Talkmagic.co.uk

JackBlack · New User Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 2

Hi all,

First time poster here. Apologies in advance for discussing matters that may have already recently been discussed.

I did just complete a search on this but found nothing.

So, on a recent trip to San francisco I noticed a street hustler down by the pier preying on unsuspecting tourists. It was a 3 cups and a ball routine. And simply a matter of the "paying tourist" ($20 a guess - double your money if you get it correct) guessing which cup the ball was under (they always got it wrong). There were four 'spectators' in on the con too. They would celebrate and pretend to be winning in order to lure the tourists to their trap.

I'm a casual magician from way back, and the nuts and pea trick is an old favourite of mine. But this is the closest thing I have done to the act that the con artists had going on. Any suggestions as to what was the feign? Looked very convincing as his hand never came into contact with the table or the lower part of the cup whilst he was mixing them (unlike the nuts/pea were that brief moment is spent with your hand at table level, rolling out the pea before rolling it back into a new location).

Your opinions/knowledge will be greatly appreciated.

Mandrake · . Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Posts: 13585 Location: UK (60:AH)

I saw this operating a couple of years ago in Barcelona. There were several teams of 4 or 5 people doing the shells and pea scam but using matchbox drawers and paper ball on a small carpet square. It was incredible to see how the team operated, even when they changed roles and the confederates in the 'audience' changed to being the performers. Many people were taken for a ride and it cost them a minimum of €50 to learn the hard way how easy it was to take money off tourists. Principally they used 3 techniques - firstly a straightforward moving around of the boxes where the ball stayed in place and the confederate could select the right box, then the move was made to roll the ball under the edge of one box and into the following box and finally the all time classic where the ball was palmed and conveniently dropped to appear under any box which hadn't been selected by the mug. Only once did an argument break out and only once did someone get their money back. Most folks who were conned lost up to €200 of their holiday money, hemmed in and egged on by two of the confederates. And all this was taking place within a few yards/metres of the local Police Station! I stood at a distance and watched for the accomplices, the lookouts and the choreography of it all. I felt uneasy watching crimes being carried out but there was a morbid fascination at the same time.

PS Welcome to TM!

stephenmagic · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 4:18 pm Post subject:

Yes you still see this old trick turned into a scam. It is still around the UK, never play it as it is a scam. The people you see 'win' are in on it. Also avoid those 'ping pong' games being played in Blackpool. They are a scam and use a clever prinicple that the layperson will not know about.

Durto · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 5:45 pm Post subject:

As Mandrake said, these scam still wake a sort of morbid fascination. Any other witness of those scams or different street-scams?

magicdiscoman · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 6:07 pm Post subject:

from the description there could be a bit of chop sucky going on ive done it for fun this way at a charity gig doing the old paul danials bunko booth.

krazy ace · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 8:50 pm Post subject:

don't take me as a crook or some-one looking for trouble but i live in central london, how come i haven't seen any off this. (i thought it might be something interesting to see).

JackBlack · New User Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 2

The operator I witnessed was very smooth. Exceptionally experienced. Had the quick wit and the fast talk happening. Basically, an Eddie Murphy look alike who wouldn't shut up.. "round and round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows, you can watch for free, doesn't cost anything to watch, but if you want to play, you gotta be prepared to pay.." Wink

Based on what I witnessed, him and his team must be raking in minimum 5k per day.

Elros · New User Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 1

Hey all.

Man I wish I had of read these posts a couple of hours ago! In san francisco and have just been hustled the way you describe above to the tune of 600 bucks! Tried to win my money back which of course was his dream so he could put the same tricks on me! How stupid eh, so annoyed...

S. Lea · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:52 am Post subject:

I saw something in London, where a guy used three black discs about the size of coasters. One had a white spot on the bottom. The dealer would show the undersides, and then mix them up. If the spec/mark could point to the one with the spot he won.

Blapsing_Beard · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:08 pm Post subject:

joshua robertson · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:04 pm Post subject: cup and balls

If the hustle had more then one ball he could take one off and put one on the table.

Peter Marucci · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:37 pm Post subject:

Anyone who has lost money on these scams shouldn't feel badly.

Three-card monte, thimble-rigging, shell and pea, pricking the garter -- they've all been around for hundreds of years and millions have been lost on them.

It never ceases to amaze me that anyone should feel capable of beating these hustlers.

If a hustler can be beaten, he won't last on the street. Therefore, the only ones that are seen are the unbeatable ones.