The Charlier Cut (or pass) is a method of cutting the cards into two piles and then joining them back together as a complete deck using only one hand. It is a major move to use in cardistry.

It is a very old flourish and is used in cardistry around the world; you see a lot of card manipulators using this as a way of cutting the deck. It looks incredibly simple but takes a bit of practice to get right.

To start you need to hold the deck in your fingers nearer the tip end and not in your hand as you would hold them when you deal the cards. 

You hold the deck between your thumb and 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers with your pinky to the side. That is the grip you will need when you start off.

The Charlier cut recap

The secret is the way you rock your thumb forward to drop into your palm a packet of cards roughly half the deck, this packet of cards are held in a dealer grip.

But when they fall in your hands you use the pointer finger to push that packet up. As you keep pushing with your finger you let go of the card with your thumb and the cards balance on the side of the other cards.

Once you push up further the second packet will the fall on top of the pile and this is the cut finished.

Keep practicing using all your fingers to control the cards so they do not slip to the side, after the 4th or 5th time of processing it, you will get a feel of the cards and probably find yourself completing the cut.

As with all card flourishes and techniques, there is a knack of performing this but once you have mastered it, you will find yourself on the road to becoming a cardistry expert.

It is the first of many moves and cuts you will learn on your journey. If you can master this, you will do very well. Practice is what it takes.

We have lots of cardistry coming in the future so please keep an eye on our Facebook page to see when they are uploaded.

Have fun and practice, practice, and practice some more.