Visions, The Online Journal of the Art of Magic

Werner Miller is a retired teacher of mathematics, whose hobbies are recreational mathematics and magic. A magical inventor and writer, Werner has produced a prolific volume of work, mostly semi-automatic card tricks and other self-working miracles. He is the author of "E-Z Square 1 & 2", the "Enigmaths" series and several other books and ebooks on mathematical magic, besides more than 300 contributions to various magazines and web sites. You can find his tricks regulary in, e.g., the German magazine "Magische Welt" and the British "Mystery Magazine", as well as here at Visions.

A little count-off trick (or spelling trick, respectively), using the five-spots and the seven-spots of a deck.
Show the four Sevens in a face-up fan, square the cards and place them face down on the table. In a similar way display the four Fives, turn them face down and place them on top of the Sevens.

Mix the combined packet by giving the cards either a Monge Shuffle or (better) a series of three Klondyke Shuffles; the resulting order is the same: (top) 5 - 5 - 7 - 7 - 7 - 7 - 5 - 5 (bottom).

Ask the spectator, "Fives or Sevens?"

If the spectator decides on Fives, count aloud from 1 to 5, with each number transferring one card from top to bottom. Remove the next (sixth) card and place it before you without showing its face. Repeat this procedure until four cards have been sorted out. Hand the four remaining cards to the spectator: They are the Fives, as requested. (The cards sorted out are the Sevens, of course.) If the spectator opts for the Sevens, spell aloud "S-E-V-E-N", with each letter transferring one card from top to bottom. Remove the next (sixth) card, turn it over and give it to the spectator: It's a Seven. Repeat this procedure until the three remaining Sevens also have been sorted out and handed to the spectator. (You are automatically left with the four Fives.)