I don’t think I’ll have to apologize for this version of the trick because it can now be performed from a stage or platform with regular size cards, and in a novel manner that will hold constant interest. This method also makes it appear fairer than ever and seems to make any chicanery impossible.
The performer asks for four volunteers who are to stand in line. The deck is handed to one and he is asked to run through and take out the first ace he sees, show it to no one, and hold it face down on his outstretched hand. The second person is then given the deck to take out another one and do likewise. The third person does the same, and the fourth gets the last ace. Shuffling the deck, the performer covers each ace with three face down cards. Now he turns up a card at random from the deck, and asks that the one holding the ace of the same suit step to one side and cover his cards with his free hand. The performer picks up the cards of the remaining three persons, drops them on the deck, shuffles, snaps a rubber band around them all, and tosses the deck into the audience. He asks that the person getting the deck stand, go through them, and everytime he finds an ace to toss it in the air. Everybody watches but nothing happens. There are no aces in the deck so it is tossed back. The selected person steps forward and shows his cards. They are all aces!
Of course, three extra aces are needed. Take a deck and trim the cards, using one as a pattern, so as to make a short deck. The three extra aces are ordinary, and are substituted for the aces of like suit in the deck. You now have a deck with three long aces and the three short aces are in your right trouser pocket with faces toward your body. A rubber band is in the same pocket. The fourth or odd ace in the deck has a quarter inch black pencil mark along the center of both side edges if using a fairly new deck. If an old one, put a dot on each side of the card on the white margin of its back. It is only necessary to know which spectator gets this odd card. You can note when it is missing from the deck as you pass the cards along each time by a glance at the edge of the deck, or watch the face down cards each time as you give the deck to the next person.
While the last person is finding his ace, you drop your hand to your pocket and palm the aces there. Take the deck back with your left hand and add the aces to the top. At this point no one expects anything to happen and you have very subtly convinced the audience and your assistants that only four aces are in the deck. That’s what makes the effect appear so open.
At the start you had a card on the bottom of the same suit as this to be selected ace, and it stays there throughout the removal of the aces. Now three aces have been added to the top and you give the deck a dovetail shuffle, keeping the bottom card and three top cards in place. Explain that three cards from the deck will be given to each assistant, and deal the three aces onto the odd ace you have noted. The others are also given three cards each.
Now give the deck an overhand shuffle which brings the bottom card to the top, and at the same time remark that one of the four persons must be chosen. Just say “We’ll make it a matter of chance by turning up a card at random, (you stop shuffling and turn up the top card) and the suit of this card will select the man. Will the person holding the ace of this suit please step over there and hold his cards tightly between his hands?”
Again you have been fair because no one knows who has which of the aces except the assistants themselves. Have the remaining three piles returned to the deck. Undercut just below this set of twelve cards and shuffle off on top. Now it is an easy matter to repeat this, but the thumb and fingers simply cull out the three longer aces this time and drop them on top. While you are doing this second part you thank the three volunteers and dismiss them. Your right hand palms the three top aces and goes to the pocket for the rubber band. Fastening the deck it is then tossed into the audience. As far as you are concerned the trick is over.
When the audience assistant has failed to find an ace, the deck is returned and the selected spectator comes forward and shows his cards. The deck is now a complete one and the long aces are gone so that there isn’t a trace of anything to find, should it ever be necessary to let the deck be looked over.
I’ve found this an unusually good program effect and it can be sandwiched in at any time. If one doesn’t want to use cut cards, there is another way out. Each time you take back a set of four from the three in line, it is dropped on top of the deck and you apparently shuffle the deck a little. You really run three cards off to the bottom, which leaves the ace on top. After this has been done for the third time, the three aces will be on top together and you can give it an extra dovetail shuffle leaving them there. As you dismiss the three, lift the three from the rear with your thumb, push them slightly forward and with the fingers at the front, tip them into your palm.
This is done at a moment when you are letting the spectators go and is effectively covered. With this method no tampered with cards are needed. Only three extra aces are used.
One trial, I think, is all that is needed to convince the reader that the effect is good. The action of having four spectators in line and handling the deck as well as holding the cards is strong. The tossing of the deck into the audience for a spectator there to stand and toss out the aces is novel enough to keep the audience watching for something to happen. And when everything is over they remember clearly that there couldn’t have been more than four aces in the deck and that they really did get away from the deck through no apparent skillful handling by the performer. In fact, they remember very little of what the performer did because attention is always on the assistants.
WANTED
A Card Routine without Cards!
For a long time I’ve had an idea that such a routine can be built up. It would be a novel act, as can be imagined, but I haven’t had the time to work much on it. One effect could be as follows: The magician pretends he has a deck in hands which he removes from its case. Pretending to shuffle them, he spreads them in front of a spectator for a selection. This person enters into it all, pretends to take one and is cautioned by the performer not to let anyone see it. It is put back and the performer allows the spectator to shuffle the deck! Putting the deck in his pocket the performer now asks the spectator to name his card. When the spectator finally names a card, the performer reaches into his pocket and actually pulls out that pasteboard! Everything is pretense until the finish. There can be a lot of comedy in a routine of this sort, so see what you can do with it. I know the idea has possibilities.
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