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.