A question regarding the pass

[Bill Wheeler]

I started to practice the pass a bit more regularly after rereading John Carney's Book of Secrets. Last night I tried something a little different, and I was wondering if maybe this is what was supposed to happen all along:

While performing the riffle pass, I really tried to create a lot of pressure inbetween the two packets, and have the bottom one almost snap into place with as much force as I could muster. So much so that it felt as though the cards were barely in control. It certainly looked more deceptive; but if this is "the way" then I still need work.

My question then for any experts on the pass is: Am I on the right track? Is the riffle pass really kind of a power move requiring a lot of force to shift the two packets as quickly as you can deceptively...or does it normally require a softer touch.

[Richard Kaufman]

A soft action will still put a bridge in your deck.
To the larger question: Everyone who does the Pass well does it differently--this is vital to understanding it for your own work. Learning to do the Pass requires a huge amount of individual trial and error--no one can really teach you a Pass, all we can do is put you on the road.
There is no right or wrong way that holds true for everyone. A soft Pass will be right for some and wrong for others--ditto a "hard" Pass. It will be right for some and wrong for others.
I saw Dingle do "hard" Passes that were completely invisible, but it must be noted that he was directing attention TO THE DECK when he did that type of Pass. When he was directing attention away from the deck, he did a soft Pass.

[rich aviles]

I don't apply any force (upward/downward/both) during the move. The technique that I use is closer to a classic pass with a riffle as cover rather than a simultaneous riffle and pass. I have tinkered around with the latter, and I would recommend learning the move softly from the start as opposed to decreasing the tension as you go along.

I also prefer a slow pass. Try doing it deceptively as slow as possible in the mirror. You may suprise yourself at how good it can look with a small amount of playing with natural angles and cover.

[Brad Henderson]

While the transpo of the cards may have looked ok from your vantage, how did the relaxation of your hands and body appear?

[rich aviles]

I'll second the advice to play around with it and make it work for you. Once you find the sweet spot--the way you want it to look--then start practicing.

[rich aviles]

I have always preferred a very soft, flowy technique. It is my belief that any strain or tension will cause an alarm to go off in the spectators mind.

You may want to ask yourself if you are going to be using it as a secret move that no one is aware of or a "look what I can do" move.

Riffle the cards without doing the pass or looking at your hands.
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That is what is suppose to look like. When you become more comfortable with it, it will FEEL like all you have done is riffled the cards.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Originally posted by Bill Wheeler:
...tried to create a lot of pressure inbetween the two packets, and have the bottom one almost snap into place with as much force as I could muster. ...

From those folks I've met who've made the classic pass deceptive, such tension was not part of their handlings.

Calling Geoff Latta!

[Bill Wheeler]

Originally posted by Brad Henderson:
While the transpo of the cards may have looked ok from your vantage, how did the relaxation of your hands and body appear?

I'm pretty sure my hands didn't look relaxed, but then performing the riffle pass in the manner I described is new for me. And I was thinking of this as more of a "work in progress".

[Bill Wheeler]

Rich and Jonathan--

I normally have a pretty soft touch with cards. While seeing if the riffle pass would work with a lot more tension, it genuinely seemed to work better (albeit unpolished).

But this leads to another (potentially more interesting question).

Is there a lot of force being applied...but due to practice and dilligence, the cards appear to not be under tension? I seem to recall in "The Complete Works of Derek Dingle" that his cards would receive an upward bend from his work with the pass...which seems to imply some force.