There are certain effects that captivate even seasoned magicians. Juan Colás has been performing just such a routine in his shows for years, leaving audiences speechless every time. Rarely have we been so thoroughly fooled by a piece of card magic recently.

You openly display five Spades—from the Ace to the 5. The cards are laid out in a row, clearly and logically: the Ace on the left, the 5 on the right. The remaining cards lie face down between them in ascending order.

Everything appears perfectly clear and straightforward.

Then, something happens that defies all logic.

You simply swap the two end cards. That’s all. Every spectator is certain that only the Ace and the 5 could have moved. Yet, when the middle cards are revealed, the entire sequence has changed. As if by magic, the ascending order has transformed into a descending one.

The cards are gathered up again; by now, the audience thinks they know what to look for. But that is precisely what makes the next phase even more powerful. With incredible clarity and apparent fairness, the sequence seems to shift again and again—right before their eyes.

An elegant routine that is easy to explain, yet seems completely inexplicable.

You receive the necessary cards and an English-language video download.