Confessions of a cardshark: December 2009

These notes are compiled from Jeff Wessmiller and Awhan Patnaik and are designed to give the Erdnase student a better understanding of the Diagonal Palm Shift from Expert at the Card Table. These notes are designed to be a supplement to the text, not an alternative. In an attempt to make it easier for the reader, the points have been numbered and placed in position relative to when they should be considered during the move.

1) Focus on smoothness, not on speed (Wessmiller)

When the move is overly rushed, it is unnatural. When you honestly take a selected card from a spectator and push it flush into the deck you perform it very openly and slowly. Remember what Erdnase says about Uniformity of Action. Do the blind as you would the real thing.

2) Always allow the spectator to insert the card (Patnaik)

This allows for one fluid motion of palming the card. if you still insist on inserting the card yourself, the move should be broken down into multiple steps. This is primarily because there is no reason for you to position your right thumb at the rear of the deck to push the card flush, as you could accomplish this same task with just one finger. Take the card from the spectator and push the card in leaving it slightly protruding. Start the second step by tilting the deck up and flashing the face of the outjogged card to the spectators under the guise of having them commit the card to memory. This allows you to adjust your grip on the cards as you bring your hands back down, and anchor your right thumb at the left inner corner of the deck.

3) Straighten the left forefinger (Wessmiller)

The left forefinger should not remained curled under the deck for the entire move. This will become a huge obstacle. When the jogged card is transferred from the right forefinger to the left thumb, the forefinger of the left hand should reposition and straighten out.

4) Stretch the left fingers (Wessmiller)

The way to avoid reaching for the card with the left hand is to have it already positioned further up the deck. This is accomplished by placing the left index, middle, and ring finger against the side of the right pinky while adjusting the jogged card with the left thumb.

5) Adjust the pivot point (Wessmiller)

This tip is from Vernon, and that is to alleviate the common flash of the left fingers in reaching for the card to be palmed. The way this is accomplished is by changing the fulcrum of the diagonally positioned card. The left pinky needs to be positioned in the middle of the long side of the card before the pivot occurs. This causes the card to pivot right into the palm as opposed to slightly out of it’s reach as it would when the left pinky is positioned lower.

6) Left hand should be positioned palm up, not towards you (Wessmiller)

This will save you from unnecessary movement of the fingers when trying to execute the palm.

7) Avoid a back and forth action with the left hand (Patnaik)

You should not use a back and forth action with the left hand to push the card through the deck. The card to be palmed should be pushed through in one continuous motion. Vernon mentions using the squaring action to position the card properly for the pivot.

8) The left thumb should clear over the right thumb (Patnaik)

The left thumb should go over the right thumb as the card is being palmed. This is to prevent the fish hooking that the thumb would instinctively do; suggesting that a card is being palmed. This is straight out of Erdnase

9) The left hand should remain as motionless as possible (Patnaik)

The card is not taken out by the left hand but dropped in the hand as the right hands the deck out to be shuffled. This is very important to direct the spectators attention to the deck rather than the dirty left hand.

10) Do not force the palm (Patnaik)

When the left hand palms the card(s), all the formulas for the bottom palm should be applied. If the move is done correctly the card will automatically lie in the left hand classic palm position and all the left palm has to do is to turn down. No effort to extend the fingers to squeeze the card into position should be made. The left palm and fingers should remain motionless when executing this move.

11) Turn the left hand palm down after the move (Wessmiller)

To emulate natural movement the palm should turn down and the whole arm should rotate at the elbow downwards and drop to the side. While it may look good on camera to leave the hand palm up, it provides angle issues during performance. If you look at figure 75 you will see how far the left hand should be turned after the palm is made. If you turn the hand too dramatically you will suffer two consequences. The card is inclined to snap out of the deck and cause an audible click, and the left hand will appear unnatural. This should be avoided at all costs.

12) Make the movements of the left arm natural (Patnaik)

The left hand should not stay suspended like a zombie above your waist. When a layman is asked to push a card flush into the deck, their hand falls naturally at the side of the body once the action is complete. Unless you keep the deck in the hand as seen in figure 76, the left hand needs to fall to the side.

13) Do not move the left hand towards your body after palming (Patnaik)

This would call more attention then is desired to your left hand. Remember to be natural and practice often.

Additional thoughts:

Other ways to perform the Diagonal Palm Shift:

1) Separate the move, change the moment (Wessmiller)

The DPS can also be performed in two distinctive actions:

“In the palm-shift described the card is placed in its diagonal position with apparently the customary movement of squaring up, (first action) and the rest is accomplished, as it were, by handing the deck to be shuffled (second action)”

As soon as you have the card in the diagonal position, perform two moves simultaneously: transfer the control of the card from your right forefinger to your left thumb, and reposition your right hand further to the right in a natural, relaxed, squaring motion. This will cover the actions of the left hand even more, and simulates what you would do if you were not performing the DPS. Remember that you need to convey that nothing is happening. If you are uncomfortable how you are handling the cards, the spectators will pick up on it and you will be caught every time.

If you pause here, the audience should believe the action is complete. In actuality you are incredibly dirty, only half way done with the move, and a card protruding diagonally from the deck.

This would be a good time to make a gesture or comment to misdirect the audience. Remember how you repositioned the right hand to give you that extra cover? Take advantage of it.

2) Flash a window (Wessmiller)

This is a concept I recall hearing about for the first time on a Patrick Paige DVD. The idea is that when a card is palmed with the palm of the hand facing the magicians eyes, a deck can be placed at the fingertips and create an illusion of an empty hand due to the “window of emptiness” visible to the audience. In other words, there is a space between the deck and the palm of the left hand that the audience can see through, which makes the hand appear empty. If you hold the deck in a death grip to conceal the palm(ing) you could arouse suspicion. You can display that window before pulling away the left hand.

Video by Jeff Wessmiller: