In "Strong Magic" Darwin Ortiz mentions a version of this trick which in his view is superior because the spectator turns over the aces himself. Any clues what this is?

Malone's handling (actually presentation I think the handlings is someone elses) could be used... its pretty nifty....

Or any handling that involves pre-placing the card after every cut.

Or any handling that involves moving cards after the cut to effect the displacement.

If you want simple, have them cut out of your hand, sidesteal bot->top, cut, sidesteal, cut, sidesteal.

However I feel most handlings pale to the originals that has the spec just cut to 4 piles directly.

I think Ortiz (I love Strong Magic BTW) is a bit off base with this though, because the initial action of simply cutting 4 piles is very direct and stays with the spectator's mind.

Also if the switch is not detected, then their "selections" seem to be already made before any handling occurs... I find if you structure the reveal with a direct cutting sequence, you can have them forget about the handling and really remember simply cutting the deck and then turning over the cards.... but that's mostly presentation/misdirection rather than handling though.

Steve Bryant has made book which has one version of this trick.
Bill Malone´s - On The Loose Vol.2 shows one version too.
David Regal´s - Constant Fooling has it too.
some Allan Ackerman´s DVD teaches it too, I just can´t remember which one.
Jennings, Wilson, Marlo...
There are so many handlings and different versions and I don´t know which one is really original.

I used to do one that Alex Elmsley came up with, his was quite good. I forgot how exactly to do it though.

I like Larry Jennings's version: simple, direct, effective. You can find it in Classic Magic of LJ or Card College, vol I.

The Late Sheigo Tekagi's effect called "swindle cut Aces" the spectator cuts four piles and the magicisan turns up the top card on each pile revealing a ace on ech pile
this is a very strong effect..
vinny
I have a demo of this if interested pm me

Also check out 'Directed Verdict'from John Bannon's book Smoke and Mirrors, if you can get hold of a copy of it

MIKE

John Bannon also has an excellent version of 'spectator cuts the aces' entitled Final Verdict in his book 'Dear Mr. Fantasy'. The spectator both cuts the four packs and turns up the aces. Highly recommended.

Regards,

Paul H

Ya beat me to it, Paul. My current fave version of cut to the aces.

-Carlos

In Final Verdict, the final ace cut is kind of suspect. I've had someone show me how to have the spectator cut to the last ace without any shuffling going on. In my opinon this is a good improvement over the last ace reveal.

Yeah, that is what I thought as well when I read the trick initially. However, the whole trick is dependent upon the spectator feeling the deck is in no specific order. If this is really communicated, then an additional mixing of the deck is not suspect at all. This is why I only do this particular effect as part of the routine Bannon presents. I do make some modifications but the fact that the spectator shuffles the deck first, and repeatedly during the first couple card revelations, makes this trick so strong and effective that I have a hard time justifying any modifications to the routine aside from those needed to customize it to my style and presentation of magic.

-Carlos

I strongly agree with Carlos here. Bannon structures the whole routine in such a way that the extra mixing is hardly taken notice of and the more casually its done the less attention it gets. The secret is the sense that the deck is already completely mixed through previous multiple shuffles by the spectator. Its a great ace cutting routine made even stronger by the fact that the spectator does not realise they are cutting for this purpose until the final revelation. I agree that the aces can be set in a different way to avoid this extra move but I much prefer the natural off beat nature of Bannon's original sequence. Hope this helps.

Regards,

Paul H

Yes the extra shuffle at the end is not a problem if done nonchalantly. Another thing that helps would be to structure in a few "unnecessary" shuffles as a conditioning action, done previously just to show that occasionally you will shuffle the cards from time to time, without calling attention to it.

I think Ackerman was the first to use the basic method used by Malone, Bannon et al. The basic idea is to have an ace on top of the deck each time the spec cuts. Really, the "cut to" cards are the face cards of the packets rather than the back. But no one notices. I think this method is far better than any method that involves the magician picking up the cards after the cut (as in Williamson's method and many of Marlo's). With Ackerman's concept at work, the spectator turns over the cards.

I like Malone's presentation, however. He makes it a contest with a prize for the winner. Each of the three spectators holds his/her card as does the magician. Then they all turn them over simultaneously as the magi says, "It's a tie. I guess there's no winner...." Good idea.

Mike

Deep Guilt Aces by David Regal is hard to beat for this effect.

If you don't like the shuffle in Bannon's version, which I find just fine, you could easily do an Side steal I suppose. I have not found this to be necessary but you'd probably know way ahead of time if a specky was of "that sort" to require sure a thing.

I love the shuffle sequence to get into position for that version.
was great for me to practice and learn. I've never done anything like that before.

Very nice.
Splendid routine.

I use a version I learned from Gary Ouellet. He also used to have it on his site in a secret area. The site's gone down since since passing though. I'm not sure where you can find it now.

Mike,
The method you described is actually Randy Wakeman's. ( I cannot remember if it was in Formula One or in Wakeman Presents.) What Ackerman did was to vary it a little, and Malone added the presentation, which is found in Swain's book "21st Century Card Magic" under the title Cut 'Em High And Tie. Ackerman has an impromptu version now where he sets it up on the fly. Can be set up from a shuffled deck.



Best,
Trini Montes

Hi Trini,

Actually, Ackerman showed me the version I described at the first Desert Seminar in Las Vegas in 1980. A few years later I showed it to Wakeman who added Harry Riser's opening. In Ackerman's version the magician makes the first cut as an example. This is tabled. Then the spectator makes three cuts. Wakeman added Riser's bit (as did Bannon) where, instead of tabling your demo cut as in Ackerman, you hold it and replace it on the deck for the second spec's cut. Also, Ackerman did not shuffle the bottom card to the top for the last cut. Instead, he had a more deceptive method that amounts to a double undercut but doesn't look like one.

Mike
Posted: Mar 14, 2006 8:20am

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Trini,

Ackerman's original method is in "Magic Mafia Effect" from around 1970. The item is called "The Spectator Refuses to Cut to the Four Aces." There, he uses shuffling for the last two aces. When he showed me the trick in 1980, he had changed the method a bit. However, the basic idea of simply having an ace on top each time the spec cuts goes back to MME in 1970. As far as I know, Ackerman is the originator of this method. The others are variations. I think it's an improvement to have the spec cut all four aces. The Riser bit is generally used by all variers to accomplish this. I think Ackerman's role here has gotten lost in the shuffle, so to speak.

Mike

David Regal has two other versions - Clean Cut and Bottoms-Up Aces. They are on his Enough With The Tricks Already! DVD.