Looking for some advice on the Ascanio Spread. I set goals when I'm learning something new, to be able to do it 20 times in a row without messing up. That represents a 95% success rate. This relatively easy sleight keeps eluding me though. I can usually do it flawlessly the first 5 or so times, but the more I practice it, the more there is a tendency to pull a card that I don't want pulled over to the side, exposing the card that should be covered. I'm wondering... is there something at work here that others have found out too, that maybe the natural skin oil in the pads of my fingers smooth out the card edges, and when repeating this it tends to make certain cards grip each other? Its weird. Just when I'm going good, for no reason at all I'll flash. But when I mix the card order up, I can make it work again. It's like a golf swing... sometimes I get going good and then I completely fall off the wagon. What gives!? I found learning the DL easier because in concept I know what makes the DL work. The problem is I don't even know WHY the Ascanio spread works, and what the problem is when it doesn't. Since your just gripping the cards by their extreme edge, at times it feels like you are subject to the card's whim and desire, instead of the other way around :x

I wonder if you're performing it the same way I do?

Holding the cards by the short edges of right hand, I pull the bottom card to the left with fingertips on left hand, then I pull the top card with my thumb, then my left middle finger pulls the 'new' bottom card of the packet. The two remaining cards don't seem to separate for me.

Sorry it's not easy to describe in words, but hope that helps in some way.

Cheers,

Brian.

Yup, that's exactly how I do it. But the question is WHY don't the 2 remaining cards separate. The reason is because I'll be performing it well time, and time again, but then (like the golf swing analogy) I fall off the horse so to speak.
... so this works for you, 100% of the time, all the time?

Try a looser grip , just noticed on the last card , I'm holding the 3 card's by just the end of the 3rd finger and thumb.

Thanks for the help I'll keep working on it.

You might try this variation which works for me.

Holding the stack by the short edges in right hand, (Biddle grip,) left thumb moves the TOP card to the left and DOWN about an inch, (just clearing right thumb,) securing it in place with the left thumb at about the middle of the packet face. You're then perfectly positioned to pull the next card over from behind with the left first finger and then the next with the left second finger. The "last" card stays where it is (and so does the something extra.)

That how Oz Pearlman teaches it.

:bikes:

A better way to practice such things so that you can do them under fire is to use the move within context. To be able to do a move 20 times in a row is a fine and noteworthy accomplishment, but for the most part, you only have to do it once.

So, adjust the target of practice and instead attempt to do an effect, which uses the move you are practicing, 20 times in a row without messing up. And change the cards each time... you won't be using the same cards every time. Also, for practicing purposes, it hardly matters the effect you use. You just want to be able to do it in the context of other moves.

In practicing in this manner, you are learning to do a routine exactly as you would for spectators. Doing it as you described, people tend to end up performing a collection of moves with all kinds of tells and signals that moves are coming up instead of a single theaterical piece.

This is what you should now do (as a variation on your own established practice goals):
1. Find an effect that contains the move you wish to perfect.
2. Practice that effect until you can do it 20 times in a row (WITH patter)

Make sure you include these conditions:
1. Perform it as a new effect each time, so different cards.
1a. As a corollary, if an effect uses a four of a kind, change the four of a kind for practice purposes. Like I mentioned before, you will not be performing any single thing 20 times in a row. Don't let your cards adapt to that condition.
2. Remember, you are dealing with playing cards, not manholes. Don't be heavy handed with them.

And as for tips related specifically to the Ascanio Spread:
One finger per card that moves.
Thumb first card.
Index bottom card.
Middle 2nd from bottom.

And for the 2nd from bottom, I usually recommend pulling the last "card" away rather than trying to pull the 2nd from the bottom away.

Some EXCELLENT advice there, PebKac! Thank you very much. Of particular I paid attention to the following:

... Actually its funny that you say that because I had been doing just that. I am trying to get down the "Kannibal Kards" routine from Michael Ammar's EZ2MCM vol1. I have been fully rehearsing the routine. I now know the patter and presentation in my sleep but one day I just fell off the horse, with the Ascanio spread. I was able to rehearse the routine 12 times in a row before flashing that 13th time. My runs have been troublesome from that point on, 5 in a row, 5, 3, 3, 1 , 0, 6... very frustrating. And always with this sleight so I just started to change my criteria to the sleight itself. I'm starting to get back in the swing so now if I perform the sleight 20 times in a row, I'll run through the full routine, patter presentation, etc. I'm back at 6 in a row, and things seem to be working out well.
This was also a good piece of advice:

... that makes sense. Although I now have a certain affinity for those Kings ;-)

Lastly , I think I'll try this:

I'll see how that goes.

.... Also, here's something that I've discovered that may help others out there. I've recently started playing with a used pack discarded from a Casino. When they are thrown out, they punch a hole through all the cards. I use this to my advantage because I can now line up the holes in such a way that the hidden card's hole is in line with the covering king, and I can see "through" the holes to the King at back to make sure he and only he is the one that is starting to move when I drag out the bottom card. Something to try, anyway....
Thanks again everyone.