Introduction

To palm a card, in conjurer's language, means to take a card in the hand–generally the right hand–and hold it concealed there without its presence being suspected by the onlookers. The principle is a very important one in card magic, for many of the finest feats possible depend upon it. The best methods of palming cards are not difficult to learn. The reason that palming is neglected or badly done by cardmen is because of lack of confidence. The first thing a beginner is likely to say is that his hands are too small; he cannot conceive that he should hold so large an object as a playing card in his hand secretly. To show what a mistaken notion this is, test it in this way:

Take a card and lay it on your hand with the fingers extended in such a way that its outer left corner is at the outer phalanx of the little finger and its inner right corner against the ball of the thumb. Flex the fingers slightly and turn your hand over. You will find that the card is held (that is, palmed) securely, and so long as the fingers are pressed together it is completely hidden. Since one's hand always has a half-closed appearance when in repose, the position of the hand will appear to be a perfectly natural one, Fig. 54. At first you will be so conscious of the presence of the card in your hand that you will want to drop it to your side or even put it behind your back. To overcome this self-consciousness the best thing to do is to become so accustomed to having a card in your hand that you no longer take any notice of it. When you are reading a book or listening to the radio, place a card in your hand in the proper position, bend the fingers slightly, and then try to forget all about it. In a very short time you will become so used to it that you will be able to move your hand freely and naturally, always remembering,

of course, that the back of your hand must always be outwards. Do not be afraid to bend the card; you cannot palm it naturally unless you do.

Practically everyone, when beginning to practise the palming of cards, will be careful to keep the fingers curved naturally but will overlook the importance of having the thumb lie in its natural position along the side of the hand. When the thumb extends at a right angle from the hand, a reflex action which must be overcome, its unnatural appearance at once attracts attention to the hand and arouses suspicion.