This is a simple four ace trick that is self working using the CATO principal (Cut and Turn Over). I present it as a lesson in fate, that your choices in life don’t always matter.
Start with four Aces on the table, face up. Add three face down cards on top of each Ace.
Patter about choices. Give the spectator his first choice, telling the spectator place any one ace pile on top of another. Then the second choice, of the remaining two four card piles, place one on top of the other.
The third choice is to turn over either of the two piles.
Tell the spectator that you will now “shuffle” the cards by interleaving the two piles of cards, by dealing a card from one pile down to the table, and then one card from the other pile down on top of the first, continuing to deal until the cards are in a single pile.
The fourth choice is to which pile to start the deal from.
After the deal, pick up the cards to start the CATO process. Normally you would have the spectator hold the pile and cut it, then turn over the to two cards. Repeating this as often as they want. I prefer the following instead.
I spread the cards between my hands and ask the spectator to point to one. I break the spread at point and flip over the card they pointed to and the next as a unit.
The spectator continues to point at cards, and I continue to flip pairs over. Occasionally you can cut the packet and complete the cut. Then when the spectator is satisfied with their choices you close up the spread and then deal four “hands” of four cards onto the table. Deal like you deal in a card game.
There will be four packets of four cards in each packet. Some cards will be face up and some face down. Recap all of the choices that the spectator made. Then have them choose one end of the row or the other and then start to flip over, from that end, each packet on top of the next.
When you are done and have a single pile, then all of the cards, except the four aces will be either face up or face down. If you pay attention as you flip the piles over you will know if you can simply spread the cards to show only the aces face up, or you will turn the pile over before spreading them.