How to Do the Thumb Magic Trick, According to Magicians

Download Article

Magician Randy Charach shares how to convincingly pull your thumb off and wow your audience

Co-authored by Randy Charach and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: January 21, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

Doing the Trick

|

Making It Look Convincing

|

More Magic Tricks

|

Video

|

Q&A

Want to shock your friends by making it look like you can pull your thumb apart at the knuckle? Well, have we got the magic trick for you! Professional magicians Randy Charach and David Martinez explain how to pull your thumb off step-by-step, with tips on how to make it look convincing to your audience. Keep scrolling to become a pro at sleight of hand!

How do you do the thumb magic trick?

Magician Randy Charach says to start the trick by bending your left thumb down to keep the tip hidden in your palm. Then:

Bend your right thumb 90 degrees.
Place the knuckles of both bent thumbs together to create one long “thumb.”
Cover the knuckles of both thumbs with your right index and middle fingers.
Slide your right hand to the right, along your left hand, to “pull the thumb off.”
Slide your right hand back and straighten your left thumb to “put it back.”

Section 1 of 3:

Performing the Thumb Magic Trick

Download Article

1
Hold your left hand out with your palm facing you. This means your left thumb is resting against the side of your hand that is pointed to the sky, and the back of your hand is facing your audience. Imagine where your audience will be standing (preferably directly in front of you), and be careful not to angle your hand so they can see behind your palm.
- Stand in front of a mirror to practice. It’s important to see how the trick appears to your audience so that you get a feel for the angle you need to hold your thumbs at so they’re partially hidden.
- This trick works on either hand, so hold out your right hand if you prefer (and just swap “left” and “right” in the following instructions).
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Randy Charach is a professional magician, mentalist, author, and actor with over 30 years of experience blending magic, mentalism, and comedy worldwide.

David Martinez is a professional magician with over 20 years of experience and the author of Amaze and Delight: Secrets to Creating Magic in Business.
“Bend the joint of the thumb down and keep the tip hidden in the palm,” Charach instructs. “This allows the audience to see a shortened thumb without noticing that a segment is still being held in place.”^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Randy Charach
Mentalist, Magician, Author, and Actor

Expert Interview} Your thumb should be bent at a 90° angle, with only the bottom half (the half below your knuckle) visible to someone standing directly in front of you.

Advertisement
It should appear as though you have one very long thumb—the left thumb providing the part below the knuckle, and your right hand making up the part above the knuckle, or the part with the nail. Essentially, you’re taking “the thumb of your other hand and placing it where the hidden tip would be,” according to Charach.^{[2]
X
Expert Source

Randy Charach
Mentalist, Magician, Author, and Actor

Expert Interview}
Charach explains that this covers the area where your thumbs meet and makes it look like you’re “gripping” your thumb to pull it off.^{[3]
X
Expert Source

Randy Charach
Mentalist, Magician, Author, and Actor

Expert Interview}
5
Slide your right thumb to the right, along the length of your left hand. “Slowly ‘pull’ [your thumb] away from the hand, showing that the top half of the thumb just comes off,” Charach says.^{[4]
X
Expert Source

Randy Charach
Mentalist, Magician, Author, and Actor

Expert Interview} Your index and middle fingers will naturally move with your thumb so it looks like the tip of your left thumb has detached and you’re pulling it apart.
- Practice this movement until it feels comfortable and fluid. “The important factor here is to keep the angle of both hands subtle so that the audience cannot see where the bend is,” Charach adds.^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Randy Charach
  Mentalist, Magician, Author, and Actor
  
  Expert Interview}
- If you are left-handed, the trick is exactly the same; just reverse it so your right thumb is the bottom of the thumb, and your left thumb makes the tip.
Let your audience enjoy the thrill of seeing your thumb come apart for a moment. Then, “after allowing the shock to settle in, ‘snap’ [your thumb] back in place by straightening the bent thumb back up while moving both hands outward, as if putting it back where it originally came from,” Charach says.^{[6]
X
Expert Source

Randy Charach
Mentalist, Magician, Author, and Actor

Expert Interview}

Section 2 of 3:

Making the Thumb Trick Look Convincing

Download Article

1
Hold your right hand over your left forearm to begin. Your fingers should be on the side of your arm facing your audience, and your thumb should be on the other side of your arm, where it is visible only to you.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Once you've got the basic movement mastered, learning how to move in and out of the trick with smooth movements helps you avoid setting up the trick before your audience's eyes.
“A little wiggle or stutter in the movement sells the illusion, as does a pause for shock value,” Charach adds.^{[8]
X
Expert Source

Randy Charach
Mentalist, Magician, Author, and Actor

Expert Interview} Hold your left thumb angled up, away from your hand, as your right hand approaches.^{[9]
X
Research source}
As soon as your left thumb is covered by your right hand, pop your thumbs into position. Charach explains that you’ll be making the switch behind the cover of your fingers, bending your left and right thumbs and bringing them together, knuckle-to-knuckle.^{[10]
X
Expert Source

Randy Charach
Mentalist, Magician, Author, and Actor

Expert Interview}
“With 98% of sleight of hand, you as the magician need to create a moment of distraction,” explains Martinez. “[The audience] typically looks into your eyes, because you're looking at their eyes, and it's rude to just stare at someone's hands.”^{[11]
X
Expert Source

David Martinez
Professional Magician

Expert Interview} You may be tempted to look down at your hands as you do the trick, but keeping your eyes forward may actually help you sell it more convincingly!

Section 3 of 3:

More Easy Magic Tricks

Download Article

Want to add more magic tricks to your repertoire? We’ve got you covered. Check out these magic trick tutorials to learn new skills and build your own routine!

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

How do I crack my knuckles?

Community Answer

Press your left and right-hand finger and hold, stiffen your fingers then push them towards your inner-palm.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 40 Helpful 24
Question

How do I get my thumb back on?

Community Answer

Slide your right thumb down and disconnect your thumbs pulling your hand apart and wiggle your fingers.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 21 Helpful 29
Question

How do I hide my finger?

Community Answer

You fold your thumb to your palm completely. (Try to do number 4 with your fingers.)

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 10 Helpful 21