This particular effect has a curious history that includes a surprising case of misattributed credit—a common occurrence in the world of magic. But more on that thorny subject shortly!

In this article, we’ll explore the history and evolution of this effect and present two new approaches that maintain the trick’s core appeal while adding a few contemporary touches. Whether you’re familiar with the original handling or encountering this classic for the first time, I’m sure you’ll find something valuable in these variations.

The Basic Effect

In its classic form, as described by Harry Lorayne in Close-Up Card Magic (1962), the effect is deceptively simple yet highly deceptive! A spectator is asked to stop the magician several times as they riffle through a deck of cards. Each time they stop, a portion of the deck is turned face-up and spread on the table, with a single face-down card placed across it. This process is repeated four times, creating four separate spreads of face-up cards, each with a mysterious face-down card lying across it. When these face-down cards are finally revealed, they prove to be none other than the four Aces! The simplicity and elegance of the method make it a must-learn for any card magic enthusiast.

What makes this trick particularly special is its apparent fairness. The spectator appears to have complete freedom in choosing where to stop the magician, yet the Aces invariably appear at precisely those points. Even more ingeniously, Zarrow suggested performing a genuine demonstration of the stopping procedure before the actual trick begins (forcing an indifferent card on the spectator)—a subtle touch that makes the method even more impenetrable (this is a subtlety that I use in “Albion Aces”—more on this trick in a moment).

History of the Trick

The story of “Revolving Aces” is a fascinating example of how magical effects can sometimes become entangled in accidental attribution controversies. Its origin story is worthy of a detective novel! It first appeared in Genii Magazine (Vol. 25, May 1961, No. 9) as “Emerald Isle Aces”, credited to celebrated Canadian conjurer Dai Vernon.

The following year, it appeared in Harry Lorayne’s Close-Up Card Magic (1962), credited to his “good friend” Herb Zarrow.

The Genii article, written by Hubert Lambert, went to considerable lengths to justify the trick’s name, including a detailed exploration of Vernon’s supposed Irish heritage. (For what it’s worth, I think “Emerald Isle Aces” is a far better title than “Revolving Aces”—a name I consistently misread as “Revolting Aces”!) Lambert even included a photograph of The Professor alongside the explanation, lending the article additional authority. Yet this entire attribution was based on a simple miscommunication between Faucett Ross and Hubert Lambert—an error that would ripple through magic literature for many years.

This misattribution was subsequently perpetuated through several influential publications. Lewis Ganson included the effect in Ultimate Secrets of Card Magic, maintaining the incorrect Vernon credit. The error was further compounded when Glenn Gravatt—somewhat notorious in magic circles for his cavalier approach to crediting—reprinted the trick as “Vernon’s Four-Ace Trick” in his book 50 More Modern Card Tricks (1979).

The mistake was finally corrected when Stephen Minch revealed that Herb Zarrow should rightly receive credit for the trick in The Vernon Chronicles: Further Lost Inner Secrets (1989). The confusion arose from a simple communication error between Ross and Lambert; however, this mistake gained momentum as subsequent authors depended on these earlier erroneous sources.

This misunderstanding led to what may be the most fitting title for the trick, given to it by writer, consultant, and fellow Substack author David Britland. He calls it “The Trick That Wasn’t Vernon’s”! You can see David perform it in the video below. (You can also learn the details of David Britland’s handling in Cardopolis Newsletter #14.)

This case of misattributed credit serves as a reminder of the importance of proper attribution in magic and how easily errors can propagate through the literature when authors neglect to verify their sources (a problem that seems rife in modern culture these days, sadly). It took 28 years for this mistake to be corrected! This is particularly ironic given that Vernon himself was renowned for his meticulous attention to detail, especially when crediting the originators of moves, tricks and sleights.

The Core Method

At its heart, “Revolving Aces” relies on a clever application of Henry Christ’s force, performed not once but four times in rapid succession. This technique, combined with a secret arrangement of six cards on top of the deck (the four Aces and two indifferent “cover” cards), creates what appears to be a series of entirely free choices. However, it ensures the Aces appear precisely where the magician wants them.

The Christ Force, which Ted Annemann dubbed “The 203rd Force” (after including 202 other forcing techniques in his 1931 book dedicated to the subject), first appeared in print in Annemann’s 1934 booklet Sh-h-h--! It’s a Secret. The force is remarkably direct: a spectator is asked to cut the deck anywhere they like, and the cut is immediately marked by turning the upper portion face up. When they later turn over the top card of the lower portion, they’ve seemingly made a completely free selection—yet the magician knows exactly which card they’ll find, much to the audience’s surprise.

This elegant forcing technique would later inspire the more widely-known Cut Deeper Force, achieving a similar result without requiring special cards (Christ’s original handling utilises a double-backed card). However, it’s Christ’s basic method that Zarrow employed so brilliantly in “Revolving Aces”, creating a routine where each selection seems completely fair yet is entirely under the performer’s control.

Revolving Royal Flush

“Revolving Royal Flush” in Zarrow: A Lifetime of Magic by David Ben (see page 92) addresses a minor issue with “Revolving Aces”. At the end of the routine, an indifferent card remains face up in the deck. Reversing this card is a mere trifle, but why not incorporate it into the effect? This is exactly what happens in “Revolving Royal Flush” (see the video performance below by David Britland).

This version of the effect is particularly effective when performed for individuals who regularly play Poker. You can read the full details of David Britland’s handling in Cardopolis Newsletter #14.

Cardopolis

NEWSLETTER 14 - ROBIN HOOD SANDWICH

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5 years ago · 4 likes · 6 comments · David Britland

Revolving Aces Lead-In

Another minor issue with Zarrow’s original “Revolving Aces” routine is that it requires a complicated prearrangement. If you begin a card set with this trick, this becomes irrelevant, but it renders the routine less practical in other contexts. Vernon addressed this by reinserting the Aces into the pack while it was behind his back. Although this method works, I’ve never liked handling cards behind my back (or from the audience’s view); most people realise you’re up to no good!

However, my friend, and underground cardman, Justin Higham solved this problem in typically ingenious fashion back in 1985! In his booklet All Hands on Deck, he details a simple way to set the deck right in front of an audience:

The following idea allows you to cleanly place the four Aces into different parts of the deck before going into Herb Zarrow’s “Revolving Aces” (Close-Up Card Magic, Lorayne, pp. 98-100).

1. The deck is face down in the left hand, the card 2nd from the top is face up. The four Aces are on the table face up.

2. Cut off about a quarter of the deck and table it to your left. Cut off another quarter and place it to the right of the 1st packet. Cut the remaining cards in half and table the two portions to the right of the other two. (If you like living dangerously then allow the spectator to do the cutting. What I do is to cut the 1st portion ‘to show the spectator what to do’, then allow her to do the rest of the cutting).

3. Pick up the pile on the left (i.e., the one with a face-up card 2nd from the top) with the left hand. Place one of the Aces face down onto the packet. As you reach for the 2nd packet take a break under the face-up card, then place the right-hand portion face up onto the left hand cards. Immediately turn all the cards above the break face down onto the remaining cards.

4. Pick up the 2nd Ace at the same time taking a break under the top three cards. Place the Ace face down onto the packet as before, then pick up the 3rd pile and place it face up onto the left-hand cards. Once again flip all the cards above the break face down.

5. Take a break below the top four cards and repeat the whole process with the 3rd Ace and the 4th packet. After this the order should be: A, X, X, A, A (underlined cards face up).

6. Place the last Ace face down onto the deck and execute any False Cut followed by a False Shuffle.

The cards are now set for the Zarrow routine.

Justin’s idea means you can now perform “Revolving Aces” at any point with a shuffled deck in use. Thanks, Justin!

Albion Aces

Years ago, when I became passionately interested in card magic, I accidentally reinvented “Revolving Aces” and “Revolving Royal Flush” while experimenting with the Christ Force. I was disappointed to discover that Herb Zarrow had beaten me to the punch by over forty years! Nevertheless, I continued exploring the core concept that makes “Revolving Aces” work— “Albion Aces” is my latest attempt to create something based on the idea worthy of publication.

The routine employs Justin’s method of arranging the deck. However, I have adapted his idea to the Royal Flush ending. The Royal Flush cards are positioned under the guise of inserting the four Aces into various parts of the deck. I have also developed a playful approach to presenting the effect as a demonstration of the mystical art of manifestation, a popular pseudoscientific trend among younger people these days.

Learn the Trick

High Card to Hell 🔥

Here’s another routine based on the “Revolving Aces” principle I recently published in Marty’s Magic Ruseletter (see Tricks, Tricks & More Tricks: Satanic Sorcery for full details). This is possibly my favourite way to use the Christ Force to date.

In the routine, two spectators portray a down-on-his-luck gambler and the Devil in disguise, while you take on the role of a handsome magician! The gambler draws three sixes (666) against the Devil’s Seven of Clubs. The Devil then demands the four Aces for the gambler’s soul, but one Ace, the Ace of Clubs, is missing (hidden in Satan’s pocket). As a master illusionist, you locate three of the Aces and magically transform the Seven of Clubs into the missing Ace, defeating the Devil at his own game!

Learn the Trick

I hope you enjoy learning, practising and performing these two routines based on Herb Zarrow’s “Revolving Aces”.

Yours Magically,

Marty

P.S. I encourage you to explore Henry Christ’s force. It has many applications. For example, it can be used as a very convincing switch. Look out for more routines using this powerful concept in the future.

In this edition, I’ll be taking a look at the classic card trick commonly known as “The Four Burglars”, “The Four Robbers”, “The Four Bank Robbers”, or sometimes “Cops and Robbers”. You’ll learn four variations, including my extended handling of the plot called “Inside Job”. I’ll also teach you “The Bungling Burglars”, which is based on a trick that was popular when William Shakespeare was alive! However, I’ve included an improved handling and a new presentation based on butt dialling—something I’m pretty sure the Bard never experienced!

In this classic card trick, the magician displays four Jacks, or sometimes four Kings, calling them “burglars”, “thieves”, or “robbers”. He tells a story about them breaking into a house, hotel, or bank, represented by the deck. The Jacks are distributed in different locations throughout the pack. Each location represents an entry point—such as a back door or window—or a room or floor in the building. There are two common endings to this popular trick: either all four Jacks magically gather in the centre of the pack, or they assemble on top of the deck. In most variations, the four criminals escape from law enforcement by fleeing across the rooftops or flying off in a waiting helicopter. However, in some variations, the Jacks are captured by two, three or four police officers, e.g. the two black Kings.

I recently wrote an article on the trick called Refined Robbers for my regular Ruseletter column, Easy Does It. In this post, you can learn the basic handling if you’re unfamiliar with it. You can also watch three video performances by the celebrated English TV magician Paul Daniels (1938-2016). “The Four Burglars” was the very first card trick that he learned as a boy.

Another good place to learn the standard way of performing “The Four Burglars” is within the pages of Modern Conjuring by J.C. Cannell (see pages 3-6).

Incidentally, this is quite likely the very book from which Paul Daniels originally learned the trick as a boy—the included patter is strikingly similar to the words he uses in his videos. Modern Conjuring was also first published in 1940, two years after the famous English magician was born.

The suggested script accompanying the trick in Modern Conjuring, a portion of which I’ve reproduced below, is a little outdated, given that it was written so long ago. Still, it might serve as a good starting point for developing your own unique script for the trick.

“I will perform my first experiment, ladies and gentlemen, with the four knaves. I always commence with this trick, so that I can tell whether I have any control over the cards or not, for I invariably find the knaves the most intractable cards in the pack, and if I prove successful with them I know that I shall not have much trouble with the other cards. Of course, you can get a lot of utility out of the knaves even, if you catch them young enough, and I have four at home so tame that they will eat out of my hand. I will try what can be done with these strangers, but I am a bit dubious about the result, for they are a particularly truculent looking lot.”

Modern Conjuring is in the public domain and can be downloaded for free below. This particular copy is from the William Alma Magic Collection at State Library Victoria in Australia.

Modern Conjuring

4.75MB ∙ PDF file

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A PDF copy of Modern Conjuring by J.C. Cannell.

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While the trick became very popular in the first half of the twentieth century, thanks to books for beginners, like Modern Conjuring, it is much older than that. Let’s look at two handlings based on a trick published in 1591!

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If you’re unfamiliar with the basic effect, here’s a performance of the trick by the Magician’s Magician, Daryl.

I have already discussed the history of the effect on my blog, so I won’t be discussing it again in this article. However, if you are interested in learning more about the origin of the “Chicago Opener” and its various adaptations published over the years, I suggest reading the previous articles I’ve written on the topic.

Read Chicago Opener Blog Posts

Three Significant Weaknesses

The “Chicago Opener” remains a popular trick among amateur and professional magicians alike, thanks to its strong effect and practical method. However, it isn’t universally loved. Eugene Burger, an extraordinary close-up performer and one of the most influential magicians of the 20th century, didn’t like it. He went so far as to say that “it’s not a very good trick.”1 I’ll be publishing a blog post on his opinion of the “Chicago Opener” soon (to expand on and explore his criticisms in detail).

The routine has several significant weaknesses. Three, in fact, which can be summarised as follows:

1. The double lift or turnover happens at the worst possible time—when everyone is looking at the odd-backed card.

2. The second phase teaches some analytical people how the first phase was achieved.

3. The two cards are selected in inconsistent ways, which can arouse suspicion, and the second selection is not as free and fair as the first.

The first issue, the placement of the double lift or turnover in the routine, can be mitigated with proper timing and technique (Daryl performs this move particularly well in the video performance above). However, I’ve decided to eliminate the move from the routine entirely.

The second issue, where the use of an odd-backed card in the second phase tips the method used in the first, is more challenging to address. The best approach is to pocket the odd-backed card and move swiftly on to your next trick.

The third weakness, the inconsistent selection of the two cards, can be easily resolved by making the selection of the freely chosen card appear the same as the force used in the second phase (or vice versa). The most crucial aspect is ensuring that both selection processes feel equally free and fair.

Both “Two Hot to Trot” and “Envelope Opener” are attempts to fix these weaknesses. However, there are many ways to address these issues without altering the underlying method of the “Chicago Opener”.

What is the Effect?

Roberto Giobbi, in his book Sharing Secrets, emphasises the importance of not losing sight of the effect on the audience, regardless of how much they are entertained or amused.2

Unfortunatley, many magicians perform the “Chicago Opener” without considering what the actual effect is. Al Leech presented it as a colour change and a transformation. The back turns red when the magician blows on the card, heating it up. Another magical blow transforms the face to match a second selected card. However, a spectator could misinterpret the magic as a colour change (the back of the card turning red) and a transposition of the faces of the first and second selections.

However, you can also present it as a prediction, e.g., “I knew you would pick this card. That’s why it’s the only red-backed card in the deck.” Similarly, you can present the routine as a demonstration of psychological influence., e.g., “There is a single red-backed card in this deck, and I will make you pick it!”

I’m taking a slightly different approach by presenting the “Chicago Opener” as a double colour change followed by an impossible transposition. The two trick’s I’m sharing clarify the effect by making two cards change colour and then framing the second phase as a transposition of these two cards.

Learn Two Hot to Trot

I devised “Two Hot to Trot” many years ago. My primary motivation was to create a version of the “Chicago Opener” in which two cards changed colour. By doing so, I accidentally stumbled upon a handling that avoids the use of the double lift or turnover during the first phase of the trick. I believe that this strengthens the structure of the routine.

The aspect I appreciate most about this handling is that both cards, along with the rest of the deck, can be thoroughly examined at the end of the routine, and no duplicate cards will be found.

The downside of this particular routine is that it uses two forces, and one could argue that the selection of the first card is not as free or fair as it is in the original. Personally, I don’t consider this a significant issue because both selection processes are consistent and, when performed correctly, feel reasonably fair and random.

I hope you give this version of the “Chicago Opener” a try.

Learn the Trick

Learn Envelope Opener

“Envelope Opener” is a variation of “Two Hot to Trot” better suited for more formal situations, such as a parlor show or an after-dinner performance. It adds intrigue to the trick by incorporating a prop (an old-fashioned letter opener) and an envelope, making the two-card transposition seem even more impossible.

While this particular handling is not as straightforward as Al Leech’s original, and the reset is not automatic, it still has immense potential to be an impressive and entertaining piece of card magic.

The use of the letter opener and envelope elevates the effect, creating a more theatrical and captivating experience for the audience. The extra props and choreography required also allow for greater showmanship and engagement from the performer.

Despite the slight added complexity, “Envelope Opener” retains the core strength of the Chicago Opener plot while enhancing its visual appeal and sense of impossibility, making it an excellent choice for more formal magical performances.

Learn the Trick

I hope you enjoy these two variations of a true classic of the card magic world. Please post any questions or queries you have about the two routines in the comments section below.

Yours Magically,

Marty

1. First, it must be popular with magicians and audiences alike.

2. Like a classic car, it must be at least twenty-five years old. This longevity proves that the trick has stood the test of time. While this stipulation limits what tricks can appear in the column, it will encourage me to revisit older books, manuscripts and magic tricks (something I enjoy doing, anyway) and ignore the newest releases (something I should do more often).

3. It must have some historical importance to magic. For example, be connected to a magician of notable worth or represent a significant improvement or development in a particular plot.

Right, let’s start corrupting those classics!

This first article will take a deep dive into the much-maligned Twenty-One Card Trick. Also known as the Eleventh Card Trick or the Three Column Trick, this is perhaps the most well-known card trick among non-magicians. When performing, a member of my audience will invariably ask me if they can show me a trick. Nine times out of ten, they’ll deal out the familiar three columns of seven cards and proceed to perform a laboured version of the Twenty-One Card Trick (cue eye roll and suppressed yawn). 🙄🥱

In this post, I’ll discuss some of the inherent weaknesses of the trick and how we can remedy them. I’ll also share some tips for improving the method along with three fantastic variations of the Twenty-One Card Trick: “Trust Your Gut”, “Unlucky for Some”, and “Tiny Tantalizer”.

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