Hi Josh, I was wondering if you had any tips on the double push offs.. I been practicing, and I just can't get the double to stay together constantly.

Thanks.
Tony

The multiple push-off is an invaluable and underrated tool. Don’t forget that, in addition to a double, this move is the crux of a deceptive second deal, triple lift, and is the key to good jazzing. When jazzing, no one estimates perfectly every time. Sometimes I’m one or two or three cards off. But having the ability to do a breakless double or triple (or quadruple in the rare event you really screw up your estimation) is nice.

Tips: my thumb curves in and then out again—at its thickest point, you can almost feel a “knot” which is almost even with the crease on the back of the thumb’s joint. I use this “knot” as my gauge for pushing over the double. The left second and third finger register the two cards at the opposite side of the pack. Most important, you have to use a slight wrist action with the left hand to blur the moment when you push two. Although my doubles and triples are more or less perfectly aligned, I use the wrist action as a failsafe to further disguise the act of pushing two.

I’m a huge advocate of a breakless double lift, not because I’m against starting with a break, but because almost every magician that uses a break makes achieving said break completely obvious. It’s a blind spot for magicians. They have become used to approaching the deck from behind and overtly separating two cards. Newsflash: this action doesn’t exist in nature! While the spectators may not know your reason for fumbling, they intuitively recognize that “something” is going on while achieving the break. With a little extra effort to master the push-off, you will have a breakless double and triple and, in addition, done more than half the work for a deceptive second.

Thanks,
Josh

Hi Josh,

Your post above mentions the double pushoff in regard to a second deal, and it sounds like you are advocating for a pushoff second, as opposed to a strike second - is that your preference? And if so, why?

Best, PSC

Yes, I prefer a push-off second to a strike because of my limited need for the sleight itself. I like the illusion of a push off better and the two or three tricks I use a second I'm not doing it more than four times, so I have no need for an "easy" or "efficient" deal--that is, lots of people prefer a strike because it's easier to "hit" when you're dealing rounds and rounds, or a pile with lots of cards. Since I don't use any tricks like that, I just use a push-off,

Josh

Thanks for the response Josh. A couple of follow-up questions, if you don't mind.

Is the position (Left hand grip) you use for your Double Lift the same as for your Second Deal?

Is that position the one in Erdnase' description of the Second Deal, or related in some way to the Erdnase Second Deal?

Did you learn the Double Lift first, and then apply the technique to Seconds, Vice-versa, or did you learn the techniques independent of one another?

My experience is that the Second Deal requires a different grip from the Double Lift, even though they are both two-card pushoffs, so I'm wondering if you have a universal grip that works for both slieghts, and, if so, how you developed it, or where you learned it, if it is not original.

Best, PSC

That was great adivse. I noticed an improvement almost right away. I've been playing around with the Push-Off Double for a while and never quiet got it to work for me.
Thank You
Shawn

I use the same grip for double lift, bottoms, and seconds. I use a straddle or "Elliot" grip. Warning: this grip is ideal for those of us blessed with big hands. A huge problem in bottom dealing is finger friction. This is the "drag" created when trying to pull the bottom card out from above too much skin surface. As a result, Erdnase grip, Maze grip, and lots of others try to shift fingers around to minimalize the amount of "drag" in pulling out the bottom card.

The Straddle grip takes advantage of this too. The cards are gripped with the thumb above, little finger on the inner end, first finger curled around the outer end. This leaves only the middle and third fingers on the right side of the deck, a manageable amount of drag. It works great for bottoms and so I just use this grip for everything else too.

Thanks,
Josh