The Regular Palm To secretly obtain possession of a selected card which has been brought to the top of the pack by means of the pass, the following method is usually adopted. The pack is held in the left hand, the back of the cards, of course, being uppermost. The right hand is then placed lengthwise over the pack, while at the same time the left thumb pushes the top card of the pack over into the right, which seizes the card and is then partly closed just enough to give it a natural appearance. Fig. 23 shows the manner in which the card is held, resting against the slightly bent first joints of the second and third fingers and the root of the thumb. Fig 23 The right hand is now carelessly dropped to the side or placed on the hip, while with the left hand the pack is handed to a spectator with the request to shuffle it. A still better, but much bolder plan, is to seize the pack with the same hand in which the card is concealed and in this fashion hand it out to be shuffled, the left hand being casually shown empty during the maneuver. The proper way in which to hold the pack for this purpose is to grasp it between the first joint of the thumb and the lower joint of the first finger of the right hand, the inside of which is turned toward the floor. Care must be taken to hold the fingers of this hand closely together, so that the spectator, to whom the pack is given, cannot get a glimpse of an accidentally exposed part of the palmed card. When the pack has been returned to the conjurer, the latter receives it with the left hand and carelessly passing the right hand over it, leaves the palmed card on the top. Most performers have a habit of ruffling the pack just after the palmed card has been replaced. I would warn the reader against the acquirement of this habit, as the ruffling generally conveys the impression that some subtle sleight is taking place, or that it has already been executed, being disguised by the ruffle. In my opinion, a performer of artistic inclinations ought to appear to manipulate the cards in as natural a way as any other person, who is not a conjurer, would do. All flourishes, as palming off part of the pack and reproducing it, making single handed passes to show off one's dexterity, etc., ought to be studiously avoided, as they only tend to create the impression that the conjurer is past master in the art of handling the pasteboards. If this impression is made the spectator will readily conclude, after seeing the artist perform some difficult and intricate card tricks, that it is no wonder such marvelous results can be attained when one can manipulate the cards as dexterously as the conjurer did a while ago. Thus the effect of later tricks is greatly reduced by the unwise flourishing of earlier tricks. Home | Card Tricks | Card Trick Skills | The Pass | The Force | Changes False Shuffling | The Glimpse | Card Palm | Card Sleights Copyright © 2003-2006 HowToDoCardTricks.com. All rights reserved worldwide.   You can quickly get a copy of every trick on this web site in a downloadable PDF book. That's over 40 classic card tricks to amaze and astound your friends, all stored on your computer to refer to at any time! Just click the link below to get your own copy today for just $5.