Hi,

I'm using Slydini's working of the Han Ping Chien move, and I'm having some issues with the left hand. During the setup phase, where you close your fist around the coins, I can't get them to the edge of my hand. I can get close. But the coins are usually somewhat inboard - and I find this makes the "move" less smooth and more obvious.

I have the video with Cellini's own handling, so I've tried that. I've tried rolling the coins with various parts of my thumb, but that telegraphs pretty badly.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Aram

PM me with your e mail address and I will send you my handling of the hang ping chen.
vinny

Can't you work the coin into a heel-clip a la David Stone's handling?

If using Slydini material, heel clip wont really work as the HPC is used to place coins on table rather than "tossing" or "dropping" the coins.... I don't think heel clip will work for the Slydini routine...

One tip is to have the coins start out lower to begin with, another is to use Slydini's rest motion to do it during an offbeat...

That or just practice, I can't think of any reason why working the coins into position would be hard for you other than lack of practice... take it slow and figure out where you have to contact the coins and whatnot for them to get into position, then get that in muscle memory and work up the speed.

What books would you recommend for resources on HPC?

I use Sheigo Tekgais method, he does not use the heal clip.....
and it is vey clean..

Richard Kaufman's Coinmagic has a Geoffrey Latta section and his version is in there.

Once the coins are in the left hand, get ready by holding the coins in a loose fist, thumb up, then when you show the coins in the right hand, lightly hit the left hand against the table top which will cause the coins to go into the proper position. From there, it's only a matter of keeping the left hand in a loose fist and moving it to the left when you "dump" the coins from the right.

Hope this helps.

Practise well and you'll have a fantastic move that fools everyone.

I have been working woth Slydini's HPC also. At first I had a little trouble, and I do not like the rolling with the fingers either. I basically let gravity do the work for me. After I show, say 2 coins from my left hand on the table, I pick them up and hold and as I close my hand, let them slide down my palm to the table, to be held in place with my pinkie. I keep my hand close to the table during all of this, so getting the coins ready sounds the same as putting them into my hand in the first place. I've been taking lessons from a strict former student of Slydini's, and he hasn't said anything bad about it so far.

Gene

Relax and let gravity do the work. The key is relaxation and don't look at your hands. Study Slydini's text and MOMENTS they work.

One other point, for what it's worth, is to slow down your HPC. Try doing it as slow as you can if front of a mirror. You'll be amazed how slowly you can do it and it still looks good. This slowness will help make your HPC look more casual and less like a move.

Gene

Well said Gene.

Phedon

Geoff Latta goes into exqusite detail on his version of Han Ping Chien and applications, including its use in getting a coin into a spectator's hand, on our new COINS ACROSS DVD. It is available at our web site, http://www.newyorkcoinmagic.net .