Monthly Update #27 (March 2025)
Alex Elmsley's "The Four-Card Trick", a "Taxonomy of Engagement with Magic" and the "Parisian Style" of magic.
Welcome to the March 2025 Monthly Update for Marty’s Magic Ruseletter. Wow, I’m only three days late this time! 😉
I’ve been working on six routines this month based on the classic 1959 packet trick “The Four-Card Trick” by Scottish magician and mathematician Alex Elmsley. They’ve been rattling about in my head for a while, so I want to get them recorded before I forget them! I haven’t started writing the detailed tutorials yet. However, I thought sharing some information about them, including a performance of the original trick by Alex Elmsley himself, would be enjoyable before the eventual publication of the tricks. I hope this approach will encourage you to explore the original routine yourself before I release my variations.
I’ve also been developing a systematic approach to analysing the many different ways in which people can engage with magic. I’m unsure of the long-term value of this work. Still, it might offer magicians a self-reflective tool to facilitate introspection and possibly even assist some performers with future career planning!
New on MBOT: Taxonomy of Engagement with Magic
Reading time: 10 minutes
I published a new blog post called “A Taxonomy of Magicians” at the beginning of this month. The post was inspired by a thought-provoking article, “Passive or Active - What Sort of Magician are You?” by professional magician Mark Leveridge.
Building on the ideas in Mark’s article, I began by categorising magicians based on their performance styles and the nature of their magic. As I outlined the different types of “magician”—from classic stage magicians focused on grand illusions to close-up magicians specialising in intimate, sleight-of-hand performances—I changed my mind. I decided it would be more helpful to think about the different subtypes as “modes of engagement”. Once I started thinking this way, it only seemed logical to include spectators in the mix. Therefore, my “taxonomy of magicians” became a “taxonomy of engagement with magic”.
The taxonomy aims to provide a comprehensive view of the diverse roles and behaviours within the magic community, from those who create and perform magic to those who study, collect, or simply enjoy experiencing it.
The three main types of people involved in magic are performers (P1-P9), enthusiasts (E1-E9), and spectators (S1-S2). These three categories contain several subtypes—there are twenty in total—each representing a preference with a corresponding collection of behaviours.
Each subtype is positioned on a dual-label spectrum, emphasising both the positive and negative aspects or, in some cases, extremes of behaviour associated with that particular form of engagement. In other words, each subtype highlights its best and worst qualities.
Sometimes, the two ends of the spectrum represent extremes in behaviour rather than positives and negatives, e.g., P9 (the Theatrical Illusionist and the Avant-Garde Artist), E7 (the Club Regular and the Solitary Sorcerer) and S1 (the Devoted Fan and the Casual Observer). These labels should be considered neutral and not necessarily regarded as unfavourable.
The performer category includes nine subtypes, ranging from the dedicated professional to the hobbyist, and from the technically skilled to the creatively crafty. Enthusiasts, who engage with magic beyond performance, are also classified into nine subtypes, such as historians, collectors, scholars, and trick creators.
Spectators are divided into two subtypes: devoted fans/casual observers and legerdemain loathers/magic cynics, acknowledging how people appreciate and experience magic.
Overall, the taxonomy offers a detailed framework for understanding the various roles, motivations, and characteristics of individuals within the world of magic. It emphasises the complexity of the magic community and provides a tool for self-reflection and a deeper appreciation of the art.
Here are the subtypes I have so far:
1. Performers – Those Who Actively Perform Magic
These magicians turn knowledge into action, seeking to amaze and entertain. There are nine subtypes:
P1: 🎩 The Professional / 💰 The Hack
P2: 🪄 The Part-Time Pro / 🧙♂️ The Weekend Wizard
P3: ❤ The Dedicated Amateur / 😴 The Lazy Hobbyist
P4: 👋 The Social Sorcerer / 🦚 The Show-Off
P5: ⚙️ The Technical Wizard / 😴 The Dullusionist
P6: ✂️ The Crafty Conjurer / 🛠 The Clumsy Constructor
P7: 🎭 The Theatrical Illusionist / 🎨 The Avant-Garde Artist
P8: 📷 The Camera Conjurer / 🎬 The Post-Production Prestidigitator
P9: 🛒 The Delightful Demonstrator / 🏪 The Pitch Trickster
2. Enthusiasts – Those Who Engage with Magic Beyond Performance
These people may or may not perform regularly. Nevertheless, they remain deeply engaged with magic in one or more ways:
E1: 📜 The Historian / 🏺 The Obsessive Archivist
E2: 🕵️♂️ The Collector / 📦 The Hoarder
E3: 🎓 The Scholar / 🧐 The Theory Snob
E4: 🧑🏫 The Teacher / 📖 The Preachy Professor
E5: 💡 The Trick Creator / 🧪 The Unhinged Inventor
E6: 🛠 The Propsmith / ⚒️ The Over-Engineer
E7: 👋 The Club Regular / 🦉 The Solitary Sorcerer
E8: 🤫 The Secret Seeker / 🔒 The Gatekeeper
E9: 🛋️ The Armchair Conjurer / ⌨️ The Keyboard Magician
3. Spectators – Those Who Experience Magic Passively
These individuals appreciate the experience of magic but have no interest in performing it:
S1: 🤩 The Devoted Fan / 😮 The Casual Observer
S2: 😠 The Legerdemain Loather / ⛔️ The Magic Cynic
And here’s an example of a more detailed profile that I’ve written for P1:
P1: 🎩 The Professional / 💰 The Hack
A magician who makes a career out of performing magic at various venues—be it theatres, bars, restaurants, street corners, or even on television.
🎩 The Professional is a skilled, polished, and engaging magician who delivers high-quality performances, respects the art and adapts their magic to different audiences with professionalism and creativity—for example, a seasoned performer like Dutch magician Tommy Wonder (1953-2006), who elevates magic as an art form.
💰 The Hack is a lazy, uninspired magician who relies on outdated, overused tricks, lacks originality and prioritises quick money over quality entertainment, such as a magician who recycles the same tired tricks, stock lines and corny jokes without effort or passion, doing the bare minimum to collect a paycheck.
Another example of the Hack is the low-effort corporate or cruise ship magician. While many cruise ship and corporate magicians are highly skilled, many do the bare minimum to get by.
The Amazing Johnathan (1958-2022) and Welsh comic Tommy Cooper (1921-1984) famously parodied this archetype. However, both acts served as satire rather than actual examples of a hack. Johnathan Szeles was a true professional. Likewise, Tommy Cooper was surprisingly adept at magic and sleight of hand, despite the chaos that usually unfolded on stage when he attempted to perform magic.
I plan to write the entire system into a detailed article and post it to my blog. In the meantime, you can read my work in progress in a shared Google document (it’s a bit of a mess at the moment). Feel free to comment directly on the manuscript if you have any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions for improving the framework.
Ultimately, I hope this taxonomy will encourage you to reflect on your own engagement with magic and explore various ways of enjoying it as a hobby, career, or art form. I also hope it will highlight the diversity of magic, conjuring, and illusion; “magician” is a broad term encompassing numerous skills, styles, and modalities, all of which are legitimate ways of engaging with magic. The taxonomy provides a clearer understanding of the different niches within magic, recognising that while categories are useful, the art itself is fluid and multifaceted.
My preferred subtypes are dedicated amateur (P3), scholar (E3) and trick creator (E5). Oh, and if you’re wondering, my full “magic type” is P3-P4-E1-E3-E4-E5! ❤👋📜🎓🧑🏫💡. However, I’m also interested in developing aspects related to P6 and P8. What type are you?
The Granddaddy of Packet Tricks
“The Four-Card Trick” by Alex Elmsley was the first trick to use the Ghost Count 👻, now more commonly known as the Elmsley Count. The best place to learn the routine (and the false count) is The Magic of Alex Elmsley: The Tahoe Sessions Volume 1 DVD or video download (available from your favourite magic dealer via Murphy’s Magic Supplies).
After all these years, Alex Elmsley remains my favourite magician. Not only was he a clever inventor of tricks, but he was also an utterly charming performer. Here’s a video trailer for The Tahoe Sessions Volume 1; it includes a complete performance of “The Four-Card Trick” along with three other tricks from the volume.
Here are the time-stamp links—each will take you directly to the named trick in the video:
“The Four-Card Trick” - A three-card trick with four trick cards! The classic packet trick using the Elmsley Count. It was first released in 1959.
“Brainweave” - An impromptu version of “Brainwave”/”Invisible Deck” using a regular deck of cards.
“Fan Prediction” - A super clean prediction effect using an ordinary deck.
“Fate’s Datebook” - Part of Elmsley’s famous “Dazzle Act” using an improvisational selection procedure, similar to Dai Vernon’s “Card Trick That Cannot Be Explained”.
And here’s an overview of the six variations of “The Four-Card Trick” that I’m currently working on:
“Four-Card Monkey Business” is a combination of “The Four-Card Trick” and “3 Card Monkey Business” by Bill Elliott (the precursor to “Color Monte”). It is a fun four-card monte routine with a $14 kicker ending, similar to Jim Temple’s “Color Monte”.
“Color Monte Killer” is another version of the trick that uses a presentation inspired by “3 Card Monkey Business” and “Color Monte” but with two surprise kickers!
“Chase the Face” is my interpretation of Elmsley’s “New Four-Card Trick”, also taught on The Tahoe Sessions Volume 1. It features a streamlined handling and an added surprise at the end of the routine.
“Foolish Four-Card Monte” is similar to “Chase the Face” but uses four Jokers, which transform into four duplicate Queens! At the end of the routine, all of the cards are examinable.
“Signature for Satan” is another handling of “The Four-Card Trick” with a Faustian presentation (similar to “The Devil is Dyslexic”). A spectator signs the money card. Its back eventually turns red, and a message appears on it: “SATAN IS MY MASTER”. You then rescue your participant from their pact with the Devil by transferring the signature from the red-backed card to one of the other, blue-backed ones (much like John Bannon’s trick “Tattoo You”).
“Mephisto Monte” is another bizarre magick-inspired version. “Never Gamble with the Devil” appears on the odd-backed card. The other three Jokers transform into three Sixes (666), the Mark of the Beast!
These six variations will appear in two future editions of Corrupting the Classics, and “Foolish Four-Card Monte” will appear in my regular column, Packet Trick Paradise, later in the year. I’m unsure exactly when because finishing all the write-ups will take me a while!
Parisian Style of Magic 🗼🥐🍷🎭🎨
My friend Bob, a dyed-in-the-wool P3 (dedicated amateur magician), recently asked about Boris Wild’s Kiss Count, an elegant and deceptive all-alike false count, similar in utility to the Flushtration or Orion Count.
During the online discussion, some people thought the move’s “flourishy” nature made it suspicious and less deceptive. I don’t believe that this is true. When performed with the correct pace and rhythm, the count is just as fooling as a well-executed Flushtration Count. However, much like its plainer cousin, the move is at its most deceptive when using Jokers, or blank playing cards.
The count is named after Boris Wild’s famous FISM award-winning “The Kiss Act”. Here’s a packet trick, called “Travelling Kiss”, which uses double-blanks and was inspired by his act (you can see the Kiss Count being used multiple times during the performance):
All of these false counts—the Flustration, Rhumba, Orion, and Kiss Count—share the same weakness in that you repeatedly show the bottom card of the packet. An observant spectator can notice this discrepancy. However, these counts can be highly deceptive when performed casually with the proper emphasis, pace and rhythm. You can also use them as a primary display if you follow them up with a secondary convincer (such as switching out the cards) or by strengthening the display through verbal trickery. See my trick “Shake It Up” for a practical example. Here’s the relevant excerpt:
Remove the cards from your pocket. First, display the five cards as four Jokers by performing a Flushtration Count, keeping the last two cards held as one. As you do this, say, “Here I have one, two, three, four Kings.” As you place the last Joker, a double card, on top of the packet, hold a little finger break beneath it.
The Flustration Count is one of the less convincing false counts, but it can still be effective when displaying four Jokers or blank-faced cards. When you claim to have four Kings, your audience will feel compelled to correct you by pointing out that they see four Jokers. This is a helpful psychological trick, as they essentially convince themselves that you have four Jokers rather than simply being told so by you. If you were to state this directly, they might not believe you. This verbal deception enhances the count’s effectiveness and clarifies to your audience that all four cards are Jokers when they’re not.
Another good example of how to use the count effectively is this performance of “Odd Quad” by Daryl, the Magician’s Magician:
The careful and subtle handling of the cards and Daryl’s charming patter help make the Flushtration Count far more deceptive.
⚠️ A Word of Warning: These fancier false counts, such as the Kiss Count, look incongruent if you actively avoid flashy-looking moves and flourishes. In this scenario, I’d recommend sticking with the Flushtration Count or avoiding this style of display altogether.
This fruitful discussion has led me to reflect on the admiration I’ve long held for a French style of magic that I refer to as the “Parisian Style”. This poetic form of magic, particularly card conjuring, is most often, though not exclusively, performed by magicians from Paris. It embodies the elegance and sophistication traditionally associated with the capital of France. While it can be flamboyant, akin to the “Spanish Style” of magic linked to Tamariz and the Spanish School, it remains understated and less chaotic, featuring highly choreographed moves—a dance of the hands if you will.
Key proponents of the Parisian Style are Jean Pierre Vallarino, Dominique Duvivier, Gaëtan Bloom, Bebel, Bernard Bilis, Jean Faré, Daniel Rhod and, of course, Boris Wild. The older generation, such as Ernest Pancrazi, also influenced these magicians. More recently, Yoann Fontyn’s visual card magic has introduced more flourishes and a fluid economy of motion to the “Parisian Style”:
However, the Parisian Style, much like the Cardistry movement, clashes with the more traditional view that manipulative skill should be concealed to make effects feel like real magic. This approach, popularised by Dai Vernon, emphasises naturalness, psychology, and economy of motion while tending to eschew flourishes and overt displays of skillful manipulation. Still, I believe there is a way to blend the two approaches. You can enhance and elevate the magical moment by performing a flourish before an apparent “moveless” effect. This juxtaposition can be integrated into a show or act, alternating tricks of different styles, or even within a single trick or routine.
You may have noticed that I’m careful with my words. This is the Parisian “Style”, not “School”. The difference is that a school implies a “school of thought” or a way of thinking about the performance of magic, as seen with Tamariz and the Spanish School. In contrast, the Parisian Style emphasises visual magic, flourishes, and aesthetics more than the theory, psychology, and philosophy of magic. However, this doesn’t preclude the idea that there may also be a “French School” of magic associated with the “Parisian Style” of performance!
Three Videos Worth Watching 👀
This month, I’ve chosen to share three videos demonstrating the “Parisian Style” of magic I mentioned above.
The Kiss Act by Boris Wild 💋
Boris Wild performing his world-renowned “Kiss Act” at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. He presented it at FISM in 1997 in Dresden, Germany, earning second place (no one received first place that year).
Boris also created a lesser-known but equally beautiful sequel to this routine called “The Butterfly Act”.
Champagne by Jean Pierre Vallarino
Jean Pierre Vallarino performing his unmistakable poetic close-up magic style on World’s Greatest Magic 3. He placed 3rd at FISM in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1991 with this same act.
Grace by Bebel
I love this card sandwich routine by the underground legend Bebel (Belkhéir Djénane), who performs in the Saint-Germain-des-Près region in Paris. He sits on a small folding chair and performs his fantastic magic on a collapsible table, often near Mabillon, a station on line 10 of the Paris Metro.
A tutorial for the trick is available from Ellusionist for $11.95 (£9.25).
I hope you enjoyed this update. In the next quarter, I will focus on Developing Daley, one of my unfinished book projects. 📚 Expect to see more of this content serialised on my blog in the coming weeks (see this page for all posts relating to Dr. Daley’s Last Trick).
Yours Magically,
Marty