Expert Card Technique. Jean Hugard

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      II. THE STRIKE SECOND DEAL

      In this method the thumb pushes the top card to the right as the right thumb strikes the surface of the second card, drawing it off to the right as the left thumb draws the top card back squarely onto the pack.

      The great defect in this method is that very few card players deal cards in this fashion; the action is abnormal and hence open to suspicion, no matter how excellent the technique. Moreover, the student must have the expert’s willingness to work upon a sleight, for the strike deal calls for absolute dead certainty of execution, for perfect timing and for perfect gripping of the cards.

      Nevertheless, the student will not be satisfied until he has tried his hand at this method and it must be confessed that there are excellent uses for it. Some experts use it for pseudo-exposés of gamblers’ subterfuges, explaining the method used to attain the result and reserving the push-off method as a secret weapon for use against onlookers who, satisfied that they now know how second dealing is accomplished, are completely hoaxed by the change of method.

      The action for the strike method follows:

      1. Grip the pack exactly as for the push-off deal, but extend the left thumb diagonally across the pack so that its tip rests as shown in Fig. 6.

      2. Move the left thumb a quarter of an inch to the right, taking the top card with it. This card slides over the tips of the left fingers which are flush with the top of the deck. The pressure of the thumb downwards on the top card is light, being just sufficient to move the card. As in the previous deal the inner left corner pivots on the palm.

      3. Bring the right thumb over the pack at the outer end, its ball paralleling the surface of the card, the second, third and fourth fingers being curled tightly into the palm. Strike lightly and diagonally outwards with the thumb upon the exposed surface of the second card, drawing it away and dealing it, Fig. 6.

      4. As the right thumb deals the second card, move the left thumb back to the left and draw the top card squarely back on the pack.

      Essentially, this second deal is very simple, yet it calls for the finest coordination. The timing is this: The right hand moves over the deck, the length of the thumb being parallel to the end of the deck, the ball of the thumb being in the same plane as the top surface of the pack and its tip being brought approximately to a point three-quarters of an inch from the left corner. It thus masks the outer end of the deck for most of its length.

      The left thumb pushes to the right{1} and inwards in an arc a quarter of an inch (with practice, the push-off can be so small that it seems incredible that the second card can be pulled out) and the right thumb immediately strikes to the right. This is in the smallest degree a dipping movement, that is to say, as it moves to the right, the thumb drops a fraction of an inch bringing its ball upon the exposed sur-face of the second card and continues its movement to the right drawing this second card with it, the right forefinger moving up, pincer-like, to pinch it from below against the thumb. It is this action which gives the method its name; the right thumb is already in motion when it comes in contact with the second card and strikes it, the friction of its movement drawing off the second card, much as a card placed on a smooth flat surface may be moved by striking it with the flat of the thumb. The ball of the thumb must be held parallel to the top surface of the pack to prevent an inopportune “miss.”

      When the second card has been drawn no more than half an inch outwards to the right, the left thumb moves back to the left, drawing the top card back squarely upon the pack before the second card is clear of the pack.

      Mastery of this method is attained by performing the various actions in a smooth flowing sequence with the different moves virtually being made at the same moment—or rather, a fraction of a second one after the other. Lightness of touch should prevail throughout, in the action of the left thumb, in controlling the top card and in the striking of the right thumb as it whips the second card from the deck.

      Figure 7 depicts an excellent covering action for the deal. As the right hand approaches to deal a card the left hand tips the outer end of the pack upward and slightly to the right in a wrist action in which the inner end of the pack barely moves. The right thumb strikes out the second card as the outer end of the pack points obliquely upwards; as the card is dealt the pack drops back into a horizontal plane. The action is repeated for each successive deal.

      Before commencing the deal it is sometimes wise to push the top card off to the right with the left thumb, which then draws it back squarely upon the pack. This serves as an assurance that the grip is properly taken and “loosens” the top card so that the lightest touch of the left thumb will push off and draw back this card smoothly.

      In the hands of an expert it is absolutely unbelievable that the second card can be drawn off the deck when no movement of the top card is perceptible. A beautiful method of dealing second, it is, as has been remarked before, marred only by the fact that the almost universal method of dealing cards is first to push off the top card with the left thumb.