Card manipulation is the branch of magical illusion that deals with creating effects using

sleight of hand Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or ''legerdemain'' ()) refers to fine motor skills when used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card ...

techniques involving

playing card A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. Often the front (face) and back of each card has a fi ...

Card manipulation Card manipulation is the branch of magic that deals with creating effects using sleight of hand techniques involving playing cards. Card manipulation is often used in magical performances, especially in close-up, parlor, and street magic. Some ...

is often used to perform card tricks in magical performances, especially in

close-up A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium and long s ...

parlor A parlour (or parlor) is a reception room or public space. In medieval Christian Europe, the "outer parlour" was the room where the monks or nuns conducted business with those outside the monastery and the "inner parlour" was used for necessar ...

, and street magic. A person who practices card manipulation may be called a

card sharp A card sharp (also cardsharp, card shark or cardshark, sometimes hyphenated) is a person who uses skill and/or deception to win at poker or other card games. "Sharp" and "shark" spellings have varied over time and by region. The label is n ...

, card shark, or card mechanic.

Card manipulation techniques

* Dealing **

Bottom dealing Bottom dealing or base dealing is a sleight of hand technique in which the bottom card from a deck of playing cards is dealt instead of the top card. It is used by magicians as a type of card illusion, and by card sharps and mechanics, and as a m ...

Second dealing Second dealing (also known as ''dealing seconds'') is a method of manipulating a deck of cards during a card game by way of dealing the second, rather than the top card of the deck, usually for the purpose of cheating. Second dealing and bottom de ...

Shuffling Shuffling is a procedure used to randomize a deck of playing cards to provide an element of chance in card games. Shuffling is often followed by a cut, to help ensure that the shuffler has not manipulated the outcome. __TOC__ Techniques Overha ...

Faro shuffle The faro shuffle (American), weave shuffle (British), or dovetail shuffle is a method of shuffling playing cards, in which half of the deck is held in each hand with the thumbs inward, then cards are released by the thumbs so that they fall to the ...

* False shuffling **

Zarrow shuffle Zarrow shuffle is a sleight of hand technique that gives the appearance of being a normal riffle shuffle, but in fact leaves the cards in exactly the same order. This is an example of a false shuffle. It was invented by magician Herb Zarrow c. 1 ...

Palming Palming is a technique for holding or concealing an object in the hand. It is used frequently by magicians to conceal a card, coin, or other object. When it is done skillfully, the hand containing the palmed object is perceived to be completely ...

Back palm Card manipulation is the branch of magic that deals with creating effects using sleight of hand techniques involving playing cards. Card manipulation is often used in magical performances, especially in close-up, parlor, and street magic. ...

** Gambler's palm **

Magician's palm The Magician's Palm is a method for hiding a playing card, in which the card is placed in the hand lengthwise, the hand is curled inward slightly, and the card is thus retained in the hand. It is important with this palm that you do not have one's ...

Tenkai palm The Tenkai palm is a card magic technique used to palm a card. It was invented by the Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese peop ...

* Other techniques **

Card marking Card marking is the process of altering playing cards in a method only apparent to marker or conspirator, such as by bending or adding visible marks to a card. This allows different methods for card sharps to cheat or for magicians to perform magi ...

** Double lift **

Herrmann pass The Herrmann pass (also Herrmann shift) is a sleight of hand move used to control cards. This style of the move is different from the Classic Pass. The sleight is named after Alexander Herrmann Alexander Herrmann (February 10, 1844 – Decem ...

Mechanic's grip The mechanic's grip is one of many ways to comfortably hold a deck of cards. The standard grip taught in many dealer schools around the world, it is also widely used by magicians and card cheaters as it provides a sturdy and versatile means by ...

Si Stebbins stack The Si Stebbins stack is a cyclic mathematical card stack. It was popularized by the magician Si Stebbins, and can be constructed from a standard 52-card deck. Frequently used in card magic, its properties allow the position and value of each card i ...

Trick deck A trick deck is a deck of playing cards that has been altered in some way to allow magicians to perform certain card tricks where sleight of hand would be too difficult or impractical. Trick decks Stripper deck A stripper deck (also known as a ...

Named card tricks

The Acme of Control The Acme of Control is a card trick Card manipulation is the branch of magic that deals with creating effects using sleight of hand techniques involving playing cards. Card manipulation is often used in magical performances, especially in clos ...

Ambitious Card The Ambitious Card, or Elevator Card, is a magic effect in which a playing card seems to return to the top of the deck after being placed elsewhere in the middle of the deck. One of many versions of the Ambitious Card Routine available on interne ...

Blackstone's Card Trick Without Cards Blackstone's Card Trick Without Cards is a magic trick. As the trick requires only that a card is ''thought of'', it does not require the use of a deck of cards A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin card ...

The Circus Card Trick The Circus Card Trick is a self-working card trick where the performer uses verbal misdirection to prompt the participant into betting Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a rando ...

The Four Burglars The Four Burglars is a magic effect in which the magician shows the four Jacks from a deck of cards, calling them burglars, and tells a story about them entering a house in different ways (the front door, a window, another window, and the back do ...

* Out of This World * Spelling Bee * Twenty-One Card Trick

Other related concepts

Card throwing Card throwing is the art of throwing standard playing cards with great accuracy or force. It is performed both as part of stage magic shows and as a competitive physical feat among magicians, with official records existing for longest distance th ...

* Cardistry {{DEFAULTSORT:Card manipulation techniques Magic tricks Techniques Sleight of hand Entertainment lists