Hi all,

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this, but I’m trying to track down books or DVDs (or any other literature) on carnival bunco type scam games. Things like the skittle game (I forget the name of it) where the operator can knock the skittle over but the punter fails.

I already do pea shell game, fast and loose, and (although not technically a scam) cover the spot. Would like to learn more.

Any help gratefully received,

R

Roslyn:

I just finished watching some youtube vids after searching "Carnival Game scams youtube",

Most were crap but one went into the statistics of winning different games thaat was interesting.

I don’t suppose you have a link to that video do you LeoH?

I'll PM you. I broke in, in a ten in one (sideshow). I was never a jointer but, I got to know a lot of carnies who were.

Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk_ZlWJ3qJI

Roslyn:

Link to Carnival Game Scams

Hi Roslyn good to see you back on the Café....

It may be worth getting in touch with the guy who put out the Cover The Spot stuff. I can't remember his name for the life of me - but he consulted on The Real Hussle and is very knowledgeable.

Aldo didn't / doesn't the guy who puts out Bally cast have a bunch of items under the heading of carny games? I'll get back to you unless he jumps in...

Http://goodmagic.com/websales/brill_4way/index.htm

and...

http://goodmagic.com/websales/brill_24games/index.htm

Ian Kendall has a "Cover the Spot" set that includes the discs and an instructional DVD. I purchased mine through Hocus-Pocus magic shop here in the US. I purchased 6 of these sets and set them up as a pre-show activity for audience members for our flea circus/magic shows.

Thank you, Ian Kendall, was the name I could not remember. Roslyn did mention it in the original post. I like the idea of using as a pre-show activity! Cool idea!

If spot the spot is not a scam, you're doing it wrong.

Hey ringmaster! After reading THAT, I think that "maybe" you are with it! hee hee

Did you ever know 'Thousand Faces Foxy"? His name came up in a Showmen's League meeting, in the section on "demises". It took the rest of the meeting for the "roast" to slowly finish. A few of the "best"comments, were: "Yea..I know T'ousand Faces maybe thoity years. In all that time, he NEVER made a mark out of an old broad, or a kid whose head wouldn't reach the counter." Another brother spoke up, and said, "Don't play that too strong! He had a box that a kid could stand on!"

It seems that Foxy could work them all! --Swinger, spot the spot, any 'count' store, etc. He floated to all the big shows, over a season. When he made a big score, he would blow the show, and jump to another one.

See ya on the next lot......

I'll tell you a story about the swinger. Joyce White, Bill hadthe wife of Bill White and sister-in-law of Bumper Jack White. Joyce had the swinger which is the "skiddles" game and Bill had the pin store, at the Calgary Stamped. Now the Swinger is a very simple machine with only three parts, none of them gaffed. Operation depends on mis-direction and guts.
The owner of that other big railroad show had decided that the time had come to force us out of Western Canada, and his friends in Ottawa had put the wordb out. The RCMP had been timeing the joint and knew something wasn't square but they didn't know what. We got raided but there was no evidence to hold anybody.
That night Joyce hit the jackpoton the daily ticket draw,prize was a Mazda station wagon and a pop-up trailer. Now she had to go down to the police headquarters to get papers to leave the country, The cops had the Swinger set up in the lobby of the station, cavas and everything and were playing with it and measuring and weighting everything. The head vice cop said he would grease the rails on the paperwork if she would just show him what was what. The detectives were ready to give up. Well live and let live.

Love it!

Have a look for Simon Lovell's Billion Dollar Bunko book.

Also, look for Simon Lovell's "How to Cheat at Everything: A Con Man Reveals the Secrets of the Esoteric Trade of Cheating, Scams, and Hustles."

I kind of like Crown and Anchor.

Walter B. Gibson's "The Bunco Book" is a good source for old cons and rigged midway games.

Razzle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=527F51qTcTg

There are many books on carnival game fraud on the internet. Check with Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other bookstores. Todd Robbins did the FOREWORD on my book, CARNIVAL COP, years ago. Bruce Walstad wrote "Keeping Carnies Honest", Tom Rinaldo wrote "Robbery on the Midway" and others, who were not law enforcement officers, wrote good info on the crooked and gambling games.

If you need a list of the books, contact me and I will give you some info on the titles and authors. Sadly, I cannot make copies of the dvd I had produced years ago as the man who put it together passed away and he had the master copy.

Nice to see you still around old timer. Always loved your well-informed posts

Does anybody know of the titles of books on the History of famous con artists, I have tracked down one about 'Soapy Smith'. I know there a few about Carnival Games but I would also like to research about Long Cons etc. Many thanks for any help