I'm thinking of writing up a routine that involves a self-working card trick. Obviously I'd like to reference the originator of the trick if at all possible - however I think this self-worker is probably as old as hills with an indeterminable origin.

But let's see...

The magician looks through the deck and takes out 2 aces (or any two cards). In the act of looking for these 2 cards he also places one of the other 2 aces at the top of the deck and the other at the bottom. The magician starts to deal the cards face down on the table, the spec tells him when to stop. When he stops the magician places one of the 2 aces taken from the deck on top of the pile on the table, but places it face up as a "marker". He then places the remaining pile of cards on top (thereby placing the ace at the bottom of the deck next to the face up ace). The entire deck is then picked up and the process is repeated leaving the final ace in the deck next to the second face up ace.

As I said, as old as the hills but does anyone have any idea who to reference?

Originally no but it has been on many DVDs as well as in many publications. Not sure how old this is or who was there at the beginning but it has been around quite some time.

I believe this is Karl Fulves 'Gemini Principal' which was published in one of his Selfworking Card Tricks books. Not sure if he credits anyone else, but every variation I've seen of the trick seems to credit Fulves as the creator.

Rev

Gemini Twins. Karl Fulves More Self- Working Card Tricks.

Thanks guys - appreciated.

Deal and drop proceedure used in 'Gemini Twin' dates back to 'Hidden Mystery' by Herb Rungie published in "Jinx" No.83 (March 1943).
Karl Fulves used the proceedure to produce two matching paires, but Herb Rungie used the proceedure to reveal two selections.

Hideo Kato