Expert Card Technique. Jean Hugard

two cards before him to sight his hole card. The pack goes behind the screening cards and he glimpses the top card.

      b. One Card

      We will assume that you wish to learn the name of the top card, either to use as a key card, as a force card, or as the spectator’s chosen card:

      1. Hold the right hand with its palm to the audience on your right side and move your left hand up to it, thus bringing the pack to a vertical position face outwards.

      2. Touch the tip of the right forefinger with the tip of the left forefinger, Fig. 2, making some such remark as, “The tip of my right forefinger, ladies and gentlemen, has miraculous powers.”

      3. In the meantime you have buckled the top card with the left thumb, as in “a” above, and have sighted the index.

      The action provides a logical excuse for turning your gaze to the pack.

      c. Several Cards

      In performing a five card routine in which cards peeked at are shifted to the top by the side slip, you wish to learn the name of each card.

      1. Holding the pack in position for the glimpse, as given above, turn to the right and place the tip of the left forefinger against the tip of the right little finger, commenting, “That’s the first card.” The position of the pack in the left hand enables you to buckle the top card and sight the index as you tick off the first spectator, Fig. 2.

      2. As each card is brought to the top you count off the spectator’s number against the fingers of the right hand. The action is the familiar one of enumerating against the five right fingers and provides a logical reason for looking towards the pack without arousing any suspicions.

      CHAPTER 12. THE JOG

      THE SIDE JOG

      It is usually in the apparently minor details of sleights that the really expert card-man shines, for he has learned from experience that the handling of cards must be natural and, above all, effortless, even the smallest actions being made in the simplest and best possible manner.

      In the following sleight, the purpose of which is to jog a card secretly at the right side after its insertion in the end of the deck, ease of accomplishment is matched by absolute control of the card.

      1. Riffle the end of the pack for the return of a chosen card, the pack being held in the left hand as for the thumb count, with the thumb flat against the side.

      2. With the card inserted three-quarters of its length, place the right second and third fingers at the outer end of the projecting card near the left corner, and the thumb at the inner end of the deck near the left corner. Curl the right forefinger, placing its nail and its entire third joint flat upon the surface of the pack.

      3. Push the card flush into the deck, the action automatically jogging the card an eighth of an inch at the inner right side. The jog is picked up by the left little finger at will for further control.

      THE JOG AT THE BREAK

      It is not necessary, nor indeed desirable, always to hold a break with the left little finger. A jogged card will serve as well, and, with the jog at the inner end, the deck can be handled freely, passed from hand to hand, or laid on the table at will.

      We will assume that a spectator has peeked at a card and that you have secured a break under it with your left little finger. After a moment, place the right hand lightly over the deck to square it and jog the card in the following way:

      1. Press the right thumb against the inner end of the upper packet, lift it slightly and insert the tip of the left little finger into the break.

      2. With the little finger tip push the desired card to the right, jogging it diagonally about a quarter of an inch at its inner end. Release the thumb so that the break closes, Fig. 1.

      3. Move the little finger so that it rests against the side of the projecting card and push it back to the left, causing it to become jogged at the inner end, Fig. 2.

      4. Remove the right hand and with it grasp the pack by the sides near the inner end between the right thumb and second finger. With the left thumb and fingers square the deck by stroking or “milking” its sides near the outer end. This action will place the pack in perfect condition, the grip of the right hand maintaining the jog, which can be so minute that it would escape all but the closest scrutiny even if the inner end should be exposed to view.

      In retaking the break, you may lift the jogged card with the right thumb, insert the left little finger and side slip the card to the top of the pack; or, if you wish to use a shuffle or a pass, press downwards on the jogged card making a break above it, insert the left little finger and execute the shuffle or pass as desired.

      Alternative Method

      After having secured a break with the left little finger, in squaring the pack grip the top packet with the right thumb and second finger, remove the little finger from the break and move the top packet inwards a fraction of an inch. Let the bottom card of the packet slip free from the thumb tip and at once push the packet forward flush with the lower packet.

      The action takes but a moment and the squaring movement is- continued, the tip of the thumb sliding along the inner end of the upper packet only, above the jogged card. The appearance of squaring both ends of the pack is perfect.

      In either case it is a good practice to lay the pack down on the table while you pull back your sleeves or make some other gesture. This will go far towards convincing the spectators that the selected card really is lost in the pack and make its subsequent discovery all the more wonderful.