Title: The Scoundrels Touch: The Shell Game Series Vol 2
Medium: DVD set (two disks)
Arena: parlor, formal show, street
Available: Any shop, distributed by Murphys Magic Supplies

I love, like many magicians, the routines in magic that are based on real street scams. They are interesting in many ways and a challenge to learn to perform correctly and as an added bonus are routines that can define a character. I also think that these types of routines are very satisfying to work on and you can measure your improvement as you move along. The undisputed champions of scams and cons converted to magical applications, and often real street hustling, is the School For Scoundrels ran by Whit Haydn and Chef Anton. There is no question as to the expertise these two gentlemen have in the area of scams or as performers and their books on the shells, monte, endless chain, etc. are text books for those interested in these types of effects. They have followed up their books with DVDs which are, in my opinion, the source for these scam type of effects. Today I’m looking at The Scoundrels Touch, The Shell Game Series Vol. 2.

In volume 1 you learned how to handle the shells and pea, and I should add that School For Scoundrels is the best source for the shells and the only choice, in my never to be humble opinion, for the peas, do yourself a favor and check out their web site. In volume 2 you get to learn a couple routines consisting of Absolutely Nuts by Bob Sheets (the DVD has Bobs original video as well as a new and more informational instruction), and Chef Antons routine. Both are excellent. There are a number of performances taped, including a couple from Whit Haydn at the Castle and great footage of Gambling Sam actually working the shells as the scam it is. Giuseppe Aliotta goes over the props and betting cycles of the actual street workers, this is very interesting information. The routines will take some work to do smoothly and you must commit to working to get the moves down but it is absolutely worth every minute and I find working with the shells to be a great way to spend my time.

The DVDs contain far more that just explanations it covers pretty much every aspect, other than how to handle being arrested if you try this as an actual scam and are not prepared, that you can imagine. There are alternate endings, methods of drawing in spectators, moves that fool everyone, discussions on types of shells and what makes them good or not. The information is as clearly presented and explained as is possible, I say this because some of the moves are so slick that even if you know they are being done you cannot catch them. I cannot imagine a group of guys that could do a better job on this subject than Whit, Bob, Chef, and Giuseppe. I cannot think of anything that could have been done to improve these DVD’s. The quality was good, the sound top notch. The live footage at the Castle was a bit dark but you can see the pad and watch Whits performance no problem. Do make sure you slide the DVDs into your computer and check out the PDF files, very interesting reading.

I guess it is pretty easy to see that I am very enthusiastic about this DVD set. It is actually the first DVDs I’ve gotten from The School For Scoundrels as I had their books and I’m really impressed. The shells are great fun and you will find the work you need to put into them extremely rewarding. If you are a shell guy and want to improve your handling and knowledge, get this DVD, if you want to learn the shells then get volume 1 and 2 a set of shells and some peas and get down to business. Very well done.

Great DVD. Highly recommended.

The School For Scoundrels 1 and 2 is the best material for the 3 shell game I saw. I enjoyed them very much.
Already any reviews for "The school of soundrels 3" ?

There is a three? How in the heck can there me more info!? I thought I done been taught everythin' dang it....I need more though.

TIP.

Whit Haydn is going to Magic Weekend 2009, October 9 - 11 in sweden, europe.
He will show us a Star Lecture. This convention is great, recommended.

If you live in the northern europe, check this out:
http://www.magiskweekend.se/index.php?op......temid=54

The hotel is pretty close to Malmo and Copenhagen.

Thanks for the tip Kjellstrom. From flensburg/germany, your tip has a good chance to become reality.

One and two are compulsary for any shell worker.

There is.
Parts of the blurb:
"What would it be worth to spend just ten to fifteen minutes with each of seventeen of the most experienced and successful pitchmen alive today?...

"...Seventeen men and women, many multi-millionaires and all extremely knowledgeable sales experts, talk about their lives and experiences and their love for their craft, and about the techniques of demonstrating and selling a product and what it takes to be successful as a pitchman.

Many of these people you may recognize from their ubiquitous television infomercials. They are the experts of the Knife Pitch (including the creator of the Ginsu Knife), the Svengali Deck and the Mouse Pitch, the Medicine Show, and of the Pen and the Watch Pitch, the sellers of Slicers, Dicers and Graters, the amazing Jam Auction and all the other great live and televised pitches which have been so successful all over the world for the last hundred years.

But wait, there's more! We also include a bonus disc, a Pitchman and Jam Auction Forum with S. David Walker, Jerry Spalding and Don Driver — another solid hour of important information and fascinating stories. Nearly four hours of information on the pitch and the jam!"

The "multi-millionaires" thing sounds a little bit suspicious to me, but the rest of the blurb looks interesting.

While that is indeed a DVD from the School for Scoundrels, it's not a third shell game DVD--it does not deal with the three shell game. Instead, it's an interesting and insightful video interview with a bunch of experienced, successful pitchmen.

Right now there are only two volumes in the SFS shell game series.

But we can hope for a third...

A third volume is planned. It will deal with the feints, come-ons, ruses and hooks used to get people to want to bet. It will also have a section on making your own shells and peas, on shell design and on the various types of peas.

You studs!

:jump:

From Flensburg, germany to Lund is pretty close (i checked a online map) - just drive to Copenhagen, denmark and then drive over the looong bridge over to Malmo, sweden. Then drive norteast about 25 km from Malmoe and you will see Lund. Easy.

And don't forget our recently released "Scoundrels Weekend with Doc Jon." It is a wonderful set of three discs that let you join us scoundrels for a weekend with John Deems (Doc Jon). Doc Jon is the real deal. A card and dice cheat who has worked for the mob, organized crime in Hawaii, and the Yakuza in Japan.

It is a very valuable set of discs, I think unlike anything published before.

As a matter of fact, the Senior Pitchman's Reunion and the Doc Jon discs are similar in some ways. You have to dig to find the gold, just as we did when making the discs. You get to listen to and watch true pros in a field talk about and describe what they did and how they did it, the way the guys who write the books do it--by actually listening to and analyzing what these "real" guys have to say.

If you want everything spoonfed to you, you will never get it anyway.

These are the raw materials from which you can actually learn and grow in your work.

I presume you will have some available at the Magic Weekend in Sweden

Yes.

Pop,

Will y'all be adding any more information on the tops? I loved the stuff on the 2nd DVD and would love to see more tops-specific info (if there is any...moves, etc...).

Thanks!

Any news about this one?

Any news on the third DVD, yet?

Weird I looked here:

http://www.chefanton.com/ScoundrelsStore/product_list.htm and could find neither the The Scoundrels Touch: The Shell Game Series nor the Scoundrels weekend with doc Jon

Clues anyone?