as old friends, estranged family, strangers in the pub and I even got a little close-up/parlour gig for a local golf club for some bridge players that meet there (which was quite exciting!)

Overall results are

23 women picked the queen of hearts, which was a MASSIVE percentage of the women I tried a thought-of card routine on. Couldn't believe that one myself.

1 woman picked the ace of clubs.

4 picked a numbered heart, 1 more picked the jack of hearts.

Not a single woman picked a diamond or a spade for me. Coincidence?


16 men picked numbered spades, 2-10 etc etc. 9 picked a royal spade (I excluded the ace) 4 picked number diamonds, only 2 picked hearts of any kind, and 5 picked a royal club or the ace of clubs.


Some of those numbers are fairly consistant. Women definately seem more consistant than men.

Probably totally worthless numbers, but it was an interesting little experiment so I don't see it as wasted time

I would find it extremely interesting to try this with two groups, one of a control group and one with a subtle psychological force. Doing it on a large enough scale to get a good cross section would be difficult.

Also, as discussed, the way you ask could have a big impact whether it be directly (i.e. not the Ace of Spades) or indirectly (in Matthius figures I wonder if the "Not the Ace of Spades" rule made the spectator consider spades first, hence 25 of the men choosing a spade of some description).

Stats and psychology give me tummy butterflies.

Here is something to ponder.
I believe it is a Doc Hilford idea.
Most men think of the ace of spades, woman, queen of hearts, make it hard on me, do noth think of any of these?
Do you think the word THESE will decrease the odds of someone thinkong of a spade, heart, queen, or ace subconscoiusly?

finneyfollower wrote:Here is something to ponder.
I believe it is a Doc Hilford idea.
Most men think of the ace of spades, woman, queen of hearts, make it hard on me, do noth think of any of these?
Do you think the word THESE will decrease the odds of someone thinkong of a spade, heart, queen, or ace subconscoiusly?

I suspect it will. I mean, its an instruction isn't it? Unless you've got a particularly unruly spectator who's bent on ruining your performance, i'd imagine they'd do as they're told and ignore everything you've listed.