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I shall say straight away that this may have been addressed in another post but i cannot find it at the moment, however if i address my query here and someone could point me to the right place, i shall walk away a happier man.

The problem i have is justifying aces. It seems like a common problem in the logic of magic these days as people realise the great surprising potential the Aces intrinsically possess and throw the buggers in at the end of any trick for the sheer hell of it.

The idea is basically an in the hands transposition (yes it has been done to death but by god it works so well) where first card X switches with card Y, then the two cards XY "magically" switch to cards AB wherein finally, cards XYAB switch to...the four Aces! Sounds stunning but I'm having trouble presenting the thing and not in the typical technical sense. It just doesn't seem to have a logical climax and i wonder if i should keep it at all or if it merely needs some linguistic tinkering in order to get it right.

I do love the effect and it gets typically good reactions but reaching logical clarity is a more important conceptual facet, for me, in magic. Can somebody please alleviate my troubles?

I am not familiar with the effect you describe, but is it possible to do it with any spectator-nominated 4 of a kind?

Yeah, if it's any four of a kind just called out then you wouldn't really need much justification for revealing them.

"Let's make it a little tougher for me. Someone give me a card and I'll attempt to find it along with it's copies."

Or something along those lines.

I'd say the strengh of the effect comes from them changing to something which hasn't been involved at all, so unexpected and impossible. The Aces are for visual appeal rather than for anything else they represent (a good poker hand for example). So I don't really think the need to be justified any more than the fact that they are different from what the card were before, and it's clearly deliberate as they're all the same and instantly recognisable.

If you mean justifying it to the specs, than I'd say it just depends on the 'patter' you're using. Can't really comment on that as you haven't mentioned it at all, so I'm assuming you mean justifying it to yourself (just as important I'd say...)

I understand what you are saying because things need to make sense for me as well. But think, you said it gets a good reaction. So isn't that the justification? Based on the fact that you said you really like the effect, and based on the fact that you said you get a good reaction. Then I would suggest keep doing it only start to make small changes, there have been suggestions made here already. Perhaps a poker theme, (I don't like them, but thats another thing) start four indifferent cards that change into a better hand then change into four aces. Or take parts of that idea, it will depend on your style.

Best of luck with it.

bmat - But think, you said it gets a good reaction. So isn't that the justification?



I think i prefer a logical conclusion rather than just a good reaction. I mean i like one and i like the other, but i prefer them together.

Also, the patter is pretty basic throughout since this is just a transposition effect with a couple of variations.

Still, i shall keep tweaking and tinkling. Thanks for the help everyone.

Change the aces for 3 sixes and a joker that looks like a devil, and explain how there are some things we just can't escape...