Counterintuitive is a mind-boggling bit of divination magic that takes inspiration from the genius of Tomoyuki Shimomura and Sebastian Clergue, with a cheeky nod of approval from Richard Kaufman & Sebastian Clergue (because who doesn’t love a bit of collaborative magic?).
A quirky packet of double-sided game cards from Cafe Counter makes its entrance, showcasing a chaotic mix of café cups. Each side flaunts a different array of beverages and goodies, including tea cups, coffee mugs, water glasses, to-go cups, cakes, spoons, and a scattering of coffee beans (seriously, who let the beans loose?). The performer invites a volunteer to mix up the cards and hold one up for all to see. With just a fleeting glance, our magical mastermind accurately counts and names the total number of cups and glasses on display. And as a cheeky add-on, they’ll also reveal how many of those cups are brimming with coffee and how many are “to-go” (because who doesn’t love a good caffeine fix?).
Next, the stakes are raised with two cards, and, lo and behold, they nail it again—counting with mere eye contact like a wizard with superpowers! More cards join the mix, and the performer continues to impress by not only counting the café cups but also detailing the collection—water glasses, teacups, mugs, to-go cups, and even the number of cakes (yes, please!). To wrap it all up, the participant takes charge, randomising a final set of cards and secretly counting the visible cups while ensuring their faces are hidden (no peeking!). Now the total only exists in their mind, and, with a flourish, the performer extracts this final count from their brain. Job done!
You’ll get eleven specially crafted cards to pull off this illusion, along with written and video instructions to make sure you’re all set to dazzle the crowd.
