Bets in Show by John Guastaferro

Bets in Show is the kind of trick where you get to stand back and let the cards do the hard work. No fancy finger gymnastics needed, just a clever way to make people think you know what you're doing.

You'll start with a deck and five poker chips. After a quick shuffle, your audience gets to chop the deck however they fancy, ending up with four cards.

At first, it'll look like they've just picked random stuff. Then you show each card matches up with a casino name on the chips. The Ace of Spades pairs up with a $1 chip from the Black Aster Casino, the Five of Diamonds with a $5 chip from the Five Points Royale, etc. And to add a bit of flair, the exact card is printed on the back of each chip.

But there's still that last chip from the Desert Oasis Casino, which is blank on the back. That's when you reveal that every other card in the deck is blank, except for the four they managed to hit. Honestly, sometimes it feels like you've got luck on your side, but it's just the props doing the heavy lifting.

There's no sneaky trick cards, no sleight of hand, and no deck switches. Just the right tools for the job.

John Guastaferro teamed up with Vanishing Inc. to make sure everything's top-notch. You get a deck that looks like any other, a leather coin wallet, and five poker chips, each with a fictional casino and the corresponding card on the flip side.

You'll also get some video instructions from John, showing you the ropes. If you're after a strong closer that's a cinch to pull off, Bets in Show might be your cup of tea. Or maybe not, but it's worth a gander.