How to practice Card Sleights

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How to practice Card Sleights

Postby SpareJoker » May 4th, '10, 12:10



When practising a new sleight I generally find the best approach is the following:

First Phase: Perform the sleight whilst looking at your hands, without talking.
Second Phase: Perform the sleight without looking at your hands, without talking.
Third Phase: Perform the sleight without looking at your hands, whilst pattering at the same time.

One of the most common problems I see in most amateur performances is a noticeable pause before a sleight ('get ready' adjustments). The following exercise phases are designed to help your sleights flow and to eliminate any tell-tale pauses.

The next two phases compromise the following:

Fourth Phase: 'getting into' the sleight;

Fourth phase example, the Elmsley Count. Instead of performing this from the standard dealing position try the following: Start with the packet face-up in dealing position. Turn the packet face down and go straight into the Elmsley count. Repeat with a face-down packet going into a face-up count.

Second example: Instead of palming from the dealing position try the following:
Table the deck face down. Pick up the deck, palm, and re-table the deck. Exercise two: table the deck face-up, pick up the deck into a face-down dealing position and palm. Re-table the deck face-up.

Fifth Phase: 'getting out of' the sleight:

The fifth phase: Using one of the above exercises, palm a card. Make an explanatory gesture with your deck-hand (letting the other hand drop naturally to your side). Bring the hands back together and ribbon-spread the deck, adding the palmed card. Perform a turn-over of the spread.

A similar exercise can be developed for your favourite add-on move. Lay a few cards out on the table, perform your preferred add-on move (Brause, Ose, etc.), re-table the cards (vary tabling them as a face-up packet and as a face-down packet).

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Postby Just Steve » May 6th, '10, 20:34

Thanks for this, im working on several of the basic sleights in routines at the moment and this is a good foundation to work from. I had quite a lot of trouble when i first started with learning stuff really well and then thinking it was good enough to show to people, yet forgetting the pressure of having all eyes on you.

Mundus Vult Decipi, Ergo Decipiatur.

"The world wants to be decieved, so let it be decieved."
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Postby SpareJoker » May 7th, '10, 11:24

Glad you found it of use.

Remember that misdirection/ directing attention is as important as what your fingers are doing.

That will help you with the pressure of 'all eyes' :)

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