Mike Powers - Invisible Aces

THE INVISIBLE ACES EFFECT: The four aces are removed from the deck and made invisible one by one. Suddenly the invisible aces become visible again. Finally, the aces are shown to be the four kings!! This is one strong routine. PREPARATION: From top down: Face down indifferent card, FU red king, FU black king, FU black king, remainder of deck face down with 3H on the bottom. This set up can be created while you are openly culling the four aces. METHOD: 1) Spread the cards face up and upjog the aces as you come to them. Position the 3H on top of the face up deck as this is done. Place the ace of spades on the 3H then place the other aces on top of these. Remove the top 5 cards as the four aces and hold them in Biddle Grip in the right hand. The right hand assists the left hand in flipping the remainder of the deck face down into left hand dealing position. Be sure to not let the top card spread revealing the face up kings beneath. 2) Obtain a left fourth finger break under the top card of the deck. Now the right hand brings its five-card packet over to the deck in the left hand and takes the top card of the left hand packet underneath. Maintain a right thumb break over this card. Do not remove these cards or you will expose the face up kings. You are ready for ATFUS.

Figure 1

3) Begin the ATFUS action viz. the left thumb holds the top ace in place as the right hand pulls its packet to the right. This ace falls flush with the face up kings on the deck. The right hand returns and the left thumb pulls the next ace from the right hand's packet. This ace is sidejogged to the right. Repeat with the third ace. Your right hand now holds three cards as one. The right thumb has a break over the bottom, face down card. Leave the aces in a spread condition as in figure 1 for a moment. Now square up the aces with the deck. The right hand comes away with the double above the break (AS followed by the 3H) leaving three face up aces under an indifferent card on top of the deck. Beneath these are three face up kings. The spectators believe that you have all four aces in your right hand.

4) Table the deck face down with your left hand while your right fingers conceal the thickness of the two-card packet (remember ? the spectators believe it to contain four aces). Say, "I will make each of the four aces invisible, one by one. Have you ever seen an invisible ace? (loaded question? have fun with it.)" Flip the two cards face down into left hand dealing position, continuing to hide the thickness. Now lever the top card (3H) into "Tent Vanish" position. The right hand comes over and pretends to take the card, which is allowed to fall flush with the ace

under cover of the right hand. The right hand moves away, supposedly with an ace in the palm. Say, "Ace number one has become invisible." Suiting action to words, revolve the right hand palm up showing that the ace has become invisible. Now turn the right hand palm down on top of the tabled deck and say "I'll place it here for the moment." Supposedly you place the invisible ace on top of the deck. 5) Say, "This leaves three aces here." Perform an Ellis Stanyon count to show the two cards to be three. (This is basically an Elmsley count with two cards, making them appear to be three.) This leaves the 3H on top followed by the AS. Say "I'll do it again" as you perform the tent vanish a second time. As before, you show your right palm empty and then place the invisible ace on top of the deck. Say "Two invisible aces here and two visible here." With these words the left hand takes the top card (3H) and the right hand takes the AS, both face down. The cards are snapped Figure 2 together to show singularity Now the reason for using the 3H ? Place the right hand AS on top of the 3H but spread to the right for 1/2 its width. The faces are shown to the spectators as in figure 2. The fingers hide all but the middle pip of the 3H making it look like the AH. The cards are turned face down. Now the right hand moves the bottom 3H to the top and into tent vanish position. Perform the tent vanish as before and again place the invisible ace of hearts onto the deck with the right hand. This time the two cards in the left hand must coalesce into what appears to be a single card. 6) The right hand takes the double as a single card and shows it to be the ace of spades. The double is now dropped to the table face down as a single card. If you give the card(s) a downward bow before you drop them, they will land square and remain squared. This is not difficult. (If you perform an Open Travelers routine you will be comfortable here. If you don't you should learn one.) 7) Immediately, the left hand takes the tabled deck into left hand dealing position as you say "Three invisible aces here. I'll make them visible and then I'll show you a real miracle." With these words, the right hand moves over the deck in readiness to palm the top card. Your right palm contacts the top card and rubs it. Finally the right hand palms the top face down card and moves to the right with the palmed card. (This can be facilitated if you have previously Figure 3 obtained a left fourth finger break under the top card.) The spectators see a face up ace on top of the deck. It is just as if you had made the aces become visible with a pass of the hand. The deck is held as in figure 3, which facilitates the next unloading move.

Figure 4

8) The right hand approaches the deck from the right. The outer left corner of the palmed card is inserted into the deck as shown in figure 4. The right hand continues pushing the hidden card in. The left fingers assist in squaring the card with the deck. Finally the right thumb squares the inner edge with the deck as the right hand moves away to the right. Apparently the aces have become visible again. Casually show the right hand to be empty. (I use this Palm/Unload sequence as a color change, too!)

Now spread the top two aces showing that all three aces have become visible. Obtain a break under the 6th card from the top (the bottom king). Flip over all six cards as three and remove the top three cards. This switches the three aces for three kings in readiness for the big ending. Now spread the top two aces showing that all three aces have become visible. Obtain a break under the 6th card from the top (the bottom king). Flip over all six cards as three and remove the top three cards. This switches the three aces for three kings in readiness for the big ending. Table the deck face down and place the three face down cards into left hand dealing position. Say, "I saved the ace of spades for last. I'll make it invisible then visible right before your eyes." The right hand picks up the tabled double as a single card and places it face down onto the left hand packet. Perform a double turnover, showing the ace of spades one last time. Now flip the double face down and deal the top card (3H) face down next to the deck. Supposedly you now hold three aces. Actually, you have three kings with the ace of spades on top. Back spread the bottom two King's keeping the top two cards as one. Place these four cards as three, face down on the table. You are going to use an "Open Travelers" type revelation to make the AS become visible. Pick up the deck in left hand while the right hand picks up the tabled 3H. Say "I'll make the ace of spades invisible." Place the 3H in tent vanish position on the deck. Perform the tent vanish and show the palm of the right hand to contain an invisible ace. The thumb of the left hand deals the top card to the table, face up showing that the ace of spades has not been left on the deck. (This card will be the 3H.) Say "I'll make the ace visible right before your eyes." Suiting action to words, the right hand turns palm down onto the double card on top of the tabled spread causing the ace of spades to split from the double. When the right hand is lifted, four face down cards are seen! This is like real magic for the spectators. The right hand flips over the top card of the four, showing the ace of spades. The effect is apparently over, but we've got the kings for the killer ending. Use the top face down card (black king) to flip the ace of spades face down. Place this king face down on top. This positions the ace for the Elmsley count, which will show that the aces have become the kings. Finally say "The aces have shown their magic ability by becoming invisible and the visible again. But this invisibility business makes them uncertain as to whom they are. When they rematerialize, anything can happen." As you say this, flip the packet face up showing a king. Perform an Elmsley count showing four kings. Killer ending....

NOTE: If you find it awkward to set the kings up at the beginning, you can leave out the kings and just do the invisible aces as described it is strong enough by itself. A Braue reversal should be easy to implement to get the kings reversed. CREDITS: This routine was inspired by Allan Ackerman's EvaporACEtion routine from his great book “Here's My Card.” ROUTINING IDEAS: This effect works great with "Blowing Away the Aces." Use this as a follow up and explain that when the aces were blown away, they really became invisible. Explain that often people feel that the aces are hidden in the deck and that you will make them invisible without the use of the deck. To make the follow up easy, position the 3H at the bottom of the deck as you are culling the aces in "Blowing Away the Aces." When that routine is finished, the 3H will be the card directly above the 1st face up ace. Cut it to the bottom so that the set up for Invisible Aces is ready to go. The three kings required for Invisible Aces can also be controlled throughout "Blowing Away the Aces." (Editors Note: The second effect, "Blowing Away The Aces", was included for the sake of completeness. I think it's an excellent routine and asked Mike to include it since he mentioned it in Invisible Aces. Here's what he wrote to me: "There's not a lot of innovation in Blowing Away the Aces. It's a technical variation of Latta's Collecting the Vanishing Aces from Cardworks. Swain had a vanishing sequence and Latta added a collectors to it. I changed the way of getting set up for the vanishing/collecting sequence only slightly. It gets to the same place in a more direct way by leaving out two double undercuts and eliminating a "Tilt". The "Blowing Away" business justifies the use of the "drop cover" type pass which is easier to pull off under heat. Here the pass is used under scrutiny so you need a really good one or some cover. The "blowing action" gives cover for a less than perfect pass. You could also just refer the reader to Cardworks for Latta's routine. It's your call.”)

Blowing Away the Aces This effect is a handling of Collecting the Vanishing Aces which is Geoff Latta's variation of Jim Swain's Passing Along the Vanishing Aces. The original routine is found in Kaufman's Cardworks. EFFECT: Three selections are lost in the deck. The performer then visibly vanishes the four aces one by one. Finally, the deck is spread and the aces are seen face up in the middle with three face down cards interlaced among them. These turn out to be the selections. As the original titles suggest, the pass is used to vanish the aces. In this variation, you don't need to be able to do an "invisible" pass to make the effect strong. The theme of "blowing away the aces" allows you to use a Drop Cover action, allowing the passes to be made with less speed and still be effective. METHOD: 1. Openly cull the four aces to the top of the face up deck. Spread the cards and obtain a left fourth finger break under the 7th card from the top. Square up. The right hand now lifts all seven cards above the break as the left hand flips the deck face down. 2. The right hand places its packet of seven cards face up on the deck as the left fourth finger picks up a break under them. Now spread the top three cards (aces) and call them out by suit from the top down say its hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades. Tell the spectators that you don't want any of the aces selected so you will remove them. Flip over the top seven cards and immediately spread the top four face down cards, repeating the original order i.e. say hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades. Square the four up and flip them face up showing the ace of spades just as you say "spades." This little subtlety reinforces the feeling that all is correct. Actually the ace of spades is followed by three indifferent cards. 3. Place the four face up cards face up on the pad and say "I don't want anyone to select an ace." The top three cards of the deck are the other three aces. Now spread the deck and have three spectators select cards. While they are looking at their cards, get a double tilt break at the top of the deck that is in left hand dealing position. Take back one selection and insert it into the bottom Tilt break (3rd from the top). The next selection goes into the top Tilt break (2nd from top). Push these selections flush and release both breaks. (You could obtain each Tilt break just before you need it, if you feel uncomfortable holding two breaks simultaneously.) Now take the deck in right hand biddle grip and kick cut the top half of the deck into the left hand. Have the third selection placed on the left hand half deck. Place the right hand half deck on the left

hand half, maintaining a break between them. Use a pass or a double cut to return the bottom half to the top bringing the aces and selections back to the top. STATUS CHECK: From top down: selection, ace, selection, ace, selection, ace. 4. Hold the deck face down in right hand Biddle grip while the left hand reaches for the face up packet on the pad. This packet is taken into face down left hand dealing position. Say, "The aces will start on the bottom." Dribble the cards from the deck in the right hand onto the "aces" in the left hand. Say "I'm going to let the aces put on a little show for you before we find the selections." Obtain a left 4th finger break under the top two cards. Now you are ready to begin the vanish sequence. 5. The deck is in left hand dealing position. The right hand reaches over the front of the deck allowing the right 2nd finger to reach under and contact the ace of spades on the bottom of the deck. The ace is pulled forward and rotated to face up on top of the deck. You now have a left hand fourth finger break under the top three cards. Say "The first ace is the ace of spades. Watch, I'll blow it away." Move your 4th finger deeper into the break in readiness for a Classic type pass. Your right hand partially covers the top card. Move the deck up near your mouth. It reaches an almost horizontal position. Blow on the ace with a quick blowing action. Immediately the hands rotate downward while the pass is being done. This downward movement covers the pass. The net result is that the ace appears to visibly vanish. (This pass is sometimes called a “Drop Cover Pass”.) You will notice that a new ace is now on the bottom. 6. Spread about three fourths of the deck while you say "The ace is not hiding here." As you square up, get a break under the top two cards with the left fourth finger. 7. Now repeat the actions of steps 5 and 6 three more times, vanishing all four aces one by one. After the fourth vanish, the four aces will be face up near the bottom with the three selections interlaced among them. Spread the top third of the deck into the right hand. The right hand rotates upward showing the faces of the spread cards. Say "No aces near the top." Spread the second third of the deck under the first third and once again show the faces saying "No aces near the middle." Add the spread cards to the left hand section and as you are squaring up, execute a Turnover Pass. This brings the deck face up and also centralizes the key cards. Spread the bottom third of the deck and say "No aces near the bottom. They are gone." Let the effect sink in for a couple of beats. 8. To end say "I'll bring the aces back and I'll use them to find the missing selections." Spread the deck face down. Remove the aces and show the interlaced cards to be the selections.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Drop Cover Pass is very deceptive here and the blowing action adds a bit more misdirection for those of us whose pass isn't done at lightning speed. When performed properly, this routine will get a great reaction. The aces really seem to vanish right before their eyes.

-- Michael Powers