I see -- thanks Warren. I get what you're saying about the fingertips grip vs. the dealer's grip. I don't understand your comment about the VC and packet switches, but perhaps that's a topic for another time, after I've learned the EC.

As I mentioned I only use the VC for one effect which is a thought of card across, it allows me to count 6 cards face up and have a spectator just think of one and then give them the packet to hold, I then count the remaining cards as 6 face down in my hands and finally they count their packet revealing only 5 cards and then count 7 cards in the other packet before revealing that their card has travelled across.