intermediate shades such as aquamarine and turquoise. There are many other statements which work in the same way as these two examples. Technically, they are guesses which may be right or wrong, but in fact they stand a very good chance of being right. It is also worth pointing out that in most contexts, the clients will have little or no time to analyse the subtlety involved.
3.
The Lucky Guess The Lucky Guess element is exactly that - a pure guess which lacks any of the subtlety of the "Good Chance Guess" explained above. The psychic simply offers a name, set of initials, date or place and sees if the client accepts it. If it is a hit, it seems miraculous and will be sure to impress the client. What is more, it can be used afterwards to give sceptics a thump, since it is apparently inexplicable. If it is not a hit, the psychic can easily move on to something else (see 'The Win-Win Game'). Although there is nothing subtle about this element, it needs mentioning since it is so useful in cold reading terms. It is also worth emphasising that many clients apply great latitude when interpreting the psychic's offerings. The same sort of ambiguity which helps Fuzzy Facts to become specific hits also helps Lucky Guesses. Take an example like this: "The name Jane means something to you. I can see someone you have known quite a while, with blonde hair". The psychic is simply guessing. However, she has not said anything specific about how the name relates to the client, so more or less any connection will do. "Jane" could be a relative, a professional colleague or a friend. She could be alive or dead, known well or only distantly, linked with the present or the past. There are endless possibilities for this guess to count as a hit. If the client knows a Jean, Jenny, Janet, Joanne or someone whose name sounds close, she may well offer the mild correction and credit the psychic with a near-miss. This close-sounding name could be a first name, surname ("Jones") or a nick name. It could be male or female ("Jan" is a common male name in some countries). Once you appreciate the interpretative latitude which psychics enjoy, it becomes clear that a Lucky Guess stands at least a fair chance of eventually being considered as a hit.
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