Preferably one using the four aces, but not a requirement.

I would have to say "The Vernon Poker Deal" is up there for me anyway. Some people don't like it but if you present it right, It is a very memorable experience for the specs.

There are numerous "10 card poker deals" that fit the bill.

Richard Turner, Ricky Jay, Darwin Ortiz, James Swain all have some amazingly strong stuff as well. If you throw gaffs into the mix, John Bannon is a great start (but there are so many other gaff versions I wouldn't attempt to name them all)

That is just poker. Were you talking "Gambling in general" (3 card monte, endless chain, 3 shell game... too)?

Here are two of mine...

Stacked to Win
https://vimeo.com/142810974
..in the last phase the aces are dealt to any position nominated by your audience. This will be published later this year.


Four Seconds on Fourth (a variation)
https://vimeo.com/126767591
(The Devils' Staircase, 2014)

Best,
Greg

A good number of Harry Lorayne routines work in a royal flush.

I have to pick four; Riverboat Poker (John Bannon) ; Deja Vu Poker (Darwin Ortiz) ; Lessons are Extra (John Bannon) ; CardSharp and the Four Gamblers (Harry Lorayne)

Out of all of these I am not sure which one I like the best, they are all great effects. All can be done impromptu.

Royal Scam - John Bannon

I like The Marlo Opener, it is Sal Piacente's version of Ed Marlo's "Marlo's Miracle Routine". It is not only a demonstration that shows gambling skills but memorization as well. Liked it so much I put the video performance on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqJoE9C8YM8

My favorite is Larry Jennings' The Maestro's Poker Demonstration. A very close second is Harry Lorayne's Card Sharp and Four Gamblers.

I had the chance to hang out with Sal back when John Blake ran East Coast Magic in State College, PA where Ben Salinas and I were demonstrators. Sal is a brilliant magician and his memory work is spectacular. I rthink that Marlo would be very fond of Sal's routine.

I use the Mysterious Kid. My version of Larry Jennings Gamblers Aces. It's terrific.

My partner Tom Allen's Magician's Poker.

Another vote for Steve Ehlers' "Mysterious Kid".

Also, "Blessed" by Woody Aragon. A really well built Jonah card routine.


-Mary Mowder

My personal favorite is Shark Attack by Darwin Ortiz. Found in his book: "Scams and Fantasies with Cards."
Multiphase routine with a spectator shuffled deck that begins with the performer reading a player's tells to determine their chosen card, then produce any poker hand called for by cutting to the required cards, & followed by dealing himself poker hand called for - which he can then improve to a royal flush. There's a little set-up required, but it's taken care of during the first phase.

A close second is The Sting (which meets your criteria of using the four aces), also by Darwin Ortiz found in his book "Cardshark." Two phase routine where the performer first stacks the four aces to fall to his hand, then he loses the aces in the deck and stacks the four queens to fall to a partner's hand, only to reveal that the partner is really the sucker and he stacked the four kings to fall to another player's hand... Culminates in a triple duke reveal with the performer having the four aces.

If you're looking for a a knuckle-buster that'll prove you can do anything with a deck of cards, track down Andrew Wimhurst's "Down Under Deals" (I think Michael Vincent offers copies for sale via his website) and look up his Return of the Ultimate Cardshark (inspired by Ortiz's Ultimate Cardshark which is great as well) - to quote the text "Apart from a second deal, greek deal, and a center deal, this effect is partially self-working." I'm still working on this one.

If you want something a little easier that you can still perform from a shuffled deck I'd recommend keeping an eye out for "The Gambler's Third Lesson" by Karl Fulves - adaptable multi-phase routine with one of the simplest "riffle stacking" demos that I've come across. I use a variation of this routine along with a modified version of Harry Lorayne's Poker deal (another quick and easy gambling demo) as a quick impromptu card cheating demo when I'm feeling lazy.

Are you fighting the cards? You are really heavy handed with a deck!!

Lennart Green's Poker Deal

I love Darwin Ortiz' 'Beat the Devil' in which he gambles for his soul. It's not poker, but the gamble is definitely in there. There's also an Aces and Eights (Wild Bill Hickok) routine (don't know the author) out there that can get some laughs if you use a cap gun or loud noise. Lynn

I love the mechanics and justification of charlie frye's 18 card poker deal. And add a raw mechanics demonstration I often perform Jason England's variation on the Marlo Gardner poker deal.

My "gambling routine" is just 3 tricks built together with a gambling themed script. Earthly Powers by Richard Vollmer, Henry Christ Fabulous 4 Aces and Combination Cull by Darwin Ortiz. No false dealing or heavy stack work, but laymen will be convinced that you can do ANYTHING with a deck. For certain occasions, I'll bring out the Vernon poker deal. I don't have the opportunity very often so I always have to go back and relearn it. I also love the endless chain. My routine is based on Marc Desouza's.

I just received David Malek's Ten Card Poker Deal and it is very strong. I have been doing The Ten Card Poker Deal in my shows for more than 25 years and thought it couldn't get any better. I have been proven wrong. This seven phase routine is well structured and the last phase is incredible. I probably won't change my routine for my trade shows, but I will definitely be adding two phases from Malek'/s routine to mine for my close up shows. http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/david-mal......186.html