The Hinge Change / Color Change Card Trick Tutorial (with video)

You hold the pack in the left hand with the first finger doubled back, the nail resting on the back of the rear card. (Fig. 1).

Bring the right hand up to the pack and take it between the tips of the thumb and first fingers, at its lower corners.

Pull back the lower side of the rear card with the tip of the left second finger, so that the card is gripped between the tips of the first and second fingers. (Fig. 2).

Pull this card down by moving the left fingers backward slightly, until it just clears the pack at its lower side and at the right angles to it.

The outer side of the card is thus brought to a point near the tips of the right second and third fingers. Push its top outer corner between these two fingers at their top joints, far enough to hold it securely but not allowing it to protrude at the back of the hand. (Fig. 3 and 4).

Show your left hand empty and replace the pack in it, pushing it well into the fork of the thumb, and extending the left fingers flat in front of it.

With your right forefinger, extended, point to the face card, bending the second and third fingers a little inward, the back of the hand affording complete cover for the clipped card, which lies out horizontally from the hand.

Bring the right hand in front of the pack, laying the clipped card on the outstretched fingers of the left; the right fingers have, of course, been kept close together up to this point.

Place the right middle finger against the outer side of the concealed card and then open the fingers widely, thus allowing the face card of the pack to be seen through the separated fingers.

Suddenly close the fingers of the left hand bringing up the concealed card with them, hinge like, against the face of the deck, and a moment later remove the right hand.

The new card appears to simply materialize magically, as there does not appear to be any possible place of concealment for it.

This is one of the very best of all the color changes and is well worth the little study required to master it.

As with all "color change" effects, the change should be from a black to red (or visa versa), and also a value change (such as a 3 of Diamonds to an Ace of Spades).

From Card Manipulations by Jean Hugard (1934)

Also See: Card Palming and Recovery | Card Bender Tutorial | Sleight of Hand Guide

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