Take from the pack the thirteen cards forming the suit of diamonds and arrange them in this order face downwards with the 3 at the top and 5 at the bottom: 3, 8, 7, Ace, Queen, 6, 4, 2, Jack, King, 10, 9, 5. Now play them out in a row on the table in this way. As you spell “ace” transfer for each letter a card from the top to the bottom of the pack A-C-E and play the fourth card on to the table. Then spell T-W-O, while transferring three more cards to the bottom, and place the next card on the table. Then spell T-H-R-E-E, while transferring five to the bottom, and so on until all are laid out in a row, and you will find they will be all in regular order. Of course, you will spell out the knave as J-A-C-K. Can you arrange the whole pack so that they will play out correctly in order, first all the diamonds, then the hearts, then the spades, and lastly the clubs?
REVEAL THE ANSWER
Arrange the pack in the following order face downwards with 9 of Clubs at the top and 5 of Spades at bottom: 9 C., Jack D., 5 C., Ace D., King H., King S., 7 H., 2 D., 6 S., Queen D., 10 S., Ace S., 3 C., 3 D., 8 C., King D., 8 H., 7 C., 4 D., 2 S., Ace H., Ace C., 7 S., 5 D., 9 H., 2 H., Jack S., 6 D., Queen C., 6 C., 10 H., 3 S., 3 H., 7 D., 4 C., 2 C., 8 S., Jack H., 4 H., 8 D., Jack C., 4 S., Queen S., King C., 9 D., 5 H., 10 C., Queen H., lO D., 9 S., 6 H., 5 S. All such arrangements for spelling cards can be solved quickly by starting with the last card to be spelled, then performing all the required operations in reverse order, finishing with the full pack, or packet, of cards.