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I know I'm an old guy, but Alzheimer's hasn't got me yet..

Seems to me that when you ask someone to put their hand on a packet of cards, they might suspect thst something was going to happen there. Then after you vanish the first Ace they know the whole story.

Mmm. I get what you mean now. And the final climax is a bigger climax on the previous one, because you have shown the ace in your hand and THEN put the hand on the packet, which makes it more impossible (as opposed to disapearing all the aces then revealing). I suppose you are giving yourself an extra climax. THough having said that, the spec will know exactly what you are going to do for the last ace, whereas usally in the original, the reveal comes as a bit of a shock.
I dont know your method for enabling your last phase, so it is hard to comment without seeing it. Perhaps marks idea is worth trying, though I'm sure you hve performed it both ways, and if you find your way works better, then perhaps you are on to something.

Do you deal all the aces face up and then put three cards on each, or is thelast ace face down with three face down cards on it? If all the aces are face up with three cards on each, then who would know what you are going to do. So, you vanish the first ace but make no indication of where it went, You vanish the second ace and again no indication where it went. At this point the spec. will think you are going to continue vanishing the aces. They should not suspect that they will all end up in the last pile. Vanish the third ace and they will expect you will vanish the fourth and final ace. The climax comes now because they are expecting another vanish and they get a revelation. Try to vary the vanishes so there isn't any repetitive moves. Read the 24 rules of magic from the book OUR MAGIC by Maskylene and Devant. If you make changes in any routine you then should ask yourself, is it stronger or did I make it weaker. This book makes us look at magic from a different perspective, that of a spectator.
Best
Al

What you said above is absolutely true..only if the spectator doesn't put their hand on the packet.

The book you mentioned is almost 100 years old and although some of the 24 rules will never change, most have been broken by many top performers. I think Slydini broke a least 3.

All I do is eliminate the force and delay the hand on the packet. I challenge the spectator to follow the aces and then make the passage of the last ace more difficult by using their hand on the packet. Before vanishing the last ace the spectator gets to see the 4 cards in that packet as the first vanished ace, the second vanished ace, an indifferent card and the lead ace..in a 4 card spread.

I had the pleasure of having Frank Garcia perform his routine for me when I was at Tannen's in N.Y. buying the trick. He also signed the booklet for me. Over the years I removed the "magicians force".. I just don't do it if I don't have to, and added what I wrote above.

The force breaks the flow!!!

I don't use the force either. It does slow things down. Just as you stopping half way through the trick to fiddle about also slows things down.

I am MARK LEWIS and I can utterly assure you that if I say you should have a spectator put their hand on the final ace pile I am naturally correct. What I say on these matters is always gospel. It DOUBLES the effect.

The spectators will be gasping and will keep saying repeatedly "but I had my hand on the cards!" They will be utterly devastated that the aces disappear before their very eyes and somehow get under their hand. It seems to them utterly impossible and it is. I have seen Ricky Jay and Copperfield not do it this way and I can utterly assure you that they are completely wrong. They do not have the privilege of being Mark Lewis and I do.

If you really insist on your way of doing it then use regular cards and do the version in Harry Lorayne's Magic Book. It is easy and each ace is shown individually disappearing and then arriving one at a time in the ace pile just like you are suggesting.

However it isn't a patch on the Macdonald Ace trick. In my capacity as a psychic medium I have been in touch with the inventor Hofzinser who is highly irritated with it being called Macdonald's Aces when it has nothing to do with Macdonald at all. Furthermore he wishes to inform you that I am right and you are wrong.

He very much likes my idea of them putting their hand on the ace pile. However he has reprimanded me severely by pointing out that it isn't my idea in the first place. He described doing it this way rather a long time ago. I am not sure of the exact year but I believe it was around 1853 or so.

If it was good enough Nepomuk it is good enough for me. And it should be good enough for you.

I'm only an amateur doing magic for the love of it.

Hofzinser was a great man, but only had to do a pass with 32 cards.

Ricky and david probably make more money than you.

I can't be hypnotized

Most tricks today are variants of the original masterpieces.

Can you help me contact Slydini??

May I have the link to your website and where can I see clips of you performing.

There is utterly no evidence whatever that the two gentlemen in question have more money than me. I may be a trillionaire for all you know. However even if it were true we are not discussing the size of someone's bank account and the matter is quite irrelevant to the matter under discussion.

As for hypnosis it is true that you can't be hypnotised. Neither can anyone else since nobody can make you do something you don't want to do. For example if a hypnotist asked you to rob a bank you would not do so unless you were the sort of person who would want to rob a bank anyway. However if you were that sort of person you would do a lot better job of the robbery if you were wide awake.

I do keep trying to contact Slydini in the spirit world but he talks with a funny accent and he doesn't come through properly.

As for clips of me performing there are only two. However I am not doing Macdonalds Aces so I am not sure what point there is to directing you there.

Besides you may want to go there because you have already made up your mind to criticise. I must inform you that if this is the case I require no criticism whatever. Unalderated praise and glory is all that is needed. Any other reaction is of no use to me whatsoever.

mark lewis wrote:I do keep trying to contact Slydini in the spirit world but he talks with a funny accent and he doesn't come through properly.

It's the same problem with other deceased famous names. When I try to contact Houdini all I get is a recorded message saying, 'Sorry Houdini can't come through right now, at the tone leave details of your medium and he'll get back to you'. But he never does....

If you wish to do the routine as you said, try looking at a trick called Sleeper Aces. It can be found in Jon Racherbaumers Kabbala, Vol. 3, #1. This is a version of MDA but done with a straight deck. In this routine, the aces are shown one at a time and tabled facedown. A card is show on top of the deck, then turned facedown and placed on the last ace. Then three cards are placed on the first ace only. Deck is set aside, the first ace and three cards are counted and the first ace vanishes. Turn the last card over along with the card from the top of the deck and show both to be aces. Repeat the same moves for the second. Each time the ace moves from it original position to the last position. The third ace is turned face up to its still there, the three aces are picked up and spread to show that they have gathered to the last position, then turned face down and tabled, another card shown from the top of the deck and dealt on top of the three aces. Three cards are placed on top of the remaining ace and you attempt to vanish it as well but fail. You turn the three cards over and show that they are aces and where the ace were they are now kings. It will be a shame if you can't find this routine because it will fit what you are trying to accomplish.

By the way, Slydini left a message on my answering machine and he said, "Mark Lewis is utterly correct!"

Thanks Al.. I will try to locate it