The Conus Aces by Michael Skinner

Classic Sampler by Michael Skinner, 1996
Page 6 et seq.

Personal Comment: Holy Crap! This is a goody. Again one of those tricks where you have an emotional climax instead of a logical one. Why are the queens there? Nobody cares. You could go for the "Four Queens Hotel"-line, but it is not necessary I think. But What I do think is essential is that the spectator covers the tabled cards. That gives the effect a nice "in the hands"-feel. The trick itself is way older of course, but Michael Skinner's handling took out the sucker part which I think makes it much better. This is very close to go into my all time favorite pile. Because it is practical as well. All work can be done as the aces are taken out of the deck.

Difficulty 3/5

The Magic Six by Ron Ferris

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 12 December 1983
Page 856 et seq.

Personal Comment: In a way those type of tricks can be entertaining. Most often they are not. So is this. Pretty forgettable in a way. Jon Racherbaumer would probably call it a glorified revelation of a selection. And I would agree. The sad thing: I see routines like this all the time. It usually goes like this: A card is selected and lost. Then a whole array of magic is done not involving the card and a lot of time passes where both the card and the importance of the card could be forgotten. The end is always the same. The impact of the revelation is lessened by the preceding magic. It's easy though.

Difficulty 1/5


EDIT: Big lol! I rewatched the video having forgotten all about it. I was kind of expecting the six to have a different color in the end. Then it turned out to be the king. I was like "What?"... I had to skip back to realize that I actually had a selection involved in this. Just proves my point about it being forgettable and the revelation coming way to late in the routine.

Harry and Bess by Virgil McDonagh

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 11 November 1983
Page 843 et seq.

Personal Comment: This routine is interesting from a technical point of view, as you may have noticed. It is just a transposition between a sandwiched card and a card in deck, but the switch is nice, as it happens on a face up deck.
In terms of presentation.... meh

Difficulty 3/5

Ennoid by Oscar Weigle

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 9 September 1983
Page 827 et seq.

Personal Comment: I tried it... it works. It surprised me. Laypeople are actually entertained by this little trick. I can recommend it.

Difficulty 2/5

A-Rise by Joe Safuto

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 10 October 1983
Page 839 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is just a nice little addition to the old Card Rise from Greater Magic. This is one of the tricks that gets not enough love. It does play well with people and if the angles are right, the is no reason not to do it.

Difficulty 1/5

1-2-3 Sandwich by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Mentioned in the foreword.

Personal Comment: This is an insult to any magicians I must assume, but it is such a crowd pleaser. Three people are involved and the the element of fail is included. There is repetition, the rule of three and a whole lot of things that make the routine satisfying for real people. Magicians may yawn, real people love it.

Difficulty 2/5

Here You Can Keep It by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page 6 et seq.

Personal Comment: As you can see I use that one. And it plays well... The idea is not really a new one, but the execution is simple enough. Personally I have the card above the business card being the selection, as it is much quicker, but I guess that is all a matter of personal taste. It is obvious that the trick serves only the function of getting out the business card. It's not hiding the fact but embraces it.

Difficulty 1/5

Simplex CTP by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page 3 et seq.

Personal Comment: Imagine this as a prelude to any card to pocket. I like it. It is easy, bold and great for any audience. Basically it is the old coin through trousers pocket you may have seen before. I like it.

Difficulty 1/5

Face-Up Flyers by Bruce Cervon and Dai Vernon

Epilogue by Karl Fulves
Issue 4 1968
Page 27 et seq.

also The Cervon File by by Bruce Cervon 1988

Personal Comment: Really nice version if one puts in the practice. If you noticed, this was thought up 1968... I was born 10 years later. This makes me appreciate all the magicians of the past. Think about it: This routine, the way it is would be suitable for a modern day audience 43 year later. Even if you do not intend to use it, this is worth studying because it teaches you a nice way to get a break under an x-card. Dai Vernon is credited, as he apparently reduced the plot down to just the four aces, as the original plot involved an extra indifferent card. However the the method to the trick was devised by Bruce Cervon.

Difficulty 3/5

Travel Agent by Doc Valles

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 9 September 1983
Page 825 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is so forgettable. Tomorrows version will be better.

Difficulty 3/5

Forgy by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page 1 et seq.

Personal Comment: I tried it, it is a good trick. Plays well and takes them by surprise, unlike the usual "Oh, I got the wrong card, here hold it, then guess what's gonna happen!"

Difficulty 2/5

Tidal Wave by Harry Lorayne and Ken Krenzel

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 5 May 1983
Page 769 et seq.

Personal Comment: Brainwave... but impromptu. Actually very nice and easy. Any card, no chance of failing, regular deck, no preparation, no questions asked. What's not to like?

Difficulty 2/5

The Gang of Four by Harry Anderson

Wise Guy, from the street to the screen by Mike Caveney
Page 86 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is NOT The Gang of Four, it is a variation. But the main effect remains the same. A card is torn into four pieces and revealed as the four corners of four other cards. The original effect goes like this. Four cards are peeked at, the magician then removes a card and says, that it would be great if all had picked the same card. A quick look through the deck and all four spectators agree that their card is missing. When asked for the name of the card it turns out that all had different cards. Then the magician would tear up the card removed earlier and the turn out would be the same as in the version that I recorded. Here is what I never liked about it: The setup and that most of the effect is not seen in a strange way. What if the spectators forgot the card... all am saying is, that there are a few things that could go wrong.
I changed the effect slightly. A prediction is introduced and four cards are picked. Basic motivation: The spectator gets four tries to get the matching card. But he utterly fails. (The slow reveal of the wrong cards also has some nice built in drama)
Then it is the magician's turn to find a "magic" solution to the problem. And I have been doing this effect for a few years now. To borrow a term most often used by Harry Lorayne a Reputation Maker.... or a Show Stopper. My version is practical, just get out the card from a different deck, and all you need is a cull and a force, making the routine a piece of cake.

Difficulty 2/5

Triumph Display by Troy Hooser

Destroyers, The Superlative Magic of Troy Hooser by Joshua Jay
Page 139 et seq.

Personal Comment: Really nice version. I like it.

Difficulty 2/5

The Incredible Table Change by Jean-Jaques Sanvert

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 3 March 1983
Page 751 et seq.

Personal Comment: With power comes great responsibility and with practice comes great possibility. If the angles are right, this is good. Apparently Steve Beam has a table change that uses the exacts same method. (position of the hands an all) But the part with the sandwich is a variation in handling that is just Jean-Jaques Sanvert. It is angle sensitive as hell, if you do not have overly large hands like Jean-Jaques Sanvert, but if you do this is for you. Easy enough once you get the knack.

Difficulty 3/5

Super Scam by Terry LaGerould

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 2 February 1983
Page 742 et seq.

Personal Comment: Not really magic, but certainly a trick. This is a great "after the show" trick to do. If people ask you how you developed your skill and dexterity... You could mention that "skill and dexterity are important, but remembering all the cards in a deck is equally important. Here, let me show you something that I do when I am riding a train" Again this is not a magic effect, as no magic happens, but it is as the title suggests a scam. And a good one. I like it.

Difficulty 1/5

Serendipity by Bob Jardine

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 2 February 1983
Page 741 et seq.

Personal Comment: Cute I guess. But what is the effect. This is a monster. A strange hybrid of a Transposition a Color Change and even a bit of Oil and Water (as the Kings and Queen are supposed to be alternating). Aside from that the initial setup is a mess. Not recommended, unless you wanna showoff to magicians.

Difficulty 2/5

You Can Always Do Better by Edward Marlo

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 2 February 1983
Page 738 et seq.

Personal Comment: Based on Marlo's own Ace-X-Ace (from Hierophant) this is his own improvement. I do not feel that it is an improvement, but do feel that the effect is really for magicians. Why bother with all the trouble (especially the setup) when you can do a straight on Sandwich or even a delayed Sandwich. I don't get it. To me it seems not to matter from a layman's point of view. But then again I stopped being a layman a long time ago. Maybe I'm wrong.

Difficulty 3/5

The Invisible Signature by Christian Scherer

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 6, Number 1 January 1983
Page 728 et seq.

Personal Comment: Kind of a throw away routine in my mind. But it is a nice way to get rid of a dupe in a deck of cards. Here is what could have made it better: Instead of the signature just reappearing on the face it could have gone on, with the signature also vanishing from the back of the card. Then both would come back. Same amount of work twice the effect.

Difficulty 2/5

The Elephant Trick by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page 5 et seq.

Personal Comment: The reason this trick is called Elephant trick is that it was originally designed for a kid's show. The child would name his/her favorite animal which would be drawn on the back of the top card and that animal would "find" the card. It just so happened to be that the first animal ever named was an elephant giving the trick a name. But as you can see this works greatly as an ending to an Ambitious Card giving the card out as a souvenir with the phone number of the magician. This is pretty commercial I think.

Difficulty 2/5

Logic Wars by Jim Abrahams

The Lecture That Has Never Happened by Jim Abrahams
Page 4 et seq.

Personal Comment: Actually not bad, but very confusing. I cannot imagine doing this to a drunk audience. But there is a time and a place for everything. And I am sure there is a place and an audience which will like this illogical piece of magic.

Difficulty 2/5

The Happy Wanderers by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 31 et seq.

Personal Comment: Can anybody name the plot? I am not sure. Lately I have seen quite a few effects where cards that are in a group spread out in the deck. Is it a reversed Sandwich? I don't know. This is the first video that I redo, simply because I messed up the first time I did it. Somehow I forgot to add the whole second part of the routine. And that changes everything. Suddenly it is a routine and not just a cute interlude. The reason why I forgot it.... well I forgot to turn the page in the book. My brain somehow said "done" and I didn't bother to recheck. My bad.

Difficulty 3/5

The Cannibal Cards by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 27 et seq.

Personal Comment: There is something damn satisfying about the method. And something damn uneasy. Personally I would change the method during the last vanish. But it is hard to not like this. And it makes you wanna work on your Seconds.

Difficulty 4/5

The Overworked Card by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 24 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is cute and good. It gets to the point quickly and is a well put together hybrid of an ambitious card and a triumph. Based upon a published effect by Bill Simon this is a true worker that is easy to do.

Difficulty 1/5

Jay Bee Transposition by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 20

Personal Comment: It all revolves around the ability to do one sleight very well. If you can do it, this is nearly perfect. If you cannot, this looks awful (like my version). But here is the thing that bothers me. The spectator is made to work (opposed to Ortiz law: The spectator must never be made to work) and that would kill my pacing in a realistic setting. Giving the spectator time to shuffle the deck, count through cards, remember position and card and not messing up along the way while I am turned away is too risky for my personal taste. I like to be in control all the time. A slighty better effect would be: Joker goes to the pocket, the spectator picks a card and remembers it. The spectators card is put face down on the table. Then the magician removes the card from his pocket and it turns out to be the selection. The tabled face down card is turned face up and revealed to to be the Joker. Method: Two palms and just one Second.

Difficulty 4/5

X Plus One Ace Trick by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 18 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is a demonstration piece. Even Roy Walton says so, that he wanted to create an Ace Assembly using no double lift. And under that premise the routine is good. But there is a lack of motivation. Why do I lay down the packets only to pick them up again and then deal them down again? If you can look past this it might be something for you. Honestly, I don't think I can fool you with this, I chose the worst possible angle, but fooling other magicians should hardly be the aim of any performer.

Difficulty 3/5

The Leaper Again by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 17 et seq.

Personal Comment: When do I perform this? I cannot image doing this as I am table hopping... It cannot be a noisy place as there are a lot of instructions. So naturally that limits the venues that this can be performed in. But aside from that it's a good trick. The trick itself in Roy's take on the classic by Charles Jordan.

Difficulty 3/5

Mission Accomplished by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 9 et seq.

Personal Comment: The is a time and a place for everything. Even for this trick. If bold methods are your thing, go for it. Otherwise... there are better version out there.

Difficulty 2/5

Oil and Queens by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 6 et seq.

Personal Comment: Actually this is a good trick for magicians. This surprise ending, which also works for laypeople is actually a lot better for magicians. How do I know, for the last few days I tried it. And it got a "soso"-reaction by normal people. Magicians seem to get something out of this. Oh well!

Difficulty 3/5

Aperetif by Roy Walton

The Complete Walton Vol 1. by Roy Walton 1981
Page 1 et seq.

Personal Comment: First trick in the book and the first trick that I needed to cheat. My hand are simply not big enough to do that one move that is required. Don't get me wrong, I can still do the move, but it looks horrible on camera. So what what is this trick.... Basically an Ace production. Is it good? Yes! Is it better than others? No!

Difficulty 3/5