One Hand Top Card Palm

A description of a method of palming the top card of the pack appeared in the Magic Wand some years ago. The following is that adopted by the writer. Once mastered, it will be found to be the best way to palm off a single card from the top. The sleight can be done with either hand with equal facility. It is best to learn it with the right hand first.

Hold the pack, well squared, face down in your right hand, the first joint of the thumb at the inner end and the top joints of your first three fingers at the outer end, the tip of the little finger resting on the outer right hand corner. (Fig. 1).

Press the tip of your little finger on the corner of the top card and push it slightly off the pack. (Fig. 2.) In the figure the projection of the top corner is exaggerated for the sake of clearness. Now press the finger tip down on the projecting corner of the card and it will spring up into the palm.

A little difficulty may be found at first in freeing the rear edges of the card from the thumb, hence the necessity for bending the tip of the thumb slightly inward. In practice the four fingers are pressed close together at the end of the pack, the little finger tip is moved to the corner of the top card, pushing it out very slightly, then it is immediately replaced at the end of the pack, which action levers the card up into the palm.

The sleight can be done in the act of handing the pack out to be shuffled and is imperceptible.