a. The Left Hand Grip
First of all, hold your left hand out flat before you with the fingers pressed tightly one against the other. Bend the four fingers, as a unit, at the innermost joints, placing them at right angles to the palm of the hand. Note that the point of the right angle thus formed is marked by the crease from which both the so-called life line and head line stem. When a reference to the palm is made hereafter it will signify that portion of the palm above the head line crease—that portion of the palm which forms the upright arc of the right angle. To secure the correct grip of the pack, proceed as follows:
1. With the left hand held in the above position, place the deck in it, its left side pressing flat against the palm of the hand above the head line crease. The top of the pack thus falls just below the base of the thumb; the inner left corner is pressed into the palm an inch from its inner side, and the outer end extends half an inch beyond the side of the first finger, the end of the pack and the length of the palm being parallel. The left fingers, pressed closely together, are grouped at the right side of the pack, their tips flush with the top, the little finger being at the inner right corner.
2. Grip the pack by an inward pressure of the joints of the left third and fourth fingers. If the position is properly taken, the left first and second fingers can be removed completely and the pack will still be held firmly by the third and fourth fingers pressing its left side flat against the palm of the hand. The fingers now arc slightly under the top of the pack, Fig. 1.
3. Place the right thumb and second finger at the right ends of the cards and bevel them approximately a quarter of an inch inwards, Fig. 2. This action is of great importance since it materially aids in the action of pushing off two cards as one.
4. Place the left thumb tip upon the edge of the top card at the middle of the end. To do this it will be necessary to bend the top joint so that the point of contact with the card is the side of the thumb tip, as marked A in Fig. 3.
5. Move the left thumb three-quarters of an inch to the right in an arc which is a segment of an imaginary circle, the center of which would be a point midway between the tip of the thumb and the inner left corner of the top card, which is pressed into the flesh of the palm, Fig. 1. Again, it is important that the left thumb should not push the card straight off the pack to the tight but should describe the small inward arc as stated; the nature of this action will be more fully explained in item 2 of the actual deal. The reason for this arcing push-off is that the card pivots at its inner left corner against the flesh of the palm and is at all times under the control of the left thumb, whether it is being pushed off the pack or drawn back onto it.
b. The Deal
With the grip taken as described in the preceding section, the tip of the left thumb, at its side, rests upon the extreme edge of the middle of the top card as in Fig. 1. To make the deal:
1. Press downwards very lightly with the thumb tip forcing a minute segment of flesh far enough over the edge of the top card to engage the edge of the second card. This is not nearly as difficult as it may seem and a minimum of experiment will teach the amount of downward pressure required.
2. Move the thumb to the right in an arc, taking with it the top and second cards, the latter being drawn along by the tiny fold of flesh. Because of the pivoting action at the inner left corner, as has been explained, the two cards swing outwards towards the right as one card and remain always in perfect register. They should not be pushed off the pack more than three-quarters of an inch, Fig. 3.
It should be noted particularly that, because of the bent position of the first joint of the left thumb, the pressure on the edges of the two cards is an inward pressure which forces their inner left corners-into the flesh of the palm. In other words, the pressure is exerted from beyond the end of the pack and inwards towards the right; it must not—and this cannot be stressed too strongly—be merely a pressure to the right since this would give no control of the cards.
3. With the cards thus pushed off the deck, place the tip of the right second finger upon the face of the second card. By a slight upward pressure to the right draw this card away to the right at the same moment that the left thumb, now pressing lightly on the top card, draws it back to the left squarely on the pack. Drop the right thumb upon the second card the instant the first card is out of the way and deal it as the top card, Fig. 4.
The entire action has been described in the fullest detail but it must be remembered that one hand differs from another in the width and length of the palm, in the length of the thumb and fingers and, because of this disparity in individual anatomy, these instructions should be studied more for the basic principles than for exact measurements.
c. The Push-Off Stud Poker Deal
In this method of dealing, in which the cards are dealt face upwards, the cards are pushed off the pack exactly as in the preceding method. However, the right hand approaches to take the second card with its palm towards the body. The first and second fingers slide over the two projecting cards, the upper side of the second finger pressing against the face of the lower card at the index at the right outer corner. At the same moment the left thumb draws the top card back upon the pack, the second card being drawn to the right, face down, between the right first and second fingers, Fig. 5.
The right thumb presses upwards on the face of the card and turns it face upwards as it is dropped on the table, Fig. 5.
d. As a False Table Count
This method makes an excellent subterfuge for dealing extra cards secretly on a table pile. For each extra card required a two-card push-off is made and these two cards are dealt as one in the usual manner.
For small numbers, when special care must be taken, a good plan is this: Assuming that a four ace trick is being performed and that the operator wishes to deal, apparently, three cards on the table, whereas four cards are dealt in reality:
1. Deal one card on the table.
2. Deal a second card.
3. Push off the next two cards as one, grasp both at the outer right corner and thrust the two, as one, under the tabled cards.
Finally, it is earnestly suggested that the student bear these main principles in mind at all times:
1. The principle of the right angle grip, with the left side of the pack resting against the palm above the angle thus formed.
2. The grasping and the control of the whole pack by pressure of the third and fourth fingers at the inner right side, this pressure holding the left side flat against the entire width of the palm.
3. The beveling inwards of the cards at the right corners.
4. The inward pressure to the right of the thumb arcing to push off the two cards.
5. The pivoting of the
