🃏🌴 Packet Trick Paradise #8: Mark of the Beast

A poetic packet trick with a Faustian feel based on Jim Temple's "Color Monte".

Welcome to another edition of Packet Trick Paradise. In this article, I’ll discuss one of my favourite variations of Jim Temple’s “Color Monte” called “Mark of the Beast”. I’ve taken the basic effect and added a devilishly delightful bizarre magick presentation based on the migratory legend “The Card Players and the Devil” (classified as legend type ML 3015 by Norwegian folklorist Reidar Christiansen).

I first shared this effect in Monthly Update #23, but not many people read the write-up, so I’ve decided that it deserves another outing here.

So, what’s the effect? A magician recites a haunting poem about a fateful game of three-card monte with a mysterious stranger, bringing the tale to life with three cards that impossibly transform from two Jokers and a Jack into three Sixes—revealing that the stranger was actually the Devil himself!

The method relies on three core elements: First, false counts (primarily the Flushtration Count) create the illusion of seeing multiple Jokers when there’s actually only one. Second, the strategic use of double lifts and Ed Marlo’s Quick 3-Way display make the Jack appear to move positions impossibly. Finally, a Braue Addition allows for a clean switch of the Joker and Jack for two additional Sixes, enabling the “666” finale. The entire routine is structured so that each magical moment coincides with specific lines of the poem, helping to mask the relatively simple sleight-of-hand involved.

“Mark of the Beast” stands out as a powerful piece of close-up magic that transcends the typical card trick format. Wrapping the effect in poetic narrative creates a theatrical atmosphere that naturally guides the audience through each phase while cleverly masking the rudimentary method. The fact that it can be performed with regular playing cards makes it particularly versatile—any deck with a Joker will do—yet it delivers an impact worthy of a packet trick using specially prepared cards.

The routine’s strength lies in building engagement through multiple phases, each drawing the audience deeper into the story. Starting with the familiar premise of three-card monte makes the trick immediately accessible; everyone knows (or thinks they know) how the game works. This familiarity creates a false sense of security that makes the subsequent transformations all the more startling. As the stakes escalate and the supernatural elements emerge, the audience finds themselves caught between trying to outsmart the “stranger” and becoming genuinely unnerved by the mounting evidence of his true identity.

The trick works beautifully in both intimate close-up settings, where spectators can appreciate the detail of each transformation, and in parlour performances, where the strong narrative carries the effect even to those who can’t see the cards clearly. The “666” finale provides exactly the kind of memorable climax that audiences love to discuss afterwards. At the same time, the underlying moral about greed adds a layer of meaning that elevates the piece beyond mere entertainment. It’s this combination of technical elegance, storytelling craft, and thematic depth that makes the trick so effective in creating genuine moments of unease and astonishment.

Extending and Developing the Routine

The poem’s references to gold coins provide the perfect opportunity to add a little coin magic to the routine. Here’s how to integrate coin effects naturally into the “Mark of the Beast”:

When you say, “One gold coin, I had to pay,” produce a golden dollar or half-dollar from behind your right knee while your left hand holds the cards. This unexpected appearance suggests the Devil is literally extracting payment from you. Each time you lose another round, produce another coin from increasingly unusual places—behind your ear, from your elbow, or from empty air—building a small pile of debt on the table.

For the line “Six golden coins is now my fee,” perform a quick sequence where all six coins vanish one at a time (or all at once), coinciding with the revelation of the first Six of Diamonds. This vanish suggests the Devil is collecting his due. I’ve not worked out how to vanish multiple coins at once, but using a coin clip similar to the one Eugene Burger used in his trick “The Three Coin Mystery” (Eugene Burger, Real Secrets of Close-Up Magic VHS, 1991) might be a good way to do this providing the clip can accommodate six coins, and you’re in a position to lap the clips and coins; using some extra thin palming coins might help in this regard.

The timing of these coin productions and vanishes serves multiple purposes:

• Creates natural breaks in the card-handling

• Adds visual interest beyond the cards

• Reinforces the gambling theme

• Provides extra misdirection for the card switches

• Builds to the climactic revelation of the three Sixes

If possible, use golden-coloured palming coins that catch the light well for maximum impact, preferably with matching size and shine. The appearance and disappearance of the coins should feel organic to the story, not like separate tricks being performed simultaneously.

I’m contemplating intergrating a Miser’s Dream type of effect into this routine, perhaps using the Money Goblet made by Copeland Coins (see this performance by Rick Holcombe for a good example of what I’m envisioning). As this is a card magic column, I’ll leave you to work out the details!

Yours Magically,

Marty