card is palmed
face to
and
the other card immediately turned back outward.
6. SOME USEFUL NOTES ON PALMING.
(a) A ruse for palming the top card is to hold the pack on its side between the hands and tap it up and down on the table to square the cards. As the squaring action is being carried out, the right fingers pull the top card about half an inch to the right. Now the right hand leaves the pack momentarily to gesture, the left fingers concealing the fact that the top card has been moved. As the right hand returns to the end of the pack, the bottom portion of the palm strikes the projecting end of the card, causing it to be levered into the right palm. At the same time, the fingers raise up the left end of the pack for the right fingers and thumb to just seize the pack by the sides then drop it onto the table.
The levering action in this instance is in the opposite direction to that more commonly known with
the top palm.
(b) Figure 1 0 shows a card in the Rear Palm position. A fault to be avoided when stealing a card from the top of the pack into this palm position, is the unnatural po- sition of the right hand which is often brought forward of the pack. To correct this, it is necessary to move the top card backwards by
pushing it with the left thumb. This should be done as the right hand
comes over the pack, but there is a danger of the projecting card being seen from the left side, so endeavour to have the right side of the hands towards the spectators as the palm is made.
Alex has devised a clever ruse for making the rear palm, by providing a logical reason for bringing his right hand forward of the pack. He has the card to be palmed second from top, takes off the top card and inserts it into the outer end of the pack, leaving it project- ing for most of its length. He brings his right fingers to the outer end of the projecting card to push it flush, when his right hand is now well forward of the pack in position for his left thumb to push the new top card directly into the rear palm position in his right hand.
(c) An excellent use for the rear palm is for inserting the palmed card directly into the centre of the pack at a position where a break is held. The inner left corner of the palmed card can be inserted into the break opening, which is prised open by the left little finger, as the right hand is brought over and covers the pack.
(d) With a previously selected card secretly in the rear palm posi- tion, a form of "Stop" trick can be performed.
Holding the pack in the dealing position in the left hand, take off a single card at a time, lifting each one with the right hand, the finger at the outer end and the thumb at the inner end. Drop each card onto the table until the spectator calls "stop". Now push the dropped cards forward with the right hand, adding the palmed card in this action, for the spectator to turn over.
(e) A fine colour change can be made with a card in the rear palm position.
Have the face of the rear-palmed card towards the right palm and hold the pack by the sides in the left hand, so that the face card of the pack is towards the spectators. Approach the pack with the right hand, fingers wide open, and as the rear of the palm comes over the face of the pack, leave the palmed card on the face. Bring the right hand back from the pack, fingers still open, when the face card of the pack will be seen to have changed.
To secretly replace a rear-palmed card on the bring the right hand over the pack and seize it, fingers in front and thumb at the rear. With the left thumb pull the top card and set it in perfect alignment.
(g) The following method enables the performer to palm the bot- tom card of a small packet of cards with one hand, the palmed card being taken to the Gambler's Palm position.
Hold the small packet of cards face down in the right hand, which grips the cards from above, the thumb at the centre of one side, the second finger at the centre of the opposite side and the curled on top. Press with the index finger and crimp the sides of the cards up- wards. Reach under the packet with the little finger and buckle the inner right corner of the bottom card, caus- ing the card to pivot clockwise on the thumb. As the card pivots, slide the second and third fingers along the outer side to the outer corner. This outer corner of the bottom card now be between the third and little fingers (Figure Straighten the little finger, clipping the corner of the card against the third finger.
Now move the left hand to the packet, the thumb going under the side against the right thumb and the forefinger above to hold the card and packet and move them to the fork of the right thumb. The packet can now be removed by the leaving the original bottom card in the Gambler's position in the right hand.