The Erdnase Shift. One Hand

The following method is the outcome of persistent effort to devise a shift that may be employed with the greatest probability of success at the card table. It is vastly superior for this purpose, because the action takes place before the right hand seizes the deck, and just as it is about to do so, thereby covering naturally and actually performing the work before the action is anticipated. It is extremely rapid and noiseless, and the two packets pass through the least possible space in changing their position. The drawback is the extreme difficulty in mastering it perfectly. Many hours of incessant practice must be spent to acquire the requisite amount of skill; but it must be remembered if feats at card-handling could be attained for the asking there would be little in such performance to interest or profit any one.

Hold the deck in the left hand, little finger at one end, first and second fingers at side, thumb diagonally across top of deck with first joint pressed down against the opposite end, and the third finger curled up against the bottom. The second fingertip holds a break at the side, locating the cut, or separating the two packets that are to be reversed. (See Fig. 52.) Now, by squeezing the under packet between the second finger and palm and pressing the upper packet with the thumb at one end against the little finger at the other end, it will be found that the two packets can be moved independently. To reverse their positions, hold the upper packet firmly by pressing with the thumb, open the two packets at the break and draw out the under packet with the second and third fingers, the second finger pulling down and third finger pressing up, until the inner side of the under packet just clears the outside of the upper packet. (See Fig. 53.) Then press the lower packet up and over on top. When getting the under packet out and forcing it clear of the upper packet, it is turned a little by the third finger, so that the corner at the little finger end appears over the side first. The little finger aids in getting the under packet over or the upper packet underneath by pulling down on the upper packet when the lower one is just appearing over the side. (See Fig. 54.)

Doubtless the first attempts to make this shift will impress the student that it is impossible. The very unusual positions of the fingers will appear to give them no control over the deck; but the facts are the packets may be held with vice-like rigidity during the entire operation, or it may be performed by holding the packets very loosely, and in each case either in a twinkling or very slowly.

The principal difficulty will be in drawing out the under packet in such a manner that it will not fly out of the fingers. It must not spring away from the upper packet at all, but should slip along, up, and over in one continuous movement.

Of course, in performing this shift at the card table the right hand is brought over the deck just at the moment of action, and the operation may be greatly facilitated by allowing the under packet to spring very lightly against the right palm; but the finished performer will use the right hand only as a cover, and it will take no part at all in the action. We presume that the larger, or the longer the hand, the easier it will be for a beginner to accomplish this shift, but a very small hand can perform the action when the knack is once acquired.

The amateur who does not wish to spend the time necessary to perfect himself in this very difficult one-handed shift, may obtain nearly the same result by adopting the following method, which is performed with both hands and is very much easier: