Aces Memory

Original Author: Bruce Schilling

Effect: Trick uses full or almost full card deck: one ace, one king, and one queen of any suit in ace-king-queen order at bottom of deck (ace is bottom card). You must know how to deal from bottom of deck.

Card Trick:

1. Show spectator the bottom three cards (ace, king, queen). Then tilt the deck down so spectator can't see the bottom.

2. Tell spectator that you will take the ace, king, and queen from the bottom of the deck. Pretend to pull the ace out from the bottom with your right second finger, but actually slide it toward you with your left third finger under the deck while with your right second finger you slide out the king and lay it on the table. Slide out the next card (apparently the king but actually the ace) and lay it to the right of the king. Slide out the queen and lay it to the right of the other two cards.

3. Spectator believes that the order from left to right is ace-king-queen, but it is really king-ace-queen. Pick up middle card (ace), put it on the first card, and then put those two on the third card. Pick them up so that spectator can't see the faces. Spectator believes the ace is the second card, but it's actually the top card.

4. Deal the cards in a row again from left to right. Spectator will think the order is king-ace-queen. In fact, it is ace-king-queen.

5. As in step 3, put the middle card on the left card, and the two cards on the right card. Spectator believes the ace is on top; in fact, it is in the middle.

6. Pretend to deal the cards as before. But with the first card, do a bottom-deal: take the bottom card from the three cards and lay it down so spectator will think you dealt off the top when you actually dealt off the bottom.

7. Deal the next two cards to complete the row. Tell spectator to find the ace. If your bottom deal deceived the spectator, he (or she) will believe that the ace is the card at the left. If it didn't deceive him, he will believe that the ace is in the middle. But in fact, it's the third card (farthest to the right). The spectator will be wrong whether your bottom deal fooled him or not.

Editor's suggestion: At the beginning of step 3, it might be a good idea to ask the spectator to keep track of the ace, and after that you should deal and pick up the cards slowly, to make it easy for him to follow the ace. Otherwise, if he gets confused, he'll guess at random in step 7 and may accidentally find the ace. Also, it might be fun to ask other spectators where they think the ace is before you turn it over. Some will guess first card and some will guess second. --RS

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