🃏🌴 Packet Trick Paradise #2: Petit Pinetti

Learn a puzzling packet trick based on the flamboyant 18th-century conjurer.

Difficulty: ⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯 (Minimal)

I created this easy, self-working card trick while writing about Professor Pinetti, a flamboyant Italian conjurer from the late eighteenth century, in my Legends of Legerdemain column. The full article is available for free on the Ruseletter website.

The trick uses a similar concept to “The Nine Card Problem” by Jim Steinmeyer. Any regular readers of the Ruseletter will know that I’m a fan of this trick! (See Monthly Update #12 to explore ten variations of this classic impuzzibility.)

I’ve also included some notes on how to perform it in a “hands-off” manner. In fact, if you have a particularly compliant participant, then it is possible to let them perform the trick without you ever touching the cards. If you want to do it this way, I think it is best to start with the King of Hearts eighth from the top/bottom of the packet and then walk them through a Swindle Shuffle and the spelling/dealing of Pinetti’s name. This will all make a lot more sense when you read the write-up on my blog!

I hope you enjoy performing this simple packet trick. Make sure you also read the article about Pinetti; doing so will help you come up with an entertaining script for “Petit Pinetti”.

Yours Magically,

Marty