You may find dozens of variations on the Assembly theme as several prominent authors have explored this type of effect. Bob King has a very good assembly routine in his book MAGICIAN FOOLERS and Daryl has made famous his routine by employing a special count found in RICHARD’S ALMANAC as well as in this routine. Here, in Fooling You, you have a solid three phase routine that is easy to follow and relatively easy-to-perform.

EFFECT:
Four Jokers separated in a “T” formation continuously assemble together. The first two times all at once, a third time one by one. At the end, they vanish from the packet where they have assembled and reappear in the other packets!

REQUIREMENTS:
Four Jokers and 12 red or black spot cards.

PERFORMANCE:
Place the four Jokers face up on the table. Show the 12 spot cards face up by spreading the cards between the hands, then square them and turn them face down. Spread the cards again (face down). Square the packet and grip it from above the right hand (Biddle Grip), at the same time catching a break above the bottom three cards with the right thumb.

The left hand picks up the four Jokers holding the packet face down in the dealing position. The left thumb moves the top Joker to the right and, with the right hand packet, this Joker if flipped face up onto the left hand cards saying, “This Joker is the leader.” With the same move, turn it face down again. The right hand middle finger is placed on top of this Joker and then the right hand is moved forward pushing this Joker into an out-jogged position as in Figure 1. The left hand turns palm up to show the Joker, and in so doing, the fingers of the left hand grip the bottom three cards of the right hand packet which fall onto the protruding Joker (see Figure 2 for the end of the left hand turn, showing the Joker and, below it, the three stolen cards.)

The right fingers slide the Joker face up onto the table in front of you (position A) and then the left hand turns palm up and places the packet on top of the right hand cards. Take the cards in the left hand dealing position and deal the top three cards in a row from left to right (positions B, C and D which are three spot cards), in front of the Joker which is in position A. The other three Jokers are face down on top of the packet.

Turn the left hand cards face up. With the right hand, take the top three cards of the packet and slightly fan them. Turn them face down and place them onto the card at D.

Turn the packet face down, take the top three cards (Jokers) and deal them at A on top of the face up Joker. Turn the packet face up and take the top three cards placing them at B and finally, place the last three face down at C. Dealt in this manner, you have apparently shown all spot cards. It is a disarming display.

Take the bottom face up Joker from A, turn it face down and place it on top of the other Jokers at A. Make a magic gesture! Turn over the packets at B, C and D showing all spot cards. Then turn over the leader packet (at A) showing the four assembled Jokers. End of phase one.

Pick up the 12 spot cards and spread them face down between the hands. Square them up and, at the same time, catch a left little finger break below the top three cards of the packet. With the right hand, pick up the Joker packet and square them face up against the base of the left thumb. In so doing, add the three face down spot cards below the face up Jokers.

With the left thumb, slide off the top Joker onto the deck and, using the right hand packet, flip it face down onto the left hand cards. Repeat with the next two Jokers and then drop the right hand cards on top. Flip the last Joker face down on top. This is the standard Braue’s Add-On Move. Fan the top four cards with the right hand (without reversing their order) and apparently take them into the right hand. Actually, you secretly add the fifth so that the right hand tables the top five cards (from top to bottom: Joker, three spot cards, Joker).

Fan the top three cards of the left hand packet and take them from above with the right thumb at the inner short side and the fingers at the outer short side. The lowermost card of the t hree is separated from the others by a small right thumb break. Square the three cards by pushing them against the base of the left thumb. In so doing, it becomes an easy task for the right thumb to relax and drop the bottom card of the three which fall s, squared, onto the packet. The right hand, without pausing, tables the top two cards (apparently three) at A.

The right hand takes the next three cards in a fanned condition, squares them and drops them at B, the next three at C and the last three at D.

Pick up the Joker packet face down and grip the cards from above in the right hand. The left thumb slides the top card off into the left hand, then the second and the third. Turn over the last two cards as one face up onto the left hand cards to show a Joker. Turn the double face down, take the top card and slide it beneath the packet at B. In so doing the left hand turns palm down (showing another Joker) with the apparent intention of helping the right hand to slide its Joker beneath the packet (Figure 3). This is a deceptive way of showing the Joker packet.

The left hand turns palm up again and its packet is taken again from above with the right hand. The left thumb peels off the top card into the left hand followed by the next one. The right hand turns the last two cards as one face up, showing another Joker. Turn the double face down and take the top card, sliding it beneath the packet at C repeating the moves as in Figure 3.

Turn the left hand palm up, grip the cards from above in the right hand and peel off the top card of the packet into the left hand. Double Turnover with the right hand to show another Joker. Double Turnover again, then take the top card and slide it beneath the packet at D.

The last two cards held by the left hand are taken as one by the right hand and slid, face down, beneath the two Jokers at 4A. The dealing is a Daryl Count. Turn over the packets at B, C and D showing spot cards. Turn over the packet at A showing the four Jokers. End of phase two.

Pick up the spot cards, keeping them face up in the left hand. Catch a left little finger break below the top face card of the packet. The right hand picks up the four Jokers and squares them, secretly adding the face card of the packet beneath the Jokers. The right hand takes the five card packet from above and, at the same time, the left hand flips the other cards face down. The right hand packet is placed face up on top of the face down cards, but side-jogged to the right. The packet is kept there with the left thumb as in Figure 4. The right hand takes the top Joker, turns it face down and slides it beneath the side-jogged packet. The entire packet is turned over onto the left hand cards. Deal the top card at A (face down) and the next three respectively, at D (spot card), C (Joker) and B (Joker). The fourth Joker is on top of the packet.

Deal the top three cards at A (without reversing their order), the next three at B, the next three at C and the last three at D. At A you have two Jokers and two spot cards, at B and C your have three spot cards above a Joker and D you have four spot cards.

Pick up the packet at B and perform the Elmsley Count, apparently reversing the order of the packet, bringing the Joker on top. Take the top card and show that the Joker has changed into a spot card. Leave the spot card face down on top of the packet. Turn the four cards face up and perform an Elmsley Count showing four spot cards. Casually deal one by one on the table (reversing the order of the packet so that the Joker is on the bottom).

Pick up the packet at A and turn the cards face up. With the same grip and moves of the Elmsley Count (but without performing it) simply reverse the order of the packet showing two Jokers and two spot cards. Square and turn the packet face down at A. Repeat the vanish of the Joker with the packet at C and leave face down on the table (the Joker is at the face.)

Pick up the packet at A, turn it face up and perform an Elmsley Count to show three Jokers and a spot card. Square and table the packet face down at A (it has two spot cards on top of the two Jokers.)

Pick up the packet at D and repeat the vanish again. (Although there is no Joker, I do two Elmsley Counts anyway for conformity. In so doing, I manage to spread the four cards at the end of the vanish to show that they really are four spot cards.) Table the cards face down at D.

Pick up the packet at A and perform the Larry West’s Mirage Count to show four Jokers. To wit: The packet is gripped in the left hand, thumb on top and fingers below (the left thumb is directly on the edges of the cards.) With the right hand take the bottom card, then turn both hands palm down as in Figure 5 to show two Jokers. Turn both hands palm up again and apparently, with the right hand, take the card from the left hand. What really happens is that the left thumb pushes the top two cards of the packet to the right (as per the Elmsley Count) while the right hand card goes beneath the left hand packet. (The card is slid directly above the fingers.) The right hand leaves its card beneath the cards in the left hand and then takes the top two cards of the packet (thumb above the fingers below as in Figure 6.) The right hand places its two cards face down onto the table and then moves back to the left hand again.

With the right hand, take the bottom card of the two remaining in the left hand. Turn the hands palm down again as in Figure 5 to show two more Jokers. Turn the hands palm up once again and, with the right hand, take the card from the left hand. Deposit the two cards onto the two previously tables cards. You have apparently shown very clearly four Jokers.

Take the top card from A and the top card from D. Place the card that you have taken from A below the packet at D and place the card you have taken from D below the three cards at A. Pick up the top card from A and, using it as a magic wand, touch the other three packets. Then place it below the packet at A. (All the Jokers are on the bottom of the four packets.) Turnover the packets and show that the Jokers are now back at their original positions following the leader.