Erdnase tells you to start with the deck held in an elevated position, with the left index finger curled beneath the deck. My questions is this: at what point do you uncurl the index finger, if at all? I have played around with this. I see some people start with the index finger flat from the start, others uncurl after the have inserted the card but before the card is shifted / palmed. It is also possible to keep the index finger curled throughout (and only uncurl after the card is palmed).

Also: what angle is best to give the audience? Should they see as much of the back of the right hand as possible? (to cover the left finger movements?) Or should they rather observe the action more from the performe's left side (observing more of the back of the performer's left hand)? Or should the move be equally invisible from both sides?

Great questions about a great move. Erdnase purists will tell you that all you need to do is follow the written description in the book to a "T" and you will be able to successfully learn the move. Dai Vernon, an exponent of the DPS performs it at the :55 mark or so, in this video clip.

https://youtu.be/KzfOL5n7MjI

But, there are also many who have taken the basic mechanics and then varied the move to allow for many handlings which look different, i.e. replacing the selection into a fan and then closing the fan, seemingly losing the card.

Here is an example of someone who has done extensive study and come up with variations.

https://youtu.be/Abaiv8Rnb_E

And of course there are literally hundreds of tutorials you can find on the web (sadly). I hope you steer clear of most of them until you have exhausted your own work on learning the sleight.

To answer your specific questions, The move, when done properly is pretty free of sensitive angles. Even from the right, there should be little to see. And, and this is important, if you don't arouse suspicion that "something is going on", then it doesn't matter so much.

How are you motivating the move? In other words, OK, so you know the mechanics, but what are you going to do immediately after the card is palmed? Hand the deck to a spectator for shuffling? If that's the case, then you can use your body movement to help minimize any angle issues you might be concerned about. Perhaps, if you find the biggest risk is from spectators on the right, you choose to turn slightly to your right as you execute the move. You do this because you needed to turn in order to hand the pack to a spectator on the right. It is a necessary action, and a perfectly natural one. Always look for those sorts of opportunities and take advantage of them when you can.

Regarding the forefinger, etc., Vernon performed the sleight with the first finger curled beneath the pack and maintained that position. That's the way it is described. If, however, you find having the forefinger at the front of the pack assists you in performing the move, you shouldn't hesitate to do it that way.

But, and there's always a but, I always recommend trying sleights exactly as written to begin with. Only after you completely understand what the author was hoping to communicate should you then make personal variations. Some variations may be necessary as all hands aren't the same, all performers not equally adept. So find what works for you. Just don't dismiss the original text before giving it a fair shot.

Thank you very much Tortuga for your considerate answer and helpful youtube clips.

I have played around with dps for several years, using Erdnase's text as a starting point. But I have never had the courage to actually use it in front of other people. I have spent a lot of time perfecting the move for myself and to adapt it to my (relatively small ) hands. I am probably one of those sleight nerds, practicing endlessly. But now I have reached a point where my I think I want to start using it. Mind you, I'm a pure amateur, I'm just performing for family and friends, and maybe occasionally in my local magic club.

I think my handling is very similar to the great professor Vernon. I also keep the index finger curled throughout the move. After a lot of trial and error, I think it is the best option for me. Also I think it looks better in most people hands (my personal opinion, though). One difference is that Vernon seems to imitate a squaring action. I know several other people also advocate doing that, such as Giobbi in Card College. However, I just try to have the left hand discreetly sliding backwards without any forward motion, curling the card and palming it.

I have tried to think, as you said, of what to do immediately after the palm is made. Such as making a fan in the left hand ( hiding the card card behind the fan), getting something from the pocked with my left hand (and then maybe disposing of the card?), grabbing a handkerchief and so on. I also practice just having my left resting at the table and looking apparently relaxed and empty. Depending on the circumstances. I also like the well known "sleeve cover".

I don't yet do the move very fast. Much slower than Vernon, but greater speed might come later, if at all necessary? First I want to follow your advice to start incorporating the move into a context of a trick, using misdirection, patter, etc.

Btw I already have downloaded and watched several times Ricky Smiths's tutorial. He is an absolute master of the dps. I might look at it again to refresh my memory of all the different applications. For the time being I only insert the card at the front.

This is also a very good one to learn from, actually anything from 52 Kards is worth learning. I’m mostly a decent-at-best coin guy but have learned a awful lot of card moves and routines, like this DPS, from good teachers like this…

https://youtu.be/cQSjjoM8-ww

Good luck on your journey.

Thank you for the kind words, and for the tutorial, even though I have seen it before. I agree. I really like 52Kards. I have followed the channel for many years, probably right from the beginning.

I've never liked the insertion of the card in the DPS. Cards are never returned to the deck like this, particularly a selection that is under control of the spectator. Over the years, I worked out several ways to do the move that more closely simulates how cards are generally returned to the deck. During the course of a discussion on the DPS in another thread, I posted a quick video to demo one of these methods. The video is ~4 years old but is still relevant to the discussion.

The DPS is an excellent move but we shouldn't be afraid to alter the move to suit our needs. Keep in mind I'm an average card worker at best. A real worker could make the basic method even more deceptive.

Steven is showing so many good lessons in that video I don't even know where to begin. I will sum it up in a single word...DISARMING.

Magicians often discuss the difficulty they have palming cards. Whether it is the "guilty feeling" or just what to do after obtaining the card, a lot of folks struggle with what to do. Notice especially the action of the left arm immediately after the palm. Nobody would suspect there's a palm happening and afterward, no need to do anything except leave the arm hanging casually, just exactly as you would if you had done nothing.

If you want to improve your card magic, study videos like this. There's a lot of good stuff going on that I didn't even touch on.

I have been practicing the DPS on and off for about a year, but I have never used it in a performance. Steven and Ray J (Tortuga), you are motivating me to start practicing it again! Steven, you are too modest; you are far from an average card worker! (Or maybe I should say that if you are "average," then I am in the lower 25%...)

I will keep you appraised of the progress...

That looks pretty good Steven, and I’d say the DPS has been greatly improved upon there. Good job!

And it’s always good sometimes when folks not just point the way, but show the way.

For what it's worth, I think the DPS is just one of those moves where you need to adjust it to your own hands. I struggled with getting it to a point where I was happy with it for years. Then I saw a video where Jennings did the move with his left thumb across the top of the pack, as if he was about to deal. It kind of fell into place for me after that.

Not perfect, but I'm reasonably happy:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYIY5SlF_Vs......opy_link

Jack

If it looks that good on a tight shot with all eyes on it, it is more than good enough.

Steven, from a decent at best coin guy to you, an “average card worker at best,” I would like to try your basic method here. No PM for you, but is your way available to learn from you?

Sure! I included the explanation of the method in the previous thread as well. I'm happy to post it here for anyone that might be interested in it.

Thank you so much, Steven. Extremely nice of you to share. I hope I can make the move look as good as you do someday.

Thanks again, and now I’m m off to practice.

Thanks, Marion. Your generous comments are appreciated.

Steven: excellent work! For the record, MB and I had a sidebar conversation about this, and that flip-up is not AT ALL what I thought you were doing... I really appreciate how relatively angle-proof this is; and your casualness (is that a word?) really makes this work.