Trying to remember an visual effect

quixotecoyote · 1st March 2007, 12:47 AM

Back when I was teaching summer school one of students showed me an amusing way to set up the deck for a fun visual effect. You started with a story about a theft and picked a card that was going to be stole, then you had the volunteer pick a favorite card and remove it. You then told a story about the face cards as dectectives/witnesses/theives while turning the deck over and tapping it to make each of the face cards pop up in turn. Does anyone remember what this one is called?

firecoins · 3rd March 2007, 09:16 AM

I am not quite clear on the effect.

A card is chosen. Returned to the deck. Which face cards turn face up? The picture cards? The selected one? Do they do this together or one at a time? Are they removed from the deck as well prior to the selection being made?

Azrael 5 · 3rd March 2007, 03:34 PM

First trick I learned was similiar to this,but was top of the deck not face.

For obvious reasons.

jsfisher · 3rd March 2007, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by Azrael 5

First trick I learned was similiar to this,but was top of the deck not face.

For obvious reasons.

Something like this: Four jacks are fanned and shown to the audience. The patter has the jacks as thieves that will rob the castle (the rest of the deck). The jacks are placed on the top of the deck (the attic). The top three cards are then moved one by one to the "lower floors" in the deck to pillage, while the fourth jack remains in the attic to keep watch. A magic tap of the deck, and all four jacks return to the attic to escape with the loot....

That one?

(I was one of my first tricks, too. I was very young.)

Azrael 5 · 4th March 2007, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by jsfisher

Something like this: Four jacks are fanned and shown to the audience. The patter has the jacks as thieves that will rob the castle (the rest of the deck). The jacks are placed on the top of the deck (the attic). The top three cards are then moved one by one to the "lower floors" in the deck to pillage, while the fourth jack remains in the attic to keep watch. A magic tap of the deck, and all four jacks return to the attic to escape with the loot....

That one?

(I was one of my first tricks, too. I was very young.)

Precisely that one!

Garrette · 5th March 2007, 08:04 AM

I'm fairly certain it's in Professional Magic for Amateurs, but I can't be sure. I'll check when I have access to my library later.

Mick Houlahan · 5th March 2007, 02:04 PM

This is a variation of a trick usually called "The Flying Aces" or something along those lines. Same method, different presentation. It's in virtually every card book written for beginners.

Azrael 5 · 5th March 2007, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Mick Houlahan

This is a variation of a trick usually called "The Flying Aces" or something along those lines. Same method, different presentation. It's in virtually every card book written for beginners.

Are we still discussing mine and jsfiisher's answer,I'm confused now!

quixotecoyote if you Pm me I will tell you how to do the trick,it's simple and even if you aren't officially a magician it's not going to hurt anyone to reveal it to you.

Brown · 5th March 2007, 05:25 PM

I might add that there are variations on this trick that will fool people who think they know how it is done. Some of the variations are very simple to do. (In fact, they are so simple that even I can do them!) They don't affect the trick much, and someone seeing the trick for the first time will probably not even notice them. But someone who "knows" how the trick works will be totally thrown off, and will think that the trick is entirely "new."

quixotecoyote · 8th March 2007, 08:32 PM

Whee. After March 2nd and no answers I forgot to check the thread again.

The whole trick goes like this:

"I'm going to show you a mystery using this deck of cards. "

deals two cards face down on table

"Pick a card"

<picks card>

"Ok that's the informant"

<turns over the other card>

"and this is the (name of card), the most valuable card in the deck with has just been stolen"

<places informant and treasure back in deck>

"In cases of theft the first thing to do is call the police"

<taps deck on edge of table, Kings pop up>

"The police sent their four best detectives but they couldn't find a trace of the criminals, so they turned to a team of special agents"

<turn deck upside down, pushing the kings back into the deck and pushin gup 3 queens>

"The special agents were much better aquainted with the circumstances of the case and knew just who to ask"

<flick deck with finger popping up the informant card>

"the informant told the agents that one of the Barclay Brothers had stolen the item. The agents immediately formed a raid on the Brothers hideout and arrested them"

<turning deck, pushing down the queens, pushing up the jacks>

Sure enough under interrogation one of the Barclay's cracked and gave the location of the item hidden in a safehouse across town. the agents went to investigate and sure enough

<flicks deck to pop up treasure card>

They found it, and solved the case.

--

Even before the kid taught it to me, it was obvious how he was 'doing' the trick. The flicking and tapping isn't even disguised. It's just a matter of preparing the deck being complicated. And yes I am going to pm azrael.

Azrael 5 · 9th March 2007, 02:39 AM

It's a different trick to the one I was posting about but I do remember this from my youth also,just a case of remembering it!
Will reply to you rPM when I have remembered the method,although it is self working!!

1st March 2007, 12:47 AM	#1
quixotecoyote Howling to glory I go Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,947	Trying to remember an visual effect Back when I was teaching summer school one of students showed me an amusing way to set up the deck for a fun visual effect. You started with a story about a theft and picked a card that was going to be stole, then you had the volunteer pick a favorite card and remove it. You then told a story about the face cards as dectectives/witnesses/theives while turning the deck over and tapping it to make each of the face cards pop up in turn. Does anyone remember what this one is called?
	__________________ parky76; Israel does not want an independent investigation just like Bush did not want to investigate 9-11. Thank you for the avatar xkcd.

3rd March 2007, 09:16 AM	#2
firecoins Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nyack, NY Posts: 3,054	I am not quite clear on the effect. A card is chosen. Returned to the deck. Which face cards turn face up? The picture cards? The selected one? Do they do this together or one at a time? Are they removed from the deck as well prior to the selection being made?
	__________________ NY Paramedic, skeptic, 9/11/01 Reality-ist. I am both right wing nut and left wing lunatic. Deal with it.

3rd March 2007, 03:34 PM	#3
Azrael 5 Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Yorkshire,Uk Posts: 4,171	First trick I learned was similiar to this,but was top of the deck not face. For obvious reasons.
	__________________ "I achieve these results through a mixture of magic,misdirection,suggestion and showmanship"-Derren Brown Photography here

3rd March 2007, 07:38 PM	#4
jsfisher ETcorngods survivor Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 6,348	Originally Posted by Azrael 5 First trick I learned was similiar to this,but was top of the deck not face. For obvious reasons. Something like this: Four jacks are fanned and shown to the audience. The patter has the jacks as thieves that will rob the castle (the rest of the deck). The jacks are placed on the top of the deck (the attic). The top three cards are then moved one by one to the "lower floors" in the deck to pillage, while the fourth jack remains in the attic to keep watch. A magic tap of the deck, and all four jacks return to the attic to escape with the loot.... That one? (I was one of my first tricks, too. I was very young.)
	__________________ If you are not part of the solution, you just haven't fully dissolved, yet. *A proud member of the Simpson 15+7, named in the suit, Simpson v. Zwinge, et al., and founder of the ET Corn Gods Survivors Group.* By the way, the Nominate button is to your ~~right~~ left, sort of..

4th March 2007, 06:15 AM	#5
Azrael 5 Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Yorkshire,Uk Posts: 4,171	Originally Posted by jsfisher Something like this: Four jacks are fanned and shown to the audience. The patter has the jacks as thieves that will rob the castle (the rest of the deck). The jacks are placed on the top of the deck (the attic). The top three cards are then moved one by one to the "lower floors" in the deck to pillage, while the fourth jack remains in the attic to keep watch. A magic tap of the deck, and all four jacks return to the attic to escape with the loot.... That one? (I was one of my first tricks, too. I was very young.) Precisely that one!
	__________________ "I achieve these results through a mixture of magic,misdirection,suggestion and showmanship"-Derren Brown Photography here

5th March 2007, 08:04 AM	#6
Garrette Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,927	I'm fairly certain it's in Professional Magic for Amateurs, but I can't be sure. I'll check when I have access to my library later.
Garrette Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,927	__________________ My kids still love me.

5th March 2007, 02:04 PM	#7
Mick Houlahan Scholar Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Chicago 'burbs Posts: 107	This is a variation of a trick usually called "The Flying Aces" or something along those lines. Same method, different presentation. It's in virtually every card book written for beginners.

5th March 2007, 04:29 PM	#8
Azrael 5 Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Yorkshire,Uk Posts: 4,171	Originally Posted by Mick Houlahan This is a variation of a trick usually called "The Flying Aces" or something along those lines. Same method, different presentation. It's in virtually every card book written for beginners. Are we still discussing mine and jsfiisher's answer,I'm confused now! quixotecoyote if you Pm me I will tell you how to do the trick,it's simple and even if you aren't officially a magician it's not going to hurt anyone to reveal it to you.
	__________________ "I achieve these results through a mixture of magic,misdirection,suggestion and showmanship"-Derren Brown Photography here

5th March 2007, 05:25 PM	#9
Brown Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Twin Cities, Canada Posts: 9,025	I might add that there are variations on this trick that will fool people who think they know how it is done. Some of the variations are very simple to do. (In fact, they are so simple that even I can do them!) They don't affect the trick much, and someone seeing the trick for the first time will probably not even notice them. But someone who "knows" how the trick works will be totally thrown off, and will think that the trick is entirely "new."
	__________________ Klaatu: I'm impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it. Mr. Harley: I'm afraid my people haven't. I am very sorry. I wish it were otherwise. -- The Day The Earth Stood Still, screenplay by Edmund H. North "Don't you get me wrong. I only want to know." -- Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, lyrics by Tim Rice

8th March 2007, 08:32 PM	#10
quixotecoyote Howling to glory I go Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,947	Whee. After March 2nd and no answers I forgot to check the thread again. The whole trick goes like this: "I'm going to show you a mystery using this deck of cards. " deals two cards face down on table "Pick a card" <picks card> "Ok that's the informant" <turns over the other card> "and this is the (name of card), the most valuable card in the deck with has just been stolen" <places informant and treasure back in deck> "In cases of theft the first thing to do is call the police" <taps deck on edge of table, Kings pop up> "The police sent their four best detectives but they couldn't find a trace of the criminals, so they turned to a team of special agents" <turn deck upside down, pushing the kings back into the deck and pushin gup 3 queens> "The special agents were much better aquainted with the circumstances of the case and knew just who to ask" <flick deck with finger popping up the informant card> "the informant told the agents that one of the Barclay Brothers had stolen the item. The agents immediately formed a raid on the Brothers hideout and arrested them" <turning deck, pushing down the queens, pushing up the jacks> Sure enough under interrogation one of the Barclay's cracked and gave the location of the item hidden in a safehouse across town. the agents went to investigate and sure enough <flicks deck to pop up treasure card> They found it, and solved the case. -- Even before the kid taught it to me, it was obvious how he was 'doing' the trick. The flicking and tapping isn't even disguised. It's just a matter of preparing the deck being complicated. And yes I am going to pm azrael.
	__________________ parky76; Israel does not want an independent investigation just like Bush did not want to investigate 9-11. Thank you for the avatar xkcd.

9th March 2007, 02:39 AM	#11
Azrael 5 Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Yorkshire,Uk Posts: 4,171	It's a different trick to the one I was posting about but I do remember this from my youth also,just a case of remembering it! Will reply to you rPM when I have remembered the method,although it is self working!!
	__________________ "I achieve these results through a mixture of magic,misdirection,suggestion and showmanship"-Derren Brown Photography here