The Royal Family Vacation card trick relies on math instead of sleight of hand or distraction. By working with four each of four cards and cutting the deck four times, the cards will always deal out to support the story. The telling of the story is important. Spectators must listen to the story, while at the same time trying to pay attention and learn the "secret" of the trick.
Instructions
The Cards
1. Take the Kings, Queens, Jacks and Aces from a regular deck of cards. Set aside the remaining cards. Work only with the face cards and aces: total 16 cards.
2. Sort the cards out while telling a story. Lay out the four Kings in a row then place the same-suit Queen atop the King. Set each Jack of the suit atop the Queen.
3. Finish each pile with the Ace of suit. Square up each pile, which now has, from top to bottom: Ace, Jack, Queen, King of the same suit.
4. Stack the first pile onto the second, then stack them onto the third. Then stack the three piles on top of the fourth. Offer the deck to the spectator and ask that she cut it 4 times.
5. Take the deck and deal out four cards, face down, from the top of the deck, left to right. Deal out a second card atop the first, working left to right. Repeat until there are four piles of four cards each.
6. Turn over each pile while continuing the story. Reveal the first pile of all the same card, the second pile of all the same card and so forth.
The Story
7. Tell this story while setting up the cards. Coordinate the narrative with the movement of the cards.
8. Explain how the Kings decided to take their wives on a vacation. Say that the Queens agreed to go along if their sons, the Jacks, were included.
9. Reveal how the Jacks were agreeable to the trip as long as their girlfriends were allowed to come along. As aside, add that the girlfriends were happy to be included.
10. Continue the story as the trick concludes. Take care to coordinate the telling of the story as the cards are revealed.
11. Explain how the Kings went off by themselves to discuss business, leaving the Queens on their own.
12. Conclude by explaining that the bored Jacks went off to play golf while the girlfriends spent the vacation shopping.
