Even more tricks with the Palm

Gathering of the Clan

It is always advisable to use a number of tricks which do not require the choice of a card. In this trick, the four aces, placed in different packets, gather mysteriously in one of them. [Note: Varying the types of effects in a performance prevents the audience from developing a pattern recognition that might expose methods – RJW]

  1. Let us say that you have just done the Poker Player’s Picnic and that the four aces are lying on the table. Gather the other cards and, under cover of squaring them with the right thumb, lift the inner ends of two cards at the top and insert the tip of the left little finger under them.
  2. Pick up the four aces one by one and place them face upwards on top of the pack. Do not look at your hands; concentrate your attention on those about you. Immediately lift off the face-up aces, together with the two face-down cards below them. Hold the six cards neatly squared into a packet with its outer end sloping downwards. As though struck with a sudden thought, say, “Here’s an interesting thing you may like,” and place the pack on the table. If you have played your part well, the spectators will not realize that the aces have even approached the pack. [Note: The casual pickup of extra cards while displaying the aces demonstrates how natural actions can hide the most critical moves – RJW]
  3. Take the packet in the left hand by the sides, between the thumb on one side and the fingers on the other. Indicate the top ace of the packet, calling its name. Remove it, turn it face downwards, and place it at the bottom of the packet. Do the same with the next two aces, but after calling the name of the last ace turn it face downwards on top. Thus you have not only shown the four aces but you have secretly arranged the two indifferent cards second and third from the top.
  4. Place the packet on top of the deck, and pick up the deck. Deal the first four cards in a row from left to right, casually allowing the onlookers to get a glimpse of the faces of the first and fourth, which are aces, but being careful not to show the two indifferent cards.
  5. Announce that you will place three indifferent cards on each of the four aces. Push off the top card of the deck into your right hand, taking it between the thumb at the inner end and the fingers at the outer end, counting “One.” In the same way push off and take the next card underneath and, overlapping the first card, count “Two.” Take a third card in exactly the same way and count “Three.” Square the three cards by pushing them against the side of your left thumb and in so doing let the third card drop back on to the pack. Carry away two cards only, as if they were still three, and place them on the ace at the extreme left of the row. These two cards, you remember, are aces, so that three aces are now together in this packet. [Note: This subtle false count is beautifully disguised within the natural action of squaring the cards – RJW]
  6. Push off three more cards in the same way, counting them into the right hand and squaring them against the left thumb. Place the packet of three indifferent cards on the second (supposed) ace. Do exactly the same with the third and fourth cards of the row. You have thus made three packets of four cards and one packet of three (aces).
  7. Push the packet at the extreme left, the three aces, a little to one side. Pick up the next packet by cutting half the deck, dropping the cut on the packet, picking all up, and replacing the cut. Cut about a third of the deck, drop it on the third packet, and add all to the deck. Pick up the fourth packet and drop it on top of the deck. Execute an overhand shuffle, retaining these four cards at the top.
  8. It is necessary now to get the fourth ace, which is fourth from the top, to the top of the deck in order to palm it. To do this very simply, say: “You remember what we did? I dealt an ace on the table, so” (deal one card face downwards). “On it I dealt three cards, so” (deal three more cards). “And I did that four times. Is that right?” All agree. Pick up the packet and place it on the deck. You have the ace on the top.
  9. Square the deck and, under cover of the movement and talking, palm the top card–the fourth ace. Hold the deck in your right hand as you say, “The aces are very clannish. They hate being separated. Remember that there are three aces in the deck” (take it with your left hand and place it on the table in front of a spectator) “–and one ace here.” Place your right hand on the packet of three aces, adding the palmed ace and picking all up by drawing the cards towards you. “Place your hand on the deck, please. No matter how tightly you hold the cards you cannot stop the gathering of the clan, but you may feel them go.” [Note: The dramatic presentation of “feeling them go” adds a mystical element that enhances the effect beyond mere card manipulation – RJW]
  10. Tap the back of his hand with your packet, then take it, still squared, in your left hand. Take the deck with the right hand and spread it face upwards on the table with a flourish. “No aces there!” you exclaim. “Here are all four!” Turn the packet in your left hand face upwards and slowly spread the four aces.

Spring Catch

The flourish springing the cards, when used in conjunction with the palm, affords a most effective climax to a program of feats with cards. Let us say that you have secretly brought a spectator’s card to the top of the pack. Proceed as follows: [Note: This technique combines showmanship with skill, demonstrating how flourishes can serve both entertainment and method – RJW]

  1. Palm the card in your right hand.
  2. Hold the pack face upwards in the right hand, bending it strongly as for the spring flourish.
  3. Let the cards fly upwards in a stream. Rapidly thrust your right hand among the cards in the air, and produce the palmed card at your finger tips by bending the top phalanx of the middle finger on the back of the card, then extending the fingers and placing the thumb on the inner right corner. The card is then held between the tips of the thumb and forefinger as if just caught from the air.

Simple as this sounds, the feat makes a brilliant finish to a series of card discoveries, but it must be done with dash and showmanship.

A Vested Interest

A chosen card vanishes from the pack and is found under the performer’s shirt, both vest and shirt having to be opened to bring it out. The only requirements are a pack of cards and two pencil stubs. Have the latter in your upper left vest pocket. [Note: This effect takes advantage of early 20th-century men’s fashion when vests were commonly worn, providing natural cover for the method – RJW]

  1. Have the cards shuffled and allow a spectator to select one card freely. When he has noted it and has shown it to the others, have it returned and control it to the top.
  2. Shuffle the pack again, keeping the chosen card in the same position, then in squaring the cards palm it in your right hand. Give the pack to the spectator for him to shuffle also.
  3. As he does so, say, “Oh, I forgot that in this experiment the card should be marked for identification.” Reach under your coat to your vest pocket and under cover of getting the small pencil stub, slip the end of the palmed card under the edge of your vest at the armhole, then bring out both stubs. Continue, “Will you find your card and place a small mark on its face?” Hand the spectator one of the stubs.
  4. Replace the second stub in your vest pocket, at the same time reach out with your fingers and pull the card inwards under the vest as far as possible.
  5. The spectator fails to find his card and tells you it is not in the pack. “Your card has disappeared, you say? That’s strange, very strange! What card was it?” The spectator names his card. “Ah, that accounts for it. That card is the biggest prankster of the lot, always playing tricks on its own account. I feel something tickling me. Allow me, please.” Unbutton the second and third lower buttons of your vest and open your shirt at that place. Thrust your right hand into the opening, your thumb going under the shirt and your fingers between the shirt and the vest. Pull the card down with the tips of your fingers, then quickly seize it between the thumb and fingers, and draw it out smartly, apparently from under the shirt.

“There it is, the playful little rascal. It was tickling me to let me know where it had got to!” The only plausible plot would seem to be the one indicated, namely, that the cards indulge in unexpected antics of their own accord. [Note: The anthropomorphic characterization of the cards as mischievous creates a whimsical narrative that makes the impossible seem playfully logical. When I was performing in more risque venues I would do a similar trick, but instead of pulling the card from under my shirt, I pulled it from the fly of my pants. I had my pants pocket modified so I could add a palmed card to the pocket and pull it out from the fly. – RJW]

Piano Trick

Announce that you will try to show a simple card trick of pure skill, and ask the company to pay particular attention to your movements, for your success will depend on whether or not they detect your sleight. Make this statement as a sincere challenge for its purpose is to condition those present to look for a sleight which you never perform and thus divert them from the real explanation. “If at any time I make a false movement,” you continue, “I want you to stop me immediately and say so.” [Note: This reverse psychology creates heightened scrutiny for non-existent sleights while the actual method operates through mathematical principles – RJW]

  1. Hand a pack of cards to someone for shuffling and, when he is satisfied that they are well mixed, take them back and invite him to assist you. Have him place the tips of the fingers and thumbs of both hands on the table, the hands arched as if playing the piano. It is from this position of the hands that the trick takes its name.
  2. Take any two cards from the pack, show them, and say, “Here are two cards, a pair, even. I place them between your fingers in this manner.” Place them in the space between the person’s ring and little fingers, the sides of the card resting on the table, and have the person grip them in that position.
  3. Take two more cards, saying, “Two more cards, another pair, always even.” Place them in the space between the ring and middle fingers, adjoining the first pair.
  4. Show a third pair and repeat the phrase, “Two cards, a pair, always even,” and place them between the person’s index and middle fingers.
  5. Now take one card only and place it between the thumb and index finger as you say, “One card only, odd” (Fig. 62).
  6. Continue by filling the four spaces of the other hand with pairs of cards, being very careful each time to lay stress on the words even and pair. You do not place an odd card between the thumb and index finger of this hand. The peculiarity of this arrangement always attracts attention and arouses much curiosity as to what you are going to do. [Note: The asymmetrical arrangement creates the perfect psychological setup, focusing attention on the obvious disparity while hiding the mathematical principle – RJW]
  7. Proceed by taking away one of the pairs of cards, showing them. “Two cards,” you say. “A pair, even.” Take one card in each hand and lay them apart, face downwards, on the table. Take a second pair, repeating the formula, “Two cards, always even,” and place one on each of the first two cards. Proceed in exactly the same way until you have laid all the pairs in two piles.
  8. “Now,” you say, “we have made two piles, each of which contains an even number of cards. That is right, isn’t it?” The reply is always in the affirmative, strange as that may seem when you know the trick. “Very well,” you continue, “if I place this odd card–” (you remove the single card from between the person’s thumb and index finger) “–on either heap, it must make that heap odd. Correct?” Again there is universal agreement. “Very well. On which of the two heaps shall I put this odd card? This one? So now this heap becomes odd while the other remains even. I warn you, you must watch very closely, for I am about to attempt a very difficult sleight. If you catch me at it, I want you to say so. If you don’t–I’ll be happy. I place one hand on this heap, now become the odd one, as chosen by you. I place my other hand on the even pile and I keep them well apart, as you see.

“My trick is this. I shall pass one card from one heap to the other, so that this odd pile will become the even pile and the even pile the odd one. Remember, if you see the card as I throw it across, I want you to say so. Ready? Watch closely! Pass!”

  1. Suiting your actions to your words, you have placed your hands palms downwards on the two packets, keeping them about eighteen inches apart. At the word “Pass” you make a quick sidewise motion of each hand an inch or two and at once rather excitedly exclaim, “Did you see it go?” Of course they didn’t, and you say happily, “Then my trick is a complete success. This heap, which was odd, is now even.” You pick up and count the cards by pairs–“two, and two, and two, and two–even. While this one, which was even, is now odd–two, and two, and two, and one–odd, isn’t it?”

Do not be misled by the apparent simplicity of the trick. Presented as described above, it has a really astonishing effect, but remember that the presentation is everything. [Note: This mathematical impossibility – each pile contains exactly the same cards it started with – demonstrates how powerful misdirection and presentation can make the impossible seem to occur. The “trick” is entirely in the handling and patter, not in any physical manipulation – RJW]