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Just made an interesting observation. I handed a bunch of cards to my partner and asked her to hold them up and fan them out. She fanned them the opposite way to what I'd do.

Question: is it usual for a left-handed person to fan cards so that the face card is on the left? When I make a fan the face card is on the right.

Barry

magicofthemind wrote:Just made an interesting observation. I handed a bunch of cards to my partner and asked her to hold them up and fan them out. She fanned them the opposite way to what I'd do.

Question: is it usual for a left-handed person to fan cards so that the face card is on the left? When I make a fan the face card is on the right.

Barry

Lee Smith should have the definitive answer as I believe he's left handed?

K

magicofthemind wrote:Question: is it usual for a left-handed person to fan cards so that the face card is on the left? When I make a fan the face card is on the right.

Barry

Depends which way you're looking at the cards.
I'm left handed, although I'm not sure if I deal cards left handed.
I hold the deck in my right hand and use my left hand to deal them off.
When I fan the cards, I hold the deck in my right hand and fan them anti-clockwise, so the top card is to the left of the fan (when looking at the backs of the fan).
I would imagine that an opposite-handed person would hold the cards in the left hand and fan the cards clockwise, so the top card would now be to the right of the fan.

kevmundo wrote:

magicofthemind wrote:Just made an interesting observation. I handed a bunch of cards to my partner and asked her to hold them up and fan them out. She fanned them the opposite way to what I'd do.

Question: is it usual for a left-handed person to fan cards so that the face card is on the left? When I make a fan the face card is on the right.

Barry

Lee Smith should have the definitive answer as I believe he's left handed?

K

Yep I'm a lefty so is Gary jones.

I hold the cards in my right hand but fan with my left. I always have no pips showing.

I have developed a way of fanning the cards backwards so I can show the pips when held up.

Thanks, all

Sounds like this is standard for left-handers. As a right-hander, I hold the cards in my left hand and fan them to the right, so I see the indices in the top left corner.

Barry

I'm left handed, but hold cards right handed. I'm not sure that it's not a subconscious rebellion...

I think, next time I perform the effect I have in mind, I'll specifically ask them to take the cards in the left hand. if they then fan the cards the "wrong" way I'll ask them to re-fan the other way so they can see the indices!

I imagine that cards with only two indices aren't much use to a left-handed card player...

Barry

I'm left handed but hold the cards in my left hand and spread them to the right hand with my left thumb. I also hold the cards in my left hand and deal with the right. I've always done it that way, even before I started performing magic when I was 8, it just feels natural.

magicofthemind wrote:I imagine that cards with only two indices aren't much use to a left-handed card player...

Indeed. Although you can get left handed cards nowadays in which the indices are on the opposite corners to standard cards. Cards with indices on all four corners are also available, which would be handy for those who are left handed.

There is a nice blank deck effect that can be done using a reverse fan.

David Berglas fans cards left handed, but fans clock-wise instead of anti clock-wise - so that he can see the indices.

Jim

magicofthemind wrote:Thanks, all

Sounds like this is standard for left-handers. As a right-hander, I hold the cards in my left hand and fan them to the right, so I see the indices in the top left corner.

Barry

Right handed here, if I have the cards in my right hand I fan clockwise so the indices are visible, if on the other hand I am holding the cards in my left hand I fan anti-clockwise and the indices are not visible. I think this is to do with the ease of fanning with the thumbs from little finger to index.

soveda wrote:

magicofthemind wrote:Thanks, all

Sounds like this is standard for left-handers. As a right-hander, I hold the cards in my left hand and fan them to the right, so I see the indices in the top left corner.

Barry

Right handed here, if I have the cards in my right hand I fan clockwise so the indices are visible, if on the other hand I am holding the cards in my left hand I fan anti-clockwise and the indices are not visible. I think this is to do with the ease of fanning with the thumbs from little finger to index.

I probably wasn't as clear as I should have been. I'm thinking like a bridge player, not a magician. I hold the cards in my left hand and use my right thumb to fan them out clockwise. If I were making a one-handed fan I'd probably do it the way you suggest.

Barry

I'm left handed, and as a musician, I just 'get on with it'. I play drums, piano, guitar all right handed. This is the way the instruments come. However a deck of cards isn't really left or right handed. I'm very new to magic and doing things certain ways is quite difficult. I've just been reading the first few shuffles in the royal road to card magic. It took a lot longer than I thought. I had to read through each instruction about 3 times to make sure I changed the word left, to right, and the word right, to left. I would certainly find it useful and I'm sure future generations of left handed magicians would agree, if any trick publishers or magic book publishers could publish a left handed version of any card effects.

I believe that Tyler Wilson's book: Dominatricks comes with a CD containing a pdf version of the whole book converted to left handed.

I've rediscovered that Ian Rowland has a great routine which requires the cards to be held in the "wrong" hand if you are to see the indices. However, I've also rediscovered that Waddingtons No.1 cards have four indices, so they work in the "right" hand...

Barry

Ian Rowland's routine is very easily converted for a right hand magician using essentially the same technique.