Question:

Question from a beginner (me) concerning finger breaks. I've learned the break should be done with either the tip or the fleshy part of your little finger. But I recently saw a video where the performer stuck the entire upper part of his pinky in between the cards forming a massive break, but he hid it by wrapping his first three fingers of the same hand clearly around the top of the cards (as opposed to just holding them from the side). From what I could tell on the video, this appeared totally natural and there was no chance he'd lose the break.

I'd just like comments on what techniques the cards handlers on this site prefer to use in general?



Paul's response:

Good card handling requires a light touch. Breaks can be enlarged (Vernon has techniques for this). The PHILOSOPHY you might adopt includes learning to control cards as individual objects, or in groups AS single objects. A card weighs a fraction of an ounce, don't handle it (or them) like they are manhole covers.

Vernon used to say that you should cradle a deck as if it were a small bird. Firm, but gentle. These are NOT specific techniques, rather, an approach, a mind set, that helps you get comfortable. Marlo took a different approach and used the analogy of a book. He applied pressure on some parts of the deck, freeing other areas so that cards could be manuevered easily.

In his side-steal techniques, this is very apparent. Consider these APROACHES and make the deck work for you, don't try to work the deck. This is an almost (pardon the cliche) zen-like view, but it has helped me focus more on effect and less on technique.

Regardless of the size of the break, or where on the deck I hold it, or with what finger or portion thereof, I can easily deceive the spectator IF my handling is casual, devoid of TELLS.

Hope this helps.
Best, PSC