In this edition, we are trading the fire and brimstone of my previous article, Tricks, Tricks & More Tricks #3: Satanic Sorcery, for hearts, flowers, and the mysterious forces of fate and destiny. In short, we are moving from the Devil to dating! 👿🥰

Subscribe now

It is a drastic thematic shift. Yet, the underlying methods used here rely on similar techniques. Whether you are damning a spectator’s soul or locating their true love, you’ll be relying on the Count-Back Force (10-20 Force), the Principle of Nine, the Swindle Shuffle and the Down-Under and Under-Down Deals. So nothing particularly challenging on the technical front, which will enable you to focus on making a deep connection with your audience.

Like previous material I’ve shared via the Ruseletter, such as Red Thread of Fate, these tricks are ideally suited for performance at a wedding, especially for the bride and groom. Therefore, I’ve written most of them assuming you’re in this situation, either as a paid professional or a wedding guest who is “gifting” a magical experience to the happy couple. Of course, the routines can be adapted for any couple in nearly any situation, with some modifications to the included presentations.

Subscribe now

So, let’s move on from demonic pacts and explore magic suitable for a newlywed couple, though I’ll let you decide which is the riskier commitment!

Merry Christmas! 🎅🎄🎁

As this is the final Ruseletter before the holidays, I want to wish you a festive season filled with too many mince pies and lots of magic. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🎄🥳

If you are looking to treat yourself (or perhaps avoid talking to your in-laws by practising magic in the other room), the 25% discount on annual subscriptions is still available until the end of December.

Get 25% Off

This is the cheapest I’ll ever offer an annual subscription to the Ruseletter, and I’m not entirely sure when, or even if, I’ll repeat this promotion. Right, that’s enough shameless promotion for one newsletter!

The Principle of Nine

Much of the magic featured in this article relies on the Principle of Nine. I first encountered this mathematical curiosity back when I was at university (studying computer animation and special effects). One of my lecturers sent around a magic trick using a relatively new web software called Flash, which is now a dead technology.🪦 It was appropriately called The Flash Mind Reader and was created by a web designer called Andy Naughton (now Andy Wolfe). Thanks to the Internet Archive, you can still run the trick using an emulator.

This is what Andy has to say about it:

Soon after uploading it to my (then small) server it ‘went-viral’ (probably before the phrase viral was coined) and crashed my site within days. At one point I was getting up to 500 emails a day asking how the Mind Reader worked or suggesting that I was spying on people through their computers. Aaah the early days of the internet…

Over the years I have created many versions of the Mind Reader for clients, usually professional magicians or psychics.1

Anyway, this rudimentary computer-based trick perfectly illustrates the mathematical concept at the heart of the Principle of Nine and how deceptive it can be: if you take any integer, sum its digits, and subtract that sum from the original number, the result will always be a multiple of nine.

This is what makes the Count-Back Force work. Here’s the proof:

• 10 - (1 + 0) = 9

• 11 - (1 + 1) = 9

• 12 - (1 + 2) = 9

• 13 - (1 + 3) = 9

• 14 - (1 + 4) = 9

• 15 - (1 + 5) = 9

• 16 - (1 + 6) = 9

• 17 - (1 + 7) = 9

• 18 - (1 + 8) = 9

• 19 - (1 + 9) = 9

Therefore, if you place a known card in the tenth position from the top of the deck, you can force it on a spectator by asking them to choose any number between ten and twenty. Have them deal that many cards from the deck. Instruct them to add the two digits of the number together, then count that many cards back onto the deck. This puts the force card on top of the deck.

Alternatively, you can position the force card ninth from the top. This will cause the card to end up on top of the packet your participant is holding. I tend to prefer this method because you can ask them to peek at the top card, remember it, and then shuffle the packet. These cards can then be cut into the deck, and the cards can be thoroughly shuffled. This procedure makes the selection process seem much fairer than it actually is. (Even so, the initial selection of the card does still feel a little mathematical.)

As well as forcing a known card, you can also use it to force a known number of cards, e.g., 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54. In this way, you can also force a full nine-card setup (or any multiple of nine, for that matter). These ideas are explored in some of the tricks below, but I also encourage you to experiment with these ideas yourself.

Four Simple Routines

Let’s begin our exploration with four simple routines. The first employs the placement procedure from Karl Fulves’ self-working classic, “Gemini Twins”. There’s also a variation of another Karl Fulves trick, “Double Disclosure”, from his book Self-Working Card Tricks (1976, Dover Publications, Inc.). I’ve also included two basic applications of the Count-Back Force, one inspired by Johann Nepomuk Hofsinzer and the other by Ed Sheeran!

Simplex Soulmates 💕

🔒Paid-Subscriber Exclusive

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯 (Minimal)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Full Deck Coincidence Effect
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Instant
Key Moves & Principles: Double Lift, E-Y-E Count

This is my “soulmate” handling of “Gemini Twins” by Karl Fulves (originally published as “Stopped Twice” in Impromptu Opener, circa 1979).

I shared this with paid subscribers back in September, in Easy Does It #7. The reason I’m including a link to it here is that this was my starting point for all of the tricks included in this edition of Tricks, Tricks & More Tricks. “Simplex Soulmates” was inspired by a similar card trick called “Soul Mates” in Magic for Dummies by David Pogue (1998, Wiley Publishing, Inc.). See Chapter 10, page 200, for complete details.

Learn Simplex Soulmates

The author mentions that the trick is a speciality of Jon Racherbaumer (1940-2024), so I can only assume that he suggested the theme of the trick and its inclusion in the book. Oddly, the fact that the trick is based on Fulves’ “Gemini Twins” isn’t mentioned at all. Unfortunately, magic books aimed at the general public are often light on crediting (something you cannot say about Marty’s Magic Ruseletter, I hope).

If you’re unfamiliar with “Gemini Twins,” Tom Salinsky offers an interesting variation that uses named cards in his notes, Clean, Simple, Direct (available for free from his website). Instead of removing “predictions” that are the mates of the top and bottom cards, he employs a cut and a cull to select two named cards while preparing the deck for the subsequent coincidence effect. While this moves Fulves’ original away from its self-working roots, I think it is a very intelligent approach to this plot and worth exploring.

Murphy’s Magic Supplies has recently released a trick based on “Gemini Twins” called “Ghost Deck” (it is actually a minor variation of “Rainbow Miracle” by Nick Trost, circa 1984). This deck would help enhance the “soulmates” presentation:

And finally, here’s another helpful variation on Karl Fulves’ classic called Gemini Twins Reloaded that you might also like to play around with.

Surefire Soulmates 👩‍❤‍👨

Difficulty: ⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯🎯 (Moderate)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Full Deck Coincidence Effect
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Pre-Arrangement, Count-Back Force

This routine has an enchanting “Love Me, Love Me Not” presentation that resonates strongly with married couples.

Johann Nepomuk Hofsinzer inspired this routine’s presentation. It uses a thirty-two-card Piquet pack combined with the Count-Back Force. Whether they name a high or low number, deal face up or face down, they will always find their perfect match.

The maths handles the heavy lifting, allowing you to concentrate fully on connecting with your audience. The reduced thirty-two-card deck also feels different to a regular deck—it’s notably thinner, easier to shuffle, and authentic to the golden age of magic, when Hofzinser was impressing audiences in his salon in Vienna with his romantic routines. Best of all, it gives you an excuse to continue your card magic set using the Piquet pack, which makes a lot of sleight of hand far easier to execute!

Learn Surefire Soulmates

Soulmate Synchronicity 💞

Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (Intermediate)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯 (Minimal)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Full Deck Coincidence Effect
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Instant
Key Moves & Principles: False Shuffle, Slip Cut, Slip Shuffle, Double Turnover

This routine is my variation of “Double Disclosure” by Karl Fulves from his classic card magic book Self-Working Card Tricks (1976, Dover Publications, Inc.). I’ve added a couple of slip cuts, some false shuffles and a few double turnovers. While this takes it out of the strictly self-working category, it dramatically increases the effect’s deceptiveness.

The trick uses a straightforward setup that you can easily get into from a shuffled deck in use. However, it still delivers a single powerful punch of magic, resulting in the magical pairing of the King and Queen of Hearts.

Learn Soulmate Synchronicity

The Joker and the Queen 🃏👑

Difficulty: ⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯 (Minimal)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Full Deck Coincidence Effect with Kicker
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Minimal
Key Moves & Principles: Count-Back Force

What happens when a magic trick seems to go wrong? In this routine, you attempt to find a romantic match for the Queen of Hearts, only to end up with… a Joker. Just as the audience begins to chuckle at the mismatch, you reveal the stunning kicker: the Joker and the Queen are the only red-backed cards in a blue-backed deck.

While this routine is self-working and easy to perform, do not underestimate its impact—it is incredibly charming and entertaining. The method utilises an unusual face-up variation of the Count-Back Force combined with an Under-Down deal to force two odd-backed cards on a spectator.

Inspired by the Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift ballad “The Joker and the Queen”, this trick transforms a simple card location into a romantic piece of theatre perfect for couples or weddings. The climax proves that opposites really do attract!

Learn The Joker and the Queen

Hofzinser’s Royal Marriages 👑

In the gaslit salons of nineteenth-century Vienna, Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser proved that card tricks could be more than puzzles—they could be poetry. His classic plot, “Royal Marriages”—taken from the second half of his routine “The Queen of Hearts”—remains the gold standard for romantic card magic.

In his original trick, the four Kings each transform into the Queen of Hearts (symbolising their shared infatuation with her) before reverting to their proper form. Then, to determine their fate, audience members name four random numbers. The cards at those exact positions are dealt onto the Kings, and when revealed, each King is found paired with his perfect match—the Queen of the same suit.

By transforming the deck into a metaphor for desire and destiny, Hofzinser demonstrated that true love—at least in the hands of a skilled conjurer—is inevitable. As the master magician himself concluded:

“And in this manner we succeed in arranging instead of four unhappy courtships… four happy marriages!”

More than any other card plot, Royal Marriages, as popularised by Dai Vernon, is perhaps the most romantic trick to perform for a couple.

Below, I am sharing my favourite version of the modern eight-card Royal Marriages plot, titled “Australian Dating Service” (you’ll understand why I’ve called it this when you read the explanation). I have also included links to two additional versions of the trick previously published in the Ruseletter.

Australian Dating Service 🇦🇺

Difficulty: ⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯 (Minimal)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Packet Trick (Eight-Card Royal Marriages)
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Instant
Key Moves & Principles: Down-Under Deal, In-the-Hands In-Faro, Double Lift

“Australian Dating Service” breathes new life into Hofzinser’s classic Royal Marriages by trading courtly romance for the chaotic world of modern dating apps. As you match up the Kings and Queens, you guide your audience through the familiar frustrations of swiping, liking and filtering, making the magic instantly relatable and conversational. It’s a great icebreaker for casual performances, transforming what could be a dull card puzzle into a charming piece of card conjuring that resonates with anyone who has ever searched for love online. ❤️

What sets this particular handling apart from existing ones is that it addresses a common flaw in the Royal Marriages plot: the anticlimactic ending. By adding a “Blind Date” phase with an apparent mismatch, you introduce genuine tension and surprise just when the audience is falling asleep. Best of all, the method is almost entirely self-working (it requires a single Double Lift), making it perfect for beginners. You can concentrate fully on your performance, confident that the “Aussie Algo” will take care of the rest!

Learn Australian Dating Service

Sixpence Ceremony 💒👰🏻🤵🏻🕊

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ (Intermediate)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯 (Minimal)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Packet Trick (Eight-Card Royal Marriages)
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Minimal
Key Moves & Principles: Swindle Shuffle, Two-Card Coin Production

I published this romantic card trick earlier this year in April (see Easy Does It #4). “Sixpence Ceremony” is a romantic, self-working interpretation of the Royal Marriages plot, explicitly designed for couples and wedding performances.

By combining the audience-controlled “Ramasee Principle” with the folklore of lucky silver sixpences, this highly interactive routine proves that love always finds a way. As the trick isn’t technically demanding, it allows you to focus entirely on the presentation and the surprise coin-production finale.

Learn Sixpence Ceremony

Split Soul Theory

🔒Paid-Subscriber Exclusive

Difficulty: ⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯 (Minimal)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Packet Trick (Eight-Card Royal Marriages)
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Minimal
Key Moves & Principles: Swindle Shuffle

“Split Soul Theory”, first published in Packet Trick Paradise #11, is an easy yet emotional packet trick tailored for couples, making it an ideal repertoire piece for romantic events, such as weddings, anniversaries, and even Valentine’s Day shows. By complementing the Royal Marriages plot with the ancient mythology of soulmates, this routine transforms a simple card trick into a resonant reunion ritual.

The routine is technically accessible—relying on self-working principles rather than difficult sleights—allowing you to focus entirely on connection, storytelling, and the profound moment when the spectators reveal that they have found their perfect match.

Learn Split Soul Theory

Routines Involving Envelopes

These two routines use envelopes as an integral part of the method and presentation. My starting point for these two tricks was “Wagers of Sin” by the late Max Maven, published in The New Invocation (issue 35, October 1986, pages 416-419).

Soulmail 💌

Difficulty: ⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯🎯 (Moderate)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Full Deck Coincidence Effect
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Si Stebbins Stack, Envelope Load

“Soulmail” is a charming two-phase routine designed specifically for couples, making it a potential feature piece for wedding performances. It combines a clever stack-based coincidence effect with a “Double Happiness” prediction, culminating in a meaningful moment where the couple’s teamwork creates the magic.

Because the routine ends with a physical gift—a red envelope (a Chinese “Hangbao”) containing the lucky “Double Happiness” cards—it leaves the couple with a permanent keepsake of their special day, elevating this from a simple card trick to a memorable magical experience.

Learn Soulmail

Double Happiness

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯 (Minimal)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Full Deck Coincidence Effect
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Count-Back Force, Principle of Nine, Envelope Load

I published “Double Happiness” back in October (see Easy Does It #8), but I’m including it here because it was explicitly designed as a piece of wedding magic. It is a poignant, self-working performance piece for the bride and groom on their special day. Using the mystical art of numerology, the happy couple take part in a “love ritual” using a deck of playing cards.

By combining the ancient Chinese symbolism of the “Hongbao” (red lucky envelope) and the Chinese concept of Double Happiness (囍) with a personalised numerological reading, this routine creates a deep emotional connection with the bride and groom.

The couple make intuitive choices about their cosmic connection, only to discover that their destiny was written in the cards all along. The routine culminates in a stunning coincidence using the lucky red Eights, leaving the newlyweds with a powerful souvenir of the magic and a memory they will cherish forever.

Learn Double Happiness

Date of Destiny 📅💕

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯🎯 (Moderate)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Full Deck Coincidence Effect
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Count-Back Force, Principle of Nine, Envelope Load

“Date of Destiny” is another romantic card trick and the perfect alternative to “Double Happiness” for unmarried couples. While wedding magic is popular in the UK, performing for dating couples or those “contemplating the plunge” is a massive, underserved market (it might also generate you some more business as a wedding magician!).

This routine replaces the “Double Happiness” symbol with a “Save the Date” card, allowing for playful, light-hearted teasing about commitment and “the big day”. It retains the bulletproof, self-working mechanics of the Count-Back Force but frames it within a comedy prediction plot.

The result is a funny, engaging, and memorable routine that leaves the couple with a custom-printed souvenir—and perhaps a gentle nudge toward the altar!

Learn Date of Destiny

Additional Kicker Endings

These four tricks, while similar to the above routines in method, all include a kicker ending to enhance the overall magical effect.

Wedding in Wonderland 💒

Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (Intermediate)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯🎯 (Moderate)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Full Deck Location & Production Effect
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Christ Force, Double Undercut, Two-Card Catch

“Wedding in Wonderland” is another charming, romantic card routine that integrates the familiar nursery rhyme of “The Queen of Hearts” into a magical location effect, which then segues into a Royal Flush production sequence. Designed specifically for weddings and engagement parties, it turns a simple “compatibility test” into a strong piece of storytelling magic.

It begins by proving the couple is perfectly suited (finding the King and Queen of Hearts) and builds into a visual series of card productions—representing the stolen tarts and the knave—before culminating in a Royal Flush finale. It is not technically challenging, relying on timing and narrative rather than on difficult sleights, making it a reliable crowd-pleaser for any romantic occasion.

Learn Wedding in Wonderland

Loved Eightfold

Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (Intermediate)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯🎯 (Moderate)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Packet Trick
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Under-Down Deal

“Loved Eightfold” is a sophisticated location effect that elevates a mathematical principle into a piece of philosophical theatre. By combining the Count-Back Force with the Under-Down Deal, you guide a couple through the eight ancient Greek types of love—from Eros (passion) to Pragma (enduring commitment). ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

The routine culminates in two distinct climaxes: the impossible reunion of the King and Queen of Hearts, followed by the revelation that the discarded cards have arranged themselves into a perfect numerical sequence (Ace through Eight), mirroring the script’s poetic progression.

Learn Loved Eightfold

Soulmates in the Snow 👰🤵🌨

Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (Intermediate)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯🎯 (Moderate)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Packet Trick
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Under-Down Deal

“Soulmates in the Snow” is a highly romanticised adaptation of Dean Dill’s modern classic, “Blizzard”. Unlike the original, which focuses on a single card prediction, this version transforms the effect into a test of destiny for the bride and groom.

A freely named card (e.g., Seven of Hearts) is lost in the deck, yet the couple manages to find it. The true miracle happens when they locate its perfect soulmate (Seven of Diamonds) immediately next to it. For the finale, you reveal that this outcome was inevitable—because every other card in the deck is completely blank! This routine combines a bold method with a powerful narrative: when you find “the one,” everyone else simply fades away.

Soulmates in the Snow

Snowblind ❄

Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (Intermediate)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯🎯 (Moderate)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Packet Trick
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Under-Down Deal

“Snowblind” is a streamlined, packet-trick variation of Dean Dill’s classic effect, “Blizzard”, designed specifically for couples. It strips away the need for complex deck switches or dedicated decks, offering a “love ritual” that is both practical and deeply deceptive.

In this routine, the bride and groom use a significant date to generate a random number. Through a “He loves me, he loves me not” elimination process, they isolate the King and Queen of Hearts. The true kicker comes when the remaining cards—representing all other romantic options—are revealed to be completely blank, proving that when you find “the one,” everyone else simply fades away.

It relies on a simple false shuffle and a cleverly disguised force, making it an elegant, meaningful, and surprising routine for weddings.

Learn Snowblind

Star Sign Soulmates ♈♉♊♋♌♍♎♏♐♑♒♓

Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (Intermediate)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯🎯 (Moderate)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Packet Trick
Audience Size: Close-up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Swivel Jinx Switch, Under-Down Deal

“Star Sign Soulmates” is a highly personalised routine that uses a couple’s own zodiac signs to “program” a packet of cards, creating a seemingly impossible coincidence.

After a series of fair shuffles and deals dictated by their star signs, they eliminate cards until only two remain—the King and Queen of Hearts. For a stunning kicker, the rest of the cards are revealed to have transformed into a flush of Hearts (or blank cards, depending on the variation), proving that “all you need is love.” ❤

This routine is perfect for table-hopping at weddings because it involves both partners equally and ends with a strong, romantic visual.

Learn Star Sign Soulmates

Additional Props

Finally, these two routines are made more interesting and memorable by incorporating additional props. For this reason, they’re probably better suited to more formal performance environments.

Lucky in Glove 🧤🃏🎲🎲🎲

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️ (3-5 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯🎯🎯 (Extensive)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Full Deck Coincidence Effect
Audience Size: Close-Up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Self-Working Mathematical Force

“Lucky in Glove” is a sophisticated parlour routine that transforms a mathematical principle into a romantic “test of love”. By using a glove purportedly owned by the legendary Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser, you invite the bride and groom to channel the magical spirit of the “Father of Modern Card Magic”.

The routine utilises a thirty-two-card Piquet pack, a pair of dice, and a unique numerological procedure to generate a seemingly random “lucky number”. Through a series of fair eliminations, the couple defy the odds to reunite the separated King and Queen of Hearts—proving their love is predestined. This piece is ideal for formal wedding performances with ample table space, where you want to deliver a memorable, narrative-driven experience.

Learn Lucky in Glove

Raffle of Romance 🎟

Difficulty: ⭐ (Easy)
Duration: ⏱️⏱️⏱️ (7-10 minutes)
Setup Time: 🎯🎯🎯 (Extensive)

📋 Quick Reference:

Effect Type: Full Deck Prediction Effect
Audience Size: Close-Up/Parlour
Reset Time: Moderate
Key Moves & Principles: Self-Working Mathematical Force

“Raffle of Romance” is an engaging and interactive routine designed to be the centrepiece of a wedding performance. What started as a clever way to disguise the Count-Back Force using raffle tickets evolved into a playful parlour game that engages the entire room. Instead of a standard “pick a card” trick, this routine involves a tombola, a custom-made love token deck, and a beautifully wrapped wedding gift that sits in full view from the beginning. It combines comedy, romance, and a surefire self-working method to deliver a memorable experience for the newlyweds.

This routine is particularly valuable to professional wedding magicians because it plays well enough for a large reception crowd, unlike some intimate close-up tricks. It is also highly customisable. Furthermore, the couple keeps the custom deck and the gifts, turning the performance into a lasting souvenir (and effective marketing tool).

Learn Raffle of Romance

Wow, well that’s a lot of new magic to learn! I hope you enjoy practising and possibly performing some of these tricks over the festive period.

Yours Magically,

Marty

P.S. Phew, that took a lot of time and effort to write up. Please let me know if you notice any typos or mistakes in the various texts. I’ve done my best to avoid them, but a few might have slipped through.

Subscribe now

The Devil’s Game: A Historical Context

Recently, I’ve been delving into the unique world of traditional folktales about the Devil and gambling (see my blog post, Playing Cards with the Devil). These stories often revolve around a gambler—or sometimes a group of young men—who finds themselves engaged in a game of cards with a peculiar stranger. Only too late do they discover their opponent’s true identity: the Devil himself! Academics have dubbed these legends “The Card Players and the Devil” and categorised them as type ML 3015, as defined in the book The Migratory Legends (1958) by renowned Norwegian folklorist Reidar Christiansen.

The Black Book of Magic

These tales, which fall under the broader category of “The Black Book of Magic”, typically depict individuals succumbing to the allure of sinful acts.

In Scandinavian folklore, a “Black Book Minister” is a clergyman who owns a book that can summon the Devil when read by an unauthorised person. Accordingly, a “Black Book” (Sortebok) is a magical grimoire containing spells, charms, and occult knowledge. It is often believed to grant its owner supernatural power, including the ability to conjure and command the Devil by reciting specific incantations or performing rituals. Sometimes, a blood oath or renunciation of Christianity is required.

In these stories, the Devil’s appearance serves various narrative purposes, and when he overstays his welcome, the Black Book Minister is summoned to banish him. Ultimately, these tales convey a profound fear that salvation may lie beyond human reach—cheerful stuff, indeed!

For centuries, playing cards have been associated with wickedness and the Devil. This perception has deep historical and cultural roots, stemming from religious mistrust, odd gambling superstitions, and traditional folklore (both regional and migratory).

Since their introduction to Europe in the late Middle Ages, playing cards have often been linked to vice, immorality, and even demonic influence. The Christian Church viewed cards as tools of gambling and idleness, believing they could lead to sin and moral corruption. Some religious figures referred to cards as the “Devil’s Picture Book” or the “Devil’s Prayer Book”, implying they were instruments of temptation, similar to dice (and other forms of chance-based gaming).

🎴 Historical Fact: The term “Devil’s Picture Book”, indicating a deck of playing cards, first appeared in print in 1729 (according to Green’s Dictionary of Slang).

In the 18th and 19th centuries, playing cards, particularly Tarot cards, became associated with the occult, fortune-telling, and mysticism. The Devil card in Tarot decks represents temptation, deception, and bondage—echoing religious anxieties that card games could lead to physical, moral and spiritual ruin.

Sleeping with the Devil

In certain traditions, the Four of Clubs is ominously nicknamed “The Devil’s Bedpost”, though the origins of this term are unclear. During the Early Modern period, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries, the fear of witchcraft reached a peak across Europe and the American colonies. One of the most serious accusations against alleged witches was that they had made a pact with the Devil, often sealed through a carnal relationship. This belief was reinforced by both religious doctrine and the testimonies of accused witches—many of whom “confessed” under torture to meeting Satan in secret, participating in infernal rituals, and even laying with the Devil in unholy union!

The idea that witches slept with the Devil was not just a theological accusation; it was deeply embedded in the culture of the time. Witch-hunters, such as the notorious Matthew Hopkins in England and Heinrich Kramer—the author of the Malleus Maleficarum in Germany—provided vivid descriptions of how Satan would seduce his followers. They believed he would mark his consorts with a “Devil’s mark”—a supernatural brand that made them immune to pain at that spot. Some accounts claimed these marks were found on places such as the shoulder, back, or even intimate areas, reinforcing the notion of a physical union with the Prince of Darkness.

How does this connect to the Four of Clubs? The card’s symmetrical design—four pips arranged in a manner resembling a bedpost—could symbolise this unholy liaison. Beds, after all, are places of secrecy, intimacy, and forbidden acts. In a time when playing cards were often regarded as instruments of vice and sin (early Puritans, for instance, condemned card games as tools of moral corruption), it is easy to imagine the Four of Clubs earning a sinister reputation, leading to it being called the “The Devil’s Bedpost”.

Moreover, the number four carries mystical and superstitious significance. The number is often viewed as unlucky in various cultures. For instance, in China, the number four is pronounced “si,” which sounds like “si” (死), meaning “death”. In many traditions, however, it is associated with stability and order—such as the four elements, four cardinal directions, and four seasons. However, when distorted or linked to the infernal, the card’s meaning is upended, and stability becomes entrapment, with the four corners of a bed symbolising confinement within the Devil’s grasp.

Thus, the Four of Clubs—already shrouded by its association with trickery in gambling and its ominous nickname—might echo this centuries-old fear. It represents deception and shifting fortunes and perhaps serves as an ancient warning: beware of the bargains you make in the dead of night, for once you lie in the Devil’s bed, you may never rise again!

📝 For a deeper dive into the murky history of The Devil’s Bedpost, including historical references and additional folklore, visit my blog post “The Devil’s Bedpost” at Marty’s Bag of Tricks.

The Devil at the Crossroads

Many folktales—especially those of Hoodoo origin—tell stories of gamblers who, driven by desperation, make a deal with the Devil at a crossroads. This location has long symbolised a space that is “betwixt and between” worlds. These stories also reflect religious anxieties that gambling could lead to damnation, reinforcing the idea that playing cards are somehow associated with supernatural trickery. Perhaps the most well-known example of the crossroads myth is the legend of Robert Johnson, the pioneering blues musician who allegedly sold his soul to the Devil at a crossroads in exchange for a successful musical career. It is worth noting Johnson himself never made this claim, and there is a compelling argument suggesting that this legend, at least in part, stems from racial prejudice.

Today, the association between cards and the Devil is more of a cultural curiosity than an earnest belief. Historical information about people’s shifting attitudes to playing cards is fertile ground for developing educational, exciting, and engaging magical presentations. As magicians and storytellers, we can use these historical superstitions to enhance the mystery and drama of our magic tricks, weaving themes of fate, trickery, and redemption into our performances.

A Note on Performance

These folktales and legends are particularly effective when applied to story-based card tricks. However, unlike other popular story tricks, such as “Sam the Bellhop” or “Color Monte”, when performing a routine that mentions Satan or the Devil, there is a slight risk of upsetting or offending someone in your audience, particularly those who are deeply spiritual or religious. Naturally, one way to avoid this situation is to be cautious about whom you perform these tricks for. Even if someone isn’t religious, they may feel a bit uncomfortable when you suggest they’ve lost their soul to the Devil. For this reason, I have carefully constructed each routine to allow a spectator to win back their soul or nullify any “contract” with the Devil.

🔥 Hot Tip: When performing any of these Devil-themed routines, pay attention to your audience’s reactions during the setup. If anyone seems deeply uncomfortable with the theme, you can quickly pivot to a different effect. Always have a non-Devil-themed alternative ready!

From Satan to Salvation: A Gospel Magic Perspective 😇

Unexpectedly, these tricks make ideal material for Gospel magicians! Let me explain why I believe this is the case:

Redemption and Overcoming Evil

Each magic trick has been intentionally crafted to allow the spectator to “win back their soul” or break free from a “contract with the Devil”. This narrative arc is embedded within the trick’s structure and reflects central themes found in Christianity and Gospel teachings. Gospel magic often seeks to illustrate concepts such as salvation (being saved from a negative situation or force), victory over sin or evil (the ability to overcome detrimental influences, symbolised by nullifying the Devil’s contract), and the ideas of forgiveness and second chances (the belief that mistakes can be rectified and redemption is attainable). Many of the tricks emphasise this by enabling the spectator to reverse a negative outcome.

Reframing the Narrative

Although the tricks initially touch on themes related to the Devil and the potential loss of one’s soul—which could be perceived as negative or offensive in a religious context—the crucial element is the favourable resolution. By ensuring that the spectator can beat the Devil, the trick can be reframed by a Gospel magician to represent the triumph of good over evil or faith conquering temptation. These performances illustrate that even when someone feels bound to negative forces (such as sin or doubt), there is always a way to break free and find redemption through faith.

Engaging with a Darker Theme for a Positive Message

Ironically, by beginning with a potentially controversial or uncomfortable theme (making a pact with the Devil), these tricks can become more impactful in conveying a Gospel message because the contrast is heightened. During the trick, the audience undergoes a moment of potential “loss” or negative spiritual implication, which makes the act of redemption even more powerful and resonant when framed within a Gospel context. This dramatic approach effectively illustrates spiritual struggles and the hope of overcoming them. These devilish presentations also offer religious individuals a safe way to roleplay sinful behaviour and its consequences without acting on their temptations.

Accessibility and Relatability

Even though the tricks involve the Devil, the underlying themes of struggle, temptation, and the desire for redemption are universally relatable, even for those who may not be deeply religious. Gospel magicians can use this relatability to connect with a broader audience and guide the narrative toward a message of faith and hope.

What Do You Think?

In essence, the very aspect of these tricks that aims to mitigate offence—allowing the spectator to outsmart the Devil—ironically becomes the key element that makes these tricks surprisingly adaptable and effective for Gospel magicians. It’s an interesting twist where a potentially problematic and sensitive theme is turned into a vehicle for conveying a positive and faith-based message through the structure of the magic itself. However, I’m not a faith-based magician; I could be completely wrong about this instinct! I’d love to hear your views on this topic if you are a Gospel magician.

The Tricks

Below are seven card routines that embrace the theme of an encounter with the Devil in disguise and draw inspiration from the rich and superstitious history of playing cards. I’ve previously shared three of these tricks: “A Swindle of Souls”, “High Card to Hell”, and “Mark of the Beast”. However, “Beelzebet”, “Beelzebetter”, “More Mark of the Beast”, and “The Devil is Dyslexic” are all new and exclusive to paid subscribers of the Ruseletter. I hope you enjoy learning and performing them.

Read more

Adorned in opulent regal attire, complete with a powdered wig, he commanded the stage like a king, despite his short and stout figure. Pinetti was one of the first magicians to bring his craft from the streets to the stage, transforming it into a legitimate form of theatre. His innovative inventions and captivating showmanship left audiences spellbound throughout Europe in the late eighteenth century.

The three tricks below use old methods with new presentations. Two of the tricks, "Piles of Pinetti" and "Pinetti's Pyramid", are reimagined versions of The Twenty-One Card Trick, one of the oldest card tricks in existence, dating back well over four hundred years. The third trick, "Pinetti's Prediction", is a reworking of an effect performed by Pinetti himself, which appeared in his magic book, Physical Amusements and Diverting Experiments, published in 1784. Though these methods have been in use for centuries, I have created new presentations inspired by the life of Professor Pinetti and his contemporaries, including the enigmatic Count Caligstro, a notorious self-styled magician and adventurer who was immensely popular with the nobility of France before the French Revolution.

By infusing these tricks with fresh historical narratives, I hope to provide a unique experience that entertains and educates in equal measure. As these tricks date back hundreds of years, this is a clear case of putting old wine into new bottles!

The Piquet Pack Series

All three tricks featured in this edition of Trick, Tricks & More Tricks use a modified Piquet pack and are specifically designed to be performed with a reduced set of thirty-three playing cards. Piquet, pronounced "PK", was once France's most popular card game. It gained immense popularity during the sixteenth century and was still all the rage when Pinetti entertained audiences two hundred years later in eighteenth-century Paris. Unlike a standard deck of fifty-two cards, Piquet requires only thirty-two, comprising the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight, and Seven in each suit. However, you'll need to include one Joker for some of these tricks to work, making the pack consist of thirty-three cards.

Additionally, to perform the tricks in the Piquet Pack Series exactly as I do, you'll need a deck that deviates slightly from the standard Piquet pack. First, remove all the high cards—the Nines, Tens, Jacks, Queens, and Kings—from the pack. This leaves you with only the Aces, Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives, Sixes, Sevens, and Eights in each suit. Then, add one Joker to complete your special "Piquet pack". This specific setup offers certain benefits when performing one of my favourite tricks in the Piquet Pack Series called “Pythagorean Prediction”.

Using this unique pack, you can perform these three historical card tricks that will amaze and astound your audience!

I have plans to continue publishing fun card tricks designed to take full advantage of this special thirty-three-card Piquet pack. So look out for more tricks in the Piquet Pack Series in the future! In the meantime, please enjoy these three.

Piles of Pinetti and Pinetti's Pyramid

Here's a version of the classic Twenty-One Card Trick that's been adapted to use the thirty-three-card Piquet pack mentioned earlier. The trick is made even more captivating with an engaging presentation inspired by the mysterious Professor Pinetti. The cards are more than just objects of entertainment; they're elevated to tools of divination, used for a fascinating cartomancy reading. After the reading, the performer ventures into the realm of magic by summoning the spirit of Professor Pinetti! A card is dealt to the table for each letter in his name, and the next card in the pack is then revealed, showing the chosen card!

I’ve included lots of alternative ways to handle the revelation. For example, you can use different spellings of Pinetti’s name or even give your participant a choice between six or seven options!

Performing this trick is enjoyable because the method is essentially self-working, although I do use false shuffles and cuts during the performance. The method's simplicity allows you to put all your effort and energy into the presentation. I consider this a "conversational" piece of magic, where the focus is on interacting with your participant during the reading rather than the chosen card's location. The magic is an unexpected bonus to an already entertaining reading of a person's past, present, and future.

My goal is to pique people's interest in Professor Pinetti through the presentation. Beginning with this fantastic trick during a brief card set, you can introduce him as a historical figure to your audience. Afterwards, you can use the Italian conjurer as a recurring theme for the remainder of your card act. Typically, I perform all three tricks in succession.

It's important to note that this technique can be effectively used in a virtual magic show conducted on a video conferencing platform such as Zoom. Since the card selected is a mental choice, the participant need not physically handle the cards.

Learn Piles of Pinetti

"Pinetti's Pyramid" is a minor variation of "Piles of Pinetti." The initial part of the trick, which is the cartomancy reading, remains unchanged. However, the revelation is different and involves creating a pyramid-shaped layout consisting of seven rows of diminishing cards. This version of the trick requires ample table space but is ideal for formal, close-up performances where you want to maximise visibility and cater to a larger audience.

During this presentation, a reference is made to Count Caligstro, a famous adventurer, charlatan, and magician who lived around the same era as Pinetti. As a result, the presentation style leans towards Bizarre Magick.

Learn Pinetti's Pyramid

Pinetti’s Prediction

This is a reworking of a trick originally published by Professor Pinetti in his book Physical Amusements and Diverting Experiments back in 1784. These adjustments make the trick more practical and eliminate the need to take the deck behind your back, which is something I prefer to avoid when performing card magic.

As the name suggests, the trick involves predicting a chosen card's location in the pack based on a rudimentary mathematical principle. Despite its simplicity, when executed correctly, the trick is still profoundly fooling. It can even be repeated for the same audience with some caution. Moreover, the same principle can be applied to a full pack of fifty-two cards. Even though the method is self-working, it's best to conceal it with a simple false cut, such as the one made popular by Jay Ose.

Learn Pinetti's Prediction

Pythagorean Prediction

Here is a puzzling prediction trick using a Piquet pack of thirty-three cards. For optimal results, it's best if there are no cards with a value of ten in the deck. That's why I prefer to use a pack that only includes the Ace through Eight in each suit.

The self-working principle employed is an old one and can be traced back to at least the seventeenth century. Similar to “Pinetti’s Prediction”, the trick can be repeated because the prediction card differs every time.

I have created a presentation that explores the mystical elements of Pythagoreanism (a philosophical and religious movement inspired by the work of the Greek mathematician Pythagoras). This not only adds entertainment value to the routine but also provides clear justification for its procedural nature.

Learn Pythagorean Prediction

Learn More About Professor Pinetti

In my ongoing column, Lendgends of Legerdemain, I've written a detailed article about Pinetti. I highly recommend giving it a read if you’d like to learn more about Pinetti and his fascinating life!

This month, we’ll take an in-depth look at the “Nine Card Problem” by magic author, historian and illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer.

The “Nine Card Problem” is a modern classic. Published almost thirty years ago, it is one of the very best small packet spelling tricks and, as a result, has spawned many variations. Magicians often combine it with the Lie Detector plot, most notably by David Solomon, who developed a popular seven-card version, aptly titled “Steinmeyer's Nine Card Problem With Seven Cards”—see “The Truth Will Out” at the very bottom of this post for my thoughts and ideas on this trick.

Read more