Chris Kenworthey's Mastermind (Any Card at Any Number) has made its mark on the big screen, being showcased by Kreskin on both "The David Letterman Show" and "Live with Regis and Kathy Lee." It's no surprise that top performers like Wayne Houchin and Kreskin have left audiences gobsmacked with this powerhouse trick in their repertoire. And now, the magic is available in good old Bicycle Playing Cards made by the US Playing Card Company.
Let’s peek at just a few of the endless possibilities...
Welcome to the pinnacle of mentalism that could easily steal the spotlight at your next big gig—be it for the local newspaper editor, a Magic Castle audition, or even a Grand Prix competition at FISM. A special shoutout to Hiro Hirata for sharing this brilliant brain teaser with the magic community.
Every magician dreams of peering into the future, and with Mastermind, you’ll have the audience believing you’ve got a crystal ball.
Picture this: A registered and notarised envelope is sent to your town's mayor a week before your performance. Inside this unassuming envelope is a single, ungimmicked playing card with a blue back. The mayor is instructed to guard it like it's the Crown Jewels (and believe me, he does). No funny business—no swapping envelopes or cards at any point.
On show night, you present a red-backed deck of cards, and every single one is different. Seriously, they're shuffled, cut, and even looked at like a well-cooked steak—no long or short cards, no roughing, no dodgy stacks, no markings, and absolutely no sleight of hand involved! The deck looks as normal as your mate's questionable choice in socks.
When the mayor’s convinced the cards are mixed up beyond recognition, he’s invited to pick any card. And I mean any card! The one he chooses—let’s say the three of hearts—gets flipped face-up. The mayor then opens the prediction envelope he’s had in his clutches, and lo and behold, it’s the matching three of hearts! Cue the gasps!
Now, let’s talk about the absurdly clean conditions of Mastermind:
- No forcing of any kind—yes, you read that right! No psychological trickery, no mathematical mumbo jumbo, just fair and square.
- No roughed cards in sight.
- No duplicates allowed.
- No dodgy stacks, either.
- No Himber Wallets or any card-switching nonsense ever!
- The prediction card? It’s been chilling in that envelope all week, and it’s the same card the mayor just pulled out!
- Even if someone tries to meddle with the prediction, the outcome remains unchanged (that’s a first in prediction tricks!).
- Can even be performed as a telepathy test between two cities over the phone. Fancy that!
- No sleight of hand needed—yep, you heard me right!
- No long or short cards in play.
Now, imagine whipping up even more astonishing effects with
Mastermind...
Picture this: a local radio station host picks a card in the fairest way imaginable. Then, you ask them to check the classifieds in the local paper. And what do they find? An ad thanking the radio station, complete with your contact details, and wrapping up with the name of the selected card. Talk about a prediction that’ll leave a mark!
These are only a handful of the extraordinary effects you can create with Chris Kenworthey's genius
Mastermind. Now better than ever, and available in Bicycle Playing Cards!
Note: Available in RED Bicycle backs only.
