This Is Just A Regular Deck Of Cards!

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, SAY THAT! Or here, check out the pack to make sure its just a regular deck of cards. Same thing with coins.

I wasn’t sure what I would write about this week, but my blog walked into the shop; a young man, maybe 14 or 16, with his grandmother. The boy was quiet, at first. The grandmother was lovely. He wanted to make things appear and disappear. He didn’t want to learn sleight of hand at this time nor did he have a lot of money to spend.

Perhaps you’d like to see a card trick.

I do card ticks. I want the 4 Ace trick.

Hmm. Does it have a name?

No, but I saw someone do it and it involved the 4 aces.

That narrowed the field. I figured I’d go back to the basics. I love the basics. “Do you have a Svengali deck?

“A what?”

“Okay, let me show you a trick.”

Both grandmother and son stood there with their mouths open. Their jaws dropped 3 times. The first time – when he put his finger in the deck anywhere  he wanted as I riffled one end of it. I told him to take out the Ace of Diamonds, and he looked confused. His grandmother said, “Pick up the card.” He turned it over and this was the first jaw drop. It was the Ace of Diamonds.

Know how I know?

Heads shake.

I cheat. They are all Ace of diamonds I tell them, as I expose all the Aces. (Second jaw drop) But then anyone could do that. It’s not a great feat to have someone choose an Ace of diamonds out of a pack full of Ace of Diamonds.

They agree wholeheartedly.

So I’ll change it. I take the top card and show them the King of Clubs, put it on the bottom of the pack and let the cards fall freely face up into my other hand so they can see they are all the cards different (third jaw drop).

BUT you liked the Ace so please put your finger anywhere in the deck  again as I riffle though it and of course he gets the Ace. (actually there were 4 jaw drops).

That’s when things got nasty. He made a lunge for the pack of cards in my hand. But this wasn’t my first rodeo. He didn’t even get close. But I said to him. “Do you do magic?”

Yes.

How would you like it if you did a trick and someone tried to pull the cards out of your hand?

But I just wanted to see if it was a regular deck of cards.

These are my cards. I let you take any card.

At this point his grandmother piped up. “Are you listening to her? Listen to what the lady is saying!”

Yes, but my friends would grab the deck.

I said, “If you want to do magic you have to establish some authority. These are your cards your props and no one touches them unless you invite them to. You don’t say it in words but your manner should tell them and you have to learn how to do that. And above all don’t say ‘Here I have an ordinary deck of cards’ You’d  be putting the idea in their heads that there is such a thing as an un-ordinary deck of cards.” He gave it some thought. He ended up getting amongst other things, not the 4  Ace Trick, but the 26 Ace Trick!