II. To Retain the Complete Stock

Seize the deck at sides, near ends, between the second finger and thumb of right hand, and the second and third fingers and thumb of left hand. Draw out about one-quarter of deck from bottom with right hand and place on top, retaining hold. Then slightly raise about one-third of the under packet with the second finger of the left hand, then seize about one-half the remaining lower packet with the third finger of the right hand, holding the last or under portion firmly with the third finger of the left hand. Raise the whole deck from the table and separate both hands suddenly (see Fig. 15), letting the upper packet which is released by the right second finger fall on the table. Then drop lower packet in left hand, then packet in right hand, then last packet in left hand, one on the other, and square up.

Some practice is necessary to form the divisions rapidly, and the fingers must take hold of the packets without an instant's delay. The action of dropping the packets one on the other should be rather slow. The appearance of the cut is brilliant, and the fact that the order of the whole deck remains intact will puzzle more than the unsophisticated.