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Penn & Teller: Fool Us....how did the guy do this trick?
- Thread starter Synth_floyd
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ConfusingJazz said:
I...THINK I can see how this one works. It's the last guy--he looks and sounds like he's reading the "last option" on the card.
I think the cards are worded so the players are given instructions to read a specific line depending on their table.
Maybe the cards have two instructions. One is what they're supposed to say if they're at table 1, and one if they're at table 2.
Because even though there's the random element of her switching the cards, if the cards use the process of elimination for their instructions, the last guy's card will be a "default" answer.
Let's remove the "name" part. The cards probably say "Say your name" so that's easy. P and T got that one.
The cards also probably have "say your table number" and the number probably is written on the table somewhere.
So the cards need actually ONE variable. The meal.
If he has six different cards and uses some slight of hand, he doesn't need ALL variables. He just needs to make sure he has the cards that match the meals for TWO tables which he knows the locations of. Even if she "switches" them, he still knows which meal is at which table.
I'm probably getting the math wrong here, perhaps someone can help my tired brain, but I THINK I can see how, with some planning, he can prepare cards in advance:
Table 1 cards:
Say your name, table one, and chicken.
Say your name, table one, and fries.
Say your name, table one, and pizza.
Table 2 cards:
Say your name, table two, and chicken.
Say your name, table two, and fries.
Say your name, table two, and pizza
Table 3 card:
Read this card, and do not say the two meals that have been mentioned.
Say your name, table two, and [chicken, fries or pizza]
Now, how does he prepare for the swapping? That's what I'm gonna ponder when I rewatch it.
NekoFever
Member
I love this show.
Michael Vincent is fantastic. He's been on twice and hasn't yet fooled them, but his technique is magnificent and both times they've said how good he is and how he's one of the best technical magicians they've ever seen. Really cool, old fashioned presentation that I like a lot. A few close-up magicians have got a bit flustered when P&T don't fall for misdirection and watch their hands the whole time, but he's just flawless.
They've already been posted here but the Canadian guy and Mathieu Bich are excellent too. I love Teller's reaction to the latter when he shows them that their guess at his method is wrong.
Also, it's made me realise just how good Teller is. Penn's great too and they're obviously a superb double act, but Penn admits that Teller's the brains of the outfit and he seems to know everything.
Michael Vincent is fantastic. He's been on twice and hasn't yet fooled them, but his technique is magnificent and both times they've said how good he is and how he's one of the best technical magicians they've ever seen. Really cool, old fashioned presentation that I like a lot. A few close-up magicians have got a bit flustered when P&T don't fall for misdirection and watch their hands the whole time, but he's just flawless.
They've already been posted here but the Canadian guy and Mathieu Bich are excellent too. I love Teller's reaction to the latter when he shows them that their guess at his method is wrong.
Also, it's made me realise just how good Teller is. Penn's great too and they're obviously a superb double act, but Penn admits that Teller's the brains of the outfit and he seems to know everything.
I forgot their explanation, but I've been to their Vegas show twice and each time they performed a variation of this trick but much more amazing. Before the show, there is a sealed envelope up on stage and the piano player (with an unannounced and silent Penn playing upright bass) pauses between songs to invite the audience to come up and sign it. Then during the show, they pass around a bunch of joke books. A trick later, they ask the audience members with the books to stand up. One of them comes on stage and is asked to randomly pick a page and then randomly pick a joke on the page. Then Penn says that he wants the audience member to read the joke and the whole audience will say the punch line. They open the signed/sealed envelope and open up a huge computer print out with the punch line for all the audience to say.
Something about the power of persuasion. Also, I think it is completely pointless for any type of mentalist to try to get a spot on a Penn & Teller show. They ripped them a new asshole both times I saw them and, of course, on "Bullshit!" This guy probably got off because he admitted the bullshit from the beginning and just wants to entertain, as opposed to try to make it seem like he has a power or, worse, offering false hope.
Something about the power of persuasion. Also, I think it is completely pointless for any type of mentalist to try to get a spot on a Penn & Teller show. They ripped them a new asshole both times I saw them and, of course, on "Bullshit!" This guy probably got off because he admitted the bullshit from the beginning and just wants to entertain, as opposed to try to make it seem like he has a power or, worse, offering false hope.
Lionel Mandrake
Member
Lord Error said:
Whoa. That's impressive.
I have to say this trick by Ali Cook from the pilot is my favourite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0RRSgfBJpw
It's ridiculously obvious how its done in hindsight, but just for a second I'd thought he'd done something impossible. Such an amazing performer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0RRSgfBJpw
It's ridiculously obvious how its done in hindsight, but just for a second I'd thought he'd done something impossible. Such an amazing performer.
parrotbeak
Member
So instant stooge is when the audience choice is random but agrees to be in on the trick? Whats nlp?Timedog said:
That's what I've been trying to tell people.Timedog said:
It seemed very similar to how Derren Brown convinced Simon Pegg that he wanted something completely different than he'd asked for for his birthday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=befugtgikMg
parrotbeak said:
Neuro-linguistic Programming. It's a method of suggestion.
That implies the participant couldn't just change his mind.Korey said:
If only the fact that he was on stage made the participant say the correct word, then it's not a magic trick at all. A rebel could destroy the illusion completely by saying whatever they wanted. I don't believe that's how the trick was performed.
You're right, a rebel could, but some people wouldn't due to social pressure. After all, the point of the show is to fool Penn and Teller, not ruin a magic trick. Others will go with it and be satisfied that they're in on it. That's why it's a shitty trick. Watch it again.saunderez said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYF6KGeBerA
Has this one been posted? Penn & Teller couldn't figure this one out.
Has this one been posted? Penn & Teller couldn't figure this one out.
Barnaby_Jones
Member
zon said:
looks to me like there was always a card in the guys mouth and some sneaky sleight of hand meant that the signed card could be put into his jacket pocket and swapped when he puts the tweezers away..... aaaaaaaand shot down at the end of the video. That's definitely a mind bender if there's no switch!
Zomba13
Member
Yeah. I was sure there was a switch at the end where he has the card in the same hand he grabs his jacket with.Barnaby_Jones said:
I think the card was passed to the duct taped guy when he was hit on the back of the head. Duct taped guy held the back of his head for a while and was moving about a bit. Dunno how he could get the card in his mouth from there though.
you all are trying to figure out amazing tricks yes. BUT. the most amazing one was when the guy got a second chance to come on the show. and DESTROYED PENN AND TELLER. the one where he correctly predicte the score of the dart game, the word teller would make and who would win ro sham bo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm5JvQIHnpI
somebody PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE OUT HOW HE GOT THAT SHIT IN HIS SHOE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm5JvQIHnpI
somebody PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE OUT HOW HE GOT THAT SHIT IN HIS SHOE
TheOMan said:
There's discussion on another forum I frequent. The theory goes:
The girl is quite a skilled acrobat. She sticks her legs out of the back of the box and wraps them around things when the box 'hovers'. Note the lamppost *seems* irrelevant to the trick, but the box only first hovers when it's in place.
NICKNACC said:
He did admit that someone else wrote the prediction. That's a clue. My theory: There's an accomplice in the dartboard writing down the events as they happen. The briefcase is a significant distraction; by implying the prediction is in the briefcase, it diverts attention from what he's doing.
I'm trying to recall exactly what the prediction said. I think it was the numbers, the words and then the winner, right? Did it say explicitly who won the words? I believe he collects two predictions after the words are written but before the words are judged; one saying dartboard scores, word scores and "Teller wins", and the other saying the same but "Penn wins"; those find their way into his shoes somehow (He wanders over to the dartboard at some point around there, doesn't he? That'd be a good time to insert them into the shoes, either through a hole in pockets or through the assistant actually placing them in there if the sightlines are blocked to them.
At that point, if the winner of the words matches the winner of the darts, the trick is done, he releases the prediction. If it differs, they settle it with Rock, Paper, Scissors, and he releases the correct prediction there.
I'm very surprised P&T didn't ask to inspect the other shoe.
I'm trying to recall exactly what the prediction said. I think it was the numbers, the words and then the winner, right? Did it say explicitly who won the words? I believe he collects two predictions after the words are written but before the words are judged; one saying dartboard scores, word scores and "Teller wins", and the other saying the same but "Penn wins"; those find their way into his shoes somehow (He wanders over to the dartboard at some point around there, doesn't he? That'd be a good time to insert them into the shoes, either through a hole in pockets or through the assistant actually placing them in there if the sightlines are blocked to them.
At that point, if the winner of the words matches the winner of the darts, the trick is done, he releases the prediction. If it differs, they settle it with Rock, Paper, Scissors, and he releases the correct prediction there.
I'm very surprised P&T didn't ask to inspect the other shoe.
I think my favourite of all of the magicians we've seen so far has to have been Piff The Magic Dragon. A good trick, but the most wonderful delivery; it was *very* clear that Teller in particular adored it.
Graphics Horse
Member
NICKNACC said:
Could it be passed in through the front of his shoe when he's behind the briefcase stand? He admits he didn't write it.
ConfusingJazz said:
I think the fish videos are misdirection actually!
It shows how they take the phone off the stage but the backstage fish never appears on stage. Phone is wheeled back on stage in the table and Teller passes it through the fish from the audience. That's my guess anyway, but it at least gives Teller some sleight of hand to do.
The box may also have a loudspeaker in it if the ringing is genuine.
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
I think it's pretty safe to say his sleight involves rearranging specific cards to spell a suit and a number. He keeps the OF word between the number and the SUIT and the NUMBER mini-decks.Lord Error said:
He's probably done the trick so many times that he's committed the movements to memory to spell out every number and suit name. When he spreads the cards, you can see that that simple letters focusing on solid lines and 90* angles are sometimes broken up into multiple cards, whereas curved letters are forced into the side of a single card (taking up about 1/3 of the card's face area) because you wouldn't be able to compose them with multiple cards.
The N is made of a | a \ and another |.
In the same sense, a V could be made with a \ and a /. And E is made of a | and a =.
See where I'm going with this?
It's beautiful, however, since he made the trick himself. That's probably how he managed to fool P&T -- they've never seen the trick before and didn't have time to figure it out within 20-30 seconds. Either that or they respect the guy so much for coming up with an original trick that they wanted to have him on the show.
And, yes, his showmanship is astounding. Especially the special box with the hidden message. :]
Graphics Horse
Member
soultron said:
There's also a lot of 'blank' cards either side, so it might not even need to be that complicated, but still needs a lot of practise!
Most cards will have partial letter on one half and blank on the other half, so he just has to rotate the cards for the matching number and suit, or something like that.
It will probably need some rearranging of letters but there will be a lot of spare cards where we don't see the edge with the ink on. If he both sides of the cards can be used that would make it easier too.
TabletopTictacs
Member
ConfusingJazz said:
Funnily enough, I was watching a documentary yesterday which happened to have that guy in! It was about Stephen Wiltshere, the autistic guy who drew the city panoramas - Michael Vincent was being interviewed as a 'family friend'. Skip to 5:30 on this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSqcgHeFPbE
Just thought it was a pretty cool coincidence.
On topic: how have I never heard of this show? It seems awesome.
Graphics Horse
Member
kottila said:Not sure if that's the correct use of that word
Oh indeed, it's very impressive! But if there's room in the deck for having all of the words pre-spelt, it's less of a job than assembling each word by hand.
I fucking love this show, watch it religiously every week.
My favourite was the Cubic Act posted earlier... but i loved this one too, and Penns reaction afterwards...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBiMo5JvUqA
Cant get my head round how the card got in that sealed pack. Amazing.
My favourite was the Cubic Act posted earlier... but i loved this one too, and Penns reaction afterwards...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBiMo5JvUqA
Cant get my head round how the card got in that sealed pack. Amazing.
I just watched a bunch of Darren Brown videos, and I'm incredibly skeptical. The success rate of his tricks has to be incredibly low. The pay-with-blank-paper one makes very little sense to me, as almost every cashier (provided the purchase is above a couple bucks) will check to ensure the correct amount has been paid. The four card yes-or-no thing seemed ridiculous as well. Understanding the simple fact that the show would look more impressive if he *tells* the other person what the card says, and the other person doesn't listen to him, would be enough to tip off anyone thinking about it.
lowhighkang_LHK
Member
Stop exactly at 3:55
You can see blank ink lettering on his left hand.
He literally has the word on his hand for Kenny to look at and read.
You can see blank ink lettering on his left hand.
He literally has the word on his hand for Kenny to look at and read.
Timedog said:
They or someone else writes down the solution and they do a switch (or they simply cheat).
and you always know how the trick will end as well. I used to be very impressed by them (especially P&T live trick with the jokes described earlier in the thread), so I might have just overdosed
NekoFever
Member
Mathieu Bich has apparently done that trick in French, English, German, Russian and Japanese, which is pretty amazing if the method suggested on here is correct. That's a lot of combinations to commit to memory.
You can buy it from his website, incidentally.
You can buy it from his website, incidentally.
Schmattakopf
Member
So that's where Wossy's been.
been watching this from the start. it sucks that theres no more episodes until the christmas special.
there were two acts that i could swear penn and teller guessed right but the magician(s) lied anyway for the trip to vegas. one was the two guys predicting profile cards where they cut out a penn silhouette at the end. the other was some dude returning to the show but i cant remember the trick.
there were two acts that i could swear penn and teller guessed right but the magician(s) lied anyway for the trip to vegas. one was the two guys predicting profile cards where they cut out a penn silhouette at the end. the other was some dude returning to the show but i cant remember the trick.
Graphics Horse
Member
NekoFever said:
The sealed deck trick was an award winning trick too. Chances are Penn & Teller have seen some of these before and all is not as it seems.
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