Palming Cards - Tips and Advice

This isn't going to discuss technique as such but more tips to evade "getting caught".

The trouble that most people who think they can't palm cards have is in this sentence - they think they can't - and so lack confidence. This is probably the biggest stumbling block for those attempting to palm cards and getting caught. It's a vicious circle, you are nervous and self conscious of the card, the spectator can sense the nervousness and starts to look for what's wrong and spots the palm, you get caught and so lose confidence. So the circle goes and it gets worse and worse to the point where you've probably given up completely. Sound familiar? If so read on...

*Technique*. If you haven't already got a good book with a palming technique in it then get one - forget youtube or other dodgy methods of learning if you're serious about it, do it properly. The Royal Road to Card Magic is a good starting point and from there the first piece of advice I give is as always practice, practice, practice. A very common misconception is that your hands are too small. Unless you are very young your hands will be big enough to palm with and if you can lay a card on the table and cover it with your hand so it is completely covered your hand is big enough - the rest is technique and practice. Once you have the technique sorted then it's all about the phases...

*The steal*.Unless you're palming more than one card there's very little in the way of a get ready so the first thing to consider is give your palming hand a reason to be over the deck. That can be as simple as squaring the deck, handing the deck out to shuffle, putting it down on to a table, etc. It doesn't really matter as long as the subconscious question "Why is his hand on the deck?" has an answer which isn't "To palm a card".

*The takeaway*. No not Chinese or Indian but the removal of your hand with the card(s) from the deck. First thing is make it natural, linger a while, don't take it away the instant you have the card palmed. Hold onto the deck for a while before putting it down, handing it out or whatever you're going to do with it and then when you do take your hand away do it as naturally as possible. Don't rush it or by the same token be real slow either, as normal as possible is the way and that is an individual thing. How do you normally take your hand away? Try it and then practice getting the palming hand to look the same.

*Keep it hidden* Ah yes, this is the troublesome bit for most. First off make sure you've read "the steal" & "the takeaway" sections first. Get these right and the concealment is going to be much easier because the spectator isn't suspicious in the first place. Get them wrong and it's always going to be hard keeping it hidden. If the specs looking for it you're halfway beaten already. I would suggest to start with that you build your confidence up with "short" palms. By that I mean short concealment times, an ideal example are some card to pocket/wallet routines or transposition effects where you can take the cards almost straight from the pack and deposit it somewhere else rather than have to hold it for a relatively long period of time. This will help to build up your confidence so you're not telegraphing the fact that you're hiding something. Once your confidence starts to grow then, when you feel ready move on to longer time period palms.

For a longer palm one thing to avoid is the jutting out thumb (in fact this applies to all palms but particularly important for longer ones). If you look at your hand when it's naturally relaxed you'll notice that your thumb lays alongside your index finger possibly even touching it at the tip not stuck out at right angles which is one very common mistake. Remember as well that cards flex and bend so use that to your advantage. Stand or sit in a normal performing position for you and relax your palming arm and hand. Note where it is and what it looks like - that's the look you need to have when there's a card there.

Don't let your arm just dangle in the wind in some awkward pose or you'll become self-conscious of the card. Do something with it while you're waiting for the spec to shuffle the deck, bend your index fingertip in and then scratch your face, pull up your sleeve slightly, pick at some imaginary piece of fluff on your clothing, pick up a glass, or any similar motion that fits your circumstances. With practice you'll find that you can point quite naturally with your index finger while the card is bent into the palm with the rest of your fingers. See the photos as an example. In one I'm handing over the cards for a shuffle, in the other scratching myself and in either it's not immediately obvious that I have a card palmed and that's what you're looking for - to look natural not awkward.

If you only get one piece of info from this post then make sure it is - get used to having the card in the palm. If you practice palming a card enough you will eventually hold it there and almost be completely unaware of it. In fact apart from the few angle issues which will vary depending on whether your surrounded, performing to one spec, etc you should use your hand as you would normally. If you string together some of the suggestions in this section you'll be able to keep a card palmed for a relatively long time (10 - 15 seconds) without it looking suspicious. Just don't scratch your face for 15 seconds or that will look suspicious. How about handing out the cards for a shuffle then drop your hands to your front and rub the back of your non-palming hand with the other. Then have a quick scratch of your face maybe, drop your hand to your side briefly then pull back your sleeve to look at your watch and say something like "is this shuffle going to take long only I have another show next week" or something that suits your style.

*Putting it back*. - Not necessarily where it came from but this is probably the easiest bit of the lot. Again as in the steal don't immediately rush to replace it on the pack especially if it's coming back from a shuffle and again make sure there's a reason to put your hand on top of the pack. There is usually a perfectly good excuse of squaring the pack for that but again it is important to have a reason. If you've been bending the card a lot while palming it and if you're following this advice you will have, it would be a good idea to straighten it again before letting it be seen. The easiest way to do this is riffling the pack assuming it's going back on the pack. If producing it from somewhere else such as a table top then as you reveal the card just bow it the other way as you turn it over or bring it out of wherever it's supposedly been.

As always take advantage of misdirection that fits your style at all stages, the more help you get the better.

As a last note a great tip I picked up from the Card College series by Roberto Giobbi is to practice palming a card when you perform even if you don't need too. That way you'll get used to doing it in front of spectators when it's not important which in turn will give you much more confidence to do it when it is.

I hope you find this lot useful and if you've anything to add or comments to make then please feel free. Remember confidence is everything and there's no such thing as too much practice.

Credit:
www.magichat.co.uk website by FastBikerBoy* on October 9th, 2007, 8:22 am