The Worlds Greatest Magic

Twisting the Aces by Dai Vernon

Card Warp by Roy Walton 

Dr. Daley's Last Trick by Dr. Jacob Daley

If you have any interest in the history of magic then you will love this, because these are three of the most interesting effects in the history of card magic.

The reason the Elmsley Count is well known, it because Dai Vernon used a secret count that was known by only a few select insiders, to create such an elegant demonstration of magic with only 4 cards, that everyone wanted to learn how to do it.

It began as an attempt, almost an exercise, to create the maximize effect possible using the most minimalistic movements. With Twisting the Aces, the only ‘procedure’ was to twist the cards end for end, which means counting the cards wasn’t seen as part of the method, it was simply to show what happened. With such a wonderful effect-to-process ratio, this routine became a staple in the repertoire of all the finest card men in the world.

Card Warp represents a true conceptual leap in the evolution of card magic, transcending the deck, taking magic into another dimension as normal cards seem to instantly and impossibly turn inside out and back. The cards can be examined before performance and after; and because this can be filmed with your face in the same shot as the magic taking place, this plays really well in the 2 dimensional world of television. While back in the real world… it looks like trick photography!

Roy Walton, the creator of Card Warp, is such a charming and unassuming guy, he couldn’t believe we tracked him down in Scotland just to ask his permission to include this effect. Even though it had been published before, nobody had ever bothered to ask his permission!

Regarding Daily’s Last Trick…

Dr. Jacob Daley was a successful physician whose great escape from the stress of his work was his passion for card magic. Dai Vernon told me that even though Dr. Daley was an amateur magician, he had more skill with cards than 99% of the professional magicians.

The legend goes that Dr. Daley was unusually eager for the New York Magic Club meeting because he wanted to perform a new, favorite card effect for everyone. When he did have his chance to perform, he did, indeed, make a big impression on everyone with this effect.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that after taking his bow, he stepped off the stage… and died.

That’s the legend. I don’t know if it’s true, but that’s the story connected to this effect for over 50 years, and it’s really cool to think the beautiful simplicity of the plot and handling of this effect is going to keep his name alive forever in the history of magic!

All together, these wonderful effects have an unprecedented pedigree!

Originally taught on Michael Ammar "Easy to Master Card Miracles" Volume 2 DVD.