Easy Does It #1: Fantastic Five Flushed

Learn a simple card location with an impressive, poker-themed surprise kicker.

Greetings and welcome to Easy Does It, a column dedicated to showcasing magic tricks that are simple to execute from a technical perspective, giving you more time to focus on the presentation of the trick. Most of the tricks featured in the column will be self-working or use minimal sleight of hand to keep them in the easy-to-do category.

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!