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Nine Card Problem: Difference between revisions

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The '''Nine Card Problem''' is a trick invented by [[Jim Steinmeyer]].
The '''Nine Card Problem''' is a trick invented by [[Jim Steinmeyer]].


===Publications===
The effect is that a spectator selects any nine cards from a deck of cards and looks at one of them. She mixes the cards by spelling the name of the viewed card and cutting the cards there. The performer, who does not know the name of the card, is able to identify the location of the card at the conclusion of the mixing process. The effect is especially suitable for use in distance magic effects over the phone or video recording.


* '''Remote Control''' ([[Jim Steinmeyer]]): ''[[The New Invocation]]'', No. 43 (February 1988).  
This effect has been made famous by [[David Copperfield]] in his 1993 television special, "Fires of Passion". More recently the effect has been shown by Justin Flom in the Ellen DeGeneres show.
 
The method of this trick is based on a mathematical principle, which has been discussed in the 2015 edition of ''Mathematics Magazine'', which provides a method to generalise the method and construct new versions.
 
==Publications==
 
* '''Remote Control''' ([[Jim Steinmeyer]]): ''[[New Invocation|The New Invocation]]'', No. 43 (February 1988).  
** '''A Nine Card Problem''' (Jim Steinmeyer): ''[[MAGIC]]'', Vol. 3 No. 9 (May 1993, pp. 56-58).
** '''A Nine Card Problem''' (Jim Steinmeyer): ''[[MAGIC]]'', Vol. 3 No. 9 (May 1993, pp. 56-58).
** Jim Steinmeyer, ''[[Impuzzibilities]]'' (2002,, pp. 5-8).  
** Jim Steinmeyer, ''[[Impuzzibilities]]'' (2002, pp. 5-8).  
** '''The Wizard of Odds''' (Jim Steinmeyer): [[Karl Fulves]], ''Self-Working Close-Up Card Magic'' (1995, pp. 55-57).
** '''The Wizard of Odds''' (Jim Steinmeyer): [[Karl Fulves]], ''Self-Working Close-Up Card Magic'' (1995, pp. 55-57).
** '''The Impossible Nine''' (Jim Steinmeyer): [[Bob Longe]], ''World's Greatest Card Tricks'' (1996, pp. 40-42).
** '''The Impossible Nine''' (Jim Steinmeyer): [[Bob Longe]], ''World's Greatest Card Tricks'' (1996, pp. 40-42).
** '''Nine Card Speller''' (Jim Steinmeyer): [[Martin Gardner]], ''Mental Magic'' (1999, pp. -).
** '''Nine-Card Spell''' (Jim Steinmeyer): [[Martin Gardner]], ''Mental Magic'' (1999, p. 76).


* ''Dunbury Lie Speller '' ([[Jon Racherbaumer]]): ''[[MAGIC]]'', Vol. 2 No. 9 (May 1993, p. 58).
* '''Dunbury Lie Speller''' ([[Jon Racherbaumer]]): ''[[MAGIC]]'', Vol. 2 No. 9 (May 1993, p. 58).
** ''[[The New Tops]]'', Vol. 33 No. 6 (June 1993, pp. 31-34).
** ''[[The New Tops]]'', Vol. 33 No. 6 (June 1993, pp. 31-34).
** Jon Racherbaumer, ''Pastiche II'' (1993, pp. 10-12).
** Jon Racherbaumer, ''Pastiche II'' (1993, pp. 10-12).
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* '''Eight-Card Solution''' ([[J. K. Hartman]]): ''[[MAGIC]]'', Vol. 2 No. 12 (August 1993, pp. 52-53).
* '''Eight-Card Solution''' ([[J. K. Hartman]]): ''[[MAGIC]]'', Vol. 2 No. 12 (August 1993, pp. 52-53).


* '''Nine Card Problem with Seven Cards''' ([[David Solomon]]): [[Eugene Burger]], ''[[Solomon's Mind]]'' (1997, pp. 19-22).
* '''Nine Card Problem with Seven Cards''' ([[David Solomon]]): [[Eugene Burger]], ''[[Solomon's Mind: The Card Mysteries of David Solomon|Solomon's Mind]]'' (1997, pp. 19-22).


* '''The Gift of the Magi''' ([[Marty Kane]]): ''[[Genii 1997 October|Genii]], Vol. 60 No. 12 (October 1997, p. 63).
* '''The Gift of the Magi''' ([[Marty Kane]]): ''[[Genii 1997 October|Genii]], Vol. 60 No. 12 (October 1997, p. 63).
Line 29: Line 35:


* '''The Nine Card Problem Recycled''' ([[Gene Castillon]]): ''[[The Linking Ring]]'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 105-106).
* '''The Nine Card Problem Recycled''' ([[Gene Castillon]]): ''[[The Linking Ring]]'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 105-106).
* '''A Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 106-107).
** '''A Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 106-107).
* '''Another Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 107-108).
** '''Another Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 107-108).
* '''A Colorful Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 108-109).
** '''A Colorful Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 108-109).
* '''A Triumphant Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 109-110).
** '''A Triumphant Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 109-110).
* '''An Out of This World Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, p. 110).
** '''An Out of This World Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, p. 110).
* '''A Double Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, p. 111).
** '''A Double Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, p. 111).
* '''An Unravelling Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 111-112).
** '''An Unravelling Stitch in Nine''' (Gene Castillon): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 111-112).


* '''Cardboard Lie Detector''' ([[Terry LaGerould]]): [[Scott Cram]], ''[[Terry LaGerould's Pasteboard Presentations II]]'' (2001, pp. 50-51).
* '''Cardboard Lie Detector''' ([[Terry LaGerould]]): [[Scott Cram]], ''[[Terry LaGerould's Pasteboard Presentations II]]'' (2001, pp. 50-51).
Line 50: Line 56:


* '''Thanks to JS''' ([[Dougie Gibbard]]): ''[[The Linking Ring]]'', Vol. 92 No. 4 (April 2012, pp. 69-70).
* '''Thanks to JS''' ([[Dougie Gibbard]]): ''[[The Linking Ring]]'', Vol. 92 No. 4 (April 2012, pp. 69-70).
* '''Locator Cards''' (Dougie Gibbard): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 92 No. 4 (April 2012, pp. 70-71).
** '''Locator Cards''' (Dougie Gibbard): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 92 No. 4 (April 2012, pp. 70-71).
* '''Flushed with Magic''' (Dougie Gibbard): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 92 No. 4 (April 2012, pp. 71-72).
** '''Flushed with Magic''' (Dougie Gibbard): ''The Linking Ring'', Vol. 92 No. 4 (April 2012, pp. 71-72).
 
* Swart, B. B., & Shelton, B. (2015). Revelations and generalizations of the nine card problem. ''Mathematics Magazine'', 88(2), 137.
 
[[Category:Card Routines]]

Latest revision as of 04:14, 2 August 2015

The Nine Card Problem is a trick invented by Jim Steinmeyer.

The effect is that a spectator selects any nine cards from a deck of cards and looks at one of them. She mixes the cards by spelling the name of the viewed card and cutting the cards there. The performer, who does not know the name of the card, is able to identify the location of the card at the conclusion of the mixing process. The effect is especially suitable for use in distance magic effects over the phone or video recording.

This effect has been made famous by David Copperfield in his 1993 television special, "Fires of Passion". More recently the effect has been shown by Justin Flom in the Ellen DeGeneres show.

The method of this trick is based on a mathematical principle, which has been discussed in the 2015 edition of Mathematics Magazine, which provides a method to generalise the method and construct new versions.

Publications

  • Remote Control (Jim Steinmeyer): The New Invocation, No. 43 (February 1988).
    • A Nine Card Problem (Jim Steinmeyer): MAGIC, Vol. 3 No. 9 (May 1993, pp. 56-58).
    • Jim Steinmeyer, Impuzzibilities (2002, pp. 5-8).
    • The Wizard of Odds (Jim Steinmeyer): Karl Fulves, Self-Working Close-Up Card Magic (1995, pp. 55-57).
    • The Impossible Nine (Jim Steinmeyer): Bob Longe, World's Greatest Card Tricks (1996, pp. 40-42).
    • Nine-Card Spell (Jim Steinmeyer): Martin Gardner, Mental Magic (1999, p. 76).
  • Dunbury Lie Speller (Jon Racherbaumer): MAGIC, Vol. 2 No. 9 (May 1993, p. 58).
    • The New Tops, Vol. 33 No. 6 (June 1993, pp. 31-34).
    • Jon Racherbaumer, Pastiche II (1993, pp. 10-12).
    • Jon Racherbaumer, Big-Easy Card-Cunning (1994, pp. 38-40).
    • Dunbury Lie Speller--Extended (Nick Trost): The New Tops, Vol. 34 No. 1 (January 1994, p. 43).
  • A Cavort in the Casbah to Capture Ali the Dope Dealer (Mel Stover): MAGIC, Vol. 2 No. 10 (June 1993, p. 54).
  • The Gift of the Magi (Marty Kane): Genii, Vol. 60 No. 12 (October 1997, p. 63).
  • Phone Zone No. 2 (Peter Duffie): Peter Duffie, Deck Direct (1998).
  • The Nine Card Problem Recycled (Gene Castillon): The Linking Ring, Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 105-106).
    • A Stitch in Nine (Gene Castillon): The Linking Ring, Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 106-107).
    • Another Stitch in Nine (Gene Castillon): The Linking Ring, Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 107-108).
    • A Colorful Stitch in Nine (Gene Castillon): The Linking Ring, Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 108-109).
    • A Triumphant Stitch in Nine (Gene Castillon): The Linking Ring, Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 109-110).
    • An Out of This World Stitch in Nine (Gene Castillon): The Linking Ring, Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, p. 110).
    • A Double Stitch in Nine (Gene Castillon): The Linking Ring, Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, p. 111).
    • An Unravelling Stitch in Nine (Gene Castillon): The Linking Ring, Vol. 79 No. 6 (June 1999, pp. 111-112).
  • Killer's Pair (Marty Kane): Precursor, No. 80 (November 2001, pp. 10-11).
  • Rank Prank (Marty Kane): Precursor, No. 80 (November 2001, pp. 11-12).
  • Thanks to JS (Dougie Gibbard): The Linking Ring, Vol. 92 No. 4 (April 2012, pp. 69-70).
    • Locator Cards (Dougie Gibbard): The Linking Ring, Vol. 92 No. 4 (April 2012, pp. 70-71).
    • Flushed with Magic (Dougie Gibbard): The Linking Ring, Vol. 92 No. 4 (April 2012, pp. 71-72).
  • Swart, B. B., & Shelton, B. (2015). Revelations and generalizations of the nine card problem. Mathematics Magazine, 88(2), 137.