Dumb but Fun Group Magic

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 12:26 pm

I just did this with my old D&D group on Zoom and they were mesmerized (they're also 13). It's not complicated and you can easily google it to figure it out. But please don't do that and play along. Also, if you know how it works, please don't spoil it- just play along. As many people as want to can participate. Here's the rules:

1. Pick a number between 1 and 30. If you want, post it up using the {color=#f8f8f8}{/color} tag so it's invisible (but use real brackets "[]" instead of "{}"). I promise not to look at it. If you don't want to trust me, then you can pm me your number and then post here saying you've done that- you will know I haven't looked at it because it will remain in your "outbox" until I do read it, and if I read it it would be in your "sent messages" folder. Either way- it doesn't matter if other people know what your number is, it's just important that I don't.

2. I'm including this chart in the top post, because we will be using it extensively later:

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:03 pm

Akiva · Post by **Akiva** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:09 pm

Akiva · Post by **Akiva** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:10 pm

This better be good. Like John Oates good.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:19 pm

Akiva wrote: ↑Fri Mar 26, 2021 2:10 pm This better be good. Like John Oates good.

Whoa, whoa. That's a tall order. Like John Oates tall.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 3:22 pm

Post by **Mike** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 4:30 pm

10!!!!

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 5:29 pm

I already see where this could go, but for the sake of the fun...

4

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:30 pm

FlameBlade wrote: ↑Fri Mar 26, 2021 5:29 pm I already see where this could go, but for the sake of the fun...

I think I see how it works, too, but I'm interested in how the misdirection works

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 2:16 pm

Okay. So for everyone playing- look at the yellow card and tell me if your number is on it. Just say yes or no.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 3:03 pm

Akiva · Post by **Akiva** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 4:05 pm

Post by **Mike** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 4:13 pm

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 4:57 pm

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 5:33 pm

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:26 am

Okay, now look at the blue and purple cards and tell me which one your card is on (or both or none).

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:39 am

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:13 am

Neither.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:41 am

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 9:28 am

Okay, still with the Blue and Purple cards, look at them and tell me if the number 2 higher than your number is on the cards (if your number is 29- look for 1; if your number is 30- look for 2)- and again tell me which ones, both or none.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 9:43 am

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 10:15 am

Neither

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 12:29 pm

Both!

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 12:51 pm

Okay, now Green and Red(ish)- tell me which one your number appears on, or both, or neither.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 12:56 pm

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:08 pm

Neither

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:26 pm

Red(ish)

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:33 pm

Okay- last step. Find any card that has your number on it. Tell me a number between 1 and 30 that is not on that card. But don't tell me the color of the card.

(also- anyone that fell behind can still answer all the questions and play along.)

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:44 pm

Do we also have to tell you which card that is? Or only the number that is not on that card?

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:46 pm

Tahlvin wrote: ↑Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:44 pm Do we also have to tell you which card that is? Or only the number that is not on that card?

Only the number. I'll clarify in my post.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:47 pm

Post by **Mike** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 2:13 pm

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 4:28 pm

None, none, none, 24

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 4:31 pm

Kyle, do me a favor, warn me before you make your predictions. I want a shot at this as well.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 4:44 pm

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 9:29 pm

Kyle wrote: ↑Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:26 am Okay, now look at the blue and purple cards and tell me which one your card is on (or both or none).

Clarification -- when you say "which one your card is on" -- what exactly did you mean by that? Number?

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 10:39 am

FlameBlade wrote: ↑Mon Mar 29, 2021 4:31 pm Kyle, do me a favor, warn me before you make your predictions. I want a shot at this as well.

I WILL NOT! BECAUSE THE PREDICTIONS COME NOW!

Mike: I pooped your pants. AND YOUR NUMBER IS 10!

Tahlvin: I pooped your pants. AND YOUR NUMBER IS 17!

Eli: I pooped your pants. AND YOUR NUMBER IS 19!

Flameblade: Your number is 4. Oh... and check your pants... 'CUZ I POOPED THEM!

Post by **Mike** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 11:46 am

What? There's no way that... OMIGOD!! So much poop!

How? I mean just... HOW?!

Wow. I have no idea how you did that.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 12:02 pm

Also... check the white text.

Eliahad · Post by **Eliahad** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 12:04 pm

*goes to get the poop bucket.*

Post by **Mike** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 1:17 pm

Genius!

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 1:43 pm

The secret's not tough: [SPOILERS IN WHITE TEXT] You add up the numbers in the upper left corner for each card they say their number is on. The sum is their number. Flame picked 4- which is in the top left corner of a card, that's why his number only appeared on one color of card. The other questions (the "your number plus two" question and "a number on a card your number's not on") were just head-fakes.

The truth is that I didn't really care about the magic trick. I just wanted to have people go through all these elaborate steps just so I could tell them I pooped their pants. AND IT WORKED! I laughed so hard as I was posting that up. But I also realized that if there wasn't an actual magic trick, then I was just pulling a cruel prank, and I don't want to be that guy. So I went out and found a cool little trick. Thanks for playing along, y'all!

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 2:49 pm

Time for me to make you poop your pants. If a cheeky guy decided to claim that his number is on all cards, you can slap him so hard and laugh in his face, because it's not possible.

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 2:49 pm

Also I pooped a bit.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 4:26 pm

FlameBlade wrote: ↑Tue Mar 30, 2021 2:49 pm Also I pooped a bit.

MAGIC!

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 4:53 pm

I should have recognized that the upper left numbers of the cards follow the binary byte sequence, since byte switching is occasionally used in computer programming to use a single bit value to switch on/off a number of settings.

FlameBlade · Post by **FlameBlade** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 6:43 pm

I had immediately recognized that first question was a bit of information. Second one had two bits. Third, while interesting, added very little, maybe half bit. Fourth was finally sufficient, with final two bits. Other thread had this kind of prediction about encoding.

Akiva · Post by **Akiva** » Wed Mar 31, 2021 1:33 pm

John Oates would be disappointed.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Wed Mar 31, 2021 1:49 pm

Akiva wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 1:33 pm John Oates would be disappointed.

No way- I got to do my fun prank while still delivering on my promise of a cool magic trick. That's Oatestastic.

Which reminds me of another Oates-related phenomenon in my house, but I'll add that to the Oates thread.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:30 pm

This whole bit was wonderful! I'm going to pull the exact same bit on the next podcast (no one tell Aidan).