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I think most of you guys now the 3 card monte.

I was just thinking and thinking and thinking.

and i would love to add a little more to it.

first of all i think its a beautiful trick. but its way too short. and too simple.

theres nothing more to it than the guessing.

ive been trying to figure out ot make it into a nice long surprising card routine. like cups and balls for instance. but with cards.

now the annoying part is.. the cards are bent.. so its difficult to switch them with regular cards on top of the deck or something.

you know what i mean?

do you guys know any other 3 card monte thats also pretty nice. but is more convenient if you want to tie another card trick to it?

i just love the idea of pulling 3 cards out of your pocket. show a 3 card monte , and finish it off with a surprising ending. like changing all three cards. and have the original three cards appear in your inside coat pocket or something. hehe.

im hoping i will find some good ideas here.

the key here is simplicity. but stunning.

thank you in advance.

Figaro writes, in part, that three-card monte is "a beautiful trick. but its way too short. and too simple."

You might want to try my version; just e-mail me and I'll send you the catalogue list.

Yes you're right Figaro, Monte is a very simple and satisfying effect but it can be done as part of a larger routine. In fact, it works better this way since it can be put into a gambling context, otherwise it is simply a natty little trick.

There are several versions of the Monte game and many of them are different enough to weave together. Like Vernon's eight card version for example, which is a complete mind-f*** if you ask me.

Check them out - a lot of them can be found on Daryl's Ultimate Monte DVD which is ace.

I think "monte's" are fantastic little tricks. Obviously the three card monte is the classic, though I agree - conceived more as pure slight of hand than actual magic.

What I usually do would be open my Monte routine with the classic 3 card which everyone has seen a variation of before. This obviously done in the traditional method. (I apologize if this seems vague, but I don't quite know what constitutes copyright infringement!)

Then move onto a 2 card version - basically David Blaine's aces to queens. This has a similar vibe to the classic, and uses completely different slights - so keeps the crowd guessing.

Then to finish, I do a 1 card monte - using a duplicate card - again similar to that used in the David Blaine TV specials. I don't use quite the same flourishes and changes, I like to mix it up and throw in a few miracle changes or whatever - change it up - these sort of tricks are easy to mess around and be flexible with.

So rather than just doing the single simple 3 card monte - turn it into a monte themed section of your performance. It give you the chance to use a LOAD of different methods to attain a similar effect each time, so shall keep people on their toes.

thank you for replying.

Yes a monte themed routine sounds nice. But i wouldnt know how to a 1 card monte I mean i know how I could do it. but how to make it interesting or funny enough?

anyway I think you guys should take a look at this 3 card monte video; i think its brilliant; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfY0N4HNQz4

anyone has an idea how he changes the card on the mat?(not the one under the glass, i figured that one out myself)



besides that. where can I find Dai vernons 8 card monte routine? would love to see that one too actually.
I have seen Vernon perform a 3 card monte on youtube. it was really nice. nice sucker ending as well.

oh by the way;

http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=29

is this the Daryls ultimate monte you were talking about? or is it a different one?

Not too sure about the 8 card routine mate - the only 3+ card Dai monte I know of is the 7 card money detailed in Lewis Ganson's "Dai Vernon Book of Magic" - however, without giving away the trick - this routine makes use of a gimmicked card.

As a side note - if you are going to be doing a monte themed section - I would definitely make use of a few gimmicked cards to further keep the audience guessing.

Oh and to digress further - if you were to classify these monte themed tricks, i suppose they could fit as "packet tricks" - so I would suggest a few of Dave Cambell's packet tricks found in "Legacy" - I know i keep plugging these but they are fantastic! The gaff card really keep the audience guessing!

paul gordons a corner in picadilly. Its really Lovely!

http://www.paulgordon.net/PaulGordonPicadilly.wmv

uhm it is difficult o tie another card trick to a monte. its simplicity is the reason it survived so many years and is still so popular. And its roots are a scam and if you look at all the psychological subtleties and finesse with which this scam is applied in real life then there is not very much room for improvment imho.

You can come up with some new and interesting patter and different patterns for throwing the cards but i wouldnt try to make something out of it that it is not.

on the other hand im not an expert on monte so i might be wrong as well. I just know that i like to use it when im at a party or in a bar with friends and play with them this. usually other people come up and you et to know more people. its a very good trick for socializing

greets

One of the best Monte routines that I have seen, and use, is Greg Wilson's Monte, which is on one of his three videos in the set, Gregory Wilson-In Action. He has done what you are doing, and I bet he gives you what you want. It does not bend the cards, and there are some stunning moves. This is a reputation builder, to use a worn out cliche and I performed it in a Casino foyer en passant, and was booked for a party, by the doorman. Guess what he asked me to show people all night?
If you haven't got any Greg Wilson d.v.d.'s then I recommend that you get them, because they're full of strong, commercial close-up magic.
I agree with you, that the Monte, per se, is a little too quick and carries that uncomfortable undercurrent of a challenge, for the cause of making the magician look smarter and the spectator dumber, but I feel that these points are addressed by Greg. Good luck, brother Figaro.