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Chris Pratt Card Trick by Chris Pratt and PigCake

Created by: Chris Pratt, PigCake

The Chris Pratt Card Trick is a close-up card magic trick that involves a spectator selecting a card, which is then seemingly lost within the deck. The magician uses intuition to locate the card, ultimately revealing it with a flourish. This improved version avoids the need for a 'Glide' and relies on pinky break, thumb break techniques, and a double lift to deceive the audience. Optional use of the Elmsley count further conceals the selected card. The trick emphasizes misdirection and the illusion of failure to enhance the surprise reveal.

Key features

  • Improved version of Chris Pratt's original trick

  • No need for a 'Glide' move

  • Uses pinky break and thumb break techniques

  • Incorporates a double lift for deception

  • Optional Elmsley count for added concealment

  • Emphasizes misdirection and illusion of failure

  • Anytime, anywhere trick with a deck of playing cards

Pros

  • More deceptive and streamlined than the original

  • Simple and effective techniques

  • Creates a memorable sucker trick effect

  • Can be performed with any deck of cards

Cons

  • Requires practice to master the sleight of hand techniques

  • May not be suitable for beginners without prior knowledge of basic card magic

Effect

The Chris Pratt Card Trick creates the illusion that a spectator's chosen card is lost in the deck. The magician appears to struggle, showing multiple wrong cards before dramatically revealing the correct one at the end. The spectator believes the trick has failed, only to be surprised when their card is found.

Full Details

This trick is an improved version of the one performed by Chris Pratt. It avoids using the Glide, a move considered outdated by some magicians. Instead, it relies on:

  • A pinky break to secretly track the selected card.
  • A thumb break to maintain control of the card’s position.
  • A double lift to deceive the audience into thinking they see one card when it’s actually two.
  • Optional Elmsley count to further hide the selected card during the performance.

The magician pretends the trick is going wrong, making the final reveal more surprising.

Who Should Consider the Trick

This trick is good for:

  • Magicians who want a quick, deceptive card trick.
  • Performers who enjoy sucker effects (where the audience thinks the trick fails before the surprise ending).
  • Those comfortable with basic card controls like breaks and double lifts.

Difficulty

The trick requires:

  • Basic card handling skills (pinky break, thumb break, double lift).
  • Confidence in misdirection and acting.
  • Optional: Familiarity with the Elmsley count (though not necessary).

PigCake describes it as an "anytime, anywhere" trick, meaning it can be performed casually with minimal setup.

What Magicians Say

PigCake calls this version a "vast improvement" over the original. He says:

  • "It just involves a simple slight and a control and a double lift and you're good to go."
  • "The original required a Glide—who's doing a Glide in 2024?"

He emphasizes that the trick works best when the performer pretends to fail, making the final reveal stronger.

This trick is ideal for magicians who want a fast, engaging effect with a strong surprise ending.

What people are saying about Chris Pratt Card Trick

PigCake says...

This I think is a vast improvement over that car trick it just involves a simple slight and a control and a double lift and you're to go the original required a Glide who's doing a Glide in 2024 come on be better be better be better be better be better [...] This right here is known as a sucker trick meaning they think everything went wrong really everything went right.

Tutorial videos