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00:00 (Music)
00:10 (Music)
00:36 I'd like to tell you a little bit about the pass. It's a great move and it's underused.
00:41 It was first published in France in 1799.
00:45 There are many different kinds of passes and I'm going to explain a few of them today on this tape.
00:50 First I'll demonstrate each one, then I'll explain each one in detail,
00:54 and then I'll even teach you a few tricks that use all of the passes.
00:58 But it's very difficult. They all require a great deal of practice.
01:02 But if you give them the practice they deserve, you'll be amply rewarded.
01:07 (Music)
01:33 One of the earliest published explanations of the classic pass was in 1799 in a French book.
01:39 The classic pass is a very old move and has seen frequent use lately.
01:46 To do the classic pass, you need a pinky break in the center of the deck above the halfway point.
01:54 In other words, you don't want to have the break more than halfway down from the top of the deck.
02:04 You must keep the left long side of the two packets closed.
02:09 This is done by angling the lower packet so the left long sides touch.
02:16 The right long side is wide open, enabling you to insert your pinky between the cards.
02:24 To accomplish the pass, you hold the pack with the right hand from above.
02:33 First finger curled on top, second, third, and little fingers at the outer end, thumb at the inner end.
02:41 To accomplish the pass, you run your left thumb inward along the left long side of the cards.
02:48 This automatically raises the deck up to your fingertips.
02:53 Now, with your left fingers, you pull the upper half slightly to the left around, and it goes underneath the lower half.
03:08 This is fairly easy to do slowly.
03:23 Here are two covers for the classic pass.
03:31 This cover simply consists of moving from right to left as you execute the pass and is good for stand-up conditions.
03:37 Here's a second way of covering the classic pass.
03:44 In this method, the spectator is standing opposite you.
03:47 You simply extend your hands toward him and execute the pass as you bring your hands inward.
04:07 [music]
04:31 The riffle pass was invented by Dr. Eliot at around the turn of the century.
04:37 It is one of the most frequently used versions of the pass today.
04:42 The method I am about to describe is a combination of ideas by many people--
04:49 Ken Krenzel, Howard Schwarzman, Derek Dingle, who taught me the pass, and an idea or two of my own thrown in.
04:59 To do the riffle pass, you have a card selected, replaced in the middle, and you obtain a break above it with your left pinky.
05:11 The deck lays in your left palm.
05:14 You curl your left first finger beneath the pack onto the face card.
05:19 The right hand grasps the upper half of the deck, second finger at the outer left corner, thumb at the inner left corner, first finger curled on top.
05:31 Not this way, but this way, so as much of the back of the top card is exposed as possible.
05:38 As with the explanation of the classic pass, the left long sides of the two packets must be touching, enabling you to insert your pinky as far as possible into the gap at the right side.
05:51 The deck begins on your left palm.
05:54 You run your left thumb inward along the left long side of the deck, enabling you to insert your left pinky further into the break.
06:05 Several things happen in very quick succession.
06:08 First, your left fingers begin to pull the upper half of the deck to the left.
06:17 Almost immediately thereafter, your right third finger begins to pivot up the lower half in this fashion.
06:28 The pivot point is the thumb and second finger.
06:35 This is very clear.
06:38 So, your right third finger pivots up the lower half.
06:44 This knocks the upper half out of the way. The left fingers carry it beneath. All the while, your left thumb has been hanging downward, pulling on the center of the left long side of the now upper half, and you riffle to complete the pass.
07:00 Done quickly, from the rear, it looks like this.
07:16 Here are two covers for the riffle pass. The first one was shown to me by Slidini, though I don't believe it's his.
07:27 This is very easy to execute. It's simply a matter of raising your hands up to your right ear as you execute the pass.
07:34 The larger motion of your hands moving covers the smaller action of the pass.
07:39 Here is a second method of covering the riffle pass, and one that's favored by many of today's experts.
07:44 It's called the dip, and first appeared in Fireli's Card Magic in the 1930s.
07:54 To execute the dip, it's simply a matter of lowering your hands as you execute the pass and riffle the inner end of the deck.
08:01 Then you raise the outer end of the deck and give it also a gentle riffle.
08:06 [Music]
08:12 [Music]
08:38 The jiggle pass was created by Taylor and Elias in the 1940s, and later reprinted by Carl Fulvis in Epilogue Magazine.
08:48 What the jiggle pass attempts to do is to combine the action of the riffle pass with an additional movement for cover.
08:58 To do the jiggle pass, you proceed exactly as you would to do a riffle pass, obtaining a pinky break, left long sides of the two packets touching,
09:09 first fingers curled, thumb along the left long side. Thumb runs in along the left long side, and as you do the pass, at that very moment,
09:21 you simply move your right hand in and out as you riffle the cards.
09:26 What this does is to create an additional covering action.
09:32 [Music]
10:01 [Music]
10:09 The half a jiggle pass, of my own invention, is the way I currently use the pass most often.
10:17 The pass is silent, as is not the case with the riffle, and so does not draw undue attention to the deck when the pass takes place.
10:27 This is a combination of techniques that have already been taught for both the classic and riffle passes, as I'll explain.
10:34 You have a pinky break above a card in the center of the pack.
10:40 In order to do this shift, as usual, the left long sides of the packets must touch and remain closed.
10:48 If this sort of crack exists, the pass will be ineffective.
10:56 The major operation in this shift that is different than the others is that once you get into position,
11:02 and the deck has been raised to the fingertips and the pinky of the left hand is inserted,
11:07 you pull over just a little bit with the left fingers, and then your right hand moves outward in an arc, and then back with the top half.
11:21 Right hand moves outward and back. This type of action.
11:29 What it attempts to do is simulate the action of having a card selected and then squaring the deck twice.
11:37 It should look like that when the pass is done.
11:42 Now from this angle, of course, it's exposed, but in the demonstration you have a very clear view
11:48 of how this squaring action completely hides the pulling over of the upper half of the deck.
11:58 [music]
12:16 The classic pass false cut was published very early on by Professor Hoffman in Modern Magic in the late 1800s.
12:27 It also appeared in Herdonet's Expert at the Card Table in 1902.
12:33 It is one of the best false cuts one can do without the use of a table.
12:39 All that happens is you get ready as if you are going to do a classic pass,
12:44 and your right hand lifts the lower half of the deck straight up,
12:49 as if you were able to pass it directly through the upper half, and then you place it on the bottom.
12:56 When done at full speed, the movement of the upper half of the deck as it snaps over and under cannot be seen by the audience.
13:05 Of course, from this exposed view, you can see it very clearly tip out of the way.
13:14 [music]
13:43 The cover pass was first published by Ellis Stanion in Stanion's Serial Lessons in Conjuring in 1902.
13:50 The technique there was different from the one I'm about to show you.
13:54 This technique, which you will learn, is the one currently in use among the top echelon experts.
14:03 To do the cover pass, you obtain a pinky break above a selected card in the center of the deck.
14:11 It begins the same as any pass, except your left thumb lays along the top of the deck.
14:20 The edge of the uppermost card must be trapped in the joint where the thumb meets the thumb base,
14:29 in that fold of flesh, so that you can pull that top card to the left, separating it from all the cards beneath it.
14:39 Once that's accomplished, with the length of your thumb, you squeeze down slightly,
14:45 and all the cards above the break, beneath the upper card, will pop out to the right.
14:51 Gravity helps them along.
14:54 At this point, your left pinky and second and third fingers are able to clip that packet,
15:01 and now you execute the standard pass action to bring it around to the bottom.
15:14 This is usually done under the cover of a gentle, riffling action.
15:19 One more thing.
15:21 When you execute this pass, it's very important that as you bring the upper half down to the bottom,
15:29 you bring it inward slightly, otherwise it may flash at the outer end of the deck to the spectator.
15:36 Just carry it slightly inward, and bring it forward as you square up.
15:44 Those are some of the different types of the classic pass.
15:48 Now I'd like to tell you a little bit about the Herman Pass and its variations.
15:52 The Herman Pass depends more on hand cover than speed, and is far easier to do.
15:58 But don't forget, it still requires some practice.
16:02 [music]
16:16 One of the very earliest descriptions of the Herman Pass was published by Ellis Stanion
16:20 in his Serial Lessons in Conjuring at the Turn of the Century.
16:25 This method is purported to be the actual one used by Alexander Herman.
16:32 The deck is spread between your hands, a card is selected, returned,
16:37 and you obtain a left pinky break above it.
16:41 Now in order to do the Herman Pass, it's the opposite movement of the classic pass.
16:47 The lower half of the deck is levered downward by the left fingers
16:53 until it's in a vertical position.
16:56 Then it's moved over until it clears the right long side of the upper half.
17:02 In this particular handling of the Herman Pass,
17:06 the vertical packet is now gripped between the right pinky and the base of the right thumb.
17:14 This enables the right hand to grasp all the cards,
17:18 the left hand can then move away and is seen empty.
17:23 The left hand moves back to the right hand and grasps everything,
17:28 fingers beneath and thumb above, and squeezes the two packets together.
17:33 As the left hand turns over, palm down, first finger extended.
17:39 That happens at the same time as the right hand moving away and turning palm up.
17:47 So it too is seen empty.
17:49 The selected card is now on top of the deck.
17:54 [music]
18:05 This version of the Herman Pass was first published by Rotterberg in New Era Card Tricks in 1897.
18:12 It is the first published handling of the Herman Pass as a turnover pass.
18:19 A card is selected from the center of the deck,
18:23 replaced, and a left pinky break is obtained above it.
18:28 This pass does not take place with the hands held directly in front of the body as is conventionally done,
18:33 but with the hands held up beside the right shoulder with this portion of the deck,
18:39 the back of the top card facing directly to the audience.
18:43 The right hand comes up and grabs the upper portion of the deck.
18:47 The left fingers drop away so the lower portion of the deck, the rear portion,
18:55 is tilted onto its back and is horizontal.
19:01 This is all concealed from the front by the right hand.
19:06 To continue this action, the left thumb presses the upright portion of the deck down
19:13 onto the already horizontal portion like that,
19:17 and then the whole deck is turned over, face toward audience.
19:23 The selection is now on the top.
19:27 [music]
19:39 This version of the Herman Turnover Pass was first published by Jack Merlin
19:44 in his trilogy and a pack of cards in 1927.
19:48 Subsequent variations, very slight, were published by Hugerton Browy
19:53 in both Expert Card Technique and the Invisible Pass book,
19:56 and also by Paul LaPaul in his book, The Card Magic of LaPaul.
20:03 Card is selected, shown.
20:07 Again, a left pinky break is obtained above it.
20:11 This pass is done with the hands held directly in front of you.
20:17 The left fingers drop the lower portion of the deck until it is at right angles
20:22 with the upper portion, and the left long side is brought around,
20:27 so it clears the upper portion of the deck.
20:30 Now the left thumb reaches in, and the upper portion of the deck is allowed to drop,
20:39 and the left hand turns over, palm down,
20:44 and then the right fingers can either gesture or tap the outer end of the pack.
20:58 [music]
21:11 This version of the Herman Pass was first published by Dr. Daly
21:15 in the Stars of Magic in his routine, Cavorting Aces.
21:20 It is very similar to Jack Merlin's Herman Turnover Pass.
21:27 The lower half of the deck is brought around.
21:31 The left hand turns over.
21:34 Now comes the addition of Dr. Daly's.
21:37 The deck is grasped at its outer end by the right hand, thumb above and fingers beneath,
21:42 and the left hand turns palm up and takes the deck in dealing position.
21:47 During this action, the right hand turns the pack end for end.
21:52 [music]
22:06 The Double Lift Shift is a way of covering the Herman Pass.
22:13 I came up with this independently and have been told that it is an idea which also occurred to Chuck Smith.
22:20 In order to do the Double Lift Shift, you obtain a right thumb tip break beneath the top two cards.
22:27 You dribble the deck into your left hand until the spectator calls "stop."
22:32 You show the card that is at that position.
22:37 Now as the hands come together,
22:41 your left fingers, as in all the variations of the Herman Pass,
22:45 tilt the lower half of the deck onto its side to a vertical position.
22:54 Now your right thumb and fingers hold onto the double card,
22:58 but release all the other cards so they fall down into the left hand.
23:05 Now several things happen simultaneously.
23:09 First, your left hand begins to turn palm down, squeezing the packets together,
23:15 forefinger extended, and your right hand turns palm up,
23:19 holding the double card, which you buckle from the back with your first finger to emphasize its singularity.
23:27 This card is pointed to.
23:29 The audience sees both the top and bottom cards of the deck,
23:32 and you say, "Your card is not on top or bottom."
23:35 Now both hands turn over and the double card is replaced on top of the deck.
23:40 The selection is now third from the top,
23:43 and you can do a triple lift to reveal it if you wish,
23:46 and then enter an ambitious card sequence.
23:51 [music]
23:58 Steve Drone's Midnight Shift first appeared in Richard's Almanac.
24:02 It is yet again another variation on the Herman Pass.
24:06 To do this shift, the deck is held at your side, not directly in front of you,
24:12 but at your side with the face of the deck directly toward the audience.
24:16 As your right hand holds the forward-most portion of the deck,
24:21 the rear of the deck, above which you hold a pinky break,
24:26 is levered around and underneath to a horizontal position by your left fingers,
24:32 as with all the other versions of the Herman Pass.
24:35 It's the same action whether the deck is in this position or this position.
24:39 Now your right hand is here, covering from the front.
24:42 To complete Steve Drone's Midnight Shift, you release the right hand grip
24:48 and move it away just a tad.
24:50 The left hand is now supporting everything.
24:53 During the following action, your left fingers simply squeeze the face packet back
24:58 onto the rear packet.
25:00 Simultaneously, you turn your left hand over toward you,
25:05 so the first finger points toward your body, and take the deck with your right hand.
25:10 What this looks like when done at full speed is that.
25:18 Notice that the larger action of the left hand turning over and pointing toward you
25:24 covers the smaller action of the packet being squeezed onto the face.
25:32 [music]
25:45 The Half Pass is a very old move whose origin is unknown.
25:49 The particular version I'm about to show you was originated by Henry Crist
25:53 and has been repopularized by Larry Jennings.
26:00 From a left pinky break, the lower half of the deck is cocked inward in this manner.
26:07 This is an innovation first elucidated in Hugo de Moraes' book, The Invisible Pass.
26:15 Now the left fingers drop so the lower half of the deck turns to a vertical position
26:22 and beyond, so it's turned slightly face up.
26:26 Your right hand now lowers the upper portion of the deck flatly onto those cards
26:32 and now turns the deck end for end and replaces it back into dealing position in the left hand.
26:41 This leaves the lower portion of the deck reversed,
26:45 though of course you can reverse any number of cards.
26:48 [music]
27:02 Another excellent method of doing the Half Pass begins the same way.
27:08 You obtain a pinky break.
27:11 Now when you do the Half Pass, the action you have to cover is the hand
27:16 opening as the lower half turns over.
27:19 The first finger of the left hand naturally extends.
27:23 I do not know who created this very clever handling, but I know that it is rather old.
27:27 All that happens is, as your left fingers lower the lower half of the deck,
27:34 tilting it to a horizontal position,
27:37 your left first finger shoots out.
27:40 You then lower, your right hand lowers the face down portion of the deck onto the face up portion
27:48 and your left finger then slides, first finger slides inward
27:53 along the left long side to square the cards.
27:57 What this looks like when done at full speed is this.
28:03 The squaring action of the left fingers
28:07 conceals the fact that they come out unnaturally during the move.
28:14 [music]
28:22 The four aces are lost somewhere in the deck.
28:25 I'm going to attempt to cut to them one at a time.
28:31 Here's the first ace, the ace of clubs.
28:37 The second ace, the ace of hearts.
28:43 The third ace, the ace of spades.
28:49 And the fourth ace, the ace of diamonds.
28:54 To do false cut ace cutting, you simply have to control the four aces secretly to the top of the deck.
29:02 Then all you do is the classic pass false cut as already described four times.
29:09 You do the pass false cut, turn over the top card,
29:14 and you use it to screen your left hand so that your left pinky can pull down and get a break in the center of the deck.
29:20 Then the card in your right hand is placed aside,
29:24 and you repeat the classic pass false cut again to cut to the second ace.
29:31 Again, you use this ace as a shield so you can obtain a pinky break in the center.
29:37 This is repeated two more times so you have cut to all four aces.
29:44 [music]
29:49 Hi, do me a favor and just point to any card.
29:53 Look at it and remember it. Are you sure you know what it is?
29:57 Okay, take the cards and shuffle them.
30:02 Good. Now spread through the deck and remove any five cards, but one of them must be the card you're thinking of.
30:13 Don't do anything to let me know which one of the five might be the one that you're thinking of.
30:18 Very good. Now hand me the cards and hand me the deck.
30:23 You could have been thinking of any one of these five cards.
30:26 You could be thinking of the eight, the five, the queen, the six, or the other six.
30:34 I'm going to put all five cards in the middle of the deck, and I want you to concentrate on the card that you're thinking of.
30:41 Concentrate on it and it'll make itself known to us.
30:44 Look, all of the cards have vanished except your selected card.
30:52 The Biddling Vanish is a routine of my own invention.
30:56 The first thing you must do is spread out the deck, have a card selected, and glimpse it.
31:01 I use a glimpse published by Harry Lorraine in one of his books where the hand is tilted inward and you catch this card with peripheral vision.
31:10 This move, incidentally, is based on Ed Marlow's A Tilt Glimpse.
31:16 Then you hand the deck to the spectator. The spectator shuffles the deck, and you ask the spectator to remove any five cards,
31:22 one of which is the card that they selected.
31:25 Let's use these five for purposes of explanation.
31:29 The selected card can be in any one of the three positions in the center as long as it's not on the top or the bottom.
31:35 Let's assume that it's the Queen of Diamonds. You know that, of course, because you've glimpsed it.
31:39 The deck is held in the left hand. You're going to do the Biddle Move.
31:43 You take the five cards and put them on the top of the deck.
31:47 You're going to peel them with your left thumb into your left palm one at a time as you call out their names to the spectator.
31:57 After the first two cards, when you see the selection on top of the deck, you obtain a left pinky break beneath the selection as it is peeled off.
32:05 As your hands come together in the natural rhythm of the peel, the deck swings over the selection.
32:11 The selection is stolen beneath the deck as the next card, the Four of Clubs, is peeled off.
32:16 The remaining card is then also peeled off.
32:19 You immediately break open the deck with your right first finger and insert these four cards into the break.
32:29 They are pushed through until their inner right corner protrudes at the right long side of the deck.
32:36 Your left pinky pushes upward on them and you get a break beneath those cards.
32:42 All that remains for you to do now is to do a Riffle Pass and immediately spread the deck and say,
32:50 "Look, your card has made itself known to us because all the other cards have disappeared."
32:56 Of course, when you did the shift, you simply carried the selection which was on the bottom to the center and the other four cards to the bottom.
33:04 Please select a card. Five of Hearts.
33:14 Now, the interesting thing is I've got a card on the top of the deck that looks just like the one you picked.
33:20 I have a card on the bottom of the deck that looks just like the one you picked.
33:24 I have a card in the middle of the deck that also looks just like the one you picked.
33:27 In fact, in my pocket, I also have one more card that looks just like the card you picked.
33:34 This routine is my version of Derek Dingle's Regal Royal Flush, which is also a version of an earlier routine by Edward Marlowe.
33:45 To do this effect, the deck is spread out, a card is noted by the spectator and replaced.
33:52 You hold a pinky break above it as the cards are squared.
33:56 To begin, you do the riffle pass as you do the gentle dip for cover.
34:03 You say, "That's funny. I have a card that looks just like yours on top of the deck."
34:09 You now lift only the top card, holding it as if you were holding the entire deck for the shift.
34:15 You say, "I have a card that looks just like yours on top of the deck," and you replace that card, obtaining a left pinky break beneath it.
34:23 Now you repeat the riffle pass, again doing the dip and the gentle riffle.
34:29 You say, "I have a card that looks just like yours on the bottom."
34:33 You lift the entire deck in one motion with your right hand to show the selection on the bottom.
34:38 You replace it in your left hand, riffle up and obtain a pinky break of the left pinky at center.
34:45 Now you do the classic pass false cut, simply lifting the lower half with your right hand so it moves upward through the upper half.
34:54 You say, "Look, I have a card that looks just like yours in the middle of the deck."
34:59 Now you replace the upper half of the deck and you side steal that selection into your right hand.
35:08 Then your right hand goes away and goes into your coat pocket or wallet and brings out the selected card.
35:16 [music]
35:22 I'm going to test your vision using the four aces.
35:25 I'll place a red ace on the face of the deck, one red ace at the rear, and the two black aces together in the center.
35:32 Red at the top, red at the bottom, black aces together in the center.
35:38 I'm just going to ask you if you can remember the color of the aces at the top and the bottom.
35:44 Black ace on top, black ace on bottom, red aces together in the center.
35:52 I'll do that again. Let's see if you can remember the color this time.
35:56 No, too late. Red on top, red on bottom, the black aces together in the center.
36:03 I'll do it one more time. Keep your eye on the red ace.
36:07 Black aces on top and bottom, red aces together in the center.
36:14 I can see you're having a little trouble following this, so I will turn the aces face down.
36:18 Red aces face down in the center, black ace face down on the bottom, black ace face down on the top.
36:25 All the aces are facing the other way. Now watch.
36:31 Red aces in the center, black aces on the top and the bottom.
36:41 Black aces in the center, red aces on the top and bottom.
36:48 There are the red aces. There are the black aces.
36:55 Black aces on top and bottom. Keep your eye on the ace of spades.
37:02 Red aces on the top and bottom, black aces together in the center.
37:08 You've had a little trouble following this, so I'll make it easier for you.
37:11 Up to now, the cards have been only 26 cards apart.
37:15 I'll put the 48 cards apart by putting the red aces on the top, the black aces on the bottom.
37:21 The black aces and the red aces will now change places.
37:24 The black aces will come to the top, the red aces will go to the bottom.
37:27 On the count of three. One, two, three.
37:29 Oh. I think they've disappeared.
37:37 I snap my fingers, they all come back, locked together in the center of the deck.
37:45 Of course, Dr. Daly's routine, the cavorting aces, which was published in the Stars of Magic,
37:50 is based on much older routines which were published in Erdnäs, expert at the card table, in 1902,
37:56 and even a routine in Modern Magic during the 1800s.
38:04 You say to the spectator, "I'm going to test your vision."
38:07 You place one red ace at the face of the pack, the second red ace at the rear of the pack,
38:13 and the two black aces go together in the center.
38:18 With the base of your left first finger, you jog out to the left the lowermost card,
38:24 so the red ace is always in view.
38:27 You spread the deck between your hands until the two black aces are visible in the center.
38:32 Now you close the deck, and now you do Dr. Daly's improved Herman turnover pass.
38:41 As you turn the deck face down, your right hand pulls it out and turns it around.
38:48 You ask the spectator if they remember what color aces were on top and bottom.
38:52 Regardless of the answer, you turn the deck face up to reveal that they've changed.
38:56 With the base of your left first finger, again, you pull out the black ace at the rear,
39:02 spread the cards between your hands to show the two red aces in the center.
39:07 As you square the deck, you again obtain a pinky break between the two red aces.
39:12 You repeat Dr. Daly's improved Herman turnover pass.
39:17 This time, however, you don't simply turn the deck over.
39:20 You turn it face up immediately, end over end, giving a very quick change.
39:25 Again, with the base of your left first finger, pull out the rear most card, the red ace, to display it.
39:30 You spread the cards again to show the black aces in the center.
39:34 As you square the deck, you obtain a left pinky break between the two black aces in the center.
39:39 You begin a standard Herman pass, this for the following change of Ed Marlow's.
39:45 The lower half is angled to a vertical position.
39:48 Now all I'm going to do is drop the upper half with my right fingers,
39:52 turn my left hand palm down, and squeeze my left finger so everything clamps together,
39:56 and immediately turn my hand palm up again so the black ace shows.
40:01 It's a visual face up, face down change.
40:04 You pull out the rear most ace to show the black ace,
40:08 and then spread the cards between your hands to show the two red aces.
40:15 You turn the two red aces face down.
40:19 You turn the black ace at the rear face down.
40:22 You turn the black ace at the top face down.
40:26 Now you raise your hands so the spectators see the faces of the cards,
40:31 and the backs, the view you're currently seeing, are toward you.
40:35 The spectator now sees the two black aces and the red ace, both red aces in the center.
40:44 You obtain a pinky break between the two red aces in the center as you square the deck,
40:49 and as you lower your hands, you do a gentle riffle pass,
40:54 and you say, "I think that they've changed places again."
40:58 You raise your hands and immediately spread out the cards
41:01 so the spectators can again see that the cards have changed places.
41:05 The black ace is now together in the center, the red ace is on the top and the bottom.
41:11 You obtain a pinky break between the black aces as you square the deck.
41:17 You thumb off the uppermost card, and you flash the face of the bottom card and the top card, the red aces.
41:24 You replace that card as you turn your hands back to normal position.
41:27 You do a shift, and you immediately thumb off the card and turn both hands over again to show the black aces.
41:36 You turn the deck face up.
41:39 You pull out the lowermost card so it's visible.
41:42 You spread through and show the two face-up red aces in the center.
41:46 You square the deck, obtaining a pinky break between the red aces in the center,
41:50 and you do a riffle pass face up very quickly for a very effective change.
41:56 You immediately pull out the card at the rear,
41:59 and now spread the deck between your hands to show the two black aces together in the center.
42:04 You say, "I'll make this easier for you to follow."
42:07 The cards are currently 24 cards apart.
42:10 I'll make it more difficult by placing them 48 cards apart.
42:13 I'll place the red aces on the top, the black aces on the bottom.
42:18 When I count to three, the black aces and the red aces will change places.
42:23 The black aces will come to the top, the red aces to the bottom.
42:26 One, two, three, and you simply do another pass.
42:30 This causes the aces on top to disappear, the aces on bottom to disappear.
42:35 You'll find that if you do a tight pressure fan, you can even fan the deck at this point,
42:39 and the aces will not be seen.
42:41 Now you snap your fingers and say, "Watch. The aces will come back all together in the center of the pack."
42:48 [music]
42:55 The ace of clubs, the ace of diamonds, the ace of spades, and the ace of hearts.
43:00 Keep your eye on these aces. Something amazing is going to happen.
43:05 Watch the ace of hearts closely, because it's going to disappear.
43:13 It's gone, vanished without a trace.
43:18 Watch the ace of clubs. It too will disappear.
43:25 Watch the ace of diamonds. It too will vanish.
43:36 Finally, the ace of spades. All four aces, gone.
43:46 They reappear, locked together in the center of the pack.
43:53 Passing along the vanishing aces is an ingenious routine created by Jim Swain.
43:59 It originally appeared in my book, "Cardworks," in 1982.
44:04 To do this routine, you need to use the four aces.
44:08 They should be in alternating red-black order.
44:11 They are placed on the face of the deck, and here I must mention that the beginning of this routine
44:16 is done a little differently than Jim Swain's method.
44:20 The three aces are placed on the face of the deck.
44:23 You obtain a pinky break beneath them.
44:26 You lift the uppermost ace with your right thumb tip,
44:30 and obtain a left third finger break above the three aces above the pinky break.
44:37 So now you are clipping three of the aces between the left pinky and third finger.
44:43 Now you simply do a version of the cover pass, under cover of a gentle riffle,
44:50 to bring those three aces beneath the face ace to the rear of the deck.
44:55 Now we have three aces at the bottom.
44:59 Of course, the spectators don't know this. They assume all four aces are on the face.
45:02 You turn the deck face down.
45:04 You take it in your right hand, the middle grip, flash the face.
45:07 Plant your left thumb on the center of the card,
45:10 and as your right hand turns palm down,
45:13 that ace is maneuvered over and around the left long side of the deck and onto the top.
45:19 It's very important that you do not flash the indifferent card beneath this ace to the spectators.
45:24 That's why you do the action as the right hand turns palm down.
45:29 Once this ace is on top of the deck, you obtain a break beneath that card,
45:34 and also the face down card directly beneath it.
45:37 All you do now is a riffle pass, with or without a dip, as you choose,
45:42 to make that ace disappear.
45:44 All you have done is shuttled that ace and the card beneath it to the bottom of the deck.
45:49 You now repeat the same thing three more times.
45:53 You plant your thumb on the next ace, revolve it around to the top,
45:57 obtain a break beneath two cards, pass,
46:01 and again, as you should have done with the first half,
46:04 the first time, you spread through the deck to show the ace has vanished.
46:09 You tilt the deck up again, plant your thumb on the next ace,
46:12 push it around to the top, obtain a pinky break beneath two cards,
46:17 do a shift, the third ace has vanished, nowhere to be found.
46:23 Now you tilt the deck up again, and this is the final ace, the ace of spades.
46:27 You pivot it around. Here, you obtain a pinky break in the center of the deck.
46:32 You do a shift to make the ace disappear.
46:34 You spread a little, turn it face up, spread a little.
46:38 You can even do a pressure fan, provided it's tight, the aces won't be seen.
46:43 Snap your fingers, spread the deck between your hands to reveal all four aces
46:48 trapped together in the center.
46:51 Well, you've got a lot of things to think about, and a lot of things to practice,
46:55 but don't try to do everything at once.
46:58 Pick out one or two passes and practice those until you can do them really well.
47:02 I will tell you this about the classic pass.
47:04 You'll have to practice it about a hundred times a day for a year
47:08 until you begin to really feel what it's all about.
47:11 Then it can look really magical.
47:15 [music]
47:19 [music]
47:23 [music]
47:51 [music]
47:54 [music]
47:57 [music]
48:00 [music]
48:04 [silence]
48:07 [BLANK_AUDIO]