Hugard's DEVOTED
SOLELY
Mo thll
" J
TO
Vol. XVII, No. 1
THE
INTERESTS
OF
MAGIC
AND
MAGICIANS
JUNE, 1959
50 Cents
Y FAVORITE 4-ACE TRICK Every branch of magic has its classics. In card magic, one of the great classics, acknowledged by magicians the world over, is the famous 4-Ace trick. It is one of the oldest mysteries in the entire field of legerdemain, dating back probably 400 or 500 years. There is a record of a book published in 1584, "The Discouveries of Witchcraft," in which a 4-Ace trick is explained. Different Variations Since that time magicians from all over the world have made changes, different moves, simplifications, complications, until today the number of variations of the 4-Ace trick is legion. The popular theme of most 4-Ace tricks is to cause three Aces to vanish from their respective packets and join Ace in packet selected by spectator. The effect about to be described differs from most of the others, mainly in its theme, and especially in its surprise climax. The routine is simple, easy to execute. You do not have to be an expert card man ... and you will not have to spend months practicing complicated sleights. All the sleights required are easy to handle. They appear in the standard card books and are well known. I believe that, if you master this routine and perform it for lay audiences, it will be a reputation builder. EFFECT: Four stacks of cards are dealt on the table with an Ace in each stack. The Aces vanish from the first three stacks. Attention is directed to the last stack, which has not been touched, but when the cards are turned face up, they are four indifferent cards. The Aces have completely disappeared. The magician suggests that they must have jumped back into the dack and he deals out five stacks and lets the spectator himself select the one which he thinks contains the four Aces. But when the selected stack is turned face up, once again they are four indifferent cards.
By MAX KATZ Now the magician explains the reason for the failure. "I have been trying to bring back the lost Aces by Magic. But Magic is not strong enough. To bring back cards that vanish so completely a miracle is necessary." You now offer to perform this "miracle" by causing these four indifferent cards to change right in front of their eyes, one at time, until they become the lost four Aces! And that is exactly what you do for your "Miracle Climax." SLEIGHTS USED: Buckle Count, Left Hand Palm, False Shuffle, False Count. REQUIRED: Any deck. It may be borrowed. PREPARATION: None. Just start the routine immediately. ROUTINE: 5 to 6 minutes.
C
FIG. 1 - PRODUCING THE FIRST CARD
Depending upon circumstances, you can do this either seated at a table or standing up in front of it. You have borrowed a deck. The spectator has just shuffled it. You look through the face-up deck and deal the four Aces, face up, on the table in a row. The spectator arranges them in any order he likes, so he will remember where each Ace is, and turns them face down. Now state you will deal a few cards on each Ace. Apparently deal three face-down cards on each Ace, but
actually deal four, using a simple false count.* Now you have four stacks on the table containing an Ace and four indifferent cards. The rest of the deck is placed aside, to your left. Point to the first stack and ask: "Do you still remember which Ace is in this stack?" Pick up this stack, show the Ace on the bottom and place the cards into the left hand, face down, in position for an overhand shuffle. Overhand shuffle the top two cards to the bottom, square the cards and replace them on the table face down. Repeat this with the second stack. Then apparently repeat with the third and fourth stacks but, instead of shuffling two cards to the bottom, shuffle three. In the first two stacks the Aces are in the center while in the last two stacks the Aces are second from the top. You are now ready to vanish the Aces by the Buckle Count. The Buckle Count Pick up the first stack, hold it in the left hand directly above the second stack and with right fingers snap the edge of the card to make the "magic pass." Ask the spectator to name the Ace in this stack, place it into the left hand in dealing position. Now the left thumb pushes off the top card. The right hand takes it at the right edge with thumb on top and first two fingers below and places it face up on the table in a horizontal position. Deal the next card on top of the first one in the same manner. (Continued on page 8) *The card books have explained this sleight with full directions and diagrams and you no doubt have them in your library. But, for the purpose of making this article complete unto itself, without having to refer you to outside sources, the different sleights will be explained in the July issue.