07.04.04

Throwing Cards

Posted in General at 7 pm

Came across this the other day… It may have been via BoingBoing as usual. It’s a tutorial on throwing poker cards to the extent that they can cause bodily harm.

As with throwing most objects, the technique to get it to work right involves getting the spin just right.

The Jay Grip

  1. First, we must assume that the card can express four directions. The four corners of the card will now be designated as Northeast, Southeast, Northwest and Southwest.
  2. Place the Northeast corner of the card into the fleshy part of the right index finger tip.
  3. The right second finger is placed under the card about one inch down from the index finger along the Eastern edge of the card. The right thumb is placed over the card in exactly the same position. The thumb and second finger has the card pinched between them. If the cards were not present the position of these fingers would be identical to that used in passing the tiniest piece of cigarette to a close friend.
  4. The third and fourth fingers are kept out of the way: this is most easily done by curling them inward to touch the palm. The Eastern edge of the card makes contact with the hand only where it is grasped by the first two fingers and thumb: the card does not touch the palm of the hand at this time. This is very important. Later, when the wrist is turned inward, the Southeast corner of the card will hit the base of the palm, but it does not do so yet.

You are now ready to learn the Jay throwing technique.

The Jay throwing technique

The basic spinning motion will be discussed first; the arm action for longer throws will be described later.

  1. Sit comfortably in a chair (not an armchair). Your left hand, which holds the deck, rests in your lap.
  2. Grasp a card in your right hand in the Jay grip. The right arm rests loosely against the right side of the body.
  3. Bend the arm at the elbow so that the hand is now about six inches above your knee and parallel to the floor.
  4. Bend your wrist towards your body until the Southeast corner of the card touches your hand at the base of the palm.
  5. The wrist now straightens, returning to the original position, as the fingers release the card. The card glides out over the second finger, spins forward for a few inches (or feet), and falls to the floor. The motion of the wrist is the same as that employed in dismissing an incompetent valet.

After you get the feel of this motion, you are ready to add arm action; this will provide greater stability and distance.

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