Twisty Town
The Jelly Bean Mind-Read

I Don't Guess the Beans. I Guess YOUR Guess.

Every school fair has a jelly bean jar. You guess, I guess, whoever's closest wins. But here's my trick — I'm not guessing the beans. I bet I can tell you EXACTLY what number you guessed.

Want to try it on me first — or jump straight to doing it for someone else?

1

Pick Your Guess

How many jelly beans do YOU think are in that jar? Any number — big or small. Type it in. I'll close my eyes.

Any whole number works. Don't show anyone 😉
2

Do the Math With Me

Grab a calculator — phone, paper, brain, anything. Do each of these IN ORDER. Don't skip any. Don't show me.

Step 1: Multiply your guess by 2.
Step 2: Add 10.
Step 3: Multiply by 5.
Step 4: Subtract 50.

That final number is your answer. Keep it secret for one more second.

3

Tell Me Your Answer

Type the number you ended up with. I'm about to guess your original guess.

Should end in a 0 — that's how I know you did the math right.
Your guess was…
—
How did I know?
🧠 How it works (for curious kids) Every time you do (guess × 2 + 10) × 5 − 50, the answer is always your guess × 10. The math forces it. All I do is drop the last zero — and there's your guess. This is a self-working trick. You don't need sleight of hand. The numbers do the work.
1

Read This to Your Audience

Find a grown-up, a friend, a teacher. Read them these exact lines. Don't rush. Sound confident.

Your Script

"At every school fair, there's a jar of jelly beans. Everybody guesses. But I have a better trick."
"I'm not going to guess how many are in the jar. I'm going to guess YOUR guess."
"Think of any number. That's your guess at how many jelly beans could be in any jar. Don't tell me."
"Now grab a calculator. Do this math. Do it exactly."
(Hand them a calculator — or let them use their phone.)

Once they've picked a number, tap "Next" and keep going.

2

Walk Them Through the Math

Read these 4 instructions one at a time. Wait until they punch the number into the calculator before you say the next one. Don't look at their screen.

Math Instructions

"Take your guess and multiply it by 2."
"Now add 10."
"Now multiply by 5."
"Last step — subtract 50."
"Tell me the final number. I'm going to tell you what you started with."
(When they say the number, you type it into the box below.)
3

🤫 Secretly Type Their Answer

Hide your screen. Tap it in. I'll tell you what their original guess was. Then — and this is the FUN part — you reveal it, not me.

It should end in a 0. If it doesn't, they did the math wrong — have them check.
Their guess was…
—
This is YOUR secret. Don't show them the screen.

Now take a breath. Look them in the eye. Then say:

Your Reveal

"I'm going to say a number out loud. If it's your guess, you have to admit it."
"Your guess was… —."
(Pause. Let them be amazed. Take a bow.)
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