Game of Aces (Magic Makers)

Rob Stiff's take on the classic MacDonald's Aces

Overview

Game of Aces is a four-ace routine with a long history, based on a creation by the Austrian Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser (1806-1875), and popularized by Mac McDonald (1907-1982) in a routine now commonly called MacDonald's Aces, but published originally in 1960 as "McDonald's $100 Routine". Numerous variations of this effect have been produced, and in Game of Aces we get Rob Stiff's take on this classic.

But first, check out what has to be one of the most impressively produced trailers for a magic effect ever - this Hollywood style clip is quite remarkable in its production values and certainly turns this into something quite epic!



Effect

Game of Aces is a terrific card effect, that uses some specially made cards to result in a seemingly impossible result. In this effect all four aces are shown face up, and then they disappear amongst other cards to reappear under the first ace. A truly baffling effect, which is a variation of “MacDonald’s Aces”.

Here's Rudy Hunter's performance of MacDonald's Aces:



Contents

So what do you get with this product? Included are some high quality gaffed cards which allow the effect to take place; a simple storage wallet for cards to protect them; some written instructions with images; and an online link that gives a video tutorial for the effect shown in the trailer. The online video instructions also include a tutorial for the variant MacDonald's Aces, which is very similar, but is a slightly more difficult effect to perform, with more work required for the magician. One thing I appreciated about the instructions is that they included a nice image which shows how to set-up the deck for the trick, making it easier to prepare.



Difficulty

The link provided with Game of Aces contains a very well made tutorial on how to perform the trick. Watching the video shows you exactly how to do all the required moves, as well as offering a few tips for when you are performing it. One thing that does need to be learnt well is a more basic sleight (the E.C.), which will require some practice to learn well, but is a very useful move to know for various effects, and most intermediate magicians will already be familiar with it. This move is used in the trick and it also can be used for other tricks as well (e.g. Dai Vernon's Twisting the Aces, which would be a possible follow up to this trick). While Game of Aces and MacDonald's Aces both require you to spend some time to be able to perform them well, they are great effects, and well worth the time invested to master them.



Quality

The quality of the cards is very good, being the same quality as a standard Bicycle deck. The wallet included is very nice to help store small numbers of cards, to protect them while storing them, or for carrying packet tricks around. It should be noted that to perform this effect you will need a deck of your own, which must be poker sized, in the same size and style as the gaffed cards included. The backs of the deck will not matter, as long as the faces are standard Bicycle design. The gaff cards can also be used for other magic tricks too, and you can certainly find your own uses and tricks for them, although there are not any other tricks included with the effect.



Recommendation

Game of Aces is a good Ace routine for any magician who enjoys card tricks, and can be learnt reasonably quickly, but time will need to be invested to do it well. The instructions are easy to follow, so enough resources are included to learn the trick, and I highly recommend it, as it has potential to cause some reactions of genuine amazement. It's a classic and very effective card trick, although bear in mind that it cannot be performed impromptu, but does require some setting up.

In short, Game of Aces is a very good and effective card trick, that will baffle your audience and blow their minds. It won’t take you too long to learn, but if you take the time to learn and perform it well, you'll find it very worth while!



Want to learn more? See:
- Publisher's Page: http://www.magicmakersinc.com/p-752-game-of-aces.aspx
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Makers-Game......1GELRWTU