Article Surfing Archive

Over recent years there has been a lot of interest in magic tricks, with the popularity of shows by David Copperfield and David Blaine an obvious indicator. But magic tricks don*t have to be confined to the professionals - anyone can perform magic tricks. You just need to learn how the trick is done!

Some tricks require you to master a number of special skills like the force (getting someone to take the card you want them to without them realising it) and the pass (swapping the top and bottom of a deck of cards without being seen). But the trick here doesn*t require any special skills to learn. It just requires a little bit of preparation. This trick is known as The Lost Ace.

After introducing a pack of unprepared cards, the performer removes the four Aces from it and lays them on the table in plain sight. The remaining cards are then handed to a spectator with the request to ensure there are no duplicate Aces in the pack. After this has been done, the conjurer picks up the four Aces and requests the spectator to shuffle them into the pack.

The performer then asks the spectator if they are sure they have all the Aces in their possession. After receiving and affirmative answer, the performer reaches into a pocket and produces the Ace of Diamonds. Upon inspection of the pack, this card is found to be missing!

Like all magic tricks, once you know how it's done you'll wonder how you could have ever fallen for it.

Previous to the trick, the performer removes the Ace of Diamonds from the pack, and places in a pocket. The cards laid on the table consist of the three Aces and the Nine of Diamonds, which is used as a substitute for the missing Ace of the same suit. To conceal the side pipe of this card, the Ace of Clubs and Ace-of Spades are made to cover it. With a little practice this can be done in an apparently careless manner of arranging the cards on the table, and finally placing the Ace of Hearts over them.

The trick then proceeds as described, the four cards (supposed to be four Aces) being shuffled into the pack. Then after the Ace of Diamonds is found to have vanished from the pack, the missing card is produced from the performer's pocket.

This trick is simple to do, but it is sure to entertain your friends and family as they wonder how on earth you did it!