Sleight of Hand with Cards

In this volume, we are not going to assume that everyone knows every move in magic. We want to
encourage pure novices to be able to do any of the tricks in this book. To do that, knowledge of all moves is not
necessary. All moves that will be used for every trick will be explained. If you are an expert and are already
familiar with a sleight, then you can skip the explanation.

Card sleights can be fun. Sure its a lot of work, but the gratification of doing something that looks like
pure magic makes it worth it. In this first section we will be doing sleights that are easy and can be done right of
way. Then later on we will teach some more difficult sleights that is challenging, but important to do some real
good card tricks. No matter what level of sleight of hand you are learning, practice is important to make it natural because at first the handling will not be normal. Once you get use to it, then you will make it look natural.

There are some basic things that you need to know when learning sleight of hand. These are the essentials to card magic. First you need to know how to hold the deck of cards to be used in sleight of hand. In the
left hand the deck is almost always held in what is known as the mechanics grip. See figure 1. In the right hand
it almost always held as in figure 2.

Fig. 1

The reason for holding the
cards in this manner is that its easier
to do the following sleights.

Fig. 2

The Little Finger Break

These first two sleights that we are going to teach you are very important to card magic. The moves are
easy, but needs to be practiced to make it habit. The little finger is used to hold breaks in the deck for sleights like
the double lift and the pass.

First you must hold the deck in the mechanics grip as in figure 1. Lets say you have a card chosen and
you want to keep the card in control. One basic way to cut the deck in half with the right hand. Take the chosen card and put it in your left hand on top of the packet. Stick a centimeter of your left pinky finger of your left
hand over the right edge of the packet. Put the top half of the rest of the deck on the lower that is held in your
left hand. With the pinky, hold the break with the flesh of the pad of your left pinky (hence the name, Pinky
Break). See figure 3.

It may seem easy, but practice holding the deck
in this manner. The reason is that in card magic you
will be using it a lot. Now that you are holding the deck
like this, its time to some checking to make it looks norFig. 3
mal from the angle of the audience. From the front, you
must not see any kind of break or any tell tale sign that
the pinky is doing anything. From the back, you will see
the break.

Pinky Pull Down

This is one way of getting into a pinky break. Another way
is the Pinky Pull Down. Hold the deck in the left hand in the mechanics grip. With the left thumb push the top card to the right as
in figure 4. When you pull it back, put your left pinky in the break.
This is done in one hand and usually cannot be detected.

Fig. 4

Thumb Break

The thumb break is done in the right hand only. Its purpose is to
hold the break when the deck is taken from the left hand so the left hand can
be used for something else.

Hold the deck in the pinky break position in the left hand. The right
hand approaches the deck palm facing down. Change the grip from the left
hand to the right hand. Make sure the fleshy pad of the thumb holds the
break open as in figure 5. Make sure that the deck is squared from all angles
expect of course your view from the rear.

The Double Lift

Fig. 5

Once youve learned how to hold a break, its time to know what to do with it. One of the most useful
sleight utilizing the break is the double lift. What you do is lift two cards as one, but to the audience all you are
doing is taking just one card.

You will use the double and sometimes the triple lift all of the time in card magic. Just be careful with
the triple lift because it is more difficult to show the cards as one. In the double lift, you want to make it look like
one flat card as much as possible.

There is many ways of doing the double lift, but we are going to start off with the basic way first, then get
into more complex versions.

The Get Ready

Most methods use whats known as the get ready. The ideal way to do this is to just lift the two cards and
turn it over. However, without a get ready move of some sort, doing this can get clumsy. Fortunately, if you prepare your routines, it wont look awkward.

1st method: Spread two cards (or if you are going to do a triple lift, spread three). Put the left pinky
under the second card. Close the spread and hold the pinky break as in figure 3.

2nd method: This method uses the pinky pulled down. Take off the top card and display it. You can use
the motivation that you are showing the face of the card or just using it to point with it. While you are doing
this, pinky pulled down the next card and get a pinky break. Then put the card back on top.

3rd method: Sometimes its not always possible to spread the cards to get ready. The second card may
be secretly face up or it might be a different color or so on. So you must change the get ready to accommodate
those situations.

The deck is in the left hand in the mechanics grip. The right hand covers the deck as in figure 6. With the
right thumb in the rear, riffle two cards. It is possible to just lift the two cards from this position, but we suggest
not to take the chance. The best way is to riffle them one card at a time until you get to the number of cards you

want as in figure 7. After you have riffled down the two cards, get your pinky in the break and hold it as shown
in figure 3. A pause is in order for misdirection purposes.

Fig. 7
Fig. 6

Bill Tarr;s Thumb Count is similar, but he doesnt hesitate to do the lift. Instead of thumb counting from
the back, Tarr does it from the left inner corner of the deck. The motivation is that the right hand approaches
the deck for the reason of turning the card over. It is natural when peeling off anything light like a playing card,
some hesitation occurs.

The right thumb comes in contact with the inner left corner of deck. Notice in figure 8 that the upper
part of the first joint of the right thumb rests on the corner as the top card is being raised slightly. The bottom
part of the thumb tip does not touch the deck as of yet. It pivots down towards the corner of the deck and comes
in contact with the second card as shown in figure 9. Lift up the thumb higher so the second card rises up with
it. Pinch the two cards together forming one card. Lift both cards up as one. There should be very little hesitation in this. Just a slight one. Then continue on to the lift explained later on in this section

Fig. 8

Fig. 9

Fig. 10

3rd method: This method uses the pinky pulled down. Take off the top card and display it. You can use
the motivation that you are showing the face of the card or just using it to point with it. While you are doing
this, pinky pulled down the next card and get a pinky break. Then put the card back on top.

4th method: In their book, Expert Card Technique, Braue and Hugard describe a get ready method for
their lift. We will explain the get ready here then the lift under that section. Once again hold the deck in the
mechanics grip. Make sure that the left thumb lies flat against the left side of the deck. Dont hold the deck quite
as deep as you normally do.

Make sure the middle finger is situated in the middle of the pack. With the middle finger, press down on
the right side of the deck to your left so it spreads out. See figure 11. The base of the thumb acts like a stop to it
as the cards from the inner left corner pushes against it.


The right hand approaches the deck from above. The fingers are placed at the outer end. The thumb at
the rear. Lightly square up the deck. As you do, with the right thumb and second finger, press slightly in at the
ends of the top cards and bend it upwards causing an arch as in figure 12.

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

From the tip of the left middle finger let cards to
escape one at a time so they buckle upwards. Then hold
the break under the second card. Of course if you want a
triple lift, then let three cards go.

Place the ball of the left thumb on top of the outer half of the deck. Lift up the right thumb at the inner
end. Use the middle finger as a hinge. It will cause the cards to lever up. Insert the pads of your left pinky into
the break that is on the right side of the deck. Square up the pack with the right thumb and middle finger.

5th method: This is from The Second Now You See It, Now You Dont by Bill Tarr. This book is one of
Michaels favorite. Not only does Mr. Tarr explain the sleight of hand very well, but the illustrations by Barry
Ross was very influential to him illustrating magic.

Hold the deck in the left hand in the mechanics grip. From there, you need to adjust your grip. The left
forefinger goes under the deck as in figure 13. The thumb is on the outside at the edge of the cards and counts
one card. See figure 14. The right hand covers the deck. As it does, under cover of this, the left thumb counts a
second card. In figure 15 the right hand is omitted for clarity.

Fig. 13

Fig. 14

Fig. 16

The right thumb and forefinger
enters the break and clips the card as
one. The right wrist turns over and
reveals the face of the card as figure
16. Then it is set back on the top of
the deck.

Fig. 15

The Lift
Grip the two cards with your right thumb very similar to the thumb break. With the two middle fingers and
thumb, lift the pair as one. See figure 17. Turn them over face up as figure 18. With the free index finger, bow
the cards slightly away making a tunnel as in figure 19.

Fig. 17

Fig. 18

Fig. 19

By bending the card in this manner keeps the two cards together. If you kept it like figure 18, there might
be a chance that the card might have a crimp in it and buckle revealing the two cards. After the card is shown,
return the card(s) to the top of the deck.

That is the basic way of doing. Even though from time to time you might do it this way, there are more
advance ways of doing the lift. One way is to grip the lower right corner of the two cards between your right
forefinger and thumb. Then lift it up to display it making sure that the cards dont slip away and revealing the
two cards.

Bill Tarrs Corner
Double Lift is similar to the
riffle, but done at the corner
Fig. 20
of the deck. The get ready is
minimal in the sense that it is
done at the same time so thats
why its explained here. In this
move you dont actually riffle
the deck as in figure 20.

The right thumb comes
in contact with the lower left
corner of the deck. It lifts up
a single corner and stops as in figure 21. Then the thumb moves in slightly
resting against the corner of the next card. In figure 22 you can see the thumb rock inwards towards the deck.
Notice how the thumb resting against it. Then it lifts straight up taken the second card with it. (See figure 23.)

Fig. 21

Fig. 22

Fig. 23


Figure 24 shows the two cards after its been lifted by the
thumb. Pinch the cards between either the middle finger and
thumb or the index as in figure 25. Then turn the card over
from left to right as shown in figure 26. Notice here the cards are
pinched between the index finger. Whatever you find is easier for
you is expectable.

Fig. 24

Fig. 25

The best way of displaying the double card is to
turn it over face up on top of the deck. There are several
ways of doing this. One method mentioned in Card
College Volume 1 is called the Double Turnover. The
right hand grips the deck as in figure 27 with the thumb
in the back and the middle finger in front. Make sure
to grip the two cards with these fingers. Move the cards
to the right slightly to get ready to turn them over. Take
note in figure 27 the positions of the fingers. The left
thumb should give the illusion that it is pushing the card
over but in reality you are moving to the right.

Move the card even more to the right and stop
when the left side is at the right part of the deck. Move
the left thumb under the two cards and pivot it up. The
cards must act like its connected to the middle finger
and thumb. See figure 28.

When the cards are face up, then square it to the
deck making sure you keep a pinky break on it. Repeat
this to bring it back face down.

Fig. 26

Fig. 27

Fig. 28
In Card College Volume 4 it has a
double lift by Cliff Green. As the move is explained in Card College, it is part of a larger
trick, but we will only show it up to the point
of the double lift.

Hold the deck in the left hand in the
mechanics grip and get a pinky break above
the second card. The right approaches it as in
figure 29.

Fig. 29

In figure 30 the fingers of the right hand
goes to the left top part of the deck. The right
forefinger is placed at the left corner.

Fig. 30

Fig. 31

Stroke the right thumb at the back of this left hand corner as if you were trying to peal the top card off. Move the hand
forward without a card as if you missed. See figure 31. Then
moved the thumb forward a few times as if you are trying to get
the top card.


Your left pinky pushes the lower
right corner over to the left injoggin it a bit
causing a step as in figure 32. At the same
time with the right forefinger and thumb
pinch the upper left corner of the card giving the illusion that you sliding the top card
off. Pull this double card forward. (See
figure 33).

Fig. 32

Fig. 33

Lightly press your right middle finger against the outer end of this
double card to prevent it from slipping. When the cards move all the way up
the deck, hinge it over towards you and place it on top getting a pinky break.
This time dont hesitate. Slide the thumb forward and repeat the move to the
turn the card back over face up.

Dai Vernon describes his double lift in his Ambitious Card routine in Stars of Magic. After you get a
pinky break on the two cards then you can do the move or you can do Vernons get ready move. Make sure that
the deck is slightly convex by putting a slight crimp into it. Hold the deck as in figure 34 making sure that the
deck is held between the left fingertips and thumb.