THE INVISIBLE ACES

EFFECT: The four aces are removed from the deck and made invisible one by one. Suddenly
the invisible aces become visible again. Finally, the aces are shown to be the four kings!! This
is one strong routine.
PREPARATION: From top down: Face down indifferent card, FU red king, FU black king,
FU black king, remainder of deck face down with 3H on the bottom. This set up can be created
while you are openly culling the four aces.
METHOD:
1) Spread the cards face up and upjog the aces as you come to them. Position the 3H on top of
the face up deck as this is done. Place the ace of spades on the 3H then place the other aces on
top of these. Remove the top 5 cards as the four aces and hold them in Biddle Grip in the right
hand. The right hand assists the left hand in flipping the remainder of the deck face down into
left hand dealing position. Be sure to not let the top card spread revealing the face up kings
beneath.
2) Obtain a left fourth finger break under the top card of the deck. Now the right hand brings
its five-card packet over to the deck in the left hand and takes the top card of the left hand
packet underneath. Maintain a right thumb break over this card. Do not remove these cards or
you will expose the face up kings. You are ready for ATFUS.

Figure 1

3) Begin the ATFUS action viz. the left thumb holds

the top ace in place as the right hand pulls its packet
to the right. This ace falls flush with the face up kings
on the deck. The right hand returns and the left
thumb pulls the next ace from the right hand's
packet. This ace is sidejogged to the right. Repeat
with the third ace. Your right hand now holds three
cards as one. The right thumb has a break over the
bottom, face down card. Leave the aces in a spread
condition as in figure 1 for a moment. Now square
up the aces with the deck. The right hand comes away
with the double above the break (AS followed by the
3H) leaving three face up aces under an indifferent
card on top of the deck. Beneath these are three face
up kings. The spectators believe that you have all four
aces in your right hand.

4) Table the deck face down with your left hand while your right fingers conceal the thickness
of the two-card packet (remember ? the spectators believe it to contain four aces). Say, "I will
make each of the four aces invisible, one by one. Have you ever seen an invisible ace? (loaded
question? have fun with it.)" Flip the two cards face down into left hand dealing position,
continuing to hide the thickness. Now lever the top card (3H) into "Tent Vanish" position. The
right hand comes over and pretends to take the card, which is allowed to fall flush with the ace

under cover of the right hand. The right hand moves away, supposedly with an ace in the
palm. Say, "Ace number one has become invisible." Suiting action to words, revolve the right
hand palm up showing that the ace has become invisible. Now turn the right hand palm down
on top of the tabled deck and say "I'll place it here for the moment." Supposedly you place the
invisible ace on top of the deck.
5) Say, "This leaves three aces here." Perform an
Ellis Stanyon count to show the two cards to be three.
(This is basically an Elmsley count with two cards,
making them appear to be three.) This leaves the 3H
on top followed by the AS. Say "I'll do it again" as you
perform the tent vanish a second time. As before, you
show your right palm empty and then place the
invisible ace on top of the deck. Say "Two invisible
aces here and two visible here." With these words the
left hand takes the top card (3H) and the right hand
takes the AS, both face down. The cards are snapped
Figure 2
together to show singularity Now the reason for
using the 3H ? Place the right hand AS on top of the
3H but spread to the right for 1/2 its width. The faces are shown to the spectators as in figure
2. The fingers hide all but the middle pip of the 3H making it look like the AH. The cards are
turned face down. Now the right hand moves the bottom 3H to the top and into tent vanish
position. Perform the tent vanish as before and again place the invisible ace of hearts onto the
deck with the right hand. This time the two cards in the left hand must coalesce into what
appears to be a single card.
6) The right hand takes the double as a single card and shows it to be the ace of spades. The
double is now dropped to the table face down as a single card. If you give the card(s) a
downward bow before you drop them, they will land square and remain squared. This is not
difficult. (If you perform an Open Travelers routine you will be comfortable here. If you don't
you should learn one.)
7) Immediately, the left hand takes the tabled deck
into left hand dealing position as you say "Three
invisible aces here. I'll make them visible and then I'll
show you a real miracle." With these words, the right
hand moves over the deck in readiness to palm the
top card. Your right palm contacts the top card and
rubs it. Finally the right hand palms the top face down
card and moves to the right with the palmed card.
(This can be facilitated if you have previously
Figure 3
obtained a left fourth finger break under the top
card.) The spectators see a face up ace on top of the deck. It is just as if you had made the aces
become visible with a pass of the hand. The deck is held as in figure 3, which facilitates the
next unloading move.

Figure 4

8) The right hand approaches the deck from the

right. The outer left corner of the palmed card is
inserted into the deck as shown in figure 4. The
right hand continues pushing the hidden card in.
The left fingers assist in squaring the card with the
deck. Finally the right thumb squares the inner
edge with the deck as the right hand moves away
to the right. Apparently the aces have become
visible again. Casually show the right hand to be
empty. (I use this Palm/Unload sequence as a
color change, too!)

Now spread the top two aces showing that all three aces have become visible. Obtain a break
under the 6th card from the top (the bottom king). Flip over all six cards as three and remove
the top three cards. This switches the three aces for three kings in readiness for the big
ending.
Now spread the top two aces showing that all three aces have become visible. Obtain a break
under the 6th card from the top (the bottom king). Flip over all six cards as three and remove
the top three cards. This switches the three aces for three kings in readiness for the big
ending.
Table the deck face down and place the three face down cards into left hand dealing position.
Say, "I saved the ace of spades for last. I'll make it invisible then visible right before your
eyes." The right hand picks up the tabled double as a single card and places it face down onto
the left hand packet. Perform a double turnover, showing the ace of spades one last time. Now
flip the double face down and deal the top card (3H) face down next to the deck. Supposedly
you now hold three aces. Actually, you have three kings with the ace of spades on top. Back
spread the bottom two King's keeping the top two cards as one. Place these four cards as
three, face down on the table. You are going to use an "Open Travelers" type revelation to
make the AS become visible. Pick up the deck in left hand while the right hand picks up the
tabled 3H. Say "I'll make the ace of spades invisible." Place the 3H in tent vanish position on
the deck. Perform the tent vanish and show the palm of the right hand to contain an invisible
ace. The thumb of the left hand deals the top card to the table, face up showing that the ace of
spades has not been left on the deck. (This card will be the 3H.)
Say "I'll make the ace visible right before your eyes." Suiting action to words, the right hand
turns palm down onto the double card on top of the tabled spread causing the ace of spades to
split from the double. When the right hand is lifted, four face down cards are seen! This is like
real magic for the spectators. The right hand flips over the top card of the four, showing the
ace of spades. The effect is apparently over, but we've got the kings for the killer ending.
Use the top face down card (black king) to flip the ace of spades face down. Place this king face
down on top. This positions the ace for the Elmsley count, which will show that the aces have
become the kings. Finally say "The aces have shown their magic ability by becoming invisible
and the visible again. But this invisibility business makes them uncertain as to whom they are.
When they rematerialize, anything can happen." As you say this, flip the packet face up
showing a king. Perform an Elmsley count showing four kings. Killer ending....

NOTE: If you find it awkward to set the kings up at the beginning, you can leave out the kings
and just do the invisible aces as described it is strong enough by itself. A Braue reversal should
be easy to implement to get the kings reversed.
CREDITS: This routine was inspired by Allan Ackerman's EvaporACEtion routine from his
great book Here's My Card.
ROUTINING IDEAS: This effect works great with "Blowing Away the Aces." Use this as a
follow up and explain that when the aces were blown away, they really became invisible.
Explain that often people feel that the aces are hidden in the deck and that you will make
them invisible without the use of the deck. To make the follow up easy, position the 3H at the
bottom of the deck as you are culling the aces in "Blowing Away the Aces." When that routine
is finished, the 3H will be the card directly above the 1st face up ace. Cut it to the bottom so
that the set up for Invisible Aces is ready to go. The three kings required for Invisible Aces can
also be controlled throughout "Blowing Away the Aces."
(Editors Note: The second effect, "Blowing Away The Aces", was included for the sake of
completeness. I think it's an excellent routine and asked Mike to include it since he mentioned
it in Invisible Aces. Here's what he wrote to me:
"There's not a lot of innovation in Blowing Away the Aces. It's a technical variation of Latta's
Collecting the Vanishing Aces from Cardworks. Swain had a vanishing sequence and Latta
added a collectors to it. I changed the way of getting set up for the vanishing/collecting
sequence only slightly. It gets to the same place in a more direct way by leaving out two double
undercuts and eliminating a "Tilt". The "Blowing Away" business justifies the use of the "drop
cover" type pass which is easier to pull off under heat. Here the pass is used under scrutiny so
you need a really good one or some cover. The "blowing action" gives cover for a less than
perfect pass. You could also just refer the reader to Cardworks for Latta's routine. It's your
call.)

Blowing Away the Aces

This effect is a handling of Collecting the Vanishing Aces which is Geoff Latta's variation
of Jim Swain's Passing Along the Vanishing Aces. The original routine is found in
Kaufman's Cardworks.
EFFECT:
Three selections are lost in the deck. The performer then visibly vanishes the four aces
one by one. Finally, the deck is spread and the aces are seen face up in the middle with
three face down cards interlaced among them. These turn out to be the selections.
As the original titles suggest, the pass is used to vanish the aces. In this variation, you
don't need to be able to do an "invisible" pass to make the effect strong. The theme of
"blowing away the aces" allows you to use a Drop Cover action, allowing the passes to be
made with less speed and still be effective.
METHOD:
1. Openly cull the four aces to the top of the face up deck. Spread the cards and obtain a
left fourth finger break under the 7th card from the top. Square up. The right hand now
lifts all seven cards above the break as the left hand flips the deck face down.
2. The right hand places its packet of seven cards face up on the deck as the left fourth
finger picks up a break under them. Now spread the top three cards (aces) and call them
out by suit from the top down say its hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades. Tell the
spectators that you don't want any of the aces selected so you will remove them. Flip
over the top seven cards and immediately spread the top four face down cards, repeating
the original order i.e. say hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades. Square the four up and flip
them face up showing the ace of spades just as you say "spades." This little subtlety
reinforces the feeling that all is correct. Actually the ace of spades is followed by three
indifferent cards.
3. Place the four face up cards face up on the pad and say "I don't want anyone to select
an ace." The top three cards of the deck are the other three aces. Now spread the deck
and have three spectators select cards. While they are looking at their cards, get a
double tilt break at the top of the deck that is in left hand dealing position. Take back
one selection and insert it into the bottom Tilt break (3rd from the top). The next
selection goes into the top Tilt break (2nd from top). Push these selections flush and
release both breaks. (You could obtain each Tilt break just before you need it, if you feel
uncomfortable holding two breaks simultaneously.) Now take the deck in right hand
biddle grip and kick cut the top half of the deck into the left hand. Have the third
selection placed on the left hand half deck. Place the right hand half deck on the left

hand half, maintaining a break between them. Use a pass or a double cut to return the
bottom half to the top bringing the aces and selections back to the top.
STATUS CHECK:
From top down: selection, ace, selection, ace, selection, ace.
4. Hold the deck face down in right hand Biddle grip while the left hand reaches for the
face up packet on the pad. This packet is taken into face down left hand dealing position.
Say, "The aces will start on the bottom." Dribble the cards from the deck in the right
hand onto the "aces" in the left hand. Say "I'm going to let the aces put on a little show
for you before we find the selections." Obtain a left 4th finger break under the top two
cards. Now you are ready to begin the vanish sequence.
5. The deck is in left hand dealing position. The right hand reaches over the front of the
deck allowing the right 2nd finger to reach under and contact the ace of spades on the
bottom of the deck. The ace is pulled forward and rotated to face up on top of the deck.
You now have a left hand fourth finger break under the top three cards. Say "The first
ace is the ace of spades. Watch, I'll blow it away." Move your 4th finger deeper into the
break in readiness for a Classic type pass. Your right hand partially covers the top card.
Move the deck up near your mouth. It reaches an almost horizontal position. Blow on
the ace with a quick blowing action. Immediately the hands rotate downward while the
pass is being done. This downward movement covers the pass. The net result is that the
ace appears to visibly vanish. (This pass is sometimes called a Drop Cover Pass.) You
will notice that a new ace is now on the bottom.
6. Spread about three fourths of the deck while you say "The ace is not hiding here." As
you square up, get a break under the top two cards with the left fourth finger.
7. Now repeat the actions of steps 5 and 6 three more times, vanishing all four aces one
by one. After the fourth vanish, the four aces will be face up near the bottom with the
three selections interlaced among them. Spread the top third of the deck into the right
hand. The right hand rotates upward showing the faces of the spread cards. Say "No
aces near the top." Spread the second third of the deck under the first third and once
again show the faces saying "No aces near the middle." Add the spread cards to the left
hand section and as you are squaring up, execute a Turnover Pass. This brings the deck
face up and also centralizes the key cards. Spread the bottom third of the deck and say
"No aces near the bottom. They are gone." Let the effect sink in for a couple of beats.
8. To end say "I'll bring the aces back and I'll use them to find the missing selections."
Spread the deck face down. Remove the aces and show the interlaced cards to be the
selections.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
The Drop Cover Pass is very deceptive here and the blowing action adds a bit more
misdirection for those of us whose pass isn't done at lightning speed. When performed
properly, this routine will get a great reaction. The aces really seem to vanish right
before their eyes.

-- Michael Powers