Effect:

You explain to the spectator how in some modern books and films they show you the ending first, and then the whole book builds up to that ending. To keep up with modern times, you have decided to create a card trick based on that principle. Firstly, you show the ending. To do this, you make the two red aces appear, and place an invisible prediction in between. With that done, you vanish the red aces and say that they will be brought back to the story when it is the end again. “Now for the beginning.”

You get the spectator to pick a card, and it is lost into the pack. This has built up to the end, you explain and to show the ending again you produce the Red Aces. “However, I cheated a little bit. I didn’t show you the very last bit of the ending, where the invisible prediction turns visible!” With those words, a card appears between the Aces, and it is the selection!

Method:

I have been trying this out recently, and spectators seem to really connect with the trick’s hook. Okay, so you will need a little set up – a top face down indifferent card, followed by the two face up red aces and then the rest of the pack face down.

Talk about showing the ending first, and then explain that you will show them now. Perform the Erdnase/Houdini colour change to materialize the first red ace. Take this red ace off the pack, and give it a flourishy twirl of some sort, to show it to be a standard card. As you do this, push the top card off the deck over and acquire a pinkie break underneath this top card.

Place the face up red ace square on top of the deck. Give a snap of the fingers and dig your right thumb into the break (your hand is palm down) and place your right fingers on top of the top card. Using the pressure from your thumb, draw your hand backwards sliding the double as one into an injogged position. A second ace will show. Feign taking an invisible prediction, and pretend to place this invisible card in between the aces.

Now explain that you will get back to these protagonists later. With these words, slide the double back square onto the pack, and then slide a single card back, injogged. This vanishes the first Ace using Roy Walton’s brilliant Paintbrush Change. To vanish the second ace, slide the ace back square onto the pack, and perform another Erdnase change to vanish this Ace. Perform all these actions very smoothly and make them flow.

Now explain that you will show the ‘beginning’ of the story. Cut the deck, retaining a pinkie break between the two halves, and perform a simple Riffle Force to the break. To do this, riffle your left thumb down the pack and ask a spectator to call out stop. Regardless of where they stopo you, cut all the cards above the break. Bring the (lower) left hand portion up to a vertical position, so that it is necktied (faces towards spectator backs to you). Using your left thumb, push the top card of the left hand portion to the right, and ask the spectator to remember this card. When they have remembered it, push the card back square with your left thumb.

Bring the squared portion to the usual flat level, and place the right hand packet on top, retaining a break. Double undercut or pass to the break, so that the Ace stock is back on top.

Now explain that you will show them the ending again, as the build up has just occurred.. You will now do nearly the same process as before:

Perform the Erdnase/Houdini colour change to materialize the first red ace. Take this red ace off the pack, and give it a flourishy twirl of some sort, to show it to be a standard card. As you do this, push the top card off the deck over and acquire a pinkie break underneath this top card.

Place the face up red ace square on top of the deck. Give a snap of the fingers and dig your right thumb into the break (your hand is palm down) and place your right fingers on top of the top card. Using the pressure from your thumb, draw your hand backwards sliding the double as one into an injogged position. A second ace will show.

Now for the change. Take the injogged double off the deck in right hand biddle grip, and place it sidejogged to the right on top of the top card. Take off the side jogged double with the other ace, and hold them in a pinch grip. Explain that you cheated a little – you didn’t show them the last few seconds of the ending. And what happens? The invisible prediction turns visible! To your words, shake the cards and spread them simultaneously. One card will visually appear, and show it to be the selected card! A visual and commercial routine for stand up performances, I hope you enjoy it!