Minute Mystery: The Missing Card

Bite-sized brain teaser to solve in a minute or less.

 

 

The Missing Card

A magician performs a card trick using a standard deck of 52 playing cards. At the end of the trick, the magician reveals that one card is missing from the deck.

He provides the following clues to identify the missing card:

  1. The card is not a face card.
  2. The sum of the card's value (Ace = 1, 2–10 as their face value) and its suit rank (Clubs = 1, Diamonds = 2, Hearts = 3, Spades = 4) equals 9.
  3. It is a red card.
  4. The card's face value is an even number.

Which card is missing?

 

 

Solution

Only red cards (Diamonds and Hearts) are valid based on Clue 3.

 

For Diamonds

  • Rank value = 2
  • Face value = n + 2 = 9 → Face value = 7
  • That's an odd number, so it's not the missing card.

 

For Hearts

  • Rank value = 3
  • Face value = n + 3 = 9 → Face value = 6
  • That's an even number.

 

The missing card must be 6 of Hearts because it satisfies all four clues:

It’s not a face card.

Its value equals 9.

It is a red card.

The card's face value is an even number.

 

6 of Hearts is the missing card.

 

 

Our Minute Mysteries are released every Sunday.

Get a FREE murder mystery game delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to our mailing list.

 
 
Find more full-size mystery games with:
+ A longer playtime for hours of fun
+ Life-like evidence, such as newspaper clippings, cryptic letters, suspects' statements, and more
+ Engaging clues to test your problem-solving skills

 

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.