© Copyright 2018 by Trickshop.com. TRICKSHOP.
COM
HUMMER’S POKER CHIP MYSTERY
First released in 1941, Hummer’s Poker Chip Mystery was originally a popular marketed
effect. Here’s the ad copy from Kanter’s Magic Shop: That cunning trickster, BOB HUM-
MER, can be credited with this easy mind reading effect that will really baffle the wisest,
including magicians. Six chips bearing the numbers 0 to 10 distributed on their twelve
sides, are given for inspection and thorough mixing. A spectator places the chips on
the table. The performer turns his back and again the chips are given a mixing. Now a
spectator selects any three of the chips – and the performer announces the total of the
numbers on these three chips! Repeat as often as desired, the total being different each
time, and the onlookers more puzzled than ever. All done by an easy unfathomable
method that you can do one minute after you get the trick.
Like other Bob Hummer effects, his Poker Chip Mystery is mathematically based. All
you require to perform it are six opaque discs, rectangular cards, etc., and a way to dif-
ferentiate each side with color. This can be done by having a different background color
on each side, or by writing or printing in one of two colors on white stock. Once you
understand the principle, you’ll see that you don’t even need to use colors if you have
another way to distinguish between the two sides. For example, if you use your own
printed business cards, you have a natural way to distinguish one side from the other;
one side is printed and the other is plain.
In the instructions that follow, we’ll assume you are going to use inexpensive, commonly
available white “key tags” with the small key ring removed, and you’re going to use two
different color Sharpie markers to write your numbers. The number on one side of each
disc is written in red, and the number on the other side is in yellow. See Fig. 1 on the
next page. In this example, the disc has a RED 4 on one side and a YELLOW 9 on the
other. This is one of six numbering combinations in Bob Hummer’s system.
2
FIG. 1
PREPARING A SET OF DISCS
To make up a set, number discs on each side and color per the chart below. You’ll note
the numbers are distributed from 0 to 10, and only the number 5 appears twice (once in
each color).
SIDE 1 (RED) SIDE 2 (YELLOW)
0 5
1 6
2 7
3 8
4 9
5 10
NOTE: Any two colors can be used.
BASIC HANDLING
Introduce the six discs – showing how they are
numbered from 0 to 10. Hand the discs to a
spectator and allow him to first inspect them,
and then thoroughly mix them, turning individual
discs over as much as he likes, etc. When he is
done, instruct him to lay the discs on the table in
two rows of three. NOTE the POSITION of the
discs with YELLOW numbers only. YOU MUST
REMEMBER THIS. In the example shown in FIG. 2
Fig. 2, you would remember the 2nd position in
top row and the 1st and 3rd in the bottom. Again, remember only the POSITIONS of the
yellow discs at this point, which can vary from 0 - 6 in number. The numbers are unim-
portant at this stage.
3
FIG. 3
Now, turn your back and tell him to turn over ANY THREE discs. For the sake of this
example, we’ll assume he turned over the 2nd and 3rd discs in the top row, and the first
disc in the bottom row. The result in this instance is shown in Fig. 3. It doesn’t matter
what three discs he turns over. He has a completely free choice.
Next, with your back still turned, instruct him to TURN OVER THE DISCS IN THE EX-
ACT POSITIONS YOU NOTED THE YELLOW SIDES IN EARLIER. Again in our exam-
ple (see Fig. 2), this was the 2nd position in top row and the 1st and 3rd in the bottom.
Figure 4 shows the result of this action.
FIG. 4
At this point, you can allow him to SLIDE the discs around to rearrange them. This is an
optional little RED HERRING and does not affect the outcome as long as he does NOT
turn any disc over while he is doing it. So be clear that he is NOT TO LIFT UP any of
the discs – just to slide them to exchange positions. He is free to do this as much as he
likes.
When he is done rearranging the discs, with your back still to him, quickly recap and
build up what has transpired...the fact that he thoroughly mixed up and turned over
discs at random...then he turned over several of the discs...then, more discs were
turned over...then you allowed him to completely rearrange the discs, so at this point,
there’s no way you could possibly know which number is showing on any given disc or
where any disc is even located (true)! Ask him if he agrees with your assessment. He
will answer in the affirmative.
4
FIG. 5
Now you’re ready for the big finish. Instruct him to TURN OVER ANY THREE DISCS
and COVER THEM WITH A PLAYING CARD so you cannot see them. Turn back
around, glance momentarily at the three exposed chips and with suitable showmanship,
REVEAL THE TOTAL of the numbers on the hidden discs.
HOW IT WORKS
Quickly note the NUMBER of yellow sides (1 - 3) showing. MULTIPLY THIS NUMBER x
10 and ADD 15. Now, SUBTRACT THE TOTAL of ALL the numbers SHOWING (regard-
less of color). The result WILL BE THE TOTAL of the numbers on the hidden discs.
Let’s check Hummer’s formula against our example. So, the last three discs our spec-
tator turned over were the RED 2 to show the YELLOW 7, the RED 0 to show the YEL-
LOW 5, and the YELLOW 9 to show the RED 4. When you turn back around, you see
that there are 2 YELLOW discs, so you multiply 2 x 10 which is 20, you add 15 and ar-
rive at 35, now you subtract the total of all of the numbers on the exposed discs (again,
regardless of color), so in our example you would add 8 + 10 + 1 to get 19. 35 - 19 = 16.
You now know that the total of the numbers on the hidden discs is 16, which it is! (7 + 5
+ 4 = 16).
That’s it! Follow the steps, be clear in your instructions, and as the ad states, you will
have an easy and unfathomable mind reading effect, and one you can literally carry with
your spare change!
TIP: To make up a quick practice set, cut squares from paper and simply circle the numbers to represent
the yellow side. In performance, as with the printed business card example given earlier, you can ELIM-
INATE THE NEED FOR COLORS by using alternate geometric shapes. In other words, put the num-
bers that would otherwise be in YELLOW in a CIRCLE and the ones that would have been in RED in a
SQUARE.
