Steve,
Do a search of Twisting the Aces. There are many who agree with you on this and many who think TTA is the perfect trick. Personally, I don't perform it anymore because there are so many more powerful and mystifying effects to do. On my top 5 is a twisting type effect called Cheating which is in the David Regal book Star Quality. The cards turning over are just a teaser as to the startling sequences which are to follow.

You know its a funny one twisting the aces and I have had people absolutely gobsmacked and yet other times not a great reaction ,

Steve I don't care for the trick too much. But I remember when I was just getting into cardmagic I did it all the time. Darwin Ortiz ending with the cards in the box is cool.

Yes I am also interested what Pete sees in the trick which makes it a top-5 effect for him.

My top-5 effects with a normal deck:
-Ambitious
-51 cards to pocket
-Reflex
-Memory test (Williamson)
-card under...(glass, box etc.)

With a normal deck plus addition:
-Spooked
-Card to Wallet
-Everybody's Lazy

I think of "trick" as meaning a specific handing like Daryl's "Puerto Rican Triumph" vs. the generic effect we now call "Triumph". So the best "trick" would be the handing you can do well and with a reasonable presentation. The best effects I can think of are:

1. Triumph
- almost any version, done well, will have great impact. Cards shuffled face up into face down magically reorient themselves.

2. Out Of This World
- any direct uncomplicated handling. Many are too complex and are remembered as such later. A spectator seperates the pack into red and black piles without looking at the faces.

3. Card in plain sight
- my title for any card effect where the selected card appears away from the deck in plain view of the audience. Popular locations are under an ashtray / glass / etc. or on the performers forehead / behind the eyeglasses.

4. Card in impossible location
Card in wallet/UNDER tablecloth/IN glass. Since you're asking about a borrowed pack I'd exclude those locations that damage a card by folding.

5. Card which couldn't be...
That category of effect where a card is openly placed aside BEFORE a selection is made and eventually shown to BE the selected card.
Examples:
Larry Jennings "The Mystery Card" or Phil Goldstein/Max Maven's "Sans Fronds"
Bro. John Hamman's "The Signed Card"

I'd have to go with:

1)Oil and Water
2)Following the leader
3)Set Reset
4)My own version of an Ace Assembly routine ending up with the four aces in the crad case
5)AC routine

Those are my Five options with a borrowed deck.

MAGO68

Actually, Pete Biro was correct. It's the Kane/Krenzel "Magic Bullet," although it does have other names. And it is my favorite trick to perform.

Attaboy, Peet.

Matt Field