Hi folks. I wanted to share my experience performing for some friends today. I have one or two requests for suggestions and feedback from you more experienced guys, but I'm also just excited to share this. It's the best time I think I've ever had performing magic.

I wasn't expecting to have the opportunity today. Today I conducted a funeral for a very dear friend of mine. It was an emotional morning, as you would expect, both for me and for her family. They invited me back to a family get-together. After having gotten all their tears out in the morning, they were relaxed and having a good time in the afternoon, sharing memories, etc.

At one point I asked a young kid if she likes magic at all. I did a quick separation of the deck into reds and blacks under her nose, and followed up with Last Man Standing (triumph in the hands). Now her uncle saw this, so later in the afternoon he asked me to do some tricks for a mixed group of adults and kids.

I played it cool like I might or might not do some. Then I kind of took a leaf from Mr. Lorayne's book (so to speak) and asked if they had a deck of cards. I had two decks on me, but this is why I practice FASDIU stuff!

Anyway, I dropped Shuffling Lesson on them (I did the mild set-up on the fly, right in front of them: secretly positioning the Aces as I openly find the Kings). That got a great reaction.

On a whim I decided to throw in Dr. Daley's Last Trick, since the Aces were out. This was the most interesting part of the experience for me. I apparently put the black Aces in one girl's hands and the red in the other's, as you know, and then did the reveal. The interesting thing was that the mother swore she actually caught a glimpse of one of the black Aces going into the first girl's hand! That's impossible, because of course it was a red Ace at the time I put it in her hand. But she swore she caught a glimpse of the Ace and it was black. I, of course, let her believe that

I then did Mark of the Fabulous, kind of. Here's where I could use some help. I don't really like the question mark ending, so I've always been planning to do it differently. I had a woman take a small packet, then I counted out my packet, and then we swapped packets and dealt down simultaneously until my packet (which she cut herself and I didn't know the number) is out, and see what she's holding at that time. It played pretty well, but a couple people noticed I counted out 20 cards exactly and wondered if that was part of the method.

So here's my request. Any other suggestions for how to get the 20 cards I need in the order I need? My issue with the ? ending is the amount of table space and, stylistically, I'm not sure I like it. Unfortunately, the original Beyond Fabulous ending doesn't really suit my style either. I'd like to do the Mark version, but without the big layout and without it being obvious I'm counting a precise number. Any ideas?

I did Iconoclastic Aces and that also hit really well. Finally I taught one of the girls a very simple location trick with a key card, and then she did it for a group who hadn't seen the earlier tricks, and the whole room applauded her. It was so good. I just packed up the cards and that was that. Such a good end to an otherwise tough day!

Looking forward to others replies, but the story is one of the best things I've ever read here. I'm sorry for your loss, and am impressed with your character.

Thanks! I don't know about my character being impressive or anything. She was just overjoyed that she got the trick right, and after the morning it was great to see the smiles!

The thing that mostly moved me to post was that phenomenon where the lady was sure she saw the black Ace. I've read and heard other magicians talking about spectators fooling themselves in that kind of way, like remembering that you never touched the deck when you really did, or becoming convinced that a selected card was merely thought-of, that kind of thing. But this is the first time I've really clearly had that kind of experience myself. I guess she saw a flash of the card face (which means I was careless) but her mind played tricks on her? Don't know, but I'll take it!

Sounds like you had a great collection of tricks in your bag for when the moment presented itself! Nice work.

Thanks! Actually, I need to thank the whole community here. My budget is limited, so when something strikes me as a good trick or technique to learn, I investigate thoroughly. That means I'm reading reviews and comments and discussions to learn more about things before I pull the trigger and invest. The result is a pretty carefully and thoughtfully (if I say so myself) curated collection of magic that works for me and is strong. There are others sources of help I've utilised, but the community here at the Café has been a major one.

Sorry to hear you lost a fond friend. Glad you all could celebrate by making more happy memories. Sounds like you brightened everyone’s day, and isn’t that why we perform for others? Nice work.

In regards to the ending of the Bannon effect, you may have been too methodical or consistent when laying the cards down. Vary the speed and way in which you make the question mark. For example, deal a couple normally, then perhaps deal one or a few cards from the deck using only the left hand - the right hand can be “tidying up” some already dealt which will make it seem like you aren’t paying too much attention to the cards on top of the deck.. After all, you’re making a question mark so who cares how many cards it takes as long as it looks like a question mark. Play around with a tempo that works but doesn’t seem calculated. Like an overhand jog shuffle or slop shuffle, you’ll eventually find the rhythm that seems haphazard but is actually very controlled. This will also allow you to continue talking while making the question mark because you won’t be counting to 20.

The discovery of the Ace of Spades seems very anti climactic. The audience anticipates the final Ace but the lead up to get there doesn’t seem worth it. What purpose does the spectator cutting off a group of cards have to do with the magician finding the last Ace? If you can give meaning to the procedure, there might be something there. However, using your knowledge of where the Ace of spades is after the 3rd Ace is found, I think you could come up with something that gets the spectator more involved in a meaningful way.

Good luck and sorry again for your loss.

Thank you, Thomas. Actually, I didn't use the question mark at all. I have found a way to give some meaning to the finish, but have changed the handling so that there's no ?. The problem is that without the ?, the fact that I'm getting a specific number stood out. So I feel like I'm caught between the ?, which stylistically and presentationally I don't like, and the reveal I used, which made the number in my packet more obvious. I might have a solution now, but let me back up and tell you more what I did.

For the first and second Ace, I use the "surprise" and "direct" patter, like Bannon recommends. Then for the third Ace I say some magicians like "traditional" tricks, like spelling. Then for the final Ace I say that I think magic should be "interactive" or "cooperative", so that we're making something interesting happen together.

When they take their small packet, I emphasise that not only do they not know exactly how many cards they took off yet, but neither do I. I deal my cards into a packet (I need to deal them to reverse their order, of course, but this is the weak link where a couple specs decided to count the dealing). Next I ask them to take their packet out from behind their back, and give it to me, and they can have my packet.

I then reiterate that neither one of us knows how many cards I'm now holding, and that the packet they're holding is now out of my hands so I can't rearrange it even if I want. Then I say something like, "Let's flip over a card at a time, together, and see what's in your hand when my packet runs out." Naturally, what's in their hand is the AS.

I think this presentation makes the trick more interesting. The first three As were just preliminary to this interactive moment. The small packet they choose is justified, because it ensures that not only do I not know the number of cards we're going to deal, but not even they know exactly the number.

I might have an idea how to do it. I might say just as I'm ready for the AS, something like, "In a moment I'm going to take a packet of 20 cards. What I need for you to do now is take a packet less than 20. It might be just a few, or a quarter of the deck, or maybe even a third. I don't want either of us to know the exact number of cards, so as I turn away just take off a small packet and put it right behind your back."

When that's done, I can turn back and reiterate as I deal down, "As I said, I'm going to take a packet of 20 cards now, which is why I wanted you to have fewer." Then we can swap packets and I can explain that the reason I wanted to make sure their packet was smaller was so that, after we swapped and dealt, they would be left with a card in their hand when I reached my last one dealt.

This runs the risk of calling more attention to the number 20, but perhaps it throws enough shade and enough suggested rationale that it might work. What I'm hoping for is that I can "hide it in plain sight" by specifying the number but giving it a reason. What do you think?

Oh, and of course I could throw a false shuffle in between their taking their packet and my dealing out mine.

Wait, I think I've got it. So they cut off a packet of N cards, where N should be less than 20. I can then take my packet by spreading, which allows me to hide the number but means my cards aren't reversed.

Then I can do some patter for a moment, then say I want to see how many cards I've got, and deal them down and count them, and I just "happen" to have 20. Anyway, then I ask them to take their packet from behind their back as I set mine down, and I won't touch it again. Instead, I'll have them put theirs next to mine and make sure it's smaller. Now we switch packets, so I take N and they take 20, and deal simultaneously to see what they have left.

This adds another small layer of deception to trying to hide the number 20 in plain sight. And, even better, I can use a less suspicious number by controlling the AS to a different position earlier in the trick (I think putting a different number of cards down with the third Ace will do it). If I used, say, 23 it might be less suspicious.

EDIT: Or wait... I think it doesn't work with other numbers. I might have to leave that last idea.

Oh, it does work with other numbers! Great. Whatever number N of cards you want in your final packet, you just need to put N-10 cards with your third Ace. This is cool.