Coding a card with other cards came up regularly while entering content to the database, so that it got its own category. Here are some approaches with different conditions, that already made it into the Archive: https://www.conjuringarchive.com/list/category/2096

Dear Denis,

Thank you for the posting. I would like to use this opportunity to say you THANKS!!! for providing this valueable database.

BTW: One more interesting article on the subject (from the "Mathematical Intelligencer") can be found at:

https://www.apprendre-en-ligne.net/crypto/magie/card.pdf

Or you can eliminate your assistant (just for this trick!) by purchasing the Fitch trick available on Android phone for $4 named "Impossible" and has a big spade as the app symbol. Or even superior is the John Mendoza/Al Stanger Incredible Poker Machine $350? specially modified Texas Instrument calculator (if John or Hocus Pocus is still selling it). It is better than the Fitch programs because it lets the spectator pick the target card from their 5 cards and it has other mind blowing effects that are superior.
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......start=80

You can have your assistant in another room and a random spectator picks any 5 cards and that spectator keeps one target card. You the magician take the four cards and put a rubber band around them and tell the spectator to take those four cards and give them to your assistant. The assistant looks at the four cards and writes the target card name on a Post-It note. The spectator brings the Post-it note back to the main audience and reveals the target card!

How: you order the four cards so that the first card indicates the suit then the next three cards indicated a value from 1 to 6. When I do this trick I have two very plain rubber bands around my first two fingers. One rubber band is a little thicker than the other one. If the Target Card is the Ace 2 3 4 5 or 6 I put only the thin rubber band around the four cards and that's all. If the Target card is 7 8 9 10 Jack Queen I put only the thick rubber band around the four cards. If the target card is a King I put both rubber bands around the four cards.

If you do it this way you may want two other random spectators to go into the room with your assistant to verify that there's no cell phone hanky-panky going on.