A Four Ace Trick

ourBy Sidney Carton Having used a duplicate set of short Aces for use in this well-known effect for some time past (this being suggested by a chance remark made by Mr. Edward Victor, of which he has, apparently, no recollection,) the following easy way of getting the usual miracle to come to pass was evolved out of this idea, and a companion idea which was first utilized by Dr. Ford B. Rogers (an American) in quite another direction. The following is the effect: Four Aces are, after some demur on the part of the performer, dealt face upwards on the table. Three indifferent cards are laid at the foot of each. The Aces are then turned over and pushed underneath their respective heaps of three cards. One heap is chosen, and at the last moment, before that chosen heap is placed aside in a rising card glass, the cards are ruffled before the assistant's eyes, and are seen to consist of one ace and three indifferent cards. The other three heaps are shown each to consist of one ace and three indifferent cards, these are placed back in the pack, and the pack is shuffled. At the word of command the three Aces in the pack fly, for though the pack is ruffled over slowly under the assistant's eyes no Aces can be seen. The four cards are removed from the glass, and are shown to be four Aces - four cards only being shown, back and front. The secret is that only one of the Aces is genuine. This is the one to go on the front of the chosen packet later. The other three Aces are shorts of a particular kind, and they are in duplicate, three of them (one set) having each an ordinary card glued to the back, as shown. Once the set is made up the working should be clear. Three short single Aces are deal face up on the table with one ordinary, everyday Ace. On each of the shorts is dealt three indifferent cards, backing them are placed. The selection of that packet is forced, and the cards being slowly ruffled before the assistant's eyes allow the short Aces to 'run over' and only the ordinary Ace appears in front, and, apparently, three indifferent cards with it. On placing the short Aces back in the pack, and after a shuffle for misdirection, etc., a ruffle will not betray their presence, and, to complete the effect, the little break each one makes will enable the performer to get control of them and palm them off before handing the pack on for further use.

Illustrating method of cutting the cards to form shorts.

Now, two tips which published versions of this trick seem to have overlooked. The shorts are not made short all along the top edge, but are cut as shown. This is for the two following reasons. It leaves less of the ordinary sized indifferent card backing to show on exhibiting the four Aces, and also the short Aces when placed back in the pack can be pushed in, and ruffling the cards with the pressure exerted by the first finger of the right hand will allow them to 'run over.' If the card is a thorough short there is practically a necessity to tap the pack on the table to send the card to one end before the pack can be safely ruffled without betraying the short cards' presence. The second tip is to glue the cards together only by their lower edge as then they retain their flexibility and wear better. Sidney Carton's A Four Ace Trick originally appeared in The Magic Wand, London, March 1915.