FalseShuffle

Twisting the Aces Card Trick

by Dai Vernon

Effect

The magician starts the trick with the four Aces, which he explains are the lightest cards in the deck because they have the least amount of ink. However, the Ace of Spades is the exception, since it has a bit more ink. The magician then says that this property of the Aces allows for some interesting things. He starts by twisting the Aces in his hand. Then, he counts through the Aces to reveal that the Ace of Hearts has turned itself face up. Again, the magician twists the Aces and counts through them. This time, the Ace of Clubs is face up. Next, the magician twists the Aces once more and counts through them. Now the Ace of Diamonds is face up. Finally, the magician explains that the Ace of Spades is the trickiest Ace because it is heavier than the others. He then twists the Aces and gives them a pop. The magician then deals through the cards, revealing that the last Ace, the Ace of Spades has turned itself face up.

Method

  1. Start by removing the four Aces. Hold the Ace of Clubs and Ace of Hearts face up in your left hand, and the Ace of Spades and Ace of Diamonds in your right hand.
  2. After explaining about how the Aces are the lightest cards in the deck because they have the least amount of ink, place the Aces in your left hand below the Aces in your right hand, and then turn all of the Aces face down. You should be holding, from top to bottom, the Ace of Clubs, the Ace of Hearts, the Ace of Spades, and the Ace of Diamonds (CHaSeD order).
  3. Explain that the Ace of Spades is the exception because it has more ink on it.
  4. Use a buckle or pinky pulldown to perform a triple turnover, revealing the Ace of Spades.
  5. Point out how much ink the Ace of Spades has.
  6. Lift up the Ace of Spades a little and hold it in your non-deck hand as you leave behind the two face up cards below it. As you lift the Ace of Spades, wrist kill the remaining packet of three Aces. The audience shouldn't see the two face up Aces during this action.
  7. Turn the face up Ace of Spades in your hand face down and make a weighing motion.
  8. Turn the Ace of Spades face up again, and add it to the bottom of the wrist killed packet, so that it is facing the same direction as the Ace of Diamonds.
  9. Return your hand back to mechanic's grip, undoing the wrist kill. Now you should be holding, from top a bottom, a face down Ace of Spades, a face up Ace of Hearts, a face up Ace of Clubs, and a face down Ace of Diamonds.
  10. Twist the packet of Aces in your hand (rotate it 180 degrees clockwise, keeping it parallel to the floor during the rotation).
  11. Now, perform an Elmsley count to reveal that the Ace of Hearts has turned face up.
  12. Again, twist the packet of Aces.
  13. Now, perform another Elmsley count to reveal that the Ace of Clubs has turned face up. As you finish the Elmsley count, place the last card underneath the packet instead of on top, leaving the face up Ace of Clubs on top.
  14. Use a buckle or pinky pulldown to perform a triple turnover. It should look like you simply turned the Ace of Clubs face down.
  15. Twist the packet of Aces again.
  16. Count through the four Aces, reversing their order as your deal. As you count, the audience will see that the Ace of Diamonds has turned face up. Make sure that your hand motions look the same as the hand motions you used when you were performing the Elmsley counts.
  17. Spread the four cards in your hand, pull out the Ace of Diamonds, and place it face up on top.
  18. Perform a double lift, holding the face up Ace of Diamonds and the card below it as one in your non-deck hand.
  19. Turn the face down cards in your deck hand face up, and replace them underneath the double in your non-deck hand.
  20. Turn the entire packet of cards face down, and hold them in your deck hand.
  21. Twist the Aces and then "pop" the cards (push up on the corners from below, and then push up on the middle as you pull down on the corners).
  22. Count through the four Aces, reversing their order as your deal. As you count, the audience will see that the Ace of Spades has turned face up. Make sure that your hand motions look the same as the hand motions you used when you were performing the Elmsley counts.

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