Tricks and card games have been an exciting pastime for hundreds of years now. Whether you're spending time with friends and family in the living room or at a poker table in Las Vegas, it's always good to have a few tricks in place for impressive entertainment during a game of cards. If you are interested in learning some magic or card tricks, knowing how to make a fan is essential to be able to make it in style. Fanning the cards means being able to hold them all with one hand forming a sort of fan, so that they are all visible at the same time. It is usually done so that another participant can choose one or more cards for a trick or game.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Fan the Cards with Two Hands
Step 1. Hold the deck of cards between your left thumb and fingers loosely
Position your left hand as if holding a glass of water, with your thumb next to you. Place the deck between your thumb and forefinger, holding it flat face down. Place your index and middle fingers on the bottom of the deck. The tip of the middle finger should be in contact with the near right corner of the deck and the index finger should be at the side. Hold the deck loosely, placing your thumb on top, with the tip about halfway along the nearest edge.
Being left-handed or right-handed doesn't make much difference, but you can try using your right hand if you keep dropping cards with your left
Step 2. Tilt the cards slightly
Move the top of the deck slightly, so that the cards above are just farther to the right than the ones below. The corner thus formed allows the cards to fan out more evenly, although this step becomes less important after some practice.
Step 3. Fan your right thumb
Bring your right thumb to the left edge of the deck and move the cards with it in a fan shape, rotating them around your left thumb. Apply light pressure with your thumb, lightly enough so that the cards unfold in an even fan instead of clustering together in piles. Ideally you should end the fan with the cards forming a full 180 ° semicircle.
- You can use the fingers of the right hand instead of the thumb.
- You can think of this movement as separating the deck of cards from the last card at the bottom. If the whole deck moves together, hold it less tight or consciously try to move your right thumb at an upward angle when opening the cards.
Step 4. Practice
Magicians suggest that making a fan with cards is child's play, but to do so they have spent many hours of practice. Keep practicing until you can fan the cards smoothly and evenly. Speed up as you gain experience, but don't get so fast that it spoils the grace and smoothness of the movement.
Replace the deck if the cards fan out with more difficulty. Worn cards may make execution less smooth
Step 5. Quickly move your left wrist up while swiping the cards with your right
Try this advanced technique to increase the speed at which cards fan out. With the flick of the wrist upwards, while lowering the cards with your thumb, you raise them at the same time with your left hand.
Step 6. Practice closing with one hand
It's easy to close the fan again with your free hand, moving the cards in the same direction as the fan to regroup the pile. For a more advanced technique, practice closing the fan with your fingers holding the cards instead. To be able to master this technique, you may have to run your fingers a few times on the back of the cards and before you can do this safely and without dropping them, it may be necessary to acquire a good deal of practice.
Method 2 of 2: Fan the Cards with One Hand
Step 1. At first try with half a deck
The fan is most easily created with about half a deck, although, with a little practice, the whole deck can be used. So it is advisable to practice with half a deck.
- This type of fan is more difficult than a two-handed fan and it may be helpful to become familiar with this method.
- When you are an expert in this type of fan, try dividing the deck in two and, using the two halves, try to form a fan with each hand at the same time.
Step 2. Grab the deck with your dominant hand
Group the cards into a neat pile. Hold the deck with the first and fifth fingers on the two opposite long sides. Place the third and fourth fingers along one short side and the thumb on the other short side. Each finger should cover the entire width of the deck and protrude slightly beyond. Turn your hand so that the deck is held vertically, with your thumb along the top edge.
- This grip should be secure enough to allow you to lift your thumb and rotate the deck in any direction without dropping the cards.
- You can jump directly to the position described below, with your thumb in the lower left corner. However, this is a good starting position for exercise if you plan to learn more advanced card tricks and gestures.
Step 3. Lift your thumb and tilt the deck outward
Remove your thumb from the top edge. Tilt the deck outward, away from you, and bend your third and fourth fingers to grab the bottom edge.
Step 4. Place your thumb in the lower left corner, moving your other fingers
This is the lower left corner of the top surface of the deck, the one closest to you. When the thumb is in place, move the first and fifth fingers away from the sides, moving them down towards the bottom edge, so that all four fingers are supporting the deck from below. Synchronizing the movement of your first finger so you don't drop the cards can take some practice.
- Depending on the length of your thumb, you may instead prefer to place your thumb along the left edge of the card on top of the deck, less than 2.5cm. from the bottom corner. Placing your thumb closer to the center of the top paper is a common mistake, so focus.
- If you are holding the deck with your left hand, place your thumb in the lower right corner instead.
Step 5. Extend your thumb and fingers in opposite directions
Fan the cards by moving your thumb clockwise and the other four fingers counterclockwise, in the opposite direction (reverse direction if holding the deck with your left hand). If you perform the gesture quickly, the cards will fan out more smoothly.
- You can think of this movement as the "snap" of the four fingers against the thumb.
- When the fan is complete, the fleshy part of the hand under the thumb will help you support the cards.
Step 6. Disorient the audience
Once you have this movement, try some sleight of hand using it in your tricks.
- Sneaking off the top half of the deck before fanning still allows you to get a fan that looks like what you would get with a full deck and will prevent a person in the audience from choosing the top card.
- Hold the fan of cards vertically, directly in front of the face of the person chosen from the audience. This will distract her, while with the other hand you perform the necessary manipulation with the other half of the deck.
