Chapter Six: Using an Extra Card

Marty’s No Buckle Aces

“Marlo’s No Glide Aces; First Method” was specifically designed to fool magicians familiar with “Christopher’s Red and Black Aces” by avoiding the use of the Glide. Instead, it uses an extra indifferent card to allow for a Double Buckle handling of the plot

Although this is a workable solution, I’ve never been too keen on using a buckle to prepare for a multiple turnover. Over time, the technique introduces unhelpful kinks into your cards, even when the buckle is kept small. I also find it more challenging than other alternatives (possibly due to the particular anatomy of my hands—you might have more success with the technique). Consequently, I’ll explain my preferred handling of Marlo’s trick; one that avoids the buckle by using a more traditional get-ready along with the Pinky Pull Down.

Rather than use an indifferent card, as Marlo suggested, I also prefer to use a card that can function as a pseudo duplicate, such as the Three of Diamonds (this concept, as applied to Daley’s transposition, is also a Marlo idea).

Setup

None required!

Method

Shuffle the cards, then casually cut the Three of Diamonds to the face of the pack. Next, upjog the four Aces and strip them out, adding them to the face of the pack. As you do this, arrange the cards in the following order from the face: AS-AC-AH-AD.

Next, spread the cards between your hands to display the Aces. Square up the pack. As you do so, establish a little finger break below the Three of Diamonds. Lift all five cards above the break off the pack from above with your right hand.

Reverse count the cards into your left hand, dropping the last two cards as one. Next, flip the packet face down and repeat the reverse count to display four backs. As you perform these actions, say, “Here we have the four Aces. The Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Hearts, Ace of Clubs and, last but not least, the Ace of Spades.” Counting the cards twice enables you to display the four Aces clearly and makes it less likely that anyone will remember the exact order of the cards; this is important because the handling is discrepant.

To prepare for the first Block Turnover, you will perform another reverse count. Hold the packet in right-hand End Grip, and then thumb the top two cards of the packet into your left hand. As you pull the third card into your left hand, establish a left little finger break below the card. Next, carefully place the remaining two cards, squared as one, on top of the packet in your left hand. You now hold a little finger break below the top three cards of the packet in readiness for a Triple Turnover.

Perform the turnover, flipping the cards bookwise. Allow the triple to hit the fleshy base of your left thumb as it coalesces with the rest of the cards. Doing so will allow you to trap a small portion of flesh below the three cards and maintain a break (this is known as the Altman Trap). Repeat the Triple Turnover—made easier by the break held by the base of your left thumb—and then deal the top card of the packet to the table. Your audience believes that you have dealt a black card, the Ace of Clubs, to the table when the card is, in fact,  a red Ace (the Ace of Hearts).

Perform a Pinky Pull Down on the bottom card of the packet to establish a little finger break below it. Perform another Triple Turnover. This time, however, you do not need to hold a break. After displaying the Ace of Spades on top of the packet, repeat the Pinky Pull Down and the Triple Turnover. Deal the top card of the packet on top of the card already on the table. 

If the turnovers are deceptive, your audience will believe that the two black Aces are on the table and that you hold the red Aces. To further strengthen this misunderstanding, flash the face of the packet by turning your left hand palm down. When you do this, make sure to hide the index of the Three of Diamonds and the extra pip with your right fingertips. Your audience will only see the centre pip of the card and assume that they’re looking at the Ace of Diamonds. Next, turn your left hand palm up again, then re-grip the cards in your right hand (End Grip). Slip the top card of the packet into left-hand Dealer's Grip, then drop the two cards, as one, on top.

To reveal the transposition, grip the cards from above in right-hand End Grip. Thumb the top card of the packet into your left hand. Flip the card face up using the double card retained in your right hand. Your audience will see the face of the Ace of Spades. In a continuing action, turn your right hand palm up, displaying the two cards as one (the standard Double Lift grip). Again, your audience will see the face of a black Ace (the Club). Let this situation sink in, then say, “If I have the two black Aces, where are the red ones?” As attention shifts to the cards on the table, return your right hand to a palm-down position. Clip the double, sidejogged to your right, against the face of the Ace of Spades with your left thumb. Doing this will allow you to let go of the double card with your right hand and gently flip it face up on top of the Ace of Spades.

Using your now free right hand, turn the two cards on the table face up to display the Ace of Hearts and Diamonds. Pick up the cards and drop them on top of the black Aces in your left hand. Return the cards to the pack and give it a thorough shuffle, destroying any evidence that you used an extra card.

Afterthoughts

If you’re using your own cards, you might as well use another Ace of Diamonds rather than a pseudo duplicate. Doing this allows for a fairer initial display of the cards immediately before the transposition occurs. It also allows you to make it appear as if the cards transpose one at a time. Arrange the cards in the following order from the bottom of the face-up packet: AD-AS-AC-AH-AD. The easiest way to get into this position is to treat the effect as you would a packet trick and keep the required cards in a small wallet in your pocket (I like to use a paper origami wallet to stop the card from getting bent). This approach is particularly suitable when you’re performing the trick in a strolling magic environment and want to repeat it for different groups of people.

Another way is to add the duplicate Ace of Diamonds to your pack, of course. Cut it to the top as you remove the four Aces, then drop them face up on top of the pack in Spade-Club-Heart-Diamond order (from the top of the pack down). Spread the cards to display the Aces. As you square up, establish a break below the top five cards of the pack. Remove all five cards above the break in right-hand End Grip as you place the rest of the pack to one side. One by one, shift the top card of the packet to the bottom, flipping it face down in the process. Perform a single reverse count, establishing a break below the top three cards of the packet as you do so. You’re now ready to perform the first Triple Turnover of the trick.

Perform the routine as previously described until to reach the point where the black Aces (?) are on the table. Next, flash the face of the bottom card of the packet to your audience (the duplicate Ace of Diamonds). Owing to the use of the duplicate Ace, you do not need to hide anything with your fingertips. Tell your audience that you will make the black Aces they hold magically switch places with the red Aces in your hand. Snap your right fingers and say, “Done! The hard part is making them switch back.” Snap your fingers again and turn the packet over to display the Ace of Diamonds at the face. This silly joke, an idea I first saw used by Bill Malone, should generate a few giggles and groans from your audience. More importantly, it re-inforces the supposed location of the red and black Aces.

Continue by saying, “Ok, ok. I’ll make them jump one at a time. Watch.” Perform an Orion or Flushtration Count (handling the last two cards as one). Your audience will see one red and one black Ace. Repeat the count to display two black Aces (keeping the duplicate Ace of Diamonds hidden). Turn the two cards on the table face up to reveal the new location of the red Aces.

If you’re treating this as a packet trick, you can reset the cards by dropping the red Aces face up on top of the cards in your left hand. Next, perform the following variant of the Ascanio Spread: Begin by holding the packet from above in right-hand End Grip. Peel the top and bottom cards off the packet into left-hand Dealer’s Grip. Pull the next card from your right hand onto the left-hand packet; this leaves with you a double in your right hand. Place this on top of the cards in your left hand, establishing a little finger break below it. Cut the two cards above the break to the bottom of the packet. The cards are now in the following order: AD-AC-AS-AH-AD. Note: The two black Aces have switched places in the setup, but this doesn’t stop the trick from working. Put the cards back into the wallet, ready for your next performance.

As well as adding clarity to the effect, the duplicate Ace also allows you to generate two beats of magic rather than one. I also like presenting the trick as a transposition of the red and black Aces from the beginning, rather than it being a complete surprise as in Daley’s original. The joke lowers expectations to such an extent that the transposition is shocking and surprising (even though you’ve announced what is going to happen). Apart from the small discrepancy, which is well covered by the three reverse counts, there is a lot to like about this variation of Dr Daley’s Last Trick.

Background & Credits

This handling is based on “No Glide Aces (Second Method)” by Ed Marlo and can be found in his excellent book The Cardician (Magic, Inc., 1953).