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Can someone please provide a picture or video, or just explain with text how to do a thumb fan with cards? I'm okay doing a pressure fan but I can only do it very well a couple of times with an ordinary deck before the deck is not evenly spread. So I want to learn the thumb fan.

What is the finger placement for this? Also any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Finger placement for the hand holding the pack is exactly the same as if doing a pressure fan (ie, ball of thumb acts as a pivot on the corner, stock in the crook of the hand).

The thumb of the 'spreading hand' starts by pointing downwards and is slowly rotated 90 degrees to the horizontal whilst moving across the cards, essentially contacting less and less as it moves across them, thus creating the fan. This is exaggerated slightly but should give the idea.

It is worth noting that, like the pressure fan, the quicker and more evenly you do it, the better the spread. It is very much a 'feel' thing and after a little while playing with it, it'll suddenly all click into place. Start by practicing it slowly - the fan will be pretty c*** (not the best) at first but you'll get the idea and feel of the thumb rotation, then start speeding up and it'll get better and better.

This is my preferred method for a fan as it gives a nice even spread, doesn't put excessive bends and kinks in the cards like a pressure fan and also doesn't bash into my long nails as they spring out!

Hope that helps.

Thumb fan is explained in:
Royal Road to Card MagicDante King Thumb Fan - Demo vid here
Born to Perform Card Magic with Oz Pearlman
Roberto Giobbi's Card College
...to mention a few

TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb wrote:Finger placement for the hand holding the pack is exactly the same as if doing a pressure fan (ie, ball of thumb acts as a pivot on the corner, stock in the crook of the hand).

The thumb of the 'spreading hand' starts by pointing downwards and is slowly rotated 90 degrees to the horizontal whilst moving across the cards, essentially contacting less and less as it moves across them, thus creating the fan. This is exaggerated slightly but should give the idea.

It is worth noting that, like the pressure fan, the quicker and more evenly you do it, the better the spread. It is very much a 'feel' thing and after a little while playing with it, it'll suddenly all click into place. Start by practicing it slowly - the fan will be pretty c*** (not the best) at first but you'll get the idea and feel of the thumb rotation, then start speeding up and it'll get better and better.

This is my preferred method for a fan as it gives a nice even spread, doesn't put excessive bends and kinks in the cards like a pressure fan and also doesn't bash into my long nails as they spring out!

Hope that helps.

Thank you. Since I'm a very visual learner (I have books but I do not learn by books) do you know where I can find a video of someone doing a thumb fan?

SpongeBallSlight-of-hand wrote:Thank you. Since I'm a very visual learner (I have books but I do not learn by books) do you know where I can find a video of someone doing a thumb fan?

Actually, Gunnar provided you with that in his previous post

gunnarkr wrote:Thumb fan is explained in:
...
Demo vid here

Gunnar provided a link to a sample video from the Dante King. With the descriptions already provided and the link provided by Gunnar, you should have all the information needed. There is also a previous thread about closing the fan with one hand here.

Hi,

I found that this is much simpler to do if I use my index finger rather than my thumb - I also think that it looks more elegant this way.

I agree with evryone else that this is very much a feel thing and will suddenly just start to work.

Keep practising it will come.

James

also explained in 'showoff with cards'

There is an hour long fanning session in Xtreme Beginners taught by Jerry Czesomethinorotha. If you want to learn fanning look no further!!