Chapter Three: Popular Handlings

Marlo's No Glide Aces (Second Method)

Ed Marlo devised several clever methods to transpose the red and black Aces. His second method is my favourite (it is also the basic handling that John Bannon uses in his trick “Doctored Daley”). Here’s how I perform it.

Method & Presentation

Arrange the Aces in the following order, from the bottom of the face-up packet: AS-AC-AH-AD. Display the four cards, the black pair in your left hand and the reds in your right. Perform a variation of Bob Stencel’s Squiggle Display as you say, “A mystery with the four Aces.” This move is a simple flourish, usually performed with five cards masquerading as four. Hold each pair between the tips of your fingers and thumbs, thumbs on top and fingers below. Make small, circular motions with the thumbs and fingers of both hands simultaneously. This will cause the four cards to “squiggle” in a way that resembles a butterfly's wings. Place the red Aces on top of the black cards and turn the packet face down.

Keeping the cards face down, repeat the Squiggle Flourish. As you re-assemble the packet, place the card in your right hand underneath those held in your left. This subtly displaces the black Aces from the top to the bottom of the packet. The “squiggling” effectively hides the open re-arrangement of the cards, which are now in the following order, from the top of the face-down packet: AH-AD-AS-AC.

Perform a Pinky Pull Down to establish a little finger break above the bottom card of the packet. Triple Turnover to display the Ace of Spades on top (?). Repeat the Triple Turnover and then deal the top card of the packet to the table. 

Perform a Mini Ascanio Spread on the remaining three cards, openly displacing the middle card to the bottom of the packet as you say, “Three Aces left.” To perform the Mini Ascanio Spread, begin by holding the three cards in right-hand End Grip. Next, pull the top and bottom cards to your left, retaining the middle card of the packet in End Grip. Make small, circular movements with your left fingers and thumb as you also similarly move the middle card from above with your right hand. (This move is much easier than usual because you’re not hiding any extra cards, as is usually the case with this move.) Finally, in one continuous action, strip out the middle card and slide it underneath the two held in your left hand to finish the Ascanio-style display. Again, the motion of the cards during this display disguises the open displacement.

Perform another Pinky Pull Down to establish a little finger break above the bottom card of the packet. Double Turnover to display the Ace of Clubs on top (?). Repeat the turnover, then deal the top card to the table.

Reveal the transposition by turning both pairs face up to finish.

Afterthoughts

If it isn't your style, you don’t have to use this flourish-laden handling (Marlo’s method uses one open displacement). However, the Squiggle Flourish and Ascanio-style spreading action effectively disguise the two displacements; I think this hides the discrepancies in the method better. The unusual motion of the cards also adds visual interest.

Because both turnovers look the same, the trick has a pleasing consistency in handling that other methods lack. The Triple and Double Turnover are also easy to do because they’re performed using a four-card and three-card packet respectively, enabling you to use a Pinky Pull Down as a get-ready both times.