This instalment features a memorable trick called “In Want of a Wife”, a romantic, Austen-inspired treatment of Hofzinser’s Royal Marriages. 👰

It’s similar in theme and effect to “Perfect Partners”, the routine I shared a few days ago (see A Letter of Some Consequence). While it requires a modicum of sleight of hand (an Elmsley Count and a double lift), it isn’t at all difficult to perform. I hope you’ll love it as much as I do. ❤

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📋 Quick Reference

Effect Type: Small-Packet Coincidence Effect
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (Intermediate)
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯 (Minimal)
Reset Time: Instant
Key Moves & Principles: Elmsley Count, Double Lift, Under-Down Deal

Regular Ruseletter readers will know that I’ve been quietly assembling a repertoire of romantic card tricks suitable for weddings, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day performances, and intimate social gatherings. (See Easy Does It #4: Sixpence Ceremony, Easy Does It #7: Simplex Soulmates, Easy Does It #8: Double Happiness, and Easy Does It #9: Algorithmic Love for previous examples.)

“In Want of a Wife” is a natural addition to this collection—but it’s also something a little different. While most of my romantic tricks are designed for couples, this one is designed specifically for a single spectator: ideally, an avid reader of Jane Austen’s novels. (It can also be adapted to be performed for a couple, of course.)

What Makes This Trick So Special?

Because “In Want of a Wife” requires no pre-arrangement, you can perform it with a borrowed deck at a moment’s notice. There’s no setup to remember, no secret stack to maintain, and no specially prepared cards or props to carry. All you need is a standard deck and the presence of mind to recall the simple sequence of moves that make the trick work.

While the routine isn’t self-working, the Under-Down Deal does most of the heavy lifting for you. No sleight of hand is required beyond the Elmsley Count and the double lift, both of which are within reach of any intermediate card worker. In addition, the Regency courtship preamble provides natural, engaging misdirection during the technically sensitive moments of the routine (the discrepant false count sequences).

Once the first match-up is revealed, many Royal Marriage effects become predictable, repetitive and even a little dull. The rich, historic presentation gives this effect an emotional resonance that audiences can connect with. The romantic theme is universally recognised, even by people who’ve never read the novel. In other words, this is a trick that appeals to a broad audience of all ages.

Finally, the effect builds beautifully across four distinct phases, each one seemingly more impossible than the last. The final line leaves audiences with something to take away beyond the coincidence of the cards matching.

Hay’s Paradox, Revisited

Regular readers will recall my discussion of Henry Hay’s Paradox of Practice in Easy Does It #8, where I introduced the concept of “easy hard tricks”—easy or self-working effects that are technically simple to perform but require significant time and effort to present in a compelling manner.

“In Want of a Wife” is a classic example of an easy hard trick. The mechanics are straightforward. The Under-Down Deal is completely self-working. The Charlier Shuffle requires no advanced skill whatsoever. Even the Elmsley Count and double lift are within comfortable reach of most card workers (after a modest amount of practice).

However, the presentation is rich and multilayered. The Regency courtship patter, the Austen quotations, and the “Love me, love me not…” elimination ritual all require thought, rehearsal, and genuine investment to deliver convincingly. The good news is that I’ve done much of that work for you. The basic script is written. The quotations are sourced. The misdirection is built in. Your job is to make it your own.

And that, as Henry Hay would remind us, is where the real magic happens.

Who Is This Trick For?

“In Want of a Wife” will resonate most powerfully with fans of Jane Austen’s novels—and there are more of them than you might think. Pride and Prejudice alone has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. The 1995 BBC adaptation starring Colin Firth remains one of the most beloved costume dramas ever made. Even people who’ve never read a word of Austen will almost certainly recognise the dashing Mr Darcy and headstrong Elizabeth Bennet.

The trick truly shines when performed for someone who knows and loves the story—at a book club, a literary dinner, a Pride and Prejudice viewing party, or simply for a friend who owns more Penguin Classics than kitchen utensils. This is your opener, or a charming transition between stronger pieces.

For someone less familiar with the novels, it works equally well—it’s simply a beautiful romantic effect with a compelling narrative. Either way, the emotional impact is the same. I hope it might even encourage some spectators to pick up a copy of Pride and Prejudice.

And before you ask: yes, men are absolutely allowed to read Austen. Mr Darcy himself would almost certainly have approved!

This is the kind of trick that gets remembered. Not because the method is clever—though it is—but because it tells a heartwarming story. As I’ve said before, to paraphrase Maya Angelou, people may forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

One Final Thought

At their heart, many of Jane Austen’s novels are about courtship, marriage and the elusive “happily ever after”. So is Hofzinser’s Royal Marriages plot. That’s what they have in common: both Austen and Hofzinser understood that the most satisfying stories are those in which everyone finds their perfect match. The Queens find their Kings. Lizzie finds her Darcy. And I hope your audience finds a little of that same quiet magic, drawn from a more genteel age that has long since disappeared.

As Austen herself might have observed, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a magician in possession of a good trick, must be in want of a great presentation.

“In Want of a Wife” is, I humbly suggest, both.

Learn the Trick

Yours Magically,

Marty

Welcome to another edition of Easy Does It, a regular Ruseletter column about simple (and sometimes self-working) magic tricks that you can learn to impress your friends and family.

In this article, I’m sharing a trick called “Algorithmic Love” that’s been in my notebook for so long that I’d completely forgotten about it! As I’ve published several similar routines recently, I thought it made sense to release this one into the wild as well.

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While I design most of my tricks primarily with the amateur magician in mind, I also strive to make them robust enough for the professional performer. For example, this piece would work particularly well as an opening effect for the bride and groom on their wedding day, or as part of a longer Valentine’s Day-themed parlour show.

“Algorithmic Love” is based on a bizarre magick effect I published more than two years ago, “A Swindle of Souls”, which, in turn, was inspired by the Max Maven masterpiece, “Wagers of Sin” (see Tricks, Tricks & More Tricks #2: Satanic Sorcery to learn my variation).

If you enjoyed “Double Happiness”, the routine I published in the last edition of this column (see Easy Does It #8), I’m confident you’ll also enjoy this offering. It shares a similar theme and is equally easy to perform. Furthermore, the presentational framework of “Algorithmic Love” provides a relatable narrative that turns the most boring part of the trick—the procedure—into the most interesting part of the experience. Even if you don’t like the provided method, you can lift the presentation and use it with a different trick.

Here’s what happens:

You shuffle the cards—some face up, some face down—creating a random jumble that represents the chaotic and overwhelming world of online dating. You explain that the first step on any dating app is to “filter out the noise.” Accordingly, you remove all the face-down cards and eliminate the face-up ones. A quick “Deal or Switch?” shuffle further randomises the packet.

Next, the spectator performs a Down-Under Deal, or, as you playfully dub it, the “Australian Algorithm.” This procedure randomly selects one card: the King of Hearts.

The cards are given another quick mix. You explain that the “Aussie Algo” must now find a compatible match for the King. The spectator repeats the elimination procedure, and when the final card is revealed, it’s the Queen of Hearts—a perfect pair!

You spread the remaining cards face up across the table: every card is a Heart, arranged in perfect sequence from Ace to Jack. As well as facilitating a royal romance, the algorithm has brought perfect order to the chaotic world of online dating!

In many ways, this routine is similar to my packet trick “Loved Eightfold” (see Tricks, Tricks & More Tricks #3: Soulmate Sorcery), but it doesn’t rely on the Count-Back Force (10-20 Force) and uses thirteen cards instead of eight, which makes the final display a little more impressive because more cards are spread across (or dealt to) the table.

If you’re an experienced cardician, you can likely deduce the method from the description of the effect above. Although it is essentially self-working, I believe the handling is deeply deceptive for a lay audience.

Note: As this is an odd-numbered edition of Easy Does It, the trick tutorial is exclusively available to paying subscribers. However, I operate a freeven publishing model, which guarantees all even-numbered issues of this series will be free to read forever.

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Ready to learn “Algorithmic Love”? Keep scrolling to learn the trick.

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Welcome to another edition of Easy Does It, a regular Ruseletter column about simple (and sometimes self-working) magic tricks that you can learn to impress your friends and family. Today, we’re going to explore a deeply romantic card trick called “Double Happiness” and discuss how a practical understanding of Hay’s Paradox can help you become a better performer. 🥰

This free edition of Marty’s Magic Ruseletter is made possible by the generosity of paid subscribers. Thank you! If you’d like to become a paid subscriber to the Ruseletter and support my writing, you can do so for $5 per month (or $50 annually).

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Regular readers of the Ruseletter will know that recently I’ve been on a bit of a mission to share romantic-themed magic tricks suitable for weddings, engagement parties, or wedding anniversary celebrations. (See Easy Does It #4: Sixpence Ceremony, Easy Does It #7: Simplex Soulmates, and Packet Trick Paradise #12: Red Thread of Fate for three good examples of this type of magic.) I’m not entirely sure why I enjoy these tricks so much; perhaps I’m a hopeless romantic! Anyway, “Double Happiness” is another trick of the same vein; it aims to strengthen the bond between two people by helping them discover what makes their relationship unique and special.

The idea behind this particular trick stemmed from the observation that the Chinese decorative character for double happiness, shuāngxǐ (囍), looks very much like the two red Eights in a deck of playing cards (see graphic below for a typical example of the symbol).

There are many ways to render it because it is not a standard Chinese character. Shuāngxǐ, pronounced “shwong-shee”, is, in fact, an ornamental ligature made of two side-by-side copies of the Chinese character for joy (喜). It frequently appears on traditional decorative items related to marriage, including “hongbao”—lucky red envelopes usually containing cash—given to the bride and groom on their wedding day. 🧧

The colour red symbolises good luck and prosperity and is thought to ward off evil spirits. The act of giving and receiving a hongbao is also a popular way to share joy and extend good wishes during the Lunar New Year and on people’s birthdays in China and other parts of East and Southeast Asia.

There are many different artistic interpretations of the symbol. Below, I’ve collected eight examples to give you an idea of how the symbol is interpreted. (Some resemble the two red Eights in a deck of playing cards more than others.)

To perform “Double Happiness”, you’ll need a deck of playing cards, a red envelope, and a specially printed “numerological chart” (you can make one of these by hand with a few pens and a piece of paper). You can purchase authentic Chinese “hongbao” from wedding supply shops to use in this routine. (You can also buy them on sites like Amazon and Etsy, but try to buy your magic supplies like this from a local, family-run business, if possible.)

Because it resembles the two red Eights and is often depicted in red, the double happiness symbol can serve as an “ambiguous open prediction” of the Eight of Hearts and Eight of Diamonds. When a spectator looks at it, it doesn’t seem to make any sense or appears to be there for decorative purposes only. Therefore, it can be openly displayed before any cards are chosen. It is only later, when the magician clarifies the situation, that the audience can correctly interpret the markings as a prediction (see example pictured below).

To maximise its impact as an ambiguous open prediction, it’s advisable to print or draw a customised version of the double happiness symbol that includes a small Heart and Diamond pip within the character itself (see below for a representative mock-up of an envelope with this type of symbol printed on it).

Here’s what happens in “Double Happiness”:

The bride and groom thoroughly shuffle a deck of cards. Using a numerology chart and some personal choices about their relationship, they generate a unique “Planetary Colour Number”. This number guides a process where they deal and freely eliminate cards until only two remain. Remarkably, these are the Eight of Hearts and Eight of Diamonds—what a magical coincidence!

The magician explains that these two cards symbolise their matrimonial union, echoing the Chinese “double happiness” symbol (囍) printed (or drawn) on a lucky red “hongbao” envelope. The happy couple receive these cards in the decorative envelope as a treasured keepsake.

Hay’s Paradox

In his book The Amateur Magician’s Handbook, author Henry Hay (1910-1985), whose real name was June Barrows Mussey, dedicates an entire chapter to what he calls the “Paradox of Practice”. His theory concerns the difficulty of a magic trick, or, in other words, whether it is easy or hard to perform. For this reason, the chapter has the puzzling title “Hard Easy Tricks and Easy Hard Tricks”.

If you start off with a few self-working tricks that you can plod through undetected, you may puzzle people, but you won’t entertain them. Worse, you won’t have entertained yourself. Easy come, easy go. Familiarity breeds contempt.1

What are Hard Easy Tricks? (Sleight of Hand)

Hay’s main argument is that most magicians should begin by learning more technically demanding tricks because the time required to learn a simple sleight of hand sequence, or what Hay sometimes calls a “manual artifice”, forces you to develop the necessary acting and showmanship skills to effectively “sell” the magical effect to an audience. These are his so-called “hard easy tricks”.

Such tricks are “hard” because the sleights involved require substantial practice to learn. Nonetheless, this very difficulty makes them “easy” in the long run because the extensive practice needed to master the mechanics naturally forces the performer to internalise the timing, acting, and showmanship necessary for a good presentation. You can’t perform them half-practised without risking embarrassment, so you do the work. Here’s how Henry Hay describes it:

In short, you can learn to do a moderately difficult trick well more easily than you can a perfectly easy trick. On a sleight-of-hand trick you can’t skimp; on an easy trick the temptation is almost irresistible. You won’t dare to show a feat of skill that is only half practiced—and this is one of the basic axioms in all conjuring.2

What are Easy Hard Tricks? (Self-Working)

Conversely, with so-called “self-working” miracles (tricks that can be learnt in mere minutes), the temptation to perform them without putting in the necessary time and effort is, as Hay points out, almost irresistible! This makes them “easy hard tricks” in Henry’s eyes because, while they are easy on a technical footing, a lot of hard work is required to make them entertaining.

They’re “easy” because the methods demand little in the way of manual skill or dexterity. This makes them quick to learn, but “hard” to present convincingly; the lack of mandatory mechanical practice creates a strong tendency, especially in amateur magicians, to neglect the crucial, and genuinely difficult, task of developing the presentation, timing, and showmanship needed to transform a mere puzzle into an engaging piece of magic.

What Does This All Mean?

Put simply, Henry Hay’s “Paradox of Practice” argues that, especially for beginners, tricks involving difficult sleight of hand (“hard easy tricks”) are paradoxically easier to learn and perform competently in an entertaining manner than mechanically simple, self-working tricks (“easy hard tricks”).

In essence, the time and effort demanded by difficult sleight-of-hand aids the development of performance skills. In contrast, the lack of effort required by simple, self-working magic makes developing a strong performance a separate, and often completely neglected, challenge.

So, to address Hay’s Paradox, there are two obvious solutions:

1. Perform more technically demanding magic or

2. Rise to the challenge and develop a compelling presentation for easy or self-working tricks

“Double Happiness”, which relies on the Count-Back Force and equivoque, is mechanically simple and largely self-working. Therefore, according to Henry Hay’s definition, it’s a classic example of an “easy hard trick”. It’s “easy” because the method doesn’t demand difficult sleight of hand. But it’s “hard” because a performer must consciously invest significant time and effort in the presentation, scripting, audience management, and emotional framing to elevate it beyond a puzzling procedure.

“Double Happiness” is exactly the sort of trick Henry Hay warns beginners about in his book. Because the easy method is quickly learnt, it’s very tempting to perform it before you’re ready; before you’ve developed, practised, and rehearsed an engaging presentation. This is the real hard work of “easy hard tricks”!

Learn Double Happiness

To assist you in this endeavour, I’ve dedicated considerable time to developing and writing a comprehensive tutorial for “Double Happiness”. You will still need to devote time and effort to make the trick uniquely yours. However, I hope my write-up will give you a head start and ongoing motivation to turn all your “easy hard tricks” into spectacular showstoppers!

Learn the Trick

If you have any questions or queries about the routine, please let me know by replying to the email or leaving a comment below. I hope this new trick of mine brings you many hours of Shuāngxǐ! 囍

Yours Magically,

Marty

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Picture this: On a couple’s wedding day, you hand them an ordinary deck of cards. What happens next is a magical moment that mirrors their own personal love story. Two cards, representing the bride and groom, find each other against impossible odds. By the end, there won’t be a dry eye in the house! 😭

Why am I so passionate about this particular effect? “Gemini Twins” is quite possibly the greatest self-working card trick ever invented. Yes, that’s a bold claim, but hear me out. The original uses two face-up “prediction cards” to mysteriously locate two perfect matches in a deck that the spectator has thoroughly shuffled. To lay people, this feels truly impossible.

Most variations of this particular trick attempt to “improve” it by increasing the number of prediction cards beyond the usual two. With “Simplex Soulmates”, I’ve decided to go in the opposite direction and reduce the number of predictions to one! The road less travelled has a lot of advantages:

• More suitable for a couple - When using a “soulmates” presentation, it makes more sense for a face-up Queen to find its matching King (or vice versa). Unless you’re performing for two single friends who aren’t romantically involved, then it doesn’t make much sense to find two soulmate cards. Of course, you can cast the spectator in the role of matchmaker or cupid. However, I like the idea that the two cards represent the couple.

• The effect is more direct - There’s little reason to perform the trick with two cards beyond the fact that the placement method allows for it. Using a single face-up card makes the trick more focused and the romantic story easier to follow. I’m not implying that there’s anything inherently wrong with the original (there isn’t). But if you want to strengthen the romantic connection between two people, I believe “Simplex Soulmates” is the way to go.

• The selection of the card makes sense - As the spectator selects a Queen (or King) to represent themselves, the choice of the card is logical; the central conceit of the routine—that the cards symbolise soulmates—fully justifies the trick’s mechanical process. In the original, no real reason is provided for the magician removing two specific cards from the shuffled deck. Referring to them as “predictions” or “lucky cards” helps. However, this is the main weakness of “Gemini Twins”, and unless you address it through your presentation, it could arouse suspicion.

So, what happens in this version of the trick? Here’s a brief description of the effect, as experienced by a bride and groom on their wedding day:

One of the four Queens is chosen to represent the Bride (let’s assume she names the Queen of Hearts). Then, she thoroughly shuffles the cards and hands them back to the magician.

The cards are dealt slowly onto the table. The spectator is instructed to call out “stop” whenever she wishes. When she does, the Queen of Hearts is placed face up on top of the pile, and the rest of the deck is dropped on top.

The pack is ribbon spread across the table. Then, the face-up Queen is removed, along with the face-down cards on either side of it. The three-card packet is reverse-counted until the Bride, once again, calls out “stop”. The top two cards of the packet are spread and dropped onto the table. The bottom card, the reject, is turned over to reveal an indifferent card. The magician asks the Groom to turn over the face-down card on top of the Queen. It is the King of Hearts—the Bride’s soulmate in pasteboard form!

I’ve included a clever method to force the card above the face-up Queen using Edward Victor’s E-Y-E Count. This allows you to remove the cards above and below it, which feels much fairer than removing the card above the face-up card without explanation. It also lets you show the participant the card they “almost selected”, adding an extra layer of deception to the method. However, this introduces a small amount of sleight of hand into what was a fully self-working routine (a double lift and the E-Y-E Count). Nonetheless, I believe it is worth it, and the trick remains accessible to beginner or intermediate card magicians. “Simplex Soulmates” delivers a strong and memorable effect with minimal effort, while also illustrating the usefulness of basic moves like the double lift (as a holdout). This makes it the perfect “next step” trick if you’ve only ever explored purely self-working effects.

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The method makes novel use of Henry Christ’s famous force, also known as the 202nd Force. Instead of using it to force a card, the same technique is used to switch a freely chosen card for a King. (This idea has other uses that I will be exploring soon.)

What if your biggest magical “failures” became your greatest triumphs? In this instalment of Easy Does It, I’m sharing a new trick called “Pipo’s Perverse Production”, an impressive four-of-a-kind production that is much easier than it appears. The unique presentation that accompanies the trick turns a series of apparent mistakes into an unexpected triumph that even you, the magician, doesn’t fully understand!

What is Perverse Magic?

The trick was inspired by “Four Kings Opening” by Spanish magician Pipo Villianueva, along with his “perverse magic” presentations. Perverse magic is an intriguing category of magic. It’s a performance style in which the magician appears surprised, confused, or even irritated by the magical events unfolding, creating a comedic or absurd aesthetic. This approach sharply contrasts with traditional conjuring, where the magician is presented as omnipotent and in complete control of the magical phenomena.

The routine starts innocently enough:

A spectator picks a card, let’s say the Ten of Hearts. It’s placed face down on the table. You attempt to find the other three Tens in the deck, but you “accidentally” find three Kings instead. You decide to give up on finding the Tens and attempt to locate the fourth and final King. However, something goes wrong, and you produce the spectator’s card, the Ten of Hearts. The card on the table is turned over—it’s the missing King! Despite all your apparent blunders, you’ve successfully produced all four Kings AND found their selected card, even though it was never lost in the first place!

In the early part of the twentieth century, Australian magician Charles Waller (1879-1960) was tired of the pompous, all-powerful magician persona. He pioneered a radical approach that he called “perverse magic”. The first use of the term can be found in his 1920s book Up His Sleeve (the full title is Original Creation for Magicians Hitherto Kept “Up His Sleeve”). Waller used the term to describe a magic act in which the magician was surprised and, in some cases, unaware of the magic happening around him.

In more recent years, Gerald Deutsch (1937-2021), an amateur magician from New York who studied under Slydini, has expanded on the concept further. For 16 years, he shared his thoughts, ideas, and effects on a discussion thread dedicated to perverse magic, which can still be found on the Genii Magazine Forum. (His monthly postings were also compiled in a large, hardcover book, Gerald Deutsch’s Perverse Magic: The First Sixteen Years.)

Key Elements of Perverse Magic

The real beauty of this routine lies in its clever construction—most of the work is done during the initial forcing procedure, enabling you to focus on what matters most—the perverse presentation. Waller identified five core principles that make perverse magic so effective. Let’s see how they apply to our routine:

1. Reversal of Control - Instead of confidently commanding the cards to obey, you become the victim of their rebellious nature. The cards refuse to cooperate with your stated intentions, doing exactly what they want rather than what you’re trying to accomplish.

2. Objects with Agency - The cards develop their own mischievous personality; they seem to deliberately thwart your efforts (for example, by producing three Kings when you are searching for Tens). The deck then gives you the spectator’s card when you’re looking for the final King—the selected card and King transposing behind your back!

3. Audience Complicity - The spectators become silent witnesses to the conspiracy (especially if you don’t look at the face of the chosen card when it is selected). They watch the cards “outsmart” you at every turn, creating that “bond of comradeship born of conspiracy” that Waller mentions in his book.1

4. Comedy through Frustration - Your mounting frustration and apparent incompetence become an entertaining source of humour. Your visible exasperation at the deck’s disobedience creates the comedic effect of the piece.

5. Enhanced Misdirection - The perverse magic presentation provides perfect cover for the trick’s method. The audience is so focused on your “failures” and the pack’s apparent rebellion that they miss the technical execution entirely.

These elements elevate the trick from a demonstration of skill into a charming battle of wills between magician and cards, with the cards ultimately proving they’re the ones in charge!

1920s Patter for the Production

Since this is a new trick, I haven’t settled on my final approach for its presentation. Nor have I written a script yet. Given the somewhat bizarre nature of the routine, I thought it might be enjoyable to develop some patter in the style of a 1920s magician, similar to the kind of presentation Charles Waller might have used for his perverse magic back in the golden age of vaudeville.

Here’s what I have so far for a script. I’ve included brief performance notes in square brackets. For the complete instructions, read the full explanation on my blog:

“Now, cards are supposed to be obedient servants, pieces of pasteboard that do our bidding whether we’re playing cards or performing tricks. But sometimes... sometimes they develop minds of their own! Let me show you what I mean.”

Update: On reflection, and thanks to some helpful feedback from a fellow amateur magician, this isn’t the most sensible way to introduce the trick. By mentioning that the cards have “minds of their own”, we’re announcing that you expect the cards to misbehave, which diminishes the sense of frustration and surprise you display when you fail to find the correct cards, making your perverse performance less believable. Maybe something like this would be better:

“Ladies and gentlemen, what you are about to witness is a feat of extraordinary skill and precision that I have perfected over countless years of diligent practice. This particular demonstration has never once failed me in countless performances before the most discerning of audiences.”

That last sentence might be a bit too pompous and give the impression that something is about to go wrong (and take you down a peg or two), which could undermine the surprise element of the trick. But hopefully, you grasp the main idea; this kind of introduction prepares you to become visibly annoyed, frustrated, and even a little angry with the cards when they don’t do what you expect.

[False shuffle and cut the cards.]

“As I spread through the cards, please touch one. Look, you almost selected this one. Here’ I’ll put your card on the table in front of you. To prevent it from misbehaving, we’ll put this glass on top of it.”

[Perform the Christ Force Switch. Then produce the first three Kings. After each “mistake”, react with increasing bewilderment and mild annoyance.]

“What the deck?! Three Kings? But I distinctly asked for the other Tens! Cards, this is most unseemly behaviour! Well, we might as well forget about those tempestuous Tens. Let’s try and find that fourth and final King, instead.”

[Perform the final production, finding the spectator’s chosen card instead of the King.]

“And now, when I try to find the final King, what do I get? A Ten! Wait a minute, isn’t this your Ten? The very card that’s supposed to be on the table, under the glass!”

[Final revelation, with a mixture of resignation and rueful admiration for the cards.]

“Well, I must admit it—the cards have made me look like a fool. A complete four-king idiot! But look what they’ve accomplished behind my back—all four Kings found, and somehow they’ve managed to locate your card, even though it was never lost in the first place!”

To a modern audience, this style of delivery may seem somewhat unhinged. However, it could work if you embrace this exaggerated, slightly eccentric old-fashioned magician persona. I like the cheeky use of a minced oath (the “four-king idiot” bit), but you can leave it out if you don’t like it.

If the whimsical 1920s style isn’t to your taste, try presenting the routine as a magic trick gone wrong, tapping into the relatable frustration caused by modern life, e.g., when a piece of technology isn’t working as expected. Think of it less as a vaudeville showman and more as someone whose high-tech gadgets refuse to work during a presentation (anyone who’s had a slide presentation go awry knows how this feels). The comedy arises from your exasperated yet charming effort to keep everything on track. You might also tell your audience that, while it appears to be an ordinary deck, it is packed with “advanced technology” that can perform magic tricks automatically.

Why Audiences Love Perverse Magic

The “perverse” nature of this trick creates a distinctive and captivating emotional journey. Audiences feel sympathy as they watch you struggle, amusement at your apparent incompetence, and genuine astonishment when everything resolves itself, much to your confusion!

This emotional rollercoaster makes the magic more memorable and impactful than a typical “perfect” performance where you play the role of the all-powerful magician.

Traditional magic creates distance between performer and audience—you’re the wizard, they’re mere mortals. Perverse magic is one way to break down that barrier, making you more relatable. More human.

Learn Pipo’s Perverse Production

Start practising “Pipo’s Perverse Production” today, and discover how magical “mistakes” can become your greatest triumphs. Learn this routine, and you’ll have a powerful opener that combines basic sleight of hand, bags of entertainment value, and genuine astonishment into one unforgettable experience.

Learn the Trick

I’ll be exploring more perverse magic on my blog and in the Ruseletter in the coming months. In the meantime, I hope this trick serves as a suitable introduction to perverse magic.

Yours Magically,

Marty

P.S. You might want to experiment with where you place the chosen card after performing the Christ Force Switch. Aim to put it somewhere your participant won’t be tempted to look at before the routine ends. If you’re careful, you can drop the card into a spectator’s pocket or have them sit on it until you produce the selected card from the deck during the trick’s finale.

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In this instalment, I’m sharing a fun application of the Count-Back Force, also known as the 10-20 Force. Many magicians dislike this beginner method of forcing because of its mathematical basis. However, if you present it correctly, it can be highly deceptive. So, how exactly do you achieve this?

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This time, I’m sharing a simple yet elegant approach to Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser’s Royal Marriages card plot. It is based on Larry Becker’s “Will the Cards Match?” published in Apocalypse (Vol. 10, No. 5) in May 1987. For my money, this card trick is one of the best self-working tricks ever invented.

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The genius idea of using coins (or counters) instead of spelling a phrase as the routine unfolds is from Michael Weber and Tim Trono’s effect, “Money Fixes Everything”, published in Real Secrets #27 (2014).

The combination of cards and coins makes this an excellent “transition piece”, allowing you to migrate between card and coin magic (or vice versa).

Bob Farmer has recently explored this trick (in response to a video by Craig Petty). In The Bammo Crambazzled Dossier (2023), he presents similarly intriguing ideas based on the same combination of cards and markers; Bob prefers to use mystic runes and antique keys as the objects. Mr. Farmer’s ebook is available from Lybrary.com and is well worth the small investment, especially if you like bizarre magick.

The suggested presentation included in the write-up requires five silver sixpence pieces. These pre-decimal coins from the UK are easily found on eBay and are often sold as wedding gifts. You can also purchase newly minted silver sixpence coins from the Royal Mint. However, this option will cost significantly more. I would only recommend it if you insist on having bright and shiny coins. They also occasionally sell some nice ones in uncirculated condition and Extremely Fine (EF) condition for a reasonable price (£8 to £10 per coin). You can use any five silver coins if you cannot source some sixpence pieces.

Learn the Trick

I’ve included some additional ideas that strengthen the routine, along with an excellent video tutorial by Rick Holcombe that teaches you how to produce a coin between two playing cards (from the pages of Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo). Rick has a fantastic YouTube channel. If you love coin magic, you must subscribe to it! 🪙🪄

While I haven’t modified the core method of the effect, the deeply romantic theme significantly enhances the trick. It gracefully intertwines the traditional symbolism of the silver sixpence—representing luck and prosperity in marriage—with the improbable pairing of Kings, Queens, and Jokers with their perfect matches. This fusion creates a heartfelt narrative that resonates with couples and audiences alike. After all, love is a universal experience that touches everyone’s lives. 🥰

Additionally, the routine fosters a sense of involvement and connection by engaging participants in the shuffling and pairing process. This interactive element boosts the emotional impact and memorability of the performance.

The trick is visually, kinesthetically, and aurally captivating. The moving and clinking of the five silver sixpence coins adds sensory intrigue. The surprise appearance of the fifth sixpence between the King and Queen also adds a visual that delights audiences with an unexpected, focused moment of magic before the final reveal. I also think using coins (or counters) better hides the mathematical nature of the deception. Adding another prop, one that is thematically relevant, not only makes the card trick more interesting and memorable, but also provides more distraction from the cards and better justifies the random nature of the pairing process.

Furthermore, incorporating the sixpence piece, a coin traditionally associated with British wedding customs, adds cultural depth and authenticity. This connection to heritage evokes nostalgia and enriches the routine’s storytelling aspect.

Moreover, the routine’s structure allows for flexibility in presentation, making it suitable for various settings—from intimate gatherings to larger wedding receptions or engagement parties (although it does need to be performed at a table). Its adaptability ensures it can be tailored to fit the specific tone and style of the event. This routine could also be performed in a less formal environment, such as a restaurant, pub or café—anywhere you can perform at a table. Of course, the ideal place to perform this is at the top table after the bride and groom have finished enjoying their wedding breakfast. 👰🏻🤵🏻

I’ve thoughtfully crafted “Sixpence Ceremony” to combine meaningful symbolism with engaging magic. It is a compelling choice for performers seeking to create memorable experiences at romantic events.

Yours Magically,

Marty

P.S. I’ve developed a longer, three-phase routine called “Shidduchim” built around “Will the Cards Match?”. It uses twenty half-cards and nine matches as counters. I’ll be sharing this routine on my blog later in the year.

I’ve also created a variation called “Will the Stars Align?”, which I’ll share in a future Ruseletter article. 🌟🌟🌟 In the meantime, if you’d like to explore this plot, I recommend reading this excellent blog post by Jack Shalom explaining some of the underlying mathematics and how you can construct an alternative phrase to use with the trick. You can explore the Ramasee Principle at Denis Behr’s ever-useful Conjuring Archive. You can also learn more versions of the Royal Marriages card plot at Peter Duffie’s The Marriage Bureau. 🤵⛪👰

Visit the Marriage Bureau

In the trick, a spectator follows a mysterious card-spelling ritual that leads them to select the Devil’s card (marked with "666"), only to escape damnation by finding the Ace of Clubs—both outcomes having been predicted in advance.

So, what exactly is the effect of “Beelzebet”? A spectator signs a prediction (but doesn’t read it) as the performer shares a story about a mysterious gambling game with a sinister stranger who turns out to be the Devil in disguise. Through an impeccably fair process of elimination, a spectator ends up holding a single card: the Four of Clubs, which matches the prediction exactly. The shock intensifies when this card alone has a red back marked with “666”—all others are blue. In a final twist, the spectator utilises the “Devil’s Deal” to find the Ace of Clubs, fulfilling the prediction’s promise of heavenly redemption and saving your spectator’s soul from eternal damnation!

Wow, it’s impressive how much drama can be packed into a card trick that uses only eight cards! Let’s dive into the details.

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“The Four Burglars”—also known as “The Four Robbers”, “The Four Bank Robbers”, or sometimes “Cops and Robbers”—is one of the most well-known card tricks among the general public, right after “The Twenty-One Card Trick”. It can be found in many beginner magic books, which is why experienced magicians tend to overlook it. However, this classic card magic plot is still thoroughly entertaining when executed correctly. I’m not alone in this assessment. In his book, 21st Century Card Magic, American mystery author and magician James Swain said:

“The Four Robbers is one of the oldest plots in card magic. It also happens to be one of the best.”1

In “The Four Burglars”, 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. This popular trick has two common endings: 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.

In this article, we’ll concentrate on what has become the more popular ending: the four robbers rising to the top of the pack. We’ll also only look at the standard handling and how to improve it without radically changing the method or effect.

Three Versions of The Four Burglars

Learning new magic tricks is undoubtedly crucial to being a successful magician. However, crafting an engaging presentation is the real secret to captivating an audience. Magicians who weave amusement, intrigue, or even simple curiosity into their acts have the power to truly entertain. One of the big benefits of “The Four Burglars” is that it comes pre-packaged with an interesting story that enhances the magical effect, making it easier for you to deliver a compelling performance that lingers long in the memory.

Paul Daniels, the much-loved English magician and television presenter, was a popular figure in the entertainment world. He understood the inherent power of “The Four Burglars”. In fact, it was the very first card trick that he learned as a boy.

A few years ago, he started uploading videos on YouTube to help novice magicians enhance their performance and presentation skills. In three of these videos, Paul performed three slightly different versions of this classic of card magic. But why did he focus on such a simple trick, found in many beginner magic books, when he had so many other impressive tricks up his sleeve? The reason was that he wanted to show that the performance itself is what truly matters in magic. “The Four Burglars” is a story trick that explores themes of criminal activity, which people find naturally intriguing. You only have to look at the popularity of murder mystery novels, true crime podcasts, and crime-based thrillers on the silver screen to know that this theme resonates with many people. By using this trick as an example, Paul was able to highlight the importance of storytelling in magic in these three videos, which I’ve included below.

Paul was uncomfortable sharing secrets on YouTube, so I’ve included some notes beneath each video to help you learn the method. Even so, his YouTube channel is full of useful guidance, advice, and performance tips for aspiring magicians. Sadly, Paul Daniels died in 2016 of an incurable brain tumour. The last video he uploaded was, you guessed it, a performance of “The Four Burglars”.

Version 1: The Classic Method

In his first video on the trick, Paul performs “The Four Burglars” using the classic method: hiding three indifferent cards behind the four Jacks. The cards are preset in this condition before the performance.

This method is effective for video performances or situations where you can surreptitiously arrange the cards without your audience noticing. However, the major issue with this technique is that you need to pre-arrange the cards and hold them in your hand until you are ready to perform the trick. In most situations, this isn’t very practical.

Version 2: FASDIU

It would be much more advantageous if you could perform the trick from a shuffled deck in use (FASDIU). This is something that Paul demonstrates in his second video about “The Four Burglars”.

Paul devised an elegant solution to the problem. In the video, he steals the three indifferent cards from the face of the deck and then rearranges the cards in a vertical spread. This way, the concealed cards are placed second, third, and fourth from the top of the face-down packet. The only drawback of this method is that you have to place the deck on a table to adjust the Jacks. If you’re not careful, you might also accidentally reveal the hidden cards while sliding the Jacks into place, particularly if the cards are new and a little slippery.

To avoid these issues, try the following: steal the three indifferent cards from the face of the deck, taking the seven-card packet in right-hand end grip. Using your left fingers and thumb, rotate the rest of the deck face down. Peel the first Jack onto the top of the deck with the pad of your left thumb, then use the rest of the cards in your right hand to flip it face down. Immediately, perform a one-handed deal, thumbing the top card of the pack onto the table (or into a spectator’s hand).

Peel the next two Jacks onto the deck, flipping them both face down in the process. This leaves you holding three cards, squared as one, in your right hand. Temporarily clip this triple card against the top of the pack, keeping the block sidejogged. Using your right hand, flip the cards face down as if it were a single card. The three Jacks should be flipped face down onto the deck in quick succession.

This handling achieves the same end result as the one used by Paul in the video but circumvents the need to readjust the Jacks in the packet before placing the cards on top of the deck. This provides better economy of motion, although there is nothing wrong, per se, with the way Paul does it.

Although I have no problem displaying the Jacks in a vertical spread, I know some dyed-in-the-wool cardicians, in particular, dislike this display because they feel it looks unnatural. Luckily, there is another way to reorder the Jacks while keeping the three indifferent cards hidden: After stealing the cards from the face of the deck, reverse count the cards into your left hand, creating a small fan and holding the last four cards as one in right-hand end grip. Next, grip the top two Jacks, including the three indifferent cards hidden between them, with the fingers and thumb of your right hand. Slide these cards, as a single unit, underneath the two cards held in your left hand and square up. This display is, arguably, more natural-looking than a vertical spread. It also has the added benefit of shielding the thick edge of the packet with your right fingertips. You can also briefly display two Jacks in each hand before placing the right-hand packet under the two held in your left hand. This gives the display a clarity and openness that is lacking with the vertical spread.

Version 3: The Doorkeeper Subtlety

In his third video on the trick, Paul adds a further improvement that I’m calling the “Doorkeeper Subtlety” (I’ll explain why in a moment).

In the video, Paul uses a duplicate card, an Ace of Clubs, to make the secret addition of the three indifferent cards psychologically invisible. To use Paul’s idea, put the following cards on the face of the deck: Ace of Clubs, Indifferent Card, Indifferent Card, and Ace of Clubs.

Say to your audience that you’re not going to do “yet another four Ace trick” as you call attention to the Ace of Clubs on the face of the pack. Hand the four Jacks to a spectator and ask them to take a look at the “burglars”. As they do this, casually spread through the face-up deck and, as you square up, establish a break below the top three cards. In other words, hold a break above the second Ace of Clubs. Take the four Jacks back, keeping them in a messy, unsquared condition. Next, temporarily place the Jacks on the face of the pack and square everything up. Immediately lift all seven cards above the break off the deck in right-hand end grip. Place the deck on the table, flashing the face of the duplicate Ace of Clubs as you do so. You’re now in the correct position to complete the trick as Paul does in the video above.

Note: Paul uploaded a fourth video on “The Four Burglars”, which was shared earlier in this article. It features another performance of this particular handling. In it, he uses a duplicate Five of Spades rather than an Ace of Clubs. The video is worth watching (if you haven’t done so already) because it better showcases Paul’s presentation of the trick.

This is a clever concept because it makes it seem impossible for you to have extra cards hidden behind the four Jacks. This handling may even fool someone familiar with the classic method. However, it would be wiser to use the Ace of Diamonds because this card is symmetrical, so you do not need to worry about the relative orientation of the two duplicate cards. Cards that are not perfectly symmetrical, like the Ace of Clubs, can cause visual inconsistencies when you perform the steal (if you look closely, you can see this happen in Paul’s video demonstration).

I call this concept the “Doorkeeper Subtlety” because, given the story connected to the trick, it makes more sense to use two identical Jokers rather than an Ace, and call them “doormen”, “doorpeople”, “doorkeepers”, or “security guards”. This enables you to openly remove the two Jokers from the shuffled pack and put them on the face of the deck. If you’re going to take this approach, I’d suggest that you tell a story about four burglars breaking into a high-end hotel, the type that would have doormen or porters. The patter below was inspired by the infamous 1972 Pierre Hotel robbery, which is still, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest, most successful hotel robbery in history.

Explain to your audience that the two Jokers are the doormen for an upscale hotel in New York City. Casually spread the cards between your hands. As you square up, catch a left little finger break below the top four cards of the face-up deck. Lift all four cards off the pack and, using the pad of your left thumb, pull the face card of the packet (a Joker) back onto the face of the deck. Keeping the remaining three cards squared as one, place them on top of the deck, maintaining a left little finger break between the three-card packet and the rest of the cards. You’re now in a position to steal off the three cards behind the four Jacks. Your audience will assume that both Jokers are still on the face of the deck when, in actuality, only one remains.

For the purposes of this explanation, we’ll assume that the cards are in the following order from the face of the packet: JC-JH-JS-JD-Joker-X-X. Begin by saying, “This a story about four burglars, all called Jack. They decided to rob an upscale hotel in New York City. You know it’s a posh hotel when it has doormen.”

Next, readjust the packet, as described above, displaying two Jacks in each hand, then replace the right-hand cards under the ones held in your left (see Version 2: FASDIU). Call attention to the Jack of Hearts on the face of the packet and say, “The leader of the gang was known as ‘lumberjack’ because he always carried an axe to help him break into properties.” Turn the packet face down and drop it on top of the pack. As you continue to talk about the four burglars and their nefarious plans to rob the hotel, reverse count the top four cards into right-hand dealer’s grip and then slide them back on top of the pack. Done casually, this should look like you’re simply emphasising the number of burglars involved in the hotel heist. I usually clip the packet against the top of the deck, keeping it sidejogged, after completing the reverse count. You can then regrip the packet in a right-hand end grip and flash the Jack on the face of the packet (the Jack of Spades, in this case) before dropping it back on top of the pack.

Situation Check: The cards should be in the following order (from the top of the deck down): Joker, Indifferent Card, Indifferent Card, Jack of Spades, Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Clubs, Jack of Hearts, and then the rest of the deck.

To continue with the trick, slide the first “burglar” under the deck (actually a Joker). This, fortuitously, positions the second Joker where it is supposed to be: on the face of the pack with the other Joker. Say, “The first burglar went to distract the doormen…” Next, push the new top card (an indifferent card) into the lower third of the deck as you say, “…as one of the other burglars snuck in through an open window on the ground floor. He went straight to the hotel’s vault and started breaking into the safety deposit boxes.”

Push the third burglar (another indifferent card) into the top third of the deck as you say, “Another climbed the fire escape, broke in through an upper floor window and started ransacking empty rooms for valuables, such as watches and jewellery” Finally, turn over the top card of the pack to display the Jack of Spades or, as you call him in the story, the “lookout man”. Continue by saying, “He carried a whistle, and his job was to stand on the roof and watch for the police."

Next, turn to your audience and say, “The doormen heard some suspicious noises coming from the building, so they called the police. The lookout man saw the police cars approaching, so he signalled his accomplices. All four of them ran up the stairs to the rooftop…” Riffle the cards and then say, “…and made their escape.” Turn the top four cards over one at a time to reveal the four Jacks. Turn the cards face up and ribbon spread them across the table to prove to your audience that there are no extra Jacks in the deck.

Braue Burglars

Performing a standard Braue Addition2 is another way to get into the correct position to perform “The Four Burglars”. In fact, this is one of the simplest and most sensible ways to perform the trick.

For readers who are not familiar with this basic card move, here’s a brief description of it: Begin with the four Jacks face up on top of the face-down deck. For the purposes of this explanation, we’ll assume that they’re in the following order (from the top of the deck down): Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Clubs, Jack of Hearts, and Jack of Spades.

Spread the cards to display the Jacks on top of the deck. As you square up, catch a left little finger break below seven cards (the four face-up Jacks and three face-down indifferent cards).

Next, grasp the seven-card packet from above in right-hand end grip. Using the pad of your left thumb, pull the Jack of Diamonds onto the top of the deck, keeping the card sidejogged slightly. Use the cards remaining in your right hand to flip the Jack of Diamond face down. Do exactly the same thing with Jack of Clubs and Jack of Hearts. As soon as the Jack of Hearts is face down, drop all of the cards, as one, on top of the deck. Immediately flip the final Jack, the Jack of Spades, face down with the aid of your right fingers and thumb.

The move isn’t difficult but requires practice to perform smoothly and without any hesitation. In an article published in Hugard's Magic Monthly (Vol. 3 No. 3, August 1945, page 145), Corporal D. M. Amann from India proposed an improvement to the Braue Addition. The technique involves dropping the three extra cards onto the third card just after it is flipped face down on the deck, leaving you with a single card. This way, the fourth card can be handled in the same way as the previous three, rather than dropping the entire packet onto the deck and flipping over the last card. I encourage you to try the move both ways and see which handling suits you best.

Jack in the Attic

Another idea that I’ve experimented with is to have the final Jack, the “lookout man”, enter the “attic” or “penthouse” of the building. To do this, you need to perform Vernon’s Depth Illusion, better known as Tilt, inserting the card below the three Jacks already on top of the deck. The best way to do this is to raise the Jack to chest height and make some comment about it, e.g. “Look, he’s holding a whistle so he can warn his companions if the police arrive.” I use the Jack of Spades as the “lookout man” because in most traditional French-suited packs, he is holding a non-descript object that could be interpreted as a whistle (or maybe binoculars). As you do this, perform a one-handed Tilt get-ready. If you are unfamiliar with this move, here’s a brief description: Establish a left-hand little finger break below the top three cards of the pack using a Pinky Pulldown. Next, release the top card from the fleshy base of your left thumb, extending the break across the full width of the card. Insert the final Jack into the break, then allow the break to collapse as you riffle the front edge of the pack.

Another slightly easier approach is to insert the four “burglars” into the front edge of the deck. When inserting the final card (actually a Jack, this time), thumb count three cards and then slide it into the break to place it fourth from the top. If you decide to handle the final card in this manner, you must insert all four “Jacks” (?) into the front end of the deck, for the sake of consistency.

Final Thoughts

Despite its venerable age, “The Four Burglars” remains a delightful and baffling piece of card magic. The accompanying story adds another layer of intrigue while the effect unfolds with surprising simplicity, leaving the audience in no doubt about the impossible outcome.

In these three videos, Paul has gifted us with some wonderful improvements which will enable you to perform “The Four Burglars” at a moment’s notice using any shuffled deck. As I tend to keep two identical Jokers in each of my packs, my personal preference is to use the “Doorkeeper” handling because it strengthens the psychological subtlety that Paul developed.

If, however, I don’t have access to duplicate Jokers, I tend to perform the trick using a Braue Addition.

I hope you enjoy performing this age-old piece of prestidigitation!

Yours Magically,

Marty

P.S. I have more ideas related to “The Four Burglars”, including several ways to extend the routine. These will appear in a future edition of Corrupting the Classics.

I thought I’d start with a simple card trick based on an effect called “The Fantastic Five”, which can be found in many beginner’s magic books, including Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic.1 Unfortunately, the trick’s inventor is unknown as no credit is given in any of these sources. In a video download from theory11 called “Invisible Reverse”, which also teaches the same effect, Chris Kenner mentions that he was taught the trick by legendary Chicago magician Jim Ryan (he didn’t say that Jim invented the trick, though). This suggests that the trick is much older than its inclusion in Mark Wilson’s book would imply (the book was first published in 1975).

Here’s a description of “The Fantastic Five”, in case you are unfamiliar with it:

First, a spectator freely selects a card from the deck and returns it to the pack. Next, the magician confidently declares that they will make one card do somethign amazing. After performing a magical gesture, the performer spreads the cards, and a Five-spot is revealed to be face up in the pack.

However, the spectator denies that this is their card. The magician reveals that the Five is actually an “indicator card,” indicating that they’ve made a mistake! But the magician doesn’t give up that easily! They cut the Five to the top of the pack and deal it to the table.

Next, the magician deals out four cards, then dramatically deals a fifth face up to reveal the chosen card. And the magic doesn’t stop there! As a stunning finale,the four cards that were between the face-up Five and the selected card are revealed to be none other than the four Aces!

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