Cards From the Air

The Best Front Hand Production

The following method of apparently catching cards from the air is the invention of an amateur magician of Wellington, N.Z. It is, I think, the best sleight for the purpose that has as yet been evolved in that the hand can be freely shown from all sides in the action. This is not possible with other methods.

You have about ten cards palmed in your right hand in the usual way. Bend the top joint of your second finger under the top edge of the palmed cards (Fig. 1), then as you make a catching motion in the air, stretching out your arm, you straighten the fingers sharply. This causes the packet to fly out from the palm into view at the finger tips. (Fig. 2) The cards are held securely and squarely together as one card, by the top joints of the first and third fingers on the face of the card, and of the second finger at the back.

The moment the card is produced at the finger tips you press your thumb tip on the back of the packet at the corner immediately behind the tip of the first finger, and bend the other three fingers into the palm. The impression to be made on the spectators is that of having caught a card at the tips of the finger and thumb.

You show the card(s), turning the hand to show the palm empty, then with the left hand take hold of the outer end of the packet and bend the cards sharply back into the right hand, where they are again palmed, with the exception of the front card, which is stripped off by the left thumb and fingers and held up to view. (Fig. 3).

The right hand drops naturally and you are ready to repeat the catching of a card; you continue the movements until your supply of cards is exhausted. During the action you have your right side to the front. Vary the point at which the card is caught as much as you can and always see the card in the air yourself before you catch it.