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Hello,

I wonder if anyone can tell me how to get used to doing a thumb count as a get ready for a DL?
I find it really hard to get it right. I am using my index finger to press the pack at the front which makes it slightly easier.
Is it a matter of habit? As always I know practice, practice, practice, but any tips would be more than welcome.

Cheers,

Alex

Sorry, but you are right, it is just practice and more practice. By bevelling the pack slightly with the front fingers you can make it a little easire to do the count butactually getting it so that you lift the number you want invisibly you just have to do it over and over. I am still quite a novice. I never watch TV without a pack of cards in my hands and DLs are something I practice over all the time.

Eventually you get the feel of it. I reverse the number of cards I am trying to lift on the top so I can do the move several times without looking down. When you do look at the cards you can tell if you have messed up! I do the same practising shuffles and cuts, I think I got the idea from Royal Road

There are few - if any - sleights/moves/suntleties that come easy in magic. The reason they are made to look easy is because the performer has practices it sooooo much it is second nature.

I used to have a lot of problems with DL's but I began to get used to the feel of the right number by practicing lots. Bevelling the pack slightly does help so just keep on trying!!

I agree with Johnny. You've just got to kep working at it, work on just getting one card at first. When you've got that to a tea, try to pickup a second.

Having a decent deck helps, an old worn deck is much harder to work with than a nice crisp new one.

I somtimes slightly push the cards off to side or behind so that they are easier to get.... done at speed it looks like a normal squaring of the deck!

Thanks very much for all your input.
I thought it would involve a lot of practice -- all good things do!
But the tips on bevelling etc are all helpful.
I too sit in front of the tv with a pack of cards and used the reversed card tip for overhand shuffles. I will now use it to catch DLs.
I am actually not too bad on 2 cards, it's getting three for 2-card Monte that is killing me at the moment. Still, rare is the occasion you need more than 3 right?

aclelland wrote:Still, rare is the occasion you need more than 3 right?

I've only got a couple of tricks that need 3 and I can't think of any that need more than that.

there's the old one with the four Jacks that go down into the pack only to reappear back on top!! But yeah it is rare to use more than 3!

I find that if you gain the habit of riffling the back edge of the pack with your thumb as you handle the deck then when it comes to doing the thumb count then no suspicion is aroused. The spectator just thinks it is the performer just playing with the pack. Well that's what I find anyway. Also use other methods to gaining a break for the DL such as a strike DL and once you get used to these differing methods you'll be well on you way.
The DL is something I practice more than anything.

Thumb count really shouldnt be that difficult. You just have to have good patter and know to keep talking so it distracts them from your handling, because doing a thumb count is probably one of the more obvious double lifts.

aclelland wrote: rare is the occasion you need more than 3 right?

I can think of a couple.....what, the more I think about it, the effects I perfom that require a triple are all packet tricks, so the triple is simply a matter of buckling the bottom card.....suppose that doesn't make it a true triple then.....

For example, twisting the aces, jumping gemini, etc