Vanishing Inc.

Masterclass Lecture 2
The Pass
 Vanishing Inc.
Masterclass Lecture 2
THE PASS

How to Learn the Pass: Precision, Speed, Tension

SLEIGHTS
Turnover
Taylor/Elias Jiggle
Dingle Stroboscopic Riffle
Latta Slow "Missing Frame" Riffle
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jME_Hg06qL8]
Turnover/Hermann extras:
Wrist-Turn; Jennings Circle; Draun Midnight/Graveyard

TRICKS
Swain Passing Along the Vanishing Aces
Latta Vanishing Collectors/Dazzling Interchange
Swiss Slapping the Cavorting Aces (UNPUBLISHED)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJhP5nxVYdA&t=25s]

SUPPORT MATERIALS
Sleights
Hugard & Braue Invisible Pass
Taylor/Elias Jiggle Pass (Epilogue)

Tricks
Swain Passing Along the Vanishing Aces (Cardworks)
Latta Vanishing Collectors/Dazzling Interchange
Slapping the Cavorting Aces
This is a pre-publication release for Masterclass registrants only, provided with the permission
of Penguin Magic – text without photographic illustrations from the forthcoming book, 52
Farewells: Latta on Cards by Stephen Hobbs and Stephen Minch; Jamy Ian Swiss, editor.

***

The Vanishing Collectors, 3 versions – plus Dazzling Interchange

When Geoff first learned of Jim Swain’s “Passing Along the Vanishing Aces”, he appreciated
its groundbreaking nature and recognized how its construction could be adapted to create a
stunning version of Roy Walton’s Collectors effect. Swain’s trick and Geoff’s originally
appeared side by side in Richard Kaufman’s Cardworks (1981, pp. 42 and 45). These two tricks
became part of a modern body of work on the Pass, begun by a small number of expert card-
handlers, Derek Dingle in particular.

Shortly after creating “The Vanishing Collectors”, Geoff devised two increasingly direct and
powerful handlings, along with a sequel, “Dazzling Interchange”. Following any version of
“The Vanishing Collectors” with “Dazzling Interchange” increases the potency of the original
piece exponentially. All three versions of “The Vanishing Collectors” are given in this chapter,
along with “Dazzling Interchange”. Although technically demanding, these constructions are
included as examples of Geoff’s willingness to use advanced techniques to create highly effective
and direct card magic.

“The Vanishing Collectors” begins with the removal of the four Aces from the deck. The Aces
are set aside and three random cards are selected by spectators, remembered and lost in the
pack. The Aces are placed on the bottom of the deck. One Ace is transferred, face up, to the
top. This Ace visibly vanishes. Spreading through the face-down deck, the performer shows
that there is no sign of the face-up Ace. A second Ace is placed face up on top of the deck. It
also vanishes. This is repeated with each of the remaining two Aces. The Aces then reappear
face up in the center of the pack, with three face-down cards alternated among them. These
face-down cards are the three selections.

MAKING THE SELECTIONS AND LOSING THEM—Spread openly through the deck and transfer
each Ace as you come to it to the face. Arrange the Aces so that the black Aces lie between the
red ones. Secretly obtain a left fourth-finger break seven cards from the face of the deck (three
cards below the Aces). Geoff simply spread the cards casually and formed the break as he
squared them back into his left hand.

With the right hand, lift all the cards above the break away from the deck, holding them in end
grip, at the same time using your left thumb to flip the deck face down.

Drop the Ace packet face up onto the pack, catching a left fourth-finger break between the
packet and the deck. Then spread over the top three cards to display the four Aces.

Flip the Aces face down and squared onto the deck, using the Zarrow Block Addition: The right
hand holds the spread Aces, thumb on their faces, fingers underneath, with the tips of the
fingers inserted into the break. At the same time, move your left thumb to the left side of the
deck. With a light but secure right-hand grip, draw all the cards above the break (the visible
Aces plus the three random cards hidden below the fourth Ace) to the right, until the left side
of the fourth Ace reaches the right side of the deck (Photo 1). The flip all the right hand’s cards
face down onto the deck, letting them fall square. Spread over the top four cards and take them
into the right hand. This procedure has switched out three of the Aces.

Tap the right hand’s spread of cards closed against the top of the deck, casually flashing the
Ace on the face of the packet. There is a discrepancy here, but the change from one red Ace to
the other red Ace is never noticed. Drop the four-card packet face down on the table.

Secretly obtain a break above the bottom card of the deck and casually do a Double Cut or Side
Steal to bring it to the top. Spread the deck and have three spectators each select a card and
remember it. Make sure the spectators do not select one of the top four cards.

Holding the deck in your left hand, use your right hand to take back the first selection. As you
display the face of this card to the audience, use a Pinky Count to obtain a break underneath
the third card from the top of the deck. Convert this break into a Tilt break by releasing pressure
from the ball of the left thumb and pressing gently upward with the fourth finger. Insert the
selection into the tilt break, in the usual fashion (Photo 2), push it flush, raise the deck to
collapse the break, and square up.

As you retrieve and display the second selection, secretly obtain a left fourth-finger break below
the top two cards of the deck. Again convert this break to a Tilt break, insert the second
selection below it, collapse the break and square up.
Repeat this procedure with the third selection, inserting it below just the top card of the deck.
Collapse the break and square the deck, perhaps dribbling the cards or performing an all-around
square-up to emphasize, without comment, that the chosen cards are lost. Then obtain a break
beneath the top card and transfer this card to the bottom of the deck using a Double Undercut
or Pass.

THE VANISHES AND GATHERING—Place the face-down deck onto the tabled face-down “Ace”
packet. With your right hand, lift all the cards and display the red Ace on the bottom of the
deck. You must now get this Ace face up on top of the deck without exposing the absence of
the other Aces behind it. Here are two ways to do this.

The first approach is Jim Swain’s. With your right hand, grasp the deck from above in end grip.
Rotate the hand palm up to display the Ace on the face of the deck and place your left thumb
on the center of the Ace (Photo 3). Turn the right hand palm down while placing the deck into
your left hand. At the same time, use the left thumb to push the red Ace around the left edge
of the deck (Photo 4) and face-up on top of it. In essence, the Ace stays in the same relative
position while the deck is turned face down around it.

The second approach is less of a flourish and was generally preferred by Geoff. Hold the deck
in right-hand end grip and display the red Ace on the bottom of the deck. Turn the hand palm
down and use the fingers of the left hand to draw the Ace from the bottom of the deck (Photo
5). Immediately flip the Ace face up and slide it on top (Photo 6). Take the deck into left-hand
dealing grip and you are ready to proceed.

Catch a break beneath the top three cards (the face-up red Ace, a face-down selection and a
face-down Ace). Geoff sometimes used a Pinky Count to obtain this break, but more often he
simply riffled his right thumb up the inner end of the deck. Immediately execute a Fast Pass,
causing the Ace to vanish instantaneously.

Pause a moment to let the disappearance of the Ace register, then begin to spread the deck in
your hands as you say, “The Ace of Hearts [or Diamonds] is gone. It’s not near the top,
it’s not near the middle...” Matching actions to words, you spread through the top third of
the deck, then the middle third. Continue to spread smoothly into the bottom third, but stop
before you come to the last few cards, so that the face-up Ace third from the bottom remains
hidden. Smoothly close the spread into your left hand, take the deck from above in right-hand
end grip and turn the face of the pack toward the audience to display the next Ace there. Time
your actions so you are displaying the Ace at the same time you say, “...and it’s not on the
bottom.” The absence of the vanished Ace and the presence of the other Aces on the bottom of
the deck is what makes this routine so puzzling to attentive spectators; their constant station
there is silent testimony to the fact that nothing appears to have changed.

You are now in position to vanish the next two Aces, one at a time, using the same sequence
just described. Note that, with each subsequent vanish of an Ace, you can spread fewer cards
near the bottom of the deck, since the missing face-up Aces and interlaced selections are being
secretly gathered there.

The last Ace is vanished in almost the same manner. The small difference lies in the placement
of the break for the Fast Pass. Instead of forming the break below the top three cards, it must
be around mid-point. This roughly centers the Aces and selections in the deck. Next, rather
than spreading through the cards after the four vanishes, say, “The Ace is not on top, and
it’s not on bottom—but if we look in the middle of the deck...” Ribbon spread the cards
(Photo 7), or fan them if no table is available. “...we find the four Aces, with three cards
trapped between them.”

Remove the seven-card assembly of Aces and selections from the spread. Then slowly turn each
selection face up to conclude. This leaves you conveniently in position to continue with
“Dazzling Interchange”.

Streamlined Vanishing Collectors

After having come up with “Vanishing Collectors”, Geoff devised two additional handlings of
the effect. We will now examine those variations, beginning with “Streamlined Vanishing
Collectors”.

The effect is identical. The difference lies in accelerating the procedure during the preliminary
phase. This is desirable, especially when performing for medium-sized or large audiences.

MAKING THE SELECTIONS AND LOSING THEM—Spread through the deck and remove the four
Aces, handing one to each of four spectators. Have three more spectators each select and
remember a card. As each selection is returned, leave it outjogged for about a third of its length
in the deck. Make sure that the selections are widely separated in the pack.

Execute the D’Amico Multiple Shift to bring the three selections to the bottom as follows. With
the deck in left-hand dealing grip, move your left first finger to the outer end of the protruding
selections (Photo 1). Then tip the outer end of the deck down, until the block of cards above
the upper selection slides forward and hits the end of the first finger. This aligns the top block
with the three selections (Photo 2).

With your palm-down right hand, immediately grip the now injogged bottom portion of the
deck by it opposite inner corners and pull it back and away from all the outjogged cards (Photo
3). The left fingers and thumb retain the selections in alignment with the top block. In this
manner, the three selections are secretly stripped from the deck and left together on the face of
the left hand’s packet. Smoothly complete the cut by slapping the right hand’s packet onto the
left’s.

Secretly obtain a break above the three selections (Geoff used his Spread Break Technique, p.
??) and transfer them, with a Double Cut, from the bottom of the deck to the top. Of course,
any Multiple Shift (even one that brings the selections directly to the top of the deck, such as
Neal Elias’s from Ibidem, No. 29, August 1963, p. 11; redescribed as the Swing Cut Multiple
Shift in Giobbi’s Card College, Vol. 3, 1998, p. 664) could be employed.

THE VANISHES AND GATHERING—With your right hand, retrieve one of the Aces from a
spectator. As you display this Ace, secretly obtain a left fourth-finger break beneath the top
card of the deck. Place the Ace face up on the deck. Immediately execute a Fast Pass (p. ??),
taking the top two cards to the bottom and thereby causing the Ace to vanish. Spread through
the cards (stopping before you reach the last few) to show that the Ace is gone. Note that, in
this handling, you cannot show the bottom card of the deck.

Vanish the next two Aces in the same manner. The fourth Ace is handled similarly, but with
the break taken near the middle of the deck, rather than beneath the top card. As in the original
handling, this Fast Pass centers the Aces and interlaced selections. Spread the cards across the
table to reveal the selections alternating with the Aces in the center of the deck.

This streamlined handling has the advantage of eliminating the early switch-out of the Aces.
This eliminates the need for a table, making this handling practical for strolling performances.
The spectators are also allowed to touch and feel the Aces, which somehow makes them seem
more real and avoids the somewhat questionable action of placing the Aces on the bottom of
the deck. Finally, this approach justifies your moving to different parts of the room as you
retrieve the Aces, which allows different groups of spectators to more closely appreciate the
Fast-Pass vanishes.

Instant Vanishing Collectors

This is Geoff’s second “Vanishing Collectors” variation.

The effect is much closer to Walton’s original “Collectors” plot. The four Aces are removed from
the deck and set aside. Three cards are selected and lost in the deck. The Aces are dropped
together onto the deck, from which they vanish, only to reappear in the middle of the deck with
the three selections alternating with them.

When Geoff followed “Vanishing Collectors” with “Dazzling Interchange”, he preferred this
accelerated handling for the first phase, since he felt that vanishing each Ace separately slowed
the overall pacing when four transformations of King to Aces were to follow. He thought it best
to avoid repeating four visually similar vanishes.

MAKING THE SELECTIONS AND LOSING THEM—Spread through the deck and remove the four
Aces, tossing them to the table as you come to them. Flip the deck face down in the left hand
while your right hand gathers the Aces. (If you intend to follow this effect with “Dazzling
Interchange”, arrange the Aces, from face to rear in club-heart-spade-diamond order—the
classic CHaSeD order. If “Dazzling Interchange” isn’t your destination, the suit order is
immaterial, disregarding possible aesthetic concerns.)

Fan the Aces face up and further display them by holding them just in front of the outer right
corner of the deck. Using the fanned Aces as cover, do a Pinky Count to obtain a left fourth-
finger break under the top four cards (Photo 1). Now drop the fanned Aces face up onto the
deck and, with your right hand, square them there, adding the four cards above the break to
them. With your left fingers, bevel the eight-card packet, pushing the lower cards minutely
rightward to hide the thickness of the packet at its left edge. Without a pause, lift away all
eight cards above the break, holding the packet in right-hand end grip. This process, while a
bit lengthy in its description, should take only a second or two in performance, looking as if the
Aces are squared, for convenience, above the deck, after which they are immediately removed,
having had the briefest of contact with the pack.

You must now get a break above the bottom card of this packet in preparation for a variant
handling of an ATFUS. Rather than a thumb break at the inner end of the packet, Geoff—like
many advanced cardworkers—preferred an Erdnase break, held by the fourth finger at the
outer right corner (Photo 2). Geoff obtained this break with the right hand alone. The slight
bevel in the packet provides a single-card edge that facilitates this task. You may find it easier,
at least at first, if you use the left fingertips to steady the packet momentarily, while it is held
above the deck. The right fourth finger then engages the lowermost card of the packet at its
outer right corner, pushes down on it and obtains a break above it.

The Aces are now peeled onto the deck one by one. The left thumb contacts the face of the
uppermost Ace and drags it squarely onto the deck. The thumb next pulls the second Ace onto
the first but jogged to the right for half its width. The thumb peels the third Ace onto the
second, jogged farther to the right, creating a spread. Your right hand simply sets the fourth
and final Ace on the right end of the spread and holds it in position. The right fingers cover the
front edge of the last Ace, concealing thickness of the four extra cards beneath it. The left
thumb assists in holding everything steady (Photo 3).

After a brief pause, square all the cards on top of the deck. In this action, secretly release all
the cards below the Erdnase break (the face-down indifferent card and three face-up Aces) and
jog the remaining cards forward for half their length while raising them to the left fingertips,
which hold them above and clearly separate from the deck. Pause briefly, then then lift the
outjogged packet away and set it on the table. Geoff beveled the packet slightly as he laid it
down, allowing the audience to see four distinct edges, without exposing the face-down cards
under the face-up Ace (Photo 4).

With a Pinky Count, get a break beneath the top five cards (face-down indifferent card, three
face-up Aces and another face-down indifferent card). Using a Pass, transfer these cards to the
bottom of the deck. This can all be done on an offbeat, while attention is relaxed, which it
should be at this moment.

Now have three spectators each select a card. After the cards have been noted. Spread the deck
in the hands and have the first selection returned. As you receive it in the spread, clip it to the
face of the right hand’s portion of the spread—which you have made purposely rather ragged—
and raise the hand to display the face of the selection. Your right hand lowers to return its
spread to the rest of the deck in the left hand, and you immediately cull the selection beneath
the spread and feed it into position between the Aces at the bottom of the deck in this manner:
Bring your left thumb down on the left side of the selection to clip it, rightjogged, on top of the
left hand’s packet (Photo 5). Then move the tips of the left second and third fingers into contact
with the face of the selection to keep it stationary as you slightly raise your left thumb to allow
the left end of the right hand’s spread of cards to slide above the selection and into the fork of
the left thumb, past the left edge of the selection. Immediately shift the right second and third
fingers onto the face of the selection and contract them, pulling that card under the right hand’s
spread (Photo 6). Since the deck is still partially spread, you can now use the Spread Break
Technique (p. ??) to form a break above the bottom three cards and feed the culled selection
into it as you square the deck into your left hand (Photos 7 & 8).

Repeat this spread-display-and-cull sequence twice, once for the second selection, and again for
the third; but feed the second selection above the bottom two cards of the deck, and then the
third selection above the bottom card alone. (Note that working from the top of the Ace stock
down avoids the need for creating breaks above an increasing number of cards. Instead, the
breaks become easier to obtain.) The sequence of returns and culls is challenging, but it can be
done at a relaxed pace. The cards should be handled with a soft touch, helps to avoid any sense
of covert manipulation. Each time a selection is returned, it appears that you simply spread
the deck, display the selection and close the spread.

Here is a subtle but important point: After the last selection has been returned to the deck (and
secretly fed into position), casually, and seemingly without intention, flash the face of the deck,
perhaps in the action of an all-around square-up. Depending on personal style and pacing, the
face of the deck may be flashed after the first or second selection is returned as well, or even
after all three. You want spectators to notice and remember the bottom card without calling
obvious attention to it. Its constant presence reinforces the impression that the cards are lost
in the middle of the deck and that nothing has moved when the Aces next vanish.

THE ACES VANISH AND COLLECT THE SELECTIONS—As you mention that the selections are
lost in the deck, casually spread the cards in your hands. Under cover of this action, the left
fingers secretly buckle the bottom card of the deck and push it to the right under the spread.
The right fingers then contact this card and pull it, still under the spread, to the right. Close
the spread, feeding the original bottom card into a location somewhere near a third of the way
down from the top of the deck. As the deck is squared into the left hand, catch a left fourth-
finger break below this card.

With the right hand, pick up the Ace packet from the table and drop it onto the deck. Pause a
moment to let everyone see the Aces lying there, allowing a breath before their impending
disappearance. Now execute a Fast Pass at the break (p. ??), causing the Aces to vanish and
secretly bringing the original bottom card back to the bottom of the deck.

“The Aces are gone—they are not on top or on the bottom of the deck.” Lift off and
display a few cards from the top of the deck. Then casually flash the bottom card of the pack.
The fact that it is the same card seen there only moments before reinforces the impression that,
save for the vanish of the Aces, nothing has changed. This wonderfully subtle touch completely
disarms and mystifies even the most knowledgeable.

Conclude by spreading the deck across the table to show the face-up Aces in the center, with a
face-down card between each pair of Aces (Photo 9). Reveal the faces of these three face-down
cards—the three selections.

Dazzling Interchange

Geoff almost invariably followed any version of “The Vanishing Collectors” with “Dazzling
Interchange”. “Dazzling Interchange” can be performed without using “The Vanishing
Collectors” as an introduction, but performing the two pieces in combination cuts down
considerably on a rather top-heavy preparation, gives context to the latter routine and creates,
through the synthesis of the effects, a result surpassing that of either piece performed on its
own.

As we left the Aces, they had just reappeared face up, with the spectators’ three face-down
selections alternated with them, in the center of the deck. This array of cards is set on the table
and the four Kings are removed from the pack.

The alternated Aces and selections are returned to the center of the deck. A King is then
dropped on top of the deck and visibly transforms there into an Ace of matching suit. The King
is set aside and this sequence of actions is repeated with each of the remaining three Kings. The
deck is then spread to reveal three face-down cards trapped between the four face-up Kings in
the center of the deck! The face-down cards are removed and shown once more to be the
selections.

Let’s assume you have just concluded one of the “Vanishing Collectors” handlings previously
described; preferably the “Instant” variant. Instead of removing the spectators’ three selections
to display them, leave them alternated with the face-up Aces as you remove the array from the
deck. Then turn the group over to reveal the faces of the selections. Turn the spread over again,
bringing the Aces face up, and set the seven cards aside, in a spread. Now quickly go through
the deck and remove the four Kings (if one of the selections was a King, remove the Queens or
Jacks). Set the deck aside.

Arrange the face-up Kings in the same suit order that the Aces lie in, but with the first King
moved to fourth place. (This, by the way, is a simple way to recall the needed order of the
Kings: Memorize the order of the Aces, put the Kings into that order and move the top King to
the face.) If, in “Instant Vanishing Collectors”, you followed the suggestion there to start with
the Aces in club-heart-spade-diamond order, from face to rear, the Aces are now in spade-heart-
club-diamond order, so the Kings must lie in heart-club-diamond-spade order (Photo 1). (This
order is designed to conform with Geoff’s preferences that the colors alternate, for contrast, and
the spade is positioned to be the fourth change, which increases the visual impact of the final
transformation.)

Take the deck into left-hand dealing grip and run the left thumb down the outer left corner of
the cards to about mid-point. With your right hand, pick up the packet of Aces and selections
and insert it, Aces up, into the gap opened by the left thumb. Push the packet flush into the
deck.

Casually spread the pack, with the apparent intent of giving the spectators one last look at the
Aces and selections in the middle. When you come to the Aces, you must cull the first one, the
Ace of Spades, from its position in the spread and reinsert it beneath the face-down card directly
below the fourth Ace, the Ace of Diamonds. At the same time, you must secretly injog the face-
down selection that was originally below the Ace of Spades and rests above the Ace of Hearts.
To do all this, keep the cards fairly tightly spread as you come to the first two Aces (Photo 2).
Secretly pull (cull) the first Ace under the right hand’s portion of the spread and in the same
action use your right thumb to injog the face-down selection below this Ace (Photo 3). With
your left thumb, continue spreading the cards to expose the third and fourth Aces, and slip the
culled Ace below the face-down card lying beneath the fourth Ace (Photo 4; the culled Ace is
exposed here to show its position of insertion). With practice, you will eventually be able to
execute these actions quickly, casually, smoothly and precisely.

Square the deck into the left hand and obtain a break above the injogged card. Execute a Pass
at the break, secretly bringing the slug of Aces and selections to the top of the deck. Geoff
usually used a Missing-Frame Pass, as the soft riffle nicely finalizes the placement and display
of the Aces and selections in the center of the deck.

THE VISIBLE TRANSFORMATIONS AND GATHERING—Assuming that you have ordered the
suits of the Aces and Kings suggested above, the upcoming transformations will be consistent;
that is, the King of Hearts will change places with the Ace of Hearts, etc.

As your right hand picks up the first King (the King of Hearts), obtain a left fourth-finger break
beneath the top card of the deck. Drop the King face up onto the deck. Immediately perform a
Fast Pass, causing the King to transform visibly into the Ace of Hearts. Deal the Ace into your
right hand; clearly display it front and back, and indisputably single; then set it onto the table.
Repeat this procedure with each of the remaining three Kings, in the order given above—clubs,
diamonds and spades)—transforming them one by one into Aces. This is a visually stunning set
of transformations, so allow the spectators time to process what they are seeing.

When you have finished, there will be four Aces face up on the table. The Kings and interlaced
selections are on the bottom of the deck. Execute any Pass you favor (Geoff always used a
Wrist-Turn Pass here, while remarking on the Aces having begun in the middle of the pack.
Blend the actions of the Pass with those of immediately ribbon spreading the cards to reveal
the Kings in the center of the deck, with three face-down cards interlaced with them (Photo 5).
This display of confirmation is another astounding moment that demands a pause for
assimilation. After allowing that, remove the seven-card assembly from the spread and
dramatically reveal the selections to conclude.

Whether performed on its own or as a follow-up to the “Vanishing Collectors”, “Dazzling

Interchange” is a visually stunning piece of card magic built on an impenetrable method.
Slapping the Cavorting Aces
© 2022 by Jamy Ian Swiss

This routine has been a pet favorite of mine that I have kept unpublished since I
created it in 1988. The routine was inspired by Larry Jennings’ version of what he
dubbed “The Slap Aces” in The Cardwright by Mike Maxwell (1988). What intrigued
me about the routine is that Jennings had combined two classic 20 th century card
routines, namely Jacob Daley’s “Cavorting Aces” from the original Stars of Magic, and
Nate Leipzig’s “Slap Aces” from Expert Card Technique by Hugard & Braue, and later
Dai Vernon’s Tribute to Nate Leipzig by Lewis Ganson. Both are excellent tricks in
their own right, and Jennings’ combination grabbed my attention immediately.
However, one element of the Slap Aces had always troubled me, which is that in
effect you are exposing the workings of a Color Change by adding each ace at the
face, and then eventually, openly removing them from the deck at the conclusion of
the routine. The Jennings combined routine however inspired me to create this
version, which like Jennings combines the two classic plots, however the handlings
are almost entirely different (albeit Jennings does utilize the Michael Skinner
penetration effect as one of the ace recoveries).

This is the first time I’ve written a description of this routine, which I provide here
for Masterclass students only, and I ask that you not circulate this further. Also I
have not included illustrations, nor written descriptions of the various shifts the
routine requires. I will be explaining most of this in the actual Masterclass videos
however.

You can also see me perform the routine as it appeared in the PBS documentary
“The Art of Magic” (1997), and I have no doubt students will find this video useful
for reference and instructional purposes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJhP5nxVYdA&t=25s

SLAPPING THE CAVORTING ACES

Spread through the deck and while looking for the aces, cut (or cull if necessary) any
matching pair (two red nines for example) to the back of the face-up pack. Remove
the Aces. Set the two red Aces outjogged for half their length at the face and cut
them to the center (the memorized pair will now be positioned among them). Set
the Ace of Spades at the face and the Ace of Clubs at the bottom of the face-up pack.
Slightly spread the two red Aces, and the Ace of Clubs at the bottom (leftward to
show the index), then take the entirety in the right hand and say, “The red aces are
inside of the pack, and the black aces are outside.” Slowly turn the hand and cards
over, showing faces and backs, and repeat: “Red aces inside, black aces outside.”
This is to clearly establish the condition and to state it in a way that helps the
spectators to remember it.
Return the deck to the left hand, and slightly adjust the red aces so that they are in
line with the length of the pack, and the uppermost ace is openly sidejogged. This
should be a very minor and brief adjustment. The right hand squares these red aces
completely into the pack, and the left fourth finger readily obtains a break between
the red aces as the pack is firmly squared.

Announce that the first principle is “The Snap,” and in one continuous maneuver,
execute a Turnover Shift, raise the deck so the back is clearly in view facing the
audience, and firmly snap the right second fingertip against the back of the new top
card. This is all one action that appears to merely turn the deck over and inter clear
view as the right hand snaps the back of the pack.

Pause for effect, then slowly rotate the left hand at the wrist to reveal a red ace at
the face. Take the deck at the face with the right hand and use the left fingers to
slightly jog the other red ace leftward to show it (without flashing the matched pair
immediately above). “Now the red aces are outside of the pack … “ Spread through
the pack, more widely at the center to show the two black aces … “and the black aces
are inside. “Reds out, blacks in.” As you spread the pack between the hands, allow all
four aces to be in view. Obtain a break between the two black aces as you close the
spread and square the pack.

“If you want to reverse the process, the next principle is The Twist.” Grip the pack in
both hands, right hand in Biddle Grip at the face, and extend the left forearm and
hold the horizontal deck up in clear view; execute a Draun Midnight Shift, rotating
the deck 180 degrees counter-clockwise to effect a visible change of the red ace at
the face to the Ace of Spades, again exchanging the positions of the aces.
Immediately slide the bottom card of the face-up deck leftward to bring the Ace of
Clubs into view; then spread the pack showing the red aces centered within.

Obtain a break between the red aces as you square the pack and pause, taking the
necessary grip in preparation for the Cardini Snap Pass, as you say, “I didn’t let you
see the snap the first time, this time I’ll let you see it.” Execute the Snap Pass,
effecting a visual change of the Ace of Spades to a red ace. Immediately spread the
pack revealing the black aces centered within and the red aces at the face and back.

“And of course you remember the Twist …” At this juncture I utilize the Cervon Free-
Turn Pass, which is somewhat similar in appearance to the previously utilized
Draun shift, but has better angles and can be done with the deck in a more natural
position, rather than elevated as per the Midnight Shift. However, the Draun move
can optionally be repeated here a second time instead of the Free Turn Pass. (Note
that if using the Free Turn Pass, then at the start of the routine during initial open
placement of the aces, rather than perfectly centering the red aces, I set them a tad
closer to the face, with about 20 or so cards above them, which will eventually
provide for a smaller bottom packet which is preferable for the Free Turn Pass.)
Either way, the red aces are now once again within the pack, with the black aces at
the outer ends. At the instant following the shift, the right hand grips the deck while
the left fingers immediately jog the lowermost Ace of Clubs leftward to bring it into
view. Briefly close the pack and immediately spread the entire deck to reveal the red
aces, however the ace of clubs is not brought into view this time; as the spread deck
is extended between the hands, the left second finger secretly buckles this bottom
card to break it free of the deck, and the left fingers slide the card rightward beneath
the spread, past the red aces, where its movement is taken over by the right fingers,
also beneath the spread. Feed the Ace of Clubs back into the spread immediately
beneath the two red aces, then close the spread and obtain a left fourth finger break
immediately beneath the ace of clubs. (In actuality, I openly break the spread
immediately beneath the red aces and make a slight gesture with the right hand
holding this part of the spread, while the Ace of Clubs is taken beneath it; then I
replace this part of the spread with the Ace of Clubs being taken into position and
the requisite break obtained beneath it.)

In an apparent squaring action, execute a Top Card Cover Pass, shifting all the cards
above the break to beneath the pack, with the exception of the Ace of Spades, which
is retained in position at the face. There is no need to execute this shift with any
speed; care and attention to angles and concealing the transfer is what’s important.

Without hesitation, obtain a left fourth finger break beneath the second card from
the face (the indifferent card immediately beneath the Ace of Spades); then the right
hand flips the deck rightward, book-fashion, as the left fingers extend to facilitate
this step. Maintaining the break through this action results in the two cards at the
bottom becoming angle-jogged to the right; the right hand immediately executes a
Marlo Direct Side Steal action (first described in The Art of Magic by Downs),
smoothly transferring these two cards to the top of the pack, without ever taking
them into full palm – the cards merely float between the diagonal corners being
contacted by the pads of the right thumb and fourth finger, as in position for the
Vernon Transfer); complete by squaring the deck in the left hand.

Now proceed to “The third principle, The Slap.” Briskly slap the top of the pack with
the right hand. (In the original “Cavorting Aces,” this slap serves as cover for the
secret replacement of the two cards on top of the pack, which were previously
stolen into full Classic Palm. Here I am doing the transfer earlier, without going to
full palm, and simply using the slap as a magical gesture.)

Explain that by slapping the pack, you have caused all four aces to completely
disappear. Flip the pack face-up, then deliberately spread through the entire pack
showing all faces, demonstrating the vanish. However, watch for the first of the
memorized pair of cards to come into view as you approach the back of the spread,
maintaining the bottom group of cards in a somewhat tight mechanic’s grip. As soon
as the face card of the pair comes into view, spread it over to reveal the second card
as you buckle the bottom cad of the pack; the right fingers grip the concealed pack of
five cards (the second card of the memorized pair with the aces concealed
immediately beneath it) and pull them slightly rightward and retain them at the
bottom of the spread, freeing the bottom card to be held in the left hand, the fingers
of which crisply snap the right long edge of the card, which is then inserted
anywhere into the spread. This display appears to have presented a complete
spread of all the faces, with the final card being snapped in a gesture of finality and
cleanliness. The entire deck has been shown and the aces have completely
vanished. In reality, they are concealed at the bottom of the pack.

The Aces will now be recovered in three steps. The first is taken from “Leipzig’s
Opener.” The second is Michael Skinner’s addition to “Leipzig’s Opener.” The third
and fourth aces are simultaneously recovered via the double change from the
routine “In Ten City” in Totally Out of Control by Chris Kenner. (Regarding this
change, uncredited by Kenner, two notable precedents are found in Das Doppel-
Kolorieren by Imro Fox [1904] and The Magic Book by Harry Lorayne [1977]; for the
latter item, see “The Double Color Change” p. 125.)

Briefly, then: Ask the spectator to extend their palm-up hand (I prefer to have the
spectator positioned to my left, and ask her to extend her right hand),
demonstrating with your own left hand that contains the pack. The deck is then
briefly transferred to the right hand, under cover of which a Color Steal (Side Steal
of the bottom card) is executed, transferring the card to right hand full palm.
Transfer pack to the right hand so that the left hand can apparently reinforce the
gesture or adjust the spectator’s extended hand. As the left hand now once again
retrieves the pack, the palmed card is gripped with the left fingers and thumb as the
left hand rotates at the wrist, turning the hand palm down (along with the deck),
and placing the pack onto the spectator’s extended palm. As this action occurs, say,
“In order to bring back the aces, we resort to the fourth principle, The Flick,” and as
the deck contacts the spectator’s hand, your left thumb riffles up the corner of the
pack, causing a crepitating sound, i.e., the “flick.” Pause for effect, then turn the pack
face-up in your left hand, revealing the first ace, the Ace of Spades, now at the face.

Take the deck briefly in the right hand to further display the ace at the face; then
return the pack to the left hand, executing another Color Steal, stealing the Ace of
Clubs into right hand full palm. Gesture toward the spectator with your left hand
indicating that you want her to keep her hand extended, or extend it again if she has
since altered her position; then extend your palm-down right hand directly above
her hand, suspended a couple of inches in the air, as the left hand rotates palm down
and sets the pack down against the back of your right hand. The left thumb once
again riffles the corner of the pack to make the “flick” sound, as the palmed card is
released and drops into the spectator’s upturned hand.

Immediately withdraw both your hands so the audience can see the Ace of Clubs in
her hand, quickly and briefly transferring the deck to the right hand; execute
another Color Steal, stealing a red ace into right full palm, and retaking the pack
with the right hand.
Retrieve the Ace of Clubs with the left hand, and set the pack on top of it, with the
Ace of Clubs injogged for half its length, and retaining the card in this position with
the assistance of the left forefinger. Display the pack in the left hand in this position
for a moment, released by the right hand, which still secretly contains a red ace.
Extend and raise the left forearm to clearly display the pack in horizontal view
(similar to the position previously taken for the Draun and Cardini shifts). The left
fingertip gently gets a slight purchase on the bottom card of the pack, which is the
other red ace, in preparation for the double change. Now the right hand comes over
and for the briefest possible instant conceals the face of the pack while adding the
red ace to effect a cover change; at the same instant the left forefinger catches and
pulls the other red ace inward to align it covering the Ace of Clubs; the right hand
moves aside, completing the color change of the Ace of Spades to a red ace, while
also revealing the entirety of the double change.