This principle involves the strategy of methodically changing the positions of cards in several groups in order to determine a mental selection or selections in the groups. After altering the organization of the groups, each spectator thinking of a card is asked if he sees his selection in one of the new groups. His response permits the magician to determine the thought-of card.

Classic tricks using the Redistribution Principle are: the Twenty-one Card Trick, Mutus, Dedit, Nomen, Cocis and the Matrix Card Divination.