Card Trick with Aces & Kings

There are a few tricks with the court cards and aces. This first one is designed to amuse little children. Prepare the pack by taking out all four Kings, Queens and Jacks. Put one of each on top of the pack without anyone knowing and put the pack in the centre of the table.
Now with the others face up in front of you start to tell this story:

`Once upon a time there was a block of three flats, this is represented by the pack of cards. A beautiful woman lives in each one. One on the top floor (as you say this put a Queen face down on the top of the pack), one on the first floor (stick a Queen in the middle of the pack) and one in the basement (put the last one at the bottom).

`In the middle of the night; you say, 'three robbers broke in, one went to the top flat (put a Jack on the top), another went to the middle flat (push a Jack anywhere in the middle), another went into the basement (put a Jack on the bottom).

`They made far too much noise and the women started screaming. They screamed so loudly in fact that three policemen came running.' (You should make great play of this screaming.)

`One rushed to the top flat .. ' so you go on while you put the three Kings on the top, bottom and in the middle of the pack.
Now ask one of the audience to cut the pack. Then start to deal the cards out face up, saying, I wonder if the police have caught the robbers?' Somewhere in the middle of the pack three Kings, Queens and Jacks will come out one after the other showing that the police got there in time and saved the ladies.

This trick won't fool the average adult. In fact they might think there is something wrong with you if you start telling them silly stories, but it always amuses little children, so keep it for them.

The Four Kings trick is similar and quite mystifying if done well. Remove the four Kings and two Jacks from the pack which you will place face down in the centre of the table. Fan the Kings in your left hand, carefully concealing the two Jacks behind the second King. Hold them up for your friends to see. It must look as though you only have four cards in your hand. Once the audience has seen them, fold them up and place them on top of the pack.

Now the prattle starts. You say something like this:

`I am going to separate those four Kings by putting one on the bottom of the pack, two well apart in the middle and I will leave the last on top'
As you say this, follow your words, taking the top card which is a King and putting it on the bottom of the pack. As you do this be sure to let everyone see that it is a King. Keep the next two cards hidden for obvious reasons — that they are Jacks. Take them carefully one at a time and place them well separated in the middle. Then lift the fourth card for a moment, allowing your audience again to see that it is a King and replace it on the pack.

Everyone will have seen quite clearly that the 'four Kings' have been evenly spread through the pack. Ask someone to cut the pack and, as they do, say something like, 'These Kings are always getting into trouble with their wives because they keep running off to the pub together. You just can't keep them apart!'

Deal out the cards face up and somewhere in the middle of the pack — behold the miraculous — all four Kings are together again!
That's enough of Kings and Queens. Now we have Four Aces. This trick will completely baffle your friends as they appear to do all the work. You make them cut and mix the cards several times themselves and yet you can make them come up with the four aces. You need to prepare for this trick by having the four aces on top of the pack at the start. Make this your first trick, or have the aces in your pocket ready.
Shuffle the pack for all to see, but being sure to keep the aces Oil the top. Put the pack down and ask someone to cut into four piles next to each other from left to right. The aces will be on top of the pile on the right.

Starting with the left pile, tell them to really muddle things up by taking the top three cards and putting them on the bottom. Now make them take the next three cards and put one on each of the other piles. Then put the pile back in its place.

Then ask them to do the same with the second pile, i.e. move the top three to the bottom, and put the next three on each of the other piles. Do this with the third pile and then, of course, with the last — the one with the aces.

Ask the person if they think they have muddled the cards up enough by now. They will, of course, say 'Yes' and you can then tell them to turn over the top four cards. Incredulity! They are all aces!