Corrupting the Classics #1: The Twenty-One Card Trick

Learn some alternative approaches to an ancient self-working card trick. Includes links to trick tutorials for "Trust Your Gut", "Unlucky for Some" and "Tiny Tantalizer".

Welcome to the first article in a regular column called Corrupting the Classics. I’ll re-interpret a classic magic trick in each post and provide one or more new ways of performing it. The title of this column, of course, begs the question: what makes a magic trick a classic? For me, the trick must meet the following three criteria:

1. First, it must be popular with magicians and audiences alike.

2. Like a classic car, it must be at least twenty-five years old. This longevity proves that the trick has stood the test of time. While this stipulation limits what tricks can appear in the column, it will encourage me to revisit older books, manuscripts and magic tricks (something I enjoy doing, anyway) and ignore the newest releases (something I should do more often).

3. It must have some historical importance to magic. For example, be connected to a magician of notable worth or represent a significant improvement or development in a particular plot.

Right, let’s start corrupting those classics!

This first article will take a deep dive into the much-maligned Twenty-One Card Trick. Also known as the Eleventh Card Trick or the Three Column Trick, this is perhaps the most well-known card trick among non-magicians. When performing, a member of my audience will invariably ask me if they can show me a trick. Nine times out of ten, they’ll deal out the familiar three columns of seven cards and proceed to perform a laboured version of the Twenty-One Card Trick (cue eye roll and suppressed yawn). 🙄🥱

In this post, I’ll discuss some of the inherent weaknesses of the trick and how we can remedy them. I’ll also share some tips for improving the method along with three fantastic variations of the Twenty-One Card Trick: “Trust Your Gut”, “Unlucky for Some”, and “Tiny Tantalizer”.