Card forces

Card forces are methods that let a magician steer a spectator to a predetermined card while the choice still feels free. Some forces use sleight of hand, such as the Classic Force or the Riffle Force; others use a procedure, like the Cross Cut Force; and some use language alone, as in Magician’s Choice or equivoque. The spectator believes they picked the card themselves. Forces are a foundation of card magic because they set up reveals, predictions, and transformations without the audience knowing the outcome was fixed from the start.