Not difficult to do – a pleasure to learn and a delight to perform. Complete with Ken de Courcy’s original fully illustrated routine, (based on a concept by R. M. Jamison), and full patter presentation to perform this unusual and entertaining mystery.

The effect is the following:

The magician introduces three playing cards, for example, a Two of Hearts, a Three of Diamonds and a card which is conspicuously different to the other two, an Ace of Spades. The cards are shown on both sides; the red cards have red backs and the Ace has a blue back.

Says the performer, “Magicians are always being accused of passing things up their sleeves and, since there is an element of truth in this accusation, tonight I’ll show you exactly how it works”.

The performer separates the three cards, then indicates the path the Ace will travel, from the mouth of the sleeve right up to the top inside the armpit.

The Ace is returned between the other two cards and they are squared. All three are held momentarily at the opening of the sleeve, then the cards are again separated. There are only two. They are the red ones. With an obviously empty hand, the magician reaches into his jacket up by the armpit and brings out a blue backed card. When it’s turned face out it’s seen to be the Ace of Spades, then it’s returned between the two red cards.

These actions are repeated, the Ace again travelling up the sleeve and being replaced between the other two cards.

Now in accordance with the patter three jumbo cards are brought out. Yet, not withstanding their size, the Ace of Spades travels up the sleeve as easily as before!

1st edition 2015, 7 pages.

word count: 2318 which is equivalent to 9 standard pages of text