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Ender's Review: Chase the Ace (Magic Makers)

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Ender's Review: Chase the Ace (Magic Makers)
« on: August 14, 2017, 12:29:01 AM »
 

EndersGame

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Chase the Ace (Magic Makers)

One of the ultimate three card illusions

Overview

Chase the Ace is Rob Stiff's version of a very popular routine with just three cards.  In the historical information provided with the product, Theodore DeLand's `Pick It Out' from the early 1900s is credited as one of the original sources of this effect.  Many today consider the best modern version of this effect to be Michael Skinner's Ultimate 3 Card Monte, which is excellent.  Another version often goes under the name Million Dollar Monte.  All of these are variations of a very similar effect, and use the same cards. 

Whichever version you use, I've found that this has proven to be a terrific effect that nearly always generates reactions of complete amazement.  Its ability to produce astonishment is particularly impressive considering that it only consists of three cards!



Effect

The effect itself features three seemingly impossible revelations, with the third and final one being the most powerful and surprising of them all, as the red ace magically and impossibly switches places with another black card. 

See the official video trailer from Magic Makers (which has impressive high production values!) which demonstrates the effect here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nOWvXjoR5g



Contents

The Rob Stiff version from Magic Makers comes with the following:
- Printed instructions, with several illustrated panels of information that explain how to perform the routine
- Three cards (including two gaffs) needed to perform the effect. These are standard red Bicycle riderbacks with their air cushion finish
- A black plastic wallet for storing the cards
- An instructional DVD
- A Magic Makers web-link to an online video with the learning materials



Video

Both the DVD and the online learning materials contain the same video materials.  Altogether there are 35 minutes of well-produced footage, with several different segments:
1. A performance of the effect (3 minutes)
2. An explanation of how to perform the effect (15 minutes)
3. Bonus section: Standing routines (3 minutes)
4. Bonus section: Extra card moves (15 minutes)
The bonus section explains how to do a one-handed cut, one-handed spinning cut, and one-handed shuffle.



Difficulty

There's a relatively low degree of difficulty in performing Chase the Ace, since no real sleight of hand is necessary, so this trick can be performed by a relative beginner. However that doesn't mean you should be performing it within a couple of minutes of learning it, since you will need to practice the routine many times so that you can execute the moves smoothly, without revealing the secret. I've rarely had people ask to inspect the cards, because they're usually blown away by the effect - but it is important to do things cleanly because there is room for error here.  It's best to do quite a bit of practice before performing this to anyone, since you'll need clean moves and good presentation for best results. For first-timers new to this effect, I'd strongly recommend getting a version that includes an instructional video that explains how to perform it, like the one included here from Rob Stiff of Magic Makers. But it's well worth the effort to learn well, because the result can be quite mind-blowing.



Recommendation

I love performing this trick! There's good reason that this is a very popular effect with magicians, and is considered one of the all-time most popular packet card tricks.   This version is a good one to get, even if you tinker with the routine taught here, because it includes everything you need: the gaffed cards, storage wallet, and a DVD with well-presented instructions.



Want to learn more?  See:
- Publisher's Page: http://www.magicmakersinc.com/p-621-chase-the-ace-the-ultimate-3-card-trick.aspx
- Amazon.com: http://amazon.com/dp/B00C1KYQ20
« Last Edit: May 24, 2021, 11:09:29 PM by EndersGame »
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