Royal Variety 👑
Reading Time: 24 minutes
✨ Overview (TL;DR)
“Royal Variety” is a four-phase circus-themed packet trick that compresses miniature versions of Wild Card, Ambitious Card, Card Warp and Cards to Pocket into a single routine using just four cards. Three Jokers transform into the Jack, Queen and King of Hearts, who then perform an acrobatic Ambitious Card sequence before the Jack and Queen invisibly travel to your pocket and the King visually vanishes between them. The routine ends completely clean with three examinable cards, resets instantly, and works without a table.
- Effect Type: Packet Trick
- Difficulty: ★★★★☆ (Upper Intermediate)
- Duration: 6–8 minutes (modular; can be cut shorter)
- Setup Time: Minimal
- Reset Time: Instant
- Props: A Jack, Queen and King of Hearts, along with a Joker, all with matching back designs. A small box or bag of popcorn (optional).
- Key Moves & Principles: Mini Ascanio Spread, Block Turnover, Diminishing Lift Sequence, Flushtration Count, Clip-and-Flip Double Turnover, Shapeshifter Change, Packet Pirouette, Tongue Change, Trevor Lewis Monte Move, Persistence of Vision Vanish
Introduction
I think this is one of the best card tricks I’ve ever invented (modesty is overrated, isn’t it?). In fact, I think it’s right up there with Jim Temple’s “Color Monte”, Darwin Ortiz’s “Jumping Gemini”, Larry Jennings’ “Ambitious Classic”, and even “The Four Card Trick” by my magical hero, Alex Elmsley. Why? Because it lets you perform mini versions of Wild Card, Ambitious Card, Card Warp and Cards to Pocket with nothing more than a Jack, Queen, King and Joker—that’s four classic card magic plots crammed into a single packet trick! This is why I’ve named it “Royal Variety”. 👑
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| Royal Variety. Image Credit: Marty’s Bag of Tricks. |
In addition, you end clean with three examinable cards; it resets instantly, and can be performed without a table, making it a perfect piece of mix-and-mingle magic.
The routine is structured into four distinct phases, each of which can be performed as a standalone trick with its own unique presentation. Alternatively, a single theatrical theme can tie all four phases together—this is my preferred approach and the one I explore in this detailed write-up.
Effect
You remove some cards from your pocket and announce that you’re going to recreate the wonder and excitement of the circus using just three cards.
“Traditionally, the first performers to enter the big top are the clowns during the come-in,” you say as you display three identical Jokers. “Their zany antics are a lot of fun, but I find clowns a little creepy. I prefer the quick-change artists…” As you say this, you transform the three Jokers into the Queen, King and Jack of Hearts.
“I also love the acrobats,” you say, as you perform a short, ambitious card sequence with the three cards. The King of Hearts keeps jumping to the top of the packet when you cry, “Allez Hop!” He finishes his act by performing two backflips (the card magically turns face down, then face up again when trapped between the other two cards).
You then share that, unsurprisingly, your favourite circus performers are the magicians and their glamorous assistants. The Jack is put in your pocket, but amazingly, he manages to jump back into your hand. The Queen makes the same invisible journey with the same impossible result. Finally, the King visually vanishes from between the Jack and Queen, then reappears in your pocket. All three cards are handed out for examination.
Requirements & Preparation
You will need a Jack, Queen and King of Hearts, along with a Joker, all with matching back designs. The type of Joker you use, whether black-and-white or coloured, doesn’t really matter. While not essential, a Joker card featuring a jester, harlequin, or clown design works best, as it better matches the trick’s circus theme.
Arrange the cards in the following order, with the Joker (J) at the face of the packet: KH-QH-JH-J. Put the cards, backs facing away from your body, into the outer breast pocket of your jacket. You’re now ready to perform the trick.
Method & Presentation
I’ve split the effect description into four phases to make it easier to learn. This also makes the trick modular; once you complete Phase 2 (Quick-Change Clowns), you can return the cards to the deck if you run out of time. You can also terminate your performance early after Phase 3 (Ambitious Acrobatics) in the same way. This makes the trick incredibly flexible if you’re performing in an environment where interruptions are likely, such as a restaurant or a banquet.
Phase 1: Initial Display
Remove the cards from your pocket and perform the following modified Ascanio Spread: holding the packet in right-hand end grip, slide the top card to the bottom with your left thumb, leaving the card side-jogged. Immediately contact the top card with your left thumb and slide it to your left. This will leave you holding a double card in right-hand end grip. Wiggle the cards in the usual way to give the impression that you hold only three cards. Handling the cards in this admittedly unusual way early in the routine helps normalise this type of display.
As you display the three cards (?), say, “I love the circus. The drama. The danger. The daring. The intoxicating smell of buttered popcorn and sawdust in the air. With nothing more than these three cards, I’m going to attempt to recreate the wonder and excitement of the big top. But without the popcorn—sorry!”
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| Three Jokers in the circus ring. Image Credit: Marty’s Bag of Tricks. |
Perform a triple turnover to display a Joker on top of the packet, as you say, “Traditionally, the first performers to enter the big top are the clowns during the come-in. There are three types: creepy, frightening and nightmarish. No, only joking! The first type is the elegant whiteface. They’re usually the leader of the group. Did you know that a group of clowns is known as a giggle, a pratfall or a shudder?” Repeat the triple turnover, then take the top card in your right hand and perform another block turnover, this time of two cards, to display another Joker (?). (The single card held in your right hand as you do this provides additional shade for the double turnover.) As you display the same Joker for a second time, say, “Then there’s the wild and zany auguste or the red clown. Those are the ones with the pink and flesh-tone makeup and bright red noses. They’re the clowns that fall over, lose their trousers or get a pie in the face…” Repeat the double turnover, then slide the top card from the left-hand packet onto the one already in your right hand. This leaves you with two cards, held as one, in left-hand dealer’s grip. To complete the diminishing lift sequence, take this double and carefully slide it onto the right-hand stock, then square up. Immediately flip the top card over, simulating your block turnover technique, to display a third Joker, as you say, “…and finally the character clown, most often dressed as a tramp or hobo. But they can also play the part of a butcher, baker, policeman or even the occasional housewife.” Flip the Joker face down.
Casually reverse count the cards into your left hand, dropping the last two on top as one, as you say, “And now you know about the one, two, three different types of clown. Even though you didn’t ask!”
Situation Check
From the top of the packet down, the cards are in Jack, Queen, King, Joker order.
Phase 2: Quick-Change Clowns
Holding the packet in right-hand end grip, perform a Flushtration Count, dropping the last two cards on top as one. Next, perform a Mini Ascanio Spread, peeling the top and bottom cards off with the finger and thumb of your left hand, leaving you holding a double card in your right. Strip out this double, and rub its face on your left sleeve, as you say, “I prefer the quick-change artists.” Reveal the first transformation by turning your right hand palm up, displaying the face of the Queen of Hearts to your audience. As you display the double, use your left thumb to push the top card of the pair in your left hand over. This clearly shows your audience that you have three cards—two in your left hand and one (actually two) in your right hand. Slide the double card underneath the left-hand cards, square up, then flip the entire packet face up and carefully push the Queen to your right with your left thumb, enabling you to take it in your right hand. This secretly transfers the Joker onto the packet’s face. Hand the Queen out for inspection.
Flip the remaining cards face down and perform another Flushtration Count, counting the three cards as two. However, this time, instead of dropping the double square on top of the card in your left hand, carefully place it, side-jogged, on top of it, clipping it in place with your left thumb. This will free up your right fingers, so you can use them to flip the double face up, bookwise. We’ll call this the Clip-and-Flip Double Turnover, as it will be used again later on in the routine.
Situation Check
The face-up Joker is on top. Below it is the face-up Jack. The face-down King is on the bottom of the packet.
Perform Marc DeSouza’s Shapeshifter Change on the entire three-card packet as you say, “The costume changes are as fast as lightning!” Regrip the packet with a right-hand end grip, then slide the King into your left hand with your left thumb. Temporarily turn your right hand palm up to flash the face of the Joker. Perform another Clip-and-Flip Double Turnover, apparently leaving the Joker face up on top of the King. Take back the Queen and drop it face up on top.
Shapeshifter Change
Reposition your left thumb on the outer left corner of the packet and your left second finger on the inner right-hand corner. (Rather than move my right thumb, I prefer to rock the packet with the base of my left thumb, so that the inner left-hand corner moves onto the pad of my right thumb. This cocking action makes it easier to position the packet correctly for the change.)
Flex the packet a few times by pulling up with your right hand and down with your left. To activate the colour change, release your left hand’s grip on the packet as you bend it one last time. The tension in the cards should cause the entire packet to rotate 180 degrees, with your right index finger and thumb acting as the pivot points. The speed at which this happens makes the transformation all the more startling.
When executed correctly, the change should make a satisfying snap as your left finger and thumb release the packet.
You’re now going to perform the Packet Pirouette, a flourish to turn the packet end-for-end while keeping it face up. Begin by gripping the packet from above, your right second finger at the top right-hand corner and your right thumb at the bottom left-hand corner (these are the non-indexed corners). Your left thumb should rest across the top left-hand corner of the packet. Move your right hand to your left, allowing the packet to rotate around your left thumb. As the packet turns face down, reposition your left hand (partially turning it palm down) to regrip the packet in left-hand dealer’s grip. When done correctly, the packet returns to its original position in your left hand; the only thing that has changed is its orientation. In this case, the Joker is now upside-down from the audience’s perspective. (This detail isn’t vital to the success of the trick, but it improves the aesthetic appeal of the subsequent colour change, as the Joker will be right way up before the change takes place.)
To make the third Joker (?) transform into the Jack, you’re going to perform the Tongue Change. The description of the “get-ready” for the change sounds complicated, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it really isn’t that difficult to do.
Begin by pulling the Queen back for approximately half its length, leaving the card injogged. Position the tip of your right second finger on the face of the Joker and the pad of your right thumb on the bottom edge of the injogged Queen. Apply gentle downward pressure as you push the Queen forward so that it aligns with the Jack and King below it. This is the standard Alignment Move and outjogs the Joker by half its length. Grip the near end of the packet with your right hand, fingers on top, thumb below (I call this the “sock puppet” position). Rotate the packet face down by turning your right wrist clockwise, then regrip it in left-hand dealer’s grip. Make sure your left thumb rests on the top left-hand corner of the face-down Joker. Using your right fingertip, push the top card of the packet (the King, in this case) flush with the Joker. Your left thumb acts as a stopper, making sure both cards are perfectly aligned. Next, turn your left hand, palm down, rotating the far end of the packet towards your body, as you simultaneously turn your right hand palm up. As soon as the cards are face up, temporarily regrip the packet between the thumb and fingers of your right hand, thumb on top and fingers below. Doing this will enable you to let go of the cards with your left hand and reposition them, replacing the packet in left-hand dealer’s grip.
If you’ve completed this sequence correctly, the Joker and King should be injogged by approximately half their length and perfectly aligned. Likewise, the Queen should be aligned with the Jack, which is hidden below it.
To activate the change, push down on the centre of the Queen with your right second finger, resting the pad of your right thumb on the edge of the two injogged cards. Firmly push these two cards flush. Due to the plunger principle, the Jack will shoot out from the packet’s short front edge. This creates the illusion of the Joker transforming into a Jack as it’s pushed through the packet. (Incidentally, I call this the “Tongue Change” because the transformed card sticking out of the packet resembles a tongue sticking out of a mouth.)
Pinch the Jack between your right thumb and index finger and strip it out of the packet, allowing it to pivot against your left second finger. This will rotate the card 180 degrees, leaving it held comfortably in your right hand. If you like, you can hand the Jack to a spectator for examination. Take the Jack back and drop it on top of the rest of the cards. Immediately perform a Mini Ascanio Spread to display the Jack, Queen and King.
Flip the entire packet face down. You’re now in a position to finish the trick early or continue on and perform the ambitious card sequence.
Phase 3: Ambitious Acrobatics
Flip the top card of the packet face up to display the King of Hearts, as you say, “I also love watching the acrobats. The King of Hearts is an amazing acrobat because he has four arms.” As you say this, hand the King to a spectator so they can verify that this little-known fact is indeed true. In this way, your spectator has examined all three of the transformed cards in a casual manner that hasn’t disrupted the flow of the routine.
Take back the King and say, “Look, I’ll put the King on the bottom of the packet.” Take the King in your right hand and raise the card to chest height, so everyone can see its face. At the same time, perform a little finger pull-down (pinky pulldown) on the bottom card of the packet to create a break above it. Lower the King and slide him into the break, leaving the card projecting a little (less than half an inch). As soon as the card is inserted into the gap, you can collapse the break. With your right fingertips, push the top card of the packet forward by the same amount, so that the three cards are in a stepped condition. This creates a very strong illusion that the King is the bottom card of the packet. This configuration of the cards also conceals the packet’s extra thickness, as the fourth card is entirely hidden by the overlapping cards and the fingers of your left hand.
Flick or tap the injogged King and say, “He really goes on the bottom.” Slowly square up the vertical spread, and say, “But if we cry the magic words, ‘Allez Hop!’, he jumps back to the top.” Perform a block turnover of three cards to display that the King is back on top. “Would you like to see him do that again?” you ask as you repeat the triple turnover. Regardless of the answer you receive, take the top card (the Joker) and insert it second from the bottom as before. Spread the top card to create the same vertical spread.
Flick the bottom card again, as you say, “Watch the King carefully.” This time, as you square up, push down on the injogged card to establish a break below the top two cards of the packet, in preparation for a double turnover. Say, “Allez Hop!” and perform a double turnover to show that the King is back on top of the packet, as promised. Repeat the entire sequence one last time. Get one of your spectators to say, “Allez Hop!” in their best French accent. Slowly square up the cards, then turn over the top card to reveal that the King is, once again, back on top. Leave the King face up on top of the packet.
To finish the King’s acrobatic demonstration and arrange the cards in the correct order for the next phase, you’re now going to perform a short “twisting sequence” similar to Card Warp.
Turn the entire packet over. With the packet in left-hand dealer’s grip, secure the cards from above in right-hand end grip. Using your left thumb, slip the Jack to the bottom, keeping it face up and side-jogged to the left. Contact the face of the King with your left fingertips, then backspread the card, pulling it to your left. As this happens, your right hand maintains a firm grip on the Joker and Queen, keeping them squared as one. Raise the fan to chest height to display the King trapped face-up between the Jack and Queen.
Square up the cards, then turn the packet over end for end. You’re now going to use the Tongue Change to make the King visually flip face down, as if he’s doing a backflip. Set the cards for the change (see above for details), taking care not to flash the Joker’s face as you do so. Get the attention of your audience by saying, “The King’s speciality is the backflip. Watch.” Activate the change to apparently make the King turn face down (the protruding card is actually the Joker). Spin out the card without exposing its face to your audience. Drop it on top of the packet.
Perform a Modified Mini Ascanio Spread by holding the packet from above in right-hand end grip and sliding the bottom card to your left with your left fingers. Once the bottom card is side-jogged, clamp your thumb down on the top card of the packet as your right hand strips out a double card from the centre. After it’s cleared the packet, push the double under your left thumb, being careful to keep the two cards perfectly aligned. This spreading technique clearly displays three face-down cards while hiding the face-up King second from the top.
Square up the cards, make a small tossing motion and then perform another Mini Ascanio Spread to reveal the face-up King. Strip out the double card and casually drop it onto the packet, leaving the King on top. Turn the King face down. This concludes the acrobatic phase of the trick.
Phase 4: Family Fly
The final phase is a streamlined version of the well-trodden Cards-to-Pocket plot. Not only does it provide a satisfyingly impressive ending, but it also enables you to ditch the Joker in a bold manner, leaving you completely clean.
Situation Check
From the top of the face-down packet, the four cards are in the following order: King, Joker, Jack, Queen.
Turn the packet face up, end for end. Perform a Mini Ascanio Spread to display the King, Queen and Jack. Strip out the Jack (with the Joker hidden behind it) and use this double card to flip the King and Queen face down. Perform the Clip-and-Flip Double Turnover. Take the top card (apparently the Jack) and put it into your pocket.
Take the remaining cards in right-hand end grip and thumb the top card (the Jack) to the bottom, leaving it side-jogged. The double card is, once again, wedged underneath your left thumb. Regrip the cards with your right hand, thumb on top and fingers below. Gently shake the packet from side to side. As you do this, slide the top card to your left using your right thumb (this smaller action is hidden by the larger shaking motion). A card has materialised between the King and the Queen.
To display the Jack between the other two cards, you need to perform the Trevor Lewis Monte Move, as follows: upjog the middle card of the packet (the Queen). Regrip the lowermost card (the Jack) and the Queen with your palm-down left hand, fingers on top and thumb below. Turn this hand palm up and, as you do so, push with your thumb and pull with your fingers to switch the relative positions of the two cards. Simultaneously, turn the top card (the King) face up, end for end, with your right hand. The upjogged Jack is between the other two cards. Executed in a relaxed, unhurried manner, this switch will make it appear as though the Jack has reappeared between the King and Queen (which is far better than it appearing on the bottom of the packet).
Repeat the Trevor Lewis Monte Move and square up. Immediately perform a double turnover to display the Queen on top of the packet. Say, “Not one to be outdone, the Queen will now do the same trick.” Repeat the block turnover, then take the top card (the King, not the Queen, as your audience believes) and put it into your pocket on top of (in front of) the card already there (the Joker).
Perform a two-as-three count with the two remaining cards. Here’s how I handle this false count: holding the cards in left-hand fingertip grip, I take the first card in my right hand as if performing a standard Elmsley Count. When my right hand returns to my left to take the next card, it secretly deposits the first card back into left-hand dealer’s grip. The final card is counted legitimately on top of the one in your right. If you prefer, you can use a Hamman-style count instead, which gives the impression that you’re reverse-counting the cards into your left hand. Either way, once you’ve completed the false count, flip the top card face up to reveal that the Queen has magically returned to the packet.
To make the King visually vanish from the packet, we’re going to use the Persistence of Vision Vanish. I got the idea for this vanish from an old optical illusion in which you hold two identical coins, such as two one-pound coins, between your index finger and thumb. When you rapidly rub the two coins together, you’ll swear you can see a third pound coin in the stack thanks to the phenomenon of persistence of vision. Well, it turns out that the same thing happens when you quickly spread two cards and immediately shake them rapidly from side to side. You will see a third “ghost card” appear between the two real ones. The thick white borders on most standard playing cards also make this illusion far more convincing.
With this concept in mind, quickly spread the two cards and immediately start shaking them from side to side. Tell your audience to “Watch the King—the card in the middle.” When you want the King to vanish, suddenly stop shaking the cards and keep your right hand completely still. Wait a beat, then take the lowermost card in your left hand and flick the two cards against each other using an alternating up-and-down motion. Next, separate your hands so there is enough negative space between them to fit a single card, then rotate the left-hand card face up to reveal the Jack. Do the same with the card in your right hand to reveal the Queen—the space between the two cards visually emphasises that the King has completely vanished. Transfer the Queen to your left hand, then slowly remove the King from your pocket (be careful not to remove the Joker by accident) and add him to the fan on top of the Queen.
To finish, perform a Flushtration Count on the three-card packet as you say, “Let’s give the King, Queen and Jack a well-deserved round of applause.”
Cleanup & Reset
To reset the effect, simply place the cards back into your pocket on top of (in front of) the Joker already in there.
Performance Tips & Additional Ideas
I prefer to begin with the Joker on the bottom of the packet, so it doesn’t matter if I flash the face card when I remove it from my pocket. During the heat of performance, and depending on what pocket the cards begin in, it is far too easy to accidentally remove the cards face up. Therefore, I think this is a sensible precaution and worth the additional displacement it requires.
During Phase 1, no actual magical effects occur, so you must have something interesting to say. This is why I developed the patter about the three types of clown, as these facts are memorable and the sort of thing people might like to share with others (making it more likely they’ll recount stories of the trick after experiencing it).
It’s also vital to clearly establish the initial state of the props in any magic trick. In this case, the audience must be convinced that there are three Jokers at the beginning of the routine. The “three types of clown” presentation helps reinforce this initial state.
Don’t rush through the initial display sequence of the three Jokers. Once you’ve performed a block turnover, stop and discuss each type of clown with your audience before repeating the turnover. Multiple lift sequences are less deceptive if you rush through them in a guilty manner. Performing the block turnovers quickly is also more likely to cause you to perform the turnovers badly, increasing the chance that the cards become misaligned.
You don’t have to use Marc DeSouza’s Shapeshifter Change, but I think it works well given the quick-change presentation. Instead, you can use a Twirl Change, or one based on Dai Vernon’s Through-the-Fist Flourish.
The reason I finish the routine with a Flushtration Count, even when it isn’t strictly needed, is to legitimise the count retrospectively. Often, magicians complain that false counts, such as this one, are unnatural. That’s true, but you can make these moves look natural by normalising their use. The more you use it, even when you don’t have to, the more natural it will appear in your hands when you do need to use it deceptively. This count also reverses the cards, putting them in the correct order for an instant reset when you return them to your pocket, with the Joker on the face of the packet.
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| Popcorn on a lawn. Photo Credit: TrueCreatives via Canva. |
One idea that has merit, but I’ve yet to fully explore, is adding some kind of “popcorn production” to the routine. Given the mention of buttered popcorn in the opening patter, it would be a delightful surprise if a small bucket or box of popcorn appeared on the table at the end of the performance. As you finish, you could simply point to it and say, “Don’t forget your popcorn.” 🍿
There are many ways to achieve this, each suited to a different performing context.
The simplest and most theatrical option is to enlist a family member, friend, or willing member of the wait staff to quietly deposit a small bucket or box of popcorn on the table while you perform. This works particularly well in a home, coffee shop or restaurant setting, where someone moving around the table won’t attract undue attention. Executed well, the popcorn’s appearance will register as a surprising piece of incidental magic—the audience won’t immediately connect it to the trick, which makes the callback all the more satisfying.
For a more self-contained option, fill a mini popcorn box (or small opaque cup) with popcorn and cover it with a layer of unpopped kernels. To apparently transform the corn into popcorn, pick up the box or cup, cover its mouth with your hand, and shake it vigorously using an up-and-down motion. The heavier kernels will naturally fall to the bottom, exposing the lighter popcorn beneath. Spill the popcorn onto a plate and invite your audience to help themselves while you perform “Royal Variety”. This approach works well as a warm-up piece in its own right, establishing a playful, hospitable atmosphere before the cards come out.
Since the trick already culminates with the King vanishing into your pocket, you also have a natural opportunity to produce a small bag of popcorn from the same pocket immediately afterwards. As you reach in to retrieve the King for the final display, your fingers brush against something unexpected. “He’s not alone in there,” you say, as you produce a small bag of popcorn alongside him, which you present to your spectator as a gift. This integrates the production seamlessly into the trick’s existing climax, giving the King’s disappearance a second, unexpected payoff that the audience won’t see coming.
Another, perhaps more practical approach, is to use a tuck box. At the start of the routine, remove the four-card packet from a tuck box and set the box aside on the table—the audience will assume it’s empty. Unknown to them, a small quantity of popcorn is hidden inside. At the conclusion of the routine, as you attempt to return the cards to the box, they won’t fit. After a moment of mild confusion, you peer inside the box and discover the popcorn. Tip it out onto the table and invite your audience to help themselves. This implied production is arguably more charming than it is deceptive, but it is still worth considering. Of course, you could use a more elaborate deck switch to make this approach more fooling, but I like the idea of a single card box containing the four required cards and a small amount of popcorn, making the setup simple and self-contained.
But perhaps the most elegant and delightful option is to secretly load a small bag of popcorn into a participant’s pocket before you perform. During the routine, when you mention popcorn in your opening patter, you might add something like: “Whenever I go to the circus, I always end up dropping popcorn everywhere. In my lap, on the floor—I often find a few stray pieces stuck in my beard. Man, I really want some popcorn right now! Wouldn’t it be great if you could just reach into your pocket and pull out a fresh bag whenever you wanted?” You can then either follow this with a direct invitation, such as “Why don’t you try? Put your hand in your coat pocket…”, or simply leave the popcorn there for your participant to discover later. The delayed discovery makes for a charming callback to the trick long after the performance is over and is the kind of detail that turns a good trick into a long-lasting memory.
Background & Credits
The method relies heavily on a modified Ascanio Spread, displaying four cards as three (which I refer to as the Mini Ascanio Spread throughout). The original Ascanio Spread, with the cards held by their short sides, was developed by Arturo de Ascanio (see Jon Racherbaumer’s The Ascanio Spread, 1976). Roger Smith helped popularise the now-standard end-grip handling of the display (see Smith on Cards 2: The K-S Control System, 1971).
The Quick-Change Clowns phase uses Marc DeSouza’s Shapeshifter Change, first published in Issue 48 of The Trapdoor (1993), which was itself inspired by Oscar Muñoz’s Pirouette Change, published in the same issue.
The Trevor Lewis Monte Move, used in the Family Fly phase, derives from Monte Plus, as described in ESOLC (That’s Close Up) by Trevor Lewis, edited by Phil Willmarth (1981).
The Clip-and-Flip Double Turnover, the Tongue Change and the Persistence of Vision Vanish are my own contributions. Take them and use them in your own routines.
Final Thoughts
This is a fun, flexible and fooling packet trick using four regular playing cards. You can quickly remove the cards from your deck, drop them in a convenient pocket, and be ready to perform “Royal Variety” on repeat at the drop of a top hat. 🎩
That said, the method is better suited to intermediate card magicians because of the complex sequence of counts, spreads and colour changes. The Mini Ascanio Spread, the Clip-and-Flip Double Turnover, the Tongue Change and the Persistence of Vision Vanish all require dedicated practice before they can be performed in a relaxed and confident manner. Don’t be tempted to rush this process—each phase has its own technical demands, and the trick will only reach its full potential when the mechanics become silky smooth and second nature.
The good news is that the effort is absolutely worth it. In performance, “Royal Variety” plays like four separate tricks rolled into one. Audiences consistently find it both baffling and charming. The circus presentation lends it warmth and theatricality that card tricks often lack, and the modular structure lets you adjust the routine’s length to suit any performing environment.
Learn the phases in sequence. Phases 1 and 2, the initial display and “Quick-Change Clowns” sequence, are probably the most technically demanding and the foundation on which everything else rests. Once you’re comfortable with them, add Phase 3, and then finally Phase 4. By the time you put all four phases together, you’ll find that the routine flows more naturally than the mish-mash of classic card plots might initially suggest.
I hope you enjoy performing “Royal Variety” as much as I do. Now, go grab a Jack, Queen, King and Joker—the big top awaits! 🎪
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