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Hi guys and girls -
Isn't it just infuriating - routines such as "spectator cuts the aces" pop up all the time and I ignore them because I'm just not that impressed by the presentation as it stands. Now I have a killer routine I want to use where the spectator must cut to four cards... but can't find one!

Can anyone suggest somewhere I can find this classic? The more the merrier, it's nice to have a choice. I'd like one as "clean" as possible, and the spectator must do the "cutting" into piles etc. (with misdirection, it need not be the bottom card as we all know... ) but the main thing is I don't want them to be saying "stop" or something, I want them to actually cut the deck.
Thanks in advance!

There is a great version in a book by Michael Kaminskas called Next Victim Please, which is available at www.hanklee.com

Hope this helps!

Michael Kras

Dai Vernon (who else) has a great trick on cutting to the aces, you could check it out. I can't remember of the top of my head which book of his it is in. I could have a look if you need more info?

Randy Wakeman's Lake Tahoe Bar Magic, Bill Malone's On The Loose, and Paul Harris' Art of Astonishment, just to name a few sources.

Watch a shoddy YouTube video of it and you should get the picture.

Rob

Ah yes, thanks Rob - the Bill Malone one was the one I wanted... as straight forward as possible. How do you keep track of the effects on all the effects on your magic DVDs so efficiently?!

Cheers for the help guys.

There's a nice one in Volume 1 or 2 of the Card College series. Not as direct, but it might give you a few ideas.

You may also want to look into John Bannon's variation in Dear Mr. Fantasy. It has some great thinking in there.

"Royal Ace Cut by Walt Lees" can be found in "Virtual Miracles by Peter Duffie" and is very fair and direct; a variant of it can be found in another Peter Duffie ebook, "Card Secrets Unlocked" in which a participant chooses a card and cuts the deck into three piles; with no funny displays or anything the top three are turned over and seen to match the selection! "Lead In" in the same ebook may also be of some interest.

All three are some of the most direct "Spectator Cuts the Aces" kinds of effects I've encountered, very fair.

Going in a slightly different direction, I know...
A great variation on this kind of effect is The Hidden by Andy Nyman, on top of which it has a superb presentation to go with it. It has been marketed as a stand-alone effect in the past but I'd recommend getting hold of the lecture notes that include it. I can't remember which manuscript it's in but if anyone's interested I will look it up and pass on my own tips (you lucky people!).

There's a great one on Impact by Michael Paul.

EDIT: the spec actually cuts the first two, there is a STOP ace, but it is very effective

Greg Wilson has one on his Pyrotechnic Pasteboards that I think is quite good.