The Genii Forum

I recently re-found Derek Dingle's Slow Motion McDonald's Aces, page 94, Kaufman, The Complete Works of Derek Dingle.

Utilizes 2 double faced aces.
The initial ace(s) switch is ultra clean.
The laydown is neat.
The aces individually vanish (nicely done) and are shown to exchange with a card in the leader aces (AS) packet, one-at-a-time.
Simply 2 Vernon Transfer Moves (Dingle sets these up very nicely) to a clean ending.

Thoughts?

I believe that the addition of the "slow motion" aspect to an ace assembly does nothing to enhance the effect from a layman's point of view.
It's an unnecessary embellishment.

Derek's handling was great to watch him perform. I think it's one of the best.

I may be one of the few magicians who has never learned or performed McDonald's Aces, although I absolutely do not question those who testify that the effect is an absolute BLOCKBUSTER. I was wondering whether anyone (1) Has ever had the spectator ask to examine the cards or express skepticism about them? and (2) What kinds of plots or story lines do any of our members here use that go beyond explanatory patter along the lines of "Look, the ace has vanished" and ultimately, "The aces have all disappeared from their piles and reappeared all together over here." I am not in any way criticizing the effect, just curious and trying to evaluate whether I want to perform it, as I generally (not always) avoid g _ f _ e _ cards.

I agree with Mr. Kaufman. Run through it a couple of times. It is a very satisfying effect that is fun to perform.

Depending upon the audience, this could potentially have "more" impact. A lot of it has to do with the story. I'm thinking along the lines of Vernon's "Cutting the Aces"...

Derek once taught me an impromptu ace assembly, that--if I remember correctly--utilized a Vernon Transfer and a card dropped from the bottom of one packet to another. Similar moves to Sawa's "Strolling Cow Progressive Aces", however, it was an assembly, not a progression.

It may have been a Steve Freeman handling? Anyone familiar with this?

For non-gaffs, and even with different color backs, see Ken Krenzel's Blues Progression from Ingenuities from Minch's Hermetic Press. As for people asking about or wanting to touch or examine the cards with McDonald's, it is interesting to note that you are less safe in a true closeup (and impromptu?) setting, and actually more safe in a real performance. In a real performance you can just ignore the person and move on to the next 'piece' in the show. Some people clean up into a Himber style wallet in case someone insists on looking at the cards, and in the 'other side' you have a regular set. But you'd only use this in an emergency but if you have a Himber wallet, why not?

It is just as simple to switch the double-faced cards out during a trick as it is to switch them in.

I don't particularly like using gaffed cards either but this trick is so bloody strong I have to make an exception. It really is no problem loading the cards onto the deck whenever you want to. I have the three cards loose in my pocket and do other tricks galore until I need the cards in question. Then I simply load the cards in connection with another trick. If I do three cards across for example when the spectator counts the cards on the table everyone is watching him or her and not me. So I simply put the deck in my pocket add the cards and take the deck out again. Completely blatant but if you don't have a brass neck you cannot be a good magician. And nobody is watching you anyway since they are watching the cards being counted on the table.

I will often do "Now You See It" from the Royal Road to Card Magic and for this you only need four or five cards for the finish. So you simply put the remaining cards in your pocket and when you have finished the trick bring them out again with the loaded cards. In fact there are a whole bunch of tricks where you only use a few of the cards in the deck. Oil and Water is another one. While you are doing it you put the rest of the deck away and bring it out again when the trick is over.

As for getting rid of the cards that is not a problem either. I am a great believer in the Al Baker dictum of "Don't run when nobody is chasing you" so there is probably no need to do anything. I do know that not even once is the decades I have been doing this has anyone ever grabbed the cards to look at the backs of them. However, because I feel guilty and self conscious that they are there I do get rid of them but I really don't need to and it is about time I got rid of that complex. However, it is too late for me at my advanced age and I can't be bothered. So what I do when everybody is busy being astonished is simply gather up the cards, palm away the aces and shove them back in my pocket when nobody is looking. It is a silly procedure and quite unnecessary and I really shouldn't bother.

If anyone has seen that video of me doing close up magic about a thousand years ago or so they will see me perform the trick in action. Being incompetent I found I loaded the cards the wrong way round so I had to fiddle about under the table to get them the right way up but nobody noticed a thing because it was done in the preceding trick which had nothing to do with MacDonald's Aces.

James Munton put the video together and inserted intermittent pictures of cats for some unearthly reason. He explained to me that it was for marketing reasons on the basis that studies have shown that more people watch advertisements and videos if cats happen to be in them. Of course this was a load of catswallop but I am afraid Munton is a bit odd sometimes. Perhaps they were meant as misdirection--I have no idea.

webbmaster wrote:For non-gaffs, and even with different color backs, see Ken Krenzel's Blues Progression from Ingenuities from Minch's Hermetic Press...

HHHhhmmmm... I believe that the correct reference would be Blues Progression in David Regal's Close-Up & Personal, page 187. David credits Ken Krenzel for the plot (Krenzel's Progressive Aces). David presents a clear description and well-photographed write-up.

Magicpedia provides this information: Ken Krenzel first presented the problem in Epilogue no 16, November 1972, page 146 then published one of his methods in a one-man issue of Epilogue (Special Issue no 2, page 253, 1975, Progressive Aces).

This was also written up as The Multiple Cop Progressive Aces in Harry Lorayne's book The Card Classics of Ken Krenzel.

The December 2004 issue of Genii Magazine has a version of Derek Dingle's "Slow Motion McDonald's Aces described by Christopher Hanna. In a previous thread there was some confusion about a half pass being performed in this version but there simply is none. It's as clean as can be and the vanishes are beautiful. Anyone working on this version? Thank you, Roy McIlwee, Scranton, Penna.

All I can tell you about MacDonald's Aces is that it is my greatest card trick and I know dozens upon dozens of them. It has nothing to do with MacDonald of course. It is actually a trick of Hofzinsers called "Power of Faith". I have a suspicion that the original version is probably the best. It usually is.

Roy M. McIlwee wrote:The December 2004 issue of Genii Magazine has a version of Derek Dingle's "Slow Motion McDonald's Aces described by Christopher Hanna. In a previous thread there was some confusion about a half pass being performed in this version but there simply is none. It's as clean as can be and the vanishes are beautiful. Anyone working on this version? Thank you, Roy McIlwee, Scranton, Penna.

It looked great when Dingle did it.

For anyone who pulls down their copy of the Complete Dingle, it seems to me that the illustrations on page 94 are misnumbered; one is two and two is one.

performer wrote:It has nothing to do with MacDonald

But he had something to do with It

The original version by Hofzinser even has the same one-handed vanishes of tossing cards to the table! Someone in Germany reduced the number of double-faced cards to three after Hofzinser. Magic Christian told me that it appears in Conradi catalogues prior to 1900. Hofzinser used four cards, and allowed the spectator to choose the packet into which the Kings would gather.

Long time ago I had an idea about it. A card magician friend of mine told me that he saw that idea published, but didn't remember where. The idea is as follow:
Perform "Triumph" with the four gaffed Aces, which is very easy, and follow your show with MacDonald's Aces. To finish, you can take the (ungaffed) Aces and perform the Professor's "Twisting the Aces". That would give you a reasonable reason for getting rid of the rest of the deck of cards (hidding that way the gaffed Aces).
An interesting routine of three tricks that I have performed in some ocasion.

The trick looked great in Dingle's hands. Just the right combination of gaffs and sleights. Watching him do a Stud Turnover and then steal the gaff under the packet (so you don't have that discrepant change of the face card of the packet) was an eye-opener.

@Paco, Bob Kohler did something like that in reverse to produce the Aces before going into the assembly in his item Aces in their Faces.

@Performer, if you do the assembly trick while holding a cup of coffee you can do it MacDonald's way

Anyone know a smooth one-handed scooping action to seemingly pick up a pile of face down cards on the table so the audience believes the cards are now on top of the pack? That's the place where routines using four gaffs and a freely selected packet gets difficult.

Read Rene Lavand's techniques.

Paco Nagata wrote:Long time ago I had an idea about it. A card magician friend of mine told me that he saw that idea published, but didn't remember where. The idea is as follow:
Perform "Triumph" with the four gaffed Aces, which is very easy, and follow your show with MacDonald's Aces. To finish, you can take the (ungaffed) Aces and perform the Professor's "Twisting the Aces". That would give you a reasonable reason for getting rid of the rest of the deck of cards (hidding that way the gaffed Aces).
An interesting routine of three tricks that I have performed in some ocasion.

There is a routine, created in 1947 by Leo Horowitz and Dr. Jacob Daley, entitled Aces High, presented as follows:

"There are four phases in this routine, at the finish of which the D.F. cards are no longer in the deck, the deck is complete and you may continue with other effects if you so desire."

Philippe Billot wrote:There is a routine, created in 1947 by Leo Horowitz and Dr. Jacob Daley, entitled Aces High, presented as follows:

"There are four phases in this routine, at the finish of which the D.F. cards are no longer in the deck, the deck is complete and you may continue with other effects if you so desire."

Wow! That teach me that if I squeeze my brain enough I may find much better solutions.
Thank you for the information, Philippe.

I believe most of "Aces High" was Horowitz's, and possibly only the final phase was contributed by Daley. It was sold as a booklet and you should be able to find it without much problem.

Richard Kaufman wrote:I believe most of "Aces High" was Horowitz's, and possibly only the final phase was contributed by Daley. It was sold as a booklet and you should be able to find it without much problem.

You are right, Richard. Here is an excerpt:

"I am indebted to Dr. Jacob Daley for his kind permission to include Phase No. I and also for the photographs of the author's hands taken by him"

Jonathan Townsend wrote:The trick looked great in Dingle's hands. Just the right combination of gaffs and sleights. Watching him do a Stud Turnover and then steal the gaff under the packet (so you don't have that discrepant change of the face card of the packet) was an eye-opener.

@Paco, Bob Kohler did something like that in reverse to produce the Aces before going into the assembly in his item Aces in their Faces.

@Performer, if you do the assembly trick while holding a cup of coffee you can do it MacDonald's way

Anyone know a smooth one-handed scooping action to seemingly pick up a pile of face down cards on the table so the audience believes the cards are now on top of the pack? That's the place where routines using four gaffs and a freely selected packet gets difficult.

Jon, The move you speak about is a beautiful thing. Typical Dingle and so effective. The back of the double is never out of sight! Gotta love Derek Dingle. Roy McIlwee, Scranton, Penna.

In Drawing Room Deceptions, in the chapter on the clip, Hollingworth describes how to ditch the gaffs used in the ace assembly, using the clip.

Ricky Jay handled it well.

webbmaster wrote:Ricky Jay handled it well.

Yes. but the great weakness he had in his presentation is that he neglected to have the spectator put his hands on the cards. Without that essential touch you lose approximately 50% of the effect. I have had people say to each other "But I had my hands on the cards" even months later when discussing how it may be done.

I was never overly keen on the Ricky Jay presentation. Fine from a theatrical point of view performing in a theatre one man show perhaps but a very bad way to present close up magic in the usual manner. Too much pretentious yapping and over presentation. And not to have the spectator put his hand on the ace pile is a major dilution of effect.

Ricky Jay was not giving a close-up performance in "52 Assistants."

Who said he was? However, I have seen him do it that way on TV too. And I bet he did it that way when performing impromptu also. However, television is the worst place to perform like that. It is an intimate medium and it is important to perform not to be too hyper and long winded. Just my opinion of course but naturally I am never wrong.

Does anyone know if Lance Pierce has any published work on McDonalds Aces? I think he had a video on YouTube a few years back but it may have been taken down. "Another Four-Ace Trick" may have been the title.