How to Make a Card Disappear in Your Hand

How to Make a Card Disappear in Your Hand
Published: Mar 28, 2010
Updated: Jan 10, 2019
1 minute read

Magic tricks are 50 percent illusion and 50 percent distraction. In order to convince your audience that you've really made something disappear, you need to make sure you are not only quick, but a master of distraction. Making a card disappear in your hand is relatively easy, but it does take practice. Learning how to do the trick will have you questioning every magic trick you've ever seen, wondering how the magician distracted you from the obvious.

Position one playing card in your hand between your pinky and index fingers with the long edge parallel to your fingers and the numbers facing the audience. Hold it in place with your thumb.

Create a distraction by pretending to throw the card into the air. While doing this, make a fist.

Slide your fingers behind the card and press against it with your thumb to hold it in place.

Bend the card with your fingers so the card is held in place between your fingers. Release your thumb and open your hand so the card flips around and lays flat against the back of your hand.

Close your fingers tightly to keep from exposing the card and keep your hand moving to distract the audience.

Practice until you can do the trick quickly. You may need to do the maneuver slowly until you get the steps down.

Jennifer Hudock

Jennifer Hudock is an author, editor and freelancer from Pennsylvania. She has upcoming work appearing in two Library of the Living Dead Press anthologies and has been published in numerous print and online journals, including eMuse, Real…

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