American University’s Professor knows how to control people’s mind

Professor Barry Gordemer guessing the first group's card.
Oct. 2, 2014 (Photo by Jaclyn Merica)

Thursday afternoon American University Professor Barry Gordemer known as “The Sort of Amazing Barry” performed a magic trick that “read” the students’ minds and left them mesmerized. The trick is called “Mental Poker” and Barry says, “The mechanics of the trick are very simple.” When the students arrived to class we were all expecting something different, not a magic trick. It started when Barry brought out a set of cards and divided the classroom into five groups. Gave each group five different cards and told each group to select a card without saying anything out loud so that Barry would not hear anything. Barry showed the first group the set of five cards and told them to look at the card they had picked, and in less than one minute Barry had already guessed the card the group had chosen. The whole classroom was in shock but we believed he was not going to be able to guess all of the cards the groups had chosen. So then came the second group, and again within 30 seconds Barry guessed the card. Then the third group came and Barry started taking his time, within seconds he told the group to give him more time that he would come back to it. We all thought that this was it and that he did not pull off the magic trick. Then the fourth and the fifth group came and Barry guessed their cards. All of a sudden Barry gives the third group an envelope and told them to open it. When one participant of the third group opened it, it was the card they had chosen at the beginning. We could not believe our Professor had been able to pull off such an incredible magic trick. Participant Hanya said, “I was expecting a puppet show, not a magic trick like this.”

“As adults we are not supposed to believe in magic, but when the magic trick happens there is a nanosecond that makes the audience believe it is real,” said Barry.