Clipped Card Trick

Free Download

Have some fun with this free download (find it below the video) of the clipped card trick. This has been around for a long time and even though you have probably found one in your Christmas Cracker or at the bottom of a cereal packet, it is amazing how many people have never seen it. I found a reference to a trick called 'Klipped' by Louis Tannen in New York. Maybe that is the genesis? Clipped Card Trick

The version I am giving you here has two major differences to the standard versions you will find out and about the place. The first is it has a picture of me on the centre red card. Definitely an improvement I would say (I jest!)

The second and more beneficial difference, is I have altered the position of the cards on the face side so when you have your audience member clip the card with the paper clip, even if they have seen this before and place the paper clip off to the side of the obvious card, they will still miss clipping the centre card (which is the whole aim of this trick.) This simple change will give you a lot of that much needed confidence because very few people ever place the clip that far along. You'll see what I mean when you play with the card.

If someone does get it right, I give you a funny out for this that always diffuses the situation.

I'll give you the script I use below. You'll see the how the words and the actions marry together on the video.

Here's the script for the clipped card trick as I say it:

I've got a little card here. on one side there are five cards. Four are black and one is red and the red is ... in ... the ...??

(Audience member says 'middle')

I see you've done well at school....

TURN CARD TO SHOW BACK

Here's the back of the cards ... and it says if you want to learn magic tricks then go to Julian's Magician School ...

TURN CARD TO SHOW FRONT AGAIN

What I need you to do to start the trick is clip the red card for me ...

AUDIENCE MEMBER CLIPS WHAT THEY THINK IS THE MIDDLE CARD

Let's see how you went... aww, you were close ... so close ...

It's at this point that I usually show the person how it is done and then I give them one to take away and annoy their family with. If you have printed this out from my magic website then you are probably not going to give it away but it is still a nice thing to explain the illusion to them so you don't come off looking 'too smart'.

If someone does clip this in the correct spot, then look them in the eye, put a big smile on your face and say, 'get out of my life you evil nasty person and stop messing up my tricks.' This always gets a laugh.

The clipped card trick you will get in the download comes ready to make two cards. If you print this out on photo paper and glue the two halves together, you will get a strong enough card to do this quite a few times before having to replace it. Just return here and print out a new copy when you need it. I usually try to keep these printable downloads to Black and White but for obvious reasons this has to be colour. You could print it in B&W and simply colour in the center card.

I will explain all of this on the video, however it really is quite obvious once you look at the clipped card trick.