The Royal Routine

I decided to share with you my card routines that I do in my theater. This is the first one. It's complex, yet modular. It takes from a variety of sources. The first production of the kings is taken from Phil Goldsteins book focus. The transformation of the selection into the four kings is taken from the Red Mirror DVD by Helder Guimaraes. Transforming back the kings into the selection is taken from Jim Abrahams the Royal Imposter routine.

Then the tabled selection turns out to be the four kings again is taken straight from the works of Bebel using a sleight often credited to Dai Vernon, which is an excellent way to add/move cards from a deck to the table/other part of the deck. (Methods used to control all the cards: Double Undercut, Kelly Bottom Placement, Double Undercut, DL)

Then a straight one handed Top Palm and that leads into the part where the kings one by one turn into the selection. I came up with this myself, but after that I have seen several magicians doing the same. Dani DaOrtiz doing it pretty much the way I do it. Paul Gordon does it with three cards and the selection. The little finish by placing the Double on the pile and then taking of the top card in a loose fashion is by Bebel.

The last backfire of the selection not being in the pocket but the four kings is also by Bebel.

This routine actually continues with a fake explanation of the cards going to the pocket, in which the whole deck goes to the pocket except the selection. The result is a natural deck switch ;).

T.N.Two by Phil Goldstein

Apocalypse by Harry Lorayne
Volume 8, Number 1 January 1985
Page 1018 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is a tricky little trick. It can work in quite a few different settings and fail in a lot of others. In fact you should not riffle shuffle the deck near the tabled cards. The effect is not new, but I guess this could fit in a gambling demonstration. I kinda like it. Kinda!

Difficulty 3/5

Queens and Water by Phil Goldstein

Personal Comment: I cannot give you the book that this is in. I always thought it was in Focus, but turns out it is not. The is Phils take on Oil and Queens by Roy Walton. The effect is nearly the same but the handling differs at key moments. I am not entirely sure if this is correctly done, as I was working from my memory.

Difficulty 2/5

Masque by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 135 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is the last trick in the book. And worth the trouble of learning it. I like the trick. Straight forward and with a fullfilling climax. And really easy to do.

Difficulty 1/5

Picasso Aces by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 122 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is just bloody brilliant. The problem with most of these tricks is, that the Aces are too long out of view. But adding a different colored back to them helps to keep up the image of the aces being there where they're supposed to be. Now adding odd colour backs usually means stuff gets complicated in terms of setup and all of that. It is not so in this case. Just cull/cut/control one regular ace to the top and you are ready to go.

Difficulty 3/5

Umpteenth Aces by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 115 et seq.

Personal Comment: Practical. Hardly any more to say than this. No extra cards in play. All in all a good routine. But... this is more a routine if you are sitting. So if this is your performance style, then go for it.

Difficulty 2/5

Chromatwist by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 110 et seq.

Personal Comment: I'm loosing it sorry. But this was video was trick #25 in my scheduled list. I was tired, trying to keep the structure in mind, when do a regular count, twist, half pass and whatever. So I was goofing around as not to lose sanity. Guess it didn't work too much. Anyway.... back to the trick: Much better than Chromavator I think. The numbers help to know which card is next and also "hints" what will be the end. Often those twist routines are unclear in beginning, middle and end. This is clear and in the end you also got the added kicker. Good stuff I guess.

Difficulty 3/5

Chromavator by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 106 et seq.

Personal Comment: The Elevator Plot basically with an added kicker. Truthfully... having the spectator remember the position of any given card is too much for my taste. I don't want my spectators to think that hard. Not because they are unable too (because that would be grossly underestimating them) but because I want them to have a good time. And part of a good time is easy consumability. So depending on my audience I can see that this trick might be applicable to certain folk. But not to most of them. Sorry, I'll pass!

Difficulty 3/5

Con-Sequence by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 106 et seq.

Personal Comment: Love it!

Difficulty 3/5

Counter-Revolution by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 101 et seq.

Personal Comment: Feels pretty much like Set-Reset doesn't it. The effect is different though as no "reset" takes place. I cannot say I like it that much, but I admire the construction of the routine. It is well done and the clean up is something the Paul Harris could learn from.
It was late when I recorded this. And I have been through 20 effects before that, So I was walking on the edge there. I will lose insanity a few tricks later. So you can look forward to that.

Difficulty 3/5

Spiralvator by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 101 et seq.

Personal Comment: Pffffffffffffffffffff.... I don't know. I don't think this effect has something to offer that I care about. But I feel this effect could benefit greatly from treatment by one of the greater card guys. And then it could be a great little routine. Might have been done already. It was first published in the August issue of Genii in 1986. If you own Genii you might wanna check out the effect and start being creative yourself.

Difficulty 2/5

Up and Down Mixtant by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 58 et seq.

Personal Comment: This could be a decent addition to yesterdays effect entitled Mixtant. I sort of like it it, although I don't see myself performing this. I just don't like oil and water effects. Naturally I don't like the reversed effect either. Whatever... I am sure there are quite a few magicians out there loving this stuff.

Difficulty 2/5

Mixtant by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 97 et seq.

Personal Comment: Such a lovely addition to any oil and water routine. And the method is quite bold and interesting. Check it out. This trick of course could be used as an interlude of Jazz Aces, Set-Reset all all other sorts of tricks that need 8 cards, 4 which are red and 4 which are black.

Difficulty 2/5

Packetrainer by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 73 et seq.

Personal Comment: This routine is fun. It is cute, the effect is clear, even though I personally would change the method a bit, but as an impromptu trick using just four cards this stands out as one of the better tricks. Let me explain: The effect is the same many, many times during the routine. But this is not what is important. The story here is what matters. Card turning over hearing a special command, that is cool from a spectator's point of view. I like it. Something about it makes me love this trick.

Difficulty 2/5

Cry Wolf by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 58 et seq.

Personal Comment: I think this trick is a joke by Phil. He put that trick in the book giggling to himself... I cannot believe that he was serious about it. This routine uses pretty much every false count there is. It uses the Jack Avis' Siva Count, the Victor Eye Count, the Elmsley Count, the Castillion Spirit Count and Phils own Snap-Turn Count. This routine must be a joke. Or maybe it is a demonstration piece. Painters do demonstration paintings. Usually those would include a portrait, a still, a nude, landscape, sky, animals, buildings and all sort of thing to showcase the painter's abilities as an artist. The same seems to be true for Cry Wolf. If you wanna study false counts, go on study this routine. I won't bother anymore.

Difficulty 5/5

Fluttering Hearts by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 59 et seq.

Personal Comment: Formal setting, good trick. Little setup, big effect. Everywhere else... meh...

Difficulty 2/5

Sidewinder by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 58 et seq.

Personal Comment: Packet tricks, packet tricks, packet tricks... there is always a good side and a major drawback. I guess I can't see effects like that in a formal setting, knowing the method implied. But I can see that this trick would be great for a trade show. Instead of kings and aces the cards could transform into logos or slogans. If you think into that direction Sidewinder may actually be a really, really good trick.

Difficulty 2/5

Ascension by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 50 et seq.

Personal Comment: Focus is a lovely book, because introduces me to new idea in a very direct way. Often simpified and very well constructed. This particular routine is nice I guess, but it takes way too long for my personal taste. Three selections would be quicker than four kings. Personal taste is different, so I assume some magicians love that idea.

Difficulty 3/5

Troublebacker by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 44 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is such a cute routine. And apart from the initial false count really easy. But I cannot really see myself performing this one. Basically you need two odd backed cards. And if you through the trouble of adding those secretly to the pack there are better tricks you can do. The Chicago Opener comes to mind. So why bother?

Difficulty 2/5

Brimstone Elevator by Phil Goldstein

Focus by Phil Goldstein 1990
Page 41 et seq.

Personal Comment: I read it and was all like... really? Really? This is boring. And you know what... I tried it for real people. It is. But I tell you for whom this routine seems to be designed for. For magicians. And all because of the kicker in the end. And for magicians it is a nice routine.

Difficulty 3/5