Action Palms by Ed Marlo

Effect

Action Palms is a card sleight where a magician secretly palms a card while performing a natural action, such as a cut or a shuffle. To the audience, it appears as if the magician is simply handling the deck, with no indication that a card has been concealed in their hand. The move is designed to be invisible, making it a powerful tool for vanishes, switches, and other deceptive card magic.

Full Details

Action Palms, popularized by Ed Marlo, involves palming a card during a natural deck manipulation, like a swing cut or a spread. The key to this technique is timing and cover—the palm happens as part of a larger, justified motion, making it difficult for spectators to detect. Unlike static palming methods, Action Palms integrate the concealment into an action that already makes sense in the context of handling cards.

Biz from Big Blind Media explains that while palming from the bottom of the deck is relatively straightforward (level 2 or 3), performing the same move from the middle of the deck drastically increases the difficulty (level 8 or 9). The challenge lies in maintaining smoothness and naturalness while executing the palm under tighter conditions.

Who Should Consider the Trick

Action Palms is best suited for intermediate to advanced card magicians who are comfortable with foundational palming techniques like the Classic Palm or Tenkai Palm. It is particularly useful for performers who want to enhance their card control, vanishes, or switches without relying on obvious sleights.

Information on How Difficult It Is to Perform

The difficulty of Action Palms varies depending on where the card is taken from in the deck:

• Bottom palm during a swing cut: Level 2 or 3 (moderate difficulty).
• Middle palm during a cut or spread: Level 8 or 9 (high difficulty).

Biz notes that hand size and practice play a significant role in how easily a magician can execute this sleight. The move requires precise finger control and the ability to maintain natural-looking actions while concealing the card.

What Magicians Say

Biz from Big Blind Media describes Action Palms as a deceptive and modular technique, stating:

• "Action Palms is when you perform an action like a swing cut and in that process you're bottom palming the card."
• "If we take this sleight and perform it on a card in the center of the deck, it instantly becomes a level 8 or 9 move."

He also emphasizes that while Action Palms can be used in performance, many magicians employ them as a skill demonstration among peers. The technique is adaptable but requires practice to execute smoothly in real-world conditions.

For magicians looking to refine their palming techniques, Action Palms offers a versatile and deceptive method that can elevate card magic routines when mastered.