Phase 1: The kings are shown and placed face down on the table. Three cards are selected. They are turned over and revealed to be… three kings. So what are the four cards on the table? They are turned over and revealed to be the aces! The aces are cut into the deck whereupon they trap the fourth and final king.

Phase 2: The deck is placed aside and the magician shows three of his pockets empty. Three of the kings are all placed in the three pockets. The last king is traded for one of the aces on the table. The ace is tapped against the three pockets. The cards on the table are now shown to be the four kings. The other three aces are found in the pockets! (And, yes, the aces can be signed!)

Phase 3: The magician displays the four kings and asks the spectator to select one. Let's say it's the king of diamonds. The king of diamonds is placed into the magician's pocket. With a click of the fingers, the king of diamonds jumps back into the packet. This is repeated once again. The last time, the king of diamonds goes into the magician's pocket and the other three kings are placed in the spectator's hand. Instantly, the other three kings jump into the magician's pockets and the spectator is left holding one card: the king of diamonds!

Whew! That's a lot of magic. And the best part is, in spite of all of the cards jumping around from place to place, there's NO PALMING! Only basic sleight of hand is required.

This three phased blockbuster of a routine is inspired by Dai Vernon's ‘The Travelers’ and Jerry Sadowitz's ‘The More Things Change’.