two step cull<\/a> after having the spectator shuffle the deck. After the cull I have four aces secretly on top of the deck, ready to be produced one by one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFirst Ace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n For years I produced the first ace by shuffling one indifferent card on top and then performing a slip cut to “cut” to the first ace. A slip cut isn’t the most deceptive, but at this point the audience isn’t paying close attention. An alternative I sometimes use is a bluff cut. I try to avoid fancy false cuts as I want the first ace production to be direct. After the “cut” I deal the first ace to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second Ace As I deal the first ace to the table I use that action as misdirection to get a left little finger break under the top card of the deck (an ace). I then do a triple undercut, moving the top card to the bottom of the deck and produce the second ace from the top of the deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third Ace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n For the third ace I use Piet Forton’s pop out move, but with the ace face down. With the ace sticking out I remove the top half of the deck, holding the ace in place with my left first finger. I move the top have of the deck forward, pressing it down on the Ace sticking out and use it to flip the ace face up. The Ace is trapped between the two halves of the deck and I pull each half away letting the ace fall to the table with the others. My right hand puts its half under the left hands half, which places the last Ace on top of the deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fourth Ace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n The first three aces have been produced with increasingly fancier cuts. First a simple cut (slip cut, or bluff cut), the second a triple cut, and the third a pop out cut. For the final Ace I want a very clean looking real cut, so I lift up a little more than a half of the deck with my left hand as my right and grips the lower hand. By squeezing the lower half’s end between my right first finger and thumb I put a crimp in the bottom half as I cut the deck. This puts the last ace in the middle at the crimp. I perform another false cut, usually Erdnase or an up-the-ladder cut. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now I can end in one of three ways. I can slowly, and cleanly cut to the last ace, or I can let the spectator cut to the last ace, or instead of crimping the deck I do another false cut, and then do a double lift, apparently missing the last ace. I turn the double face down and take the top card off and rub is against the other aces, then show that it has changed to an ace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n