One of the many variations in card spelling, but with a different twist, is the following. Set your deck by having all cards that spell with twelve letters on top. There are 14 of them in all: the 4-5-9-J-K of Hearts and Spades, and the 3-7-8-Q of Clubs. Above these put four indifferent cards.

Hand the deck to a spectator with the request that while your back is turned he is to count off any number, say up to a dozen, in one pile. You direct him to pocket these for the moment and deal another pile of the same amount. He is then to shuffle this second pile, note the bottom or face card and place the packet back on top of the deck. At this time, and remarking that you can have no knowledge of the number of cards counted, you turn and explain the rest of the procedure. He is to take the cards from his pocket, place them on top of the deck, and then proceed to spell his card by dealing off one at a time with each letter. As you explain this you illustrate by naming a card at random and doing it. You take a twelve letter card (and the card you use, to be certain is not his, is the one at the top of the deck before adding the four cards when you set it up) and spell it off the deck into a pile and then turn over the next card. Having shown the spectator what to do, pick up this spelled off pile (cards of which have been reversed in order) and put them back on top of the pack. Now step away, and have him remove the cards from his pocket and put them on top. Then he names his card for the first time, spells it out, turns the next card and it is there!

This is an age-old mathematical problem done over with the cards. If you follow the above, it will work out every time although you never know the name of the card nor how many cards the spectator has dealt off into each pile. This is a baffling point to many magicians.