6.15 Card Tricks
by Bowen Kerins, with Scott Slomiany
ANSWER: LAD
The poker applet frequently announces a hand that is not indicated by the visible cards. This is because the cards have been replaced using a substitution cipher, though as an aid each card retains its original suit:
| Visible | A♣ | 2♣ | 3♣ | 4♣ | 5♣ | 6♣ | 7♣ | 8♣ | 9♣ | T♣ | J♣ | Q♣ | K♣ | A♦ | 2♦ | 3♦ | 4♦ | 5♦ | 6♦ | 7♦ | 8♦ | 9♦ | T♦ | J♦ | Q♦ | K♦ | Actual | 6♣ | T♣ | 4♣ | K♣ | 9♣ | 7♣ | J♣ | 2♣ | 1♣ | 3♣ | 8♣ | Q♣ | 5♣ | A♦ | 7♦ | Q♦ | T♦ | K♦ | 4♦ | 6♦ | 5♦ | 2♦ | 8♦ | 9♦ | J♦ | 3♦ |
|---|
| Visible | A♥ | 2♥ | 3♥ | 4♥ | 5♥ | 6♥ | 7♥ | 8♥ | 9♥ | T♥ | J♥ | Q♥ | K♥ | A♠ | 2♠ | 3♠ | 4♠ | 5♠ | 6♠ | 7♠ | 8♠ | 9♠ | T♠ | J♠ | Q♠ | K♠ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actual | T♥ | 8♥ | 7♥ | 4♥ | J♥ | 2♥ | A♥ | 9♥ | Q♥ | 5♥ | K♥ | 3♥ | 6♥ | K♠ | 3♠ | T♠ | 2♠ | 6♠ | Q♠ | 4♠ | A♠ | J♠ | 9♠ | 5♠ | 8♠ | 7♠ |
As per the flavor text ("Things aren't always what they seem, though sometimes they are"), the important cards are the ones which are unchanged under substitution: Q♣, A♦ and 4♥. Taking these in the order of suits visible on the logo (or in alphabetical order by suit) and use the card's index (Q = 12 = L, A = 1 = A, 4 = 4 = D) spells the answer LAD.