The Joker and the Queen

This simple card trick was inspired by the song “Joker and the Queen” by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, who also released a duet version with American pop icon Taylor Swift.

Official video for The Joker and the Queen by Ed Sheeran. Video Credit: Ed Sheeran via YouTube.

Although I’m not an avid Ed Sheeran fan (or a die-hard Swiftie for that matter), I do like this song—it’s one of his best compositions. As soon as I heard it, the idea for this romantic card trick instantly came to mind.

JUMP AHEAD

On This Page

Effect
Background & Credits
Requirements & Preparation
Method & Presentation
Cleanup & Reset
Performance Tips & Additional Ideas
Final Thoughts

Effect

While you shuffle the cards, a couple is asked to choose a significant number between ten and twenty—perhaps an anniversary, a shared lucky number, or the number of years they have been together.

You deal that exact number of cards from the face of the deck. The digits of the chosen number are added together, and that quantity of cards is dealt back onto the pack. The card remaining at the face of the deck at the end of this random process is the Queen of Hearts.

Next, a “love ritual” is used to eliminate all but one of the dealt cards. Surprisingly, the sole survivor is not the expected King of Hearts, but a Joker. You announce that the two cards are a “perfect match”, a claim met with visible bemusement by your audience. However, you vindicate your statement by revealing that the Queen of Hearts and the Joker are the only two red-backed cards in a blue-backed deck. They are indeed a perfect match!

Background & Credits

The Count-Back Force, also known as the 10-20 Force, first appeared in print in Billy O’Connor’s “After the Four Ace Trick” in the June-September 1935 edition of The Magic Wand. However, there is evidence to suggest the force is much older than this.

The phrase “She loves me, she loves me not” was utilised by John Guasraferro to eliminate cards in his charming packet trick “Love Me Not” in his 2014 self-published notes, 7 Wonders. Robert Neale has also used the same idea in his routine “S/He Loves Me” in Life, Death and Other Card Tricks (2000, Hermetic Press).

“The Joker and the Queen” was written by Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Johnny McDaid, Fred Gibson and Sam Roman.

Requirements & Preparation

You will need a blue-backed deck, a red-backed Queen of Hearts, and a Joker. Remove any blue-backed Jokers from the deck, along with the blue-backed Queen of Hearts and discard them.

Place the blue-backed King of Hearts third from the face, the red-backed Joker seventh, and the red-backed Queen of Hearts tenth: X-X-KH-X-X-X-J-X-X-QH-Rest of Deck.

Method & Presentation

Holding the deck face-up, perform a standard overhand jog shuffle, retaining the ten-card setup on the face of the pack. Ask a couple to pick a two-digit number below twenty, such as seventeen. 

Deal that exact number of cards from the face of the deck into a pile on the table. Next, ask the couple to add the digits of their chosen number together (e.g., 1 + 7 = 8). Pick up the dealt pile and deal that quantity of cards back onto the face of the deck.

Regardless of the number named, the card now on the face of the deck will always be the Queen of Hearts. Point to the Queen and say, “Ah, the Queen of Hearts, the most romantic card in the deck.” So far, nothing particularly magical has taken place.

Continue by saying, “We need to try and find her a romantic partner—her perfect match. Would you like to be the matchmaker?”

Hand the small packet of cards on the table to your participant and guide her through an “Under-Down” elimination process (also known as a “duck-and-deal”). Instruct her to move the top card to the bottom of the packet and say, “He loves me…”. Then, have her deal the next card onto the table and announce, “He loves me not…”. Tell her to repeat this process until she holds a single card.

Due to the initial setup, the participant will likely expect to be left with the King of Hearts, but will actually end up holding the Joker. Smile and say, “Fantastic, the Joker and the Queen—a perfect match!”

Allow a moment for the audience to express their confusion and disagreement with this statement. Then vindicate your claim: “No, they really are a perfect match. You see, the Queen has a red back… and so does the Joker.” Turn the two cards over to reveal their red backs, then ribbon spread the deck face down to show that the rest of the cards are blue-backed.

Cleanup & Reset

No cleanup is necessary. To reset, return the King of Hearts, Joker, and Queen of Hearts to the third, seventh, and tenth positions from the face of the deck, respectively.

Performance Tips & Additional Ideas

When performing this for a couple on their wedding day, I highly recommend writing the groom’s name on the back of the Joker and the bride’s name on the back of the Queen of Hearts. This will improve the ending, making it more emotionally meaningful for the couple. It will also leave them with a charming keepsake of the magic that took place on their special day.

Just as with any routine involving couples, pay close attention to their dynamic before you begin. If they are reserved or shy about public displays of affection, keep the “matchmaker” presentation lighthearted and respectful. If they are extroverted and already joking about their relationship, you can be more playful with your patter and lean more into the theatricality of the “love ritual”.

If you’re playing music in the background while you perform, you could create a playlist of romantic music and time it so that “The Joker and the Queen” begins to play just as you reveal the two red-backed cards.

Final Thoughts

This is an unusual use of the Count-Back Force and Under-Down Deal, as the cards are kept face up throughout the routine. This reinforces the impression that the trick has gone wrong, making the matching odd backs even more surprising.