Expert Card Technique. Jean Hugard

at the inner end, near the right corner.

      4. Swing the little finger to the right, carrying the inner end of the packet with it, the outer end pivoting on the tip of the right little finger at the outer right corner. This action causes the packet to project diagonally, Fig. 1.

      5. Remove the right thumb from the inner end and lower the right wrist until the inner left corner of the packet to be palmed presses against the inner surface of the right thumb at its root, the pack being supported by the curled left first finger pressing up against its face.

      Lift the left thumb and place it slantwise across the left outer corner of the deck, thus gripping it between the thumb and the side of the first finger, the right fingers supporting the pack meanwhile. Grip the packet between the tip of the right little finger at the outer right corner and the root of the right thumb at the inner left corner. Exert an inward pressure with the thumb and finger as the left hand withdraws the pack to the left, the right thumb moving inwards as though to touch the tip of the second finger and thus curving the packet up into the right hand where it is palmed.

      Note particularly that the right hand must remain stationary as the left hand carries the pack away, otherwise the illusion is destroyed.

      If it is desired to palm cards from the bottom into the left hand, the procedure is simply reversed: The right hand grips the pack as for dealing and the left hand covers it.

      Delaying the Braue Bottom Palm. The series of actions from No. 1 to 4 having been made, an extremely effective use of the palm is the following:

      1. Grasp the diagonally jogged packet between the tip of the right forefinger and the base of the palm, extending the thumb straight along the inner end of the pack. The packet is now to all intents and purposes already palmed, for if the pack is removed not another action need be made to bring the cards up against the right palm. Figure 2 shows the right hand, seen from below, with the pack and packet in the correct positions. The right first finger is curled tightly at the top, its nail pressing upon the back of the top card, exposing as much of its surface as possible. The deck is held in a vertical position.

      2. Transfer it to the left hand, grasping it at the left side. A moment before the pack is removed to the left the right first finger straightens and the palmed packet is perfectly concealed, the right hand remaining motionless as the left hand moves away.

      To the onlookers, the pack is transferred to the right hand, which holds it naturally as the left hand is used for any purpose, such as moving cards previously tabled, or tugging at the right sleeve, or gesturing. The cards are taken from the right hand and, the packet having long since been effectively gripped in the right hand, it seemingly is impossible for a palm to be effected. The impression created here is that the two hands are not together long enough to permit sleight of hand.

      THE ZINGONE BOTTOM PALM

      This very ingenious method of palming cards from the bottom of a deck can be used with a full deck but it is most useful in cases where it is necessary to steal a few cards from the bottom of a small packet. We will take the latter case first and suppose that three cards are to be palmed from the bottom of a packet of ten cards. The moves follow:

      a. 1. Hold the packet of ten cards face outwards in the right hand between the thumb at the lower left corner and the four fingers on the upper end, the little finger holding a break between the three cards to be stolen and the packet of seven cards above them. Press on the ends of the cards bending them inwards towards the palm, Fig. 1.

      2. Spread the first and little fingers in opposite directions, the first finger towards the left, the little finger towards the right, carrying their respective packets with them, and move the second and third fingers to the right until the side of the top joint of the second finger rests against the side of the upper packet just below the upper right corner, Fig. 2. These two fingers with the little finger cover the removal of the three bottom cards.

      3. Slide the first finger along the top edge of the upper packet and clip the seven cards by their right upper corners against the first joint of the second finger, Fig. 3.

      4. Let the inner end of the upper packet slip free from the thumb, leaving the seven cards held only by the top joints of the first and second fingers. Bend the thumb inwards, pushing the three cards into the hand, and palm them by bending the second, third and fourth fingers on them and, at the same moment, press the point of the thumb against the upper index corner of the other packet, turning it upwards into a vertical position, face inwards, Fig. 4.

      The action of the palm takes place in moving the right hand a little downwards and towards the left, for example, in placing the packet in the left hand or in giving it to a spectator to wrap up in a handkerchief.

      b. With a Full Deck

      1. Hold the pack in exactly the same manner as in a, the little finger holding a break between the cards to be palmed and the remainder of the deck.

      2. Move the second, third and fourth fingers towards the right, the little finger carrying the lower packet with it, until the side of the first joint of the second finger rests against the side of the upper packet at the right upper corner, Fig. 2.

      3. Slide the first finger along the top edge of the upper packet to join the second finger as in Fig. 3 but without clipping the outer corner of the packet between the fingers.

      4. Place the upper packet in the left hand, at the same moment bending the right thumb inwards carrying the lower packet into the right hand. Let the corner of this packet slip off the thumb and bend the right fingers inwards palming the bottom packet as the right hand drops naturally to the side.

      The action takes place as the right hand moves towards the left and places the pack in the left hand. The removal of the bottom packet is completely concealed by the back of the right hand.

      THREE CARDS ACROSS

      In his version of this popular trick Mr. Zingone uses his one-hand bottom palm with quite startling effect. The moves follow:

      1. Have the pack shuffled by a spectator and then have him deal ten cards onto your left hand.

      2. Have three of these cards initialled by different spectators and collect them on the top of the packet. Check the number by counting the cards into your right hand and secure a break between the three bottom cards (the initialled cards) and the remaining seven. Take the packet in the right hand by the ends in exactly the same way as for the bottom palm.

      3. Again hold out your left hand to the spectator and have him deal ten more cards onto it.

      4. Holding your hands well separated, ask another spectator to take out his handkerchief and hold it up by two corners. Bring your right hand to the middle-of the handkerchief at the same time executing the one-hand bottom palm with the three cards (the initialled cards). Thrust the packet of seven cards against the handkerchief and have the spectator wrap them in it and hold them.

      5. Immediately remark that you haven’t checked the second packet of ten cards and count these cards from the left hand into the right, face upwards, on top of the palmed cards.

      6. Take the thirteen cards with the left hand by turning it back upwards and thrusting the thumb under the palmed cards thus adding them imperceptibly to the cards just counted.

      7. Hand the