You show four jacks to your spectator and introduce the story. You explain that these four jacks decided to commit a robbery one day at a three-floor building. Each jack wanted to go to one of the floors, with the final one staying on top as a lookout. As this is said, three of the jacks are placed in various areas of the deck. When the police come, the lookout on top signals for the jacks to rush back up. You suddenly turn over the top four cards to reveal the four jacks back on top.
Instructions
1. Set the top of the deck up as follows: card, card, card, jack, jack, jack, jack. This gives you three random cards on top of the four jacks.
2. Show the four jacks to your spectator in a way that hides the three random cards behind the final jack.
3. Explain how the jacks were committing a robbery and wanted to go to different floors.
4. Place the top three cards, one at a time, into different areas of the deck. You are pretending that these are the jacks.
5. Say the last jack wanted to stay on top as a lookout.
6. Explain that the lookout saw cops and signaled them all back up.
7. Turn over the top cards to reveal the jacks back on top. They never really left the top but your misdirection and storytelling skills will help this work.
