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twistedace Inner circle philadelphia 3772 Posts |
Hi guys,
I posted this in the "If you're right you win, if you're wrong you lose" section, but I don't know if many table hoppers/strollers check that section so I'm also posting it here. I was wondering what you consider the strongest ending for the shell game for the walkaround performer? I know that the traditional ending that many people use is the shot glass end, but being a walkaround performer, I don't like to carry a shotglass with me. One of the best shot glass endings I've seen is R. Paul Wilson's. Anyway, I'm considering just using the hand behind the back ending or the bust out move, but I'm curious as to what everyone else thinks are good endings for the game. |
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Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts |
Wow, bunch of views, no answers. I need to add this to my working repetoire because I guess no one else does it!
I love the shells, but I too end with the glasses over both shells. I suppose if you didn't want to carry a glass, you could borrow an empty one from the dining room - you don't need to use a shot glass, any glass will do. I have two small glass bowls that fit nicely over the shells for the Gary Ouellet finale to Super Shells, but I do more of a Bob Sheets finale with both shells covered. The shells, peas and both bowls fit into a small bag - still a lot to carry for restaurant work and my routine is a show piece and is too long for table hopping material. |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
One thing I can't stand with the shell game is where the pea is NOT found under one of the shells and instead is found in the pocket or in the hand.
The horrible penquin video with jay nosebleeda constantly finding the pea in his pocket (and not under a shell) basically tips the gaff and tells the spectator that you can steal out the pea. It's like using a Svengali deck routine and showing all the cards as 7C. It's nifty phase if you're trying to sell the deck but it's a huge mistake if you're trying to do a magic routine with it. A 6 year old kid I know got a magic set, found a pen-thru-bill pen , realized how it worked, ran upstairs and showed all the grown-ups "hey look. here's a pen. now watch. look. now it's apart. now it's back together". To him, that WAS the trick. With a little more thought you realize he tipped the gaff. Sure you can think of that as a magic trick in itself but that kind of penquin thinking is unimpressive from a creative standpoint. The Patrick Page DVD on the shells has some good ideas. Just make sure you consider whether it's worth it to "tip the gaff" and to what degree. Bob sheets has some good advice regarding not doing your best "closing" phase when you're doing strolling. You'll have to ask him about that.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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Eddie Torres Special user New York City 692 Posts |
I've always gotten good reactions with the shotglass ending. What exactly is your issue with carrying a shotglass around? If you're going to carry the shells around. migh as well have the shotglass too. I carry the whole setup in my pouch and I'm good to go.
An alternate ending I once used was to have a final load in one of them, I used a 2 inch green spongeball. I eventually decided I didn't want to mix magic with that classic scam, but it did get very good reactions as well.
Eddie Ivan Torres
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
I hate to keep plugging my stuff (???) but the Ken Brooke version "TWEEZERS" has the strongest ending you could ever want for a "shell-type" game. Check the video clip at http://www.petebiro.com
I learned this over 20 years ago and never went for the conventional shell game since.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
One of the endings that I really dislike is when the operator shows a pea under more than one shell. (Except for the ending where there was a different color pea matching the colors of the chip played on it. Beg pardon, but I can't remember whose it is.) Showing 2 green peas may not show the audience how it's done,but it gives them an explanation instead of leaving them wondering.
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Agreed, you should never show there could be a duplicate. Same with cups and balls, showing the "extra" ball makes no sense.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts |
Frank and Jake, you are both so right. There is sometimes a tendency to include an effect that you CAN do with the props, but common sense should dictate that it NOT be done. Like you both point out, it sort of tips the method!
I used to do Frank Gracia's presentation with the shells which included a segment where I was showing a pea under each shell and then subsequently NO peas under any shells. I won't do that any more. And Frank, thanks for this info: "Bob sheets has some good advice regarding not doing your best "closing" phase when you're doing strolling. You'll have to ask him about that." That sounds interesting. |
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twistedace Inner circle philadelphia 3772 Posts |
I just attended Bob Sheets' Shell Bootcamp and it was AWESOME. If you ever have the chance to go, please do! There were 5 of us and Bob working the shells drilling his new routine. He said something to the effect of not doing the best phase when strolling because he always sets up in one spot after a while and people come to HIM. After he builds a big crowd, he goes into the shells and then blows everyone away with the strong ending.
The bootcamp was great, and I'm having an even better time than ever with my shells eventhough I've been doing them for years now! |
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solrak29 Special user NY Metro 936 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-01-18 16:45, twistedace wrote: So did you find the answer to your question?
To Find Me On The Pitch, Follow me :On Twitter
Checkout my pseudo blog : The Sidewalk Performers Forum "I intend to live forever, or die trying" - Groucho Marx |
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twistedace Inner circle philadelphia 3772 Posts |
I'm sticking with the behind the back. I use the straight con throughout, but it's a nice way to tie the magic back into the performance. I simply don't like shotglass endings because I feel the shotglass telegraphs to the audience what is going to happen and it becomes a more of a game of "how is he going to do it?" in my opinion. I DO have some interesting ideas regarding a shotglass ending that's not really seen, but I'll have to play with it and let you all know later.
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MaxfieldsMagic Inner circle Instead of practicing, I made 3009 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-01-18 22:34, Frank Starsini wrote: Six year olds are great. The world is so fresh and exciting to them. Nowadays, though, don't be too surprised if he releases this as an ebook.
Now appearing nightly in my basement.
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Avocat Elite user 446 Posts |
I had to check to see whether I mentioned this elsewhere because I've been having fun with it for a while now.
I've just started using "handheld close-up stages." I realized it was possible when I saw that Bonnaroo grifter video. He was running the shell game on a jeweler's pad, held with one hand. No table or boxes needed. I experimented with jeweler's pads (7" x 14") and made my own velvet-covered stages as well. The requirements were that they be small enough and light enough to carry around, yet rigid enough to serve as an actual shellgame surface. The jeweler's pad was the second best solution so far; they sell for as little as $6 postpaid. But the best solution for me was artists' canvases from craft supply stores - the kind you buy so you can paint pictures on them. They're extremely lightweight, sufficiently rigid to support shell routines WITH shotglass endings, and cheap. They also come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. You can actually work on the canvas itself, if you like white backgrounds. I've bought velvet from fabric stores which I simply staple to the wooden under-frame. For the black stage, I also glue a patch of velvet to the underside, so it looks nice from all angles. Excluding the staple-gun and adjusting for quantity (the smallest swatch of fabric will typically cover at least two canvases), the total cost of one of these "handheld close-up stages" falls around $5. Last point: I'm currently using a baby-blue handstage. It's an odd color for a close-up pad, but the idea came from a very-occasional Café poster, Dr. Jason Fleming, who thought that the association of silver (I use the Scoundrels' Colorado Silver Shells) with light blue would invoke Tiffany & Co.'s trademarked canary-egg blue and attract people familiar with the brand. Can't say for sure that it's working for that exact reason, but silver against light blue does look surprisingly opulent. Jim Kawashima |
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Bill Thompson Elite user Mississippi 422 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-02-01 04:58, Avocat wrote: Interesting. Don Alan used a light blue close-up pad because it showed up better than any other color for television.
"To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment.
Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven." - Chuang Tse |
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Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
There are a number of effective endings for the shell game in walk-around explained on our Scoundrels Touch DVD.
There are several methods for the pea being found under a previously empty shell held in the spectator's fist. This is the ending I use for walk-around, I use the shot glass for exhibition performances. Sheets teaches his ending where he puts one shown-empty hand behind his back and operates the pea and shells with just one hand. The pea dissapears from all the shells and is shown to be in the hand that he has held behind his back the whole time. We have a number of other endings as well. I think that in walk around, I would rather just carry three small light-weight shells (like the Street Shells or Deacon Dan Shells) and a couple of peas in my jacket pocket, along with the Sharper Pens, than to have to carry a bag with the shells and a shotglass. In exhibition routines, I use the Silver Shells and shot glass ending. I like the idea of the artist's stretched canvas as a pad, it makes it possible to put a magnet in the pad easily, and use it to hold out the magnetic pea. |
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twistedace Inner circle philadelphia 3772 Posts |
I do love the Scoundrel's Touch DvD, which is where I learned the move. Like I said, I'm definitely sticking with the behind the back ending. It really packs a punch. When walking around, I do prefer to just carry my street shells and a few peas.
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G. Regular user 183 Posts |
Treat it as like 3 card monte, what do you think it's the strongest ending?...I've seen R. Paul Wilson does this on Youtube and it was fantastic!!
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
The latest SFS DVD on the shells is really good.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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twistedace Inner circle philadelphia 3772 Posts |
All of those DvDs are great. I have the Introduction to the Shell Game and the newer double DVD The Scoundrel's Touch. It's gold to anyone that wants to learn the shells.
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Metatron Elite user Port Orchard, Washington 436 Posts |
I'm Not a shell worker. I am aware of the gambling versions on the streets i.e. con or swindle. Done with bottle caps mostly these days. I.E Three Card Monte style. Find the pea, place a bet. But, I have never seen it performed as a magic effect. Could someone describe the Shot Glass ending or any ending other than I'm walking away with your money ending.
Metatron |
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