Tricks, Tricks & More Tricks #1: I Got 9 Card Problems, But a Trick Ain't One!

Exploring Jim Steinmeyer's "The Nine Card Problem". Learn five different variations of the plot.

Welcome to the first edition of Tricks, Tricks & More Tricks, a new monthly column that will feature three tricks, sometimes more, that are related in some way (by plot, method or presentation).

This month, we’ll take an in-depth look at the “Nine Card Problem” by magic author, historian and illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer.

The “Nine Card Problem” is a modern classic. Published almost thirty years ago, it is one of the very best small packet spelling tricks and, as a result, has spawned many variations. Magicians often combine it with the Lie Detector plot, most notably by David Solomon, who developed a popular seven-card version, aptly titled “Steinmeyer's Nine Card Problem With Seven Cards”—see “The Truth Will Out” at the very bottom of this post for my thoughts and ideas on this trick.