The Charlier Pass
As this pass is by far the best of all the single-handed passes, it is the only one I shall describe.
The pack is held in the left hand, as shown in Fig. 7. The thumb is kept at one side of the cards and the second and third fingers at the other side, while the first and fourth fingers lie slightly bent beneath the pack.
Fig 7
By slightly unloosing the thumb, the lower half of the pack is allowed to drop down into the position shown in Fig. 8. The first and fourth fingers immediately receive this packet and push it over towards the thumb, pressing it in an upright position against the latter. The upper pack is now allowed to drop down, as shown in Fig. 9, the former lower half being then placed on top of it (Fig. 10).
Fig 8
Although the various stages of the Charlier Pass are illustrated and described, it must, however, be understood that these different moves must blend into each other and be practically made one. (This same remark may be applied to the two passes previously explained). In practicing this pass, the right hand ought to be left out of play altogether, the left hand only being used in placing the cards in the position shown in Fig. 7.
Fig 9
The usual method of employing this pass is to hold the pack as shown in Fig. 7 and to request the person to insert the card in the pack thus offered him. As the performer is about to do so, the performer allows the lower half of the pack to drop into the position seen in Fig. 8, thereby silently inviting the spectator to place their card in the opening made. The right hand then approaches the pack and shields it for an instant, at the same time the left hand is rather quickly drawn back, the right hand following, the pass being invisibly made under cover of these movements.
Fig 10
An improvement &endash; or, rather, Charlier’s original way of performing this pass, consists of allowing the spectator to replace their card on the lower half of the pack, after which the conjurer calmly allows the upper half to drop on top of it.
Those of my readers who are familiar with the Charlier Pass will no doubt exclaim, “Why, that is not the Charlier Pass, as the selected card is now in the middle of the pack. ” So it is, my dear reader; but wait a moment before jumping to conclusions. If the card is in the middle of the pack, there is no reason why it should stay there. Neither does it. In dropping the upper half on the lower half, the conjurer simply waits for a chance to do the pass unobserved. When this opportunity arrives, the left thumb simply lifts the former upper half of the pack into its original position allowing the pass to be made in the regular fashion.
This trick is from the book “Card Tricks and How To Do Them”, published by A. Roterberg.