I recently got the Black Fox shells, and found out that they sell them in sets of four.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind! It just started me wondering, are there routines out there that uses 4 shells? In which case does anyone know where?
Bjørn

Why would you want to do this with four shells? I have played with three and it confuses people just fine, especially when you use 2 peas.

I know, I know...
Just curious! It was only the fact that they sell them 4 to a set that set me wondering.
Bjørn

One of the shells is solid. You can switch it in during the routine and show that under the shell where the pea is supposed to be is no room for a pea.

Ulli

None of the four I got are solid.
Well, perhaps I can buy 2 more sets, then I will have got one set for free!
Just kidding.

Bjørn

Have a load (a large sponge ball for instance) in the 4th shell and have that shell "clipped" somewhere you can get to it. You can switch in the shell and have a great kicker ending. This has been done by a number of shell workers. There was just such a handling at one point on http://www.allmagic.com/.

Come to think of it, I have some green sponge balls somewhere, yes.
Thanks Erik!
I may have some thinking to do.

Bjørn

Always remember the rule of three's.
The universal, theatrical triangle.

Yes I think using the fourth shell in some covert contex opens many interesting avenues but I don't think a 'four shell game' perse would wash with the visual harmony of things...Yet strangly two shells would. This rule of two's has been excersised in many a succesfull 'two cup routine'
I hope this doesn't blow my rule of three's rule out of the water! Oh what the hey, let's allow it as theatrical license......Don't use four though.

Dean

Somewhat related, the "Rule of Three" really applies to the process, or action, and not specifically to the props. Beginning, middle, end. Also, 3 distinct phases building upon one another. Or 3 interrelated ideas presented sequentially. Or storytelling technique. Or multiple climax.

That's why you can often mess around with the quantity of props without destroying the routine. 2 card monte, 4 card monte (Hold It, Buster). Matrix, 3 Fly, Scotch & Soda, coin under watch. Cups and Balls (3), Tommy Wonder's 2 cup routine, Chop Cup (1). There are limits, of course. Typically, when you begin to introduce the fourth element, complications arise more easily. Unless the elements form a natural set of 4 (aces). Or one of them is designated "different" (the leader coin that does not move). You'll notice in Matrix confusion is avoided by using a square, and the action is in 3 phases.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with investigating the possibility of the fourth shell, but I would caution you to tread carefully, and remember the square. I have not seen any routines using 4 shells. You will also find that 3 is a pleasing number of objects to work with in many cases.
--Dan Harlan

I have to agree with Dan. Remember, the strength of the shell game (or the monte for that matter) is that it looks too simple to lose, but has JUST enough complexity that the mark attributes his or her failure to not being able to keep track of everything. Three objects to follow at once does that nicely.

What I was originally talking about was switching in a pre-loaded shell for a kicker ending. While this is not needed if you are doing the con, it is worth considering for a magic trick.

At any rate, the spectator/mark would never be aware that there were more than three shells.

If you are serious about learning the game, I recommend that you try doing it as an out and out swindle. However, let me be VERY clear, I'm NOT recommending you actually take people's money. Besides the fact that it's illegal, it's a really good way to find out what your health insurance doesn't cover. (If I don't say that explicitly, we'll end up with a bunch of posts warning us of the legal and moral aspects of doing so and it will take us WAY off topic.)

Anyway, there are a lot of ways to do this legally if you think about it. The link below is to a post of one particularly interesting experience I had. I learned a lot about the difference between a demonstration and a magic trick doing it.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......orum=115