Studying the psychology of magic also help magicians improve their tricks. We can answer some questions magicians care about, such as:

We answer these questions below, based on our psychology of card magic study. An article showing how to apply these results in magic tricks was published in Genii (Aug 2012, page 76, not available online). Contact Jay Olson if you have other similar questions.

Which cards do people choose most often when asked to name a playing card?

Four cards account for just over 50% of choices:

  • Ace of Spades (25%)
  • Queen of Hearts (14%)
  • Ace of Hearts (6%)
  • King of Hearts (6%)

(See the Verbal Accessibility column of the playing card data.)

Which cards do people choose most often when asked to visualise a playing card?

The same cards as above, but people may choose the Ace of Hearts more often (11%). (See the Visual Accessibility column of the playing card data.)

Which cards do people like the most?

People like:

  • Hearts
  • Spades
  • Aces
  • Face cards

Also, women seem to prefer lower-valued cards (Twos and Threes) more than men do.

(See the Likability column of the playing card data.)

Which cards are best to use in magic tricks?

For tricks in which the spectator chooses a card by quickly glimpsing at one, consider using easily perceivable cards:

  • Aces
  • Twos (except Spades)
  • Seven of Hearts
  • Tens (except Spades)

For tricks in which the spectator must remember a card, consider using memorable cards:

  • Aces
  • Twos
  • Threes
  • Face cards (but not the Jack of Hearts)

Based on our research, the overall best cards to use in magic are:

  • Aces. The Ace of Spades, however, may seem suspicious due to its perceived popularity.
  • Twos and Threes. These are both visible and memorable cards.
  • Face cards, particularly Clubs. These cards probably work best for close-up magic, as they may become difficult to distinguish from afar.

Cards to avoid:

  • Medium and high number cards (Four to Ten). People have trouble remembering these.
  • Spades (except the Ace of Spades). People sometimes have trouble perceiving these.

(See the Visibility and Memorability columns of the playing card data.)