Dingle's "McDonals's Aces"

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Dingle's "McDonals's Aces"

Postby Guest » December 1st, 2004, 7:29 am

In the December issue of Genii, Christopher Hanna describes Derek Dingle's handling of 'McDonald's Aces'. On first reading I liked the casualness of the lay down, but then in practice I thought the initial showing of the aces and the half pass before the display of the aces/gaffes seemed somewhat clunky - (The rest of the routine played fine - the final vanish is excellent) Then it struck me that the display of the ace/gaffes makes no sense. After the dispaly of the four aces/gaffes, the remaining packet is face down, but any casual observer would realize that the large packet has to be face up. I am I missing something or was that a wrinkle that was supposed to fly by the spectator?

Guest

Re: Dingle's "McDonals's Aces"

Postby Guest » December 1st, 2004, 8:14 am

I am glad that you liked the routine (Bob White does it beautifully).

There is no discrepancy here. When the right hand packet of four cards (face-up Ace of Spades followed by three double-faced cards with the Ace sides up) is over the cards in the left hand, the left first finger flips its packet face down. This is not a half pass (although the action may be slightly similar to a half pass). It is an OPEN action in which the audience sees the left hand packet being flipped face down beneath the right hand packet. Of course, the reason you begin the flip of the left hand packet when it is covered by the right hand packet is that there is an Ace on the face of the left hand packet that needs to be hidden until the face of the packet can no longer be seen by the audience. So the audience sees the left hand packet being flipped face down but not the face card of the packet. Then the right hand packet is placed on top of the face down left hand packet (slightly jogged to the right if you like) and immediately spread the top four cards to show the Aces (with a face down card showing immediately below the Aces).

Turning the left hand packet of 12 cards face down at this point is logical because the next part of the routine involves dealing the face up Aces in Vernon T-Formation followed by placing three FACE DOWN cards on each of the Aces. The cards are now in position to do this.

Guest

Re: Dingle's "McDonals's Aces"

Postby Guest » December 1st, 2004, 9:07 am

Thank you Mr. Hanna for such a quick reply!

Okay, if I get what you are saying, the aces as they are being peeled off are NOT supposed to look like they are settling on the larger packet, but rather being taken under the ace packet so that after the flip you are simply revealing the four aces -

My confusion is that if you peel the aces onto the face of the left hand packet they would remain on the face after the flip - ( otherwise, how could they suddenly appear on the face down packet?)

Sorry if I don't make any sense

kindly

Bonedaddi

Guest

Re: Dingle's "McDonals's Aces"

Postby Guest » December 1st, 2004, 3:39 pm

I was confused about the half pass too. It seemed like a discrepancy that the packet of 12 cards winds up face down after you state that you're turning the packet face up. I've done this routine five or six times for people with the half pass a covert action, and the face down state of the packet seems to fly right by.

Otherwise, what a great handling! It's the best version of McDonald's Aces I've seen. Thanks for sharing it with us, Christopher!

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Dingle's "McDonals's Aces"

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 1st, 2004, 4:15 pm

Here is the paragraph in question:

"Bring your right hand toward your left hand and peel off the face card (Ace of Diamonds) with your left thumb onto the face of the left-hand packet. Repeat this twice more, singly peeling the Ace of Clubs, then the Ace of Hearts, onto the face of the left-hand packet. (Your right hand is now holding four cardsa face-up Ace of Spades followed by three double-faced cards with the Ace sides up.) Without pausing, bring your hands together as if you are going to peel another card. However, the instant the right-hand packet is over the cards in the left hand, the left first finger flips the lower portion of the packet face down. Place the right hand packet on top and immediately spread the top four cards to display the four Aces."

Nowhere does it say to do a Half Pass (and if I had meant that a Half Pass should be done at that point I would have written "do a half pass"). Besides, no one who does expert sleight of hand would ever use his left first finger in doing a Half Pass--it creates unnecessary and suspicious movement.
(In fact, I doubt that Derek would have used his first finger to flip the packet over here--it's not his MO. He would have pulled down on the inner right corner with his pinky and flipped the packet over that way.)
The text is plain and straightforward. Just do exactly what it says and the sequence works perfectly.
I have to disagree with Christopher, however, in that there IS a discrepancy: if the audience sees three face-up Aces peeled on top of the left-hand packet, and the left hand packet is then openly turned over, and then the right hand places a single Ace face up on top, you should NOT see four face-up Aces when the cards are spread. Forget the fact that the Aces are face up--they shouldn't even be there!
This is the type of discrepancy that worries cardmen and no one else.
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Roy McIlwee
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Re: Dingle's "McDonals's Aces"

Postby Roy McIlwee » December 1st, 2004, 4:50 pm

A half pass at the moment in question would create a discrepancy.(The left hand packet would end up face down). By openly turning the left hand packet face down you are set to display. The appearance you want is that you simply peeled four face up aces onto the left hand packet, retained those four aces in right hand biddle grip and turned all the cards below the four face up aces face down.(Wrist kill used here as not to expose the ace on top of the left hand packet.
Thank you, Roy McIlwee

Guest

Re: Dingle's "McDonals's Aces"

Postby Guest » December 1st, 2004, 5:22 pm

As previously pointed out, there is no half pass in the routine. The left hand packet is simply turned face down as the right hand packet is over the left hand packet. It is an OPEN move.

I have to disagree with Richard as to whether there is a discrepancy. This is what it should look like: assume you have 12 indifferent cards face up in your left hand and four aces face up in your right hand. The first ace is peeled off the right hand packet onto the left hand packet and a left pinky break is secured under the ace. This is repeated with the second and third aces. When the final ace is placed over the left hand packet, the right hand picks up all the aces (which is easy because of the break) and the left hand flips all 12 indifferent cards face down. The right hand immediately lowers the aces onto the face down left hand cards and spreads the four aces. That is what is suppose to be happening from the audience's viewpoint.

In actuality (in the routine), the right hand has seven face up cards in it (four aces and the three double-faced cards --ace sides up) and the left hand has nine face down cards. The left hand turns all of its cards face up (saying "Let me turn all the cards face up for you."). The right hand approaches the left hand which peels off the first ace onto the face up left hand cards. This is repeated with the second and third aces. The right hand is now holding four cards (face up Ace of Spades followed by three double faced cards). The audience thinks there is only one card in the right hand -- the Ace of Spades. The right hand approaches the left hand packet and acts as if it were picking up the previous three aces that have been peeled off so that it appears that it is holding four aces. The right hand actually just keeps the four cards it already holds. At that instant, the left hand flips all of its cards face down. The right hand then drops its packet of four cards onto the left hand cards and the aces are immediately spread. There is no discrepancy. It should appear to the audience that you peeled off three aces from the right hand packet to the left hand packet, then the right hand comes over to the left hand with the last ace, picks up the three aces on the left hand packet under the Ace of Spades being held by the right hand, while the left hand turns all the indifferent cards face down.

The left hand cards are turned face up before it peels off the aces from the right hand ("Let me turn all the cards face up for you") and then the left hand packet is turned face down at the end of the switchout. It is logical to turn the left hand cards face down because that leads perfectly into the next part of the routine (placing the aces into Vernon T-Formation with three FACE DOWN cards placed on each ace).

The switchout is really quite easy to do, and it looks very good when done in a casual, smooth manner.

Guest

Re: Dingle's "McDonals's Aces"

Postby Guest » December 1st, 2004, 7:54 pm

'The right hand actually just keeps the four cards it already holds. '

This is the key to the move.

' At that instant, the left hand flips all of its cards face down. The right hand then drops its packet of four cards onto the left hand cards and the aces are immediately spread.'

This all makes perfect sense. I don't mean to be a stickler - and I think the routine is great , but this is not clear in the article.

Forgive me I am left handed... so for me you don't peel the aces onto the right hand packet, you use the right hand hand packet (for you righties the left hand packet) as a means to replace the aces back under the left hand packet as if you are mearly counting the cards. In reality you hold a thumb break and as you turn the right packet after the 3rd ace you release the aces. The audience therefore thinks you are holding all the aces after you have turned over the the packet.

Thank you everyone for all their input

kindly

Bonedaddi


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