An exploration of the Hotel Trick, aka "A Night on the Town". A trick with a good plot is half the battle. This one has an interesting plot that can be styled and modified to fit your needs. Sleight-less and sleight-of-hand versions are being taught.

Jon was introduced to this trick by Persi Diaconis in the 1970s. In this ebook he has traced it back to its roots, and forward to modern variations and spin-offs.

The core effect:

Two Queens and four Kings are shown. The Queens are tabled face down next to each other. Two Kings are added onto each Queen to form two three-card packets. After a magical pass, the Queens and Kings separate and coalesce into respective packets. These actions are accompanied by a simple tale about four gentlemen (Kings) who were out on the town. Two ladies (Queens) of the evening meet them and each lady retires to a hotel room with two male admirers. A hotel detective (Ace of Spades), suspecting an illegal tryst, intercedes by checking each room. To his surprise, he finds four gentlemen in one room and the two ladies in the other room.

• ONCE UPON A TIME
• THE BASIC ACTION PROCEDURE
• TELL ME A STORY
• A BIT OF HISTORY
• ACES AND KINGS / Henry Christ
• THE HOTEL MYSTERY / Edward Marlo
• AND THEN