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I've put myself into classical con situations out of curiosity. Even when I purposefully seek to be conned, it's embarrassing to have it happen. In my case, s

I've put myself into classical con situations out of curiosity. Even when I purposefully seek to be conned, it's embarrassing to have it happen. In my case, simple subway con artist performing the classic magic trick where you bet money to determine where the queen is under three cards. As a hobbyist magician I'm able to follow him as the subway scammer performs the drop, switching the queen for another card. I'm not ready for the smooth talking however that the con artist employees afterwards. It's a humbling experience but one that I'm happy to have lost real $$$ so that I can remember the lesson for the rest of my life. ----------- Coming to terms with smooth talkers and how they're able to easily manipulate you, even if you are familiar with the tricks (both slight of hand tricks as well as 'Magicians Force' smooth talking / distractions). It does make me want to practice classical street magic again, as it's so obviously associated with thievery and con-jobs. But street magic is perhaps the 'safe' way of doing it all so that no one gets upset afterwards. But in any case, just imagine a street magician who makes your money disappear. That's what it feels like. Even at the amateur level, you'll fall prey to the 2nd level or 3rd levels of trickery, cause the street con-man has probably tricked overconfident amateurs before. ------ I've heard stories of people who talk with street vendors selling lotions or other items as well and falling for those sales pitches. In my experience, it's similar to the street magician-thief and uses many similar techniques. No one likes the fact that our actions, reactions and behaviors are so predictable that literal con-artists can make a living predicting and planning around our reactions to mislead us. (Or in safer circles, a street magician doing the same thing but for wonder/amazement rather than stealing your money) -------- EDIT: For those not in the know, a drop and/or steal are magician slight of hand tricks that switch cards or other objects in a way that most people can't follow. Magicians Force is a question that gives the illusion of choice, often a choice that doesn't matter for the trick. But the illusion of choice is sufficient to keep the audience's attention and let the audience think that they're still in control of the situation. Or in other words: smooth talking. There are many ways to drop, steal or use Magicians Force. But using them all together in one smooth action is how magicians (or con-artists on the street) do their tricks.

wincy 3y ago
I was listening to Joe Rogan interview David Blaine and he said there are plenty of card players where it’s literally undetectable the tricks they use, even with cameras everywhere. Makes me have no interest in playing card games with anyone but a few friends.
- dragontamer 3y ago
  Oh, there's so many card manipulation tricks it's hilarious. I can false shuffle a deck, I can seed a deck through shuffles. I can false cut. Tricks with my hands to 'do nothing's with a deck even though it looks like I'm shuffling or cutting the deck. When we get to truly skilled magicians, they can perfect shuffle (IIRC, 8x rifle shuffles in a row with perfect precision returns the deck to it's original state). They can perfect cut (two cuts that return the deck to the original state). And they can therefore look like they're shuffling, when in fact they're just leaving the deck in the same state the whole time (or at least they have a plan to return the deck back to it's original state later on). There's also hidden cuts and hidden shuffles. To change the deck even though it didn't look like anything happens. So if I perfect cut a deck, say a silly story to you, then hidden perfect cut the deck back to it's original state, the audience probably doesn't realize their chosen cards remain on the top of the deck. (Even if they spot the second hidden cut, they likely don't realize the importance of it) ---------- I did this once or twice (try) to pass out like 4x Royal Flushes on Poker night to prove a point lol. Seed some royal flushes on the top, false shuffle the deck, etc etc. IIRC only two Royal Flushes survived but the point was made. It's certainly fun. But it does make me wonder how people are supposed to trust the dealer when so many of these tricks exist and aren't even that hard to do or practice. (Perfect shuffles are really hard. But the other stuff is just pretending to be a klutz and undoing the shuffle by dropping the cards or other such planned clumsiness, and then confidently pretending that the deck was truly shuffled). These sorts of things are more believable before your friends realize you are ridiculously practiced with card tricks. Still though, street con artists are on another level. I guess when it's your living you get much better at it.
  - mhb 3y ago
    I think that it is thought (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riffle_shuffle_permutation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riffle_shuffle_permutation) that seven riffle shuffles randomize a deck. So you may be misremembering that eight returns it to the original state.

wincy 3y ago

I was listening to Joe Rogan interview David Blaine and he said there are plenty of card players where it’s literally undetectable the tricks they use, even with cameras everywhere. Makes me have no interest in playing card games with anyone but a few friends.

dragontamer 3y ago
Oh, there's so many card manipulation tricks it's hilarious. I can false shuffle a deck, I can seed a deck through shuffles. I can false cut. Tricks with my hands to 'do nothing's with a deck even though it looks like I'm shuffling or cutting the deck. When we get to truly skilled magicians, they can perfect shuffle (IIRC, 8x rifle shuffles in a row with perfect precision returns the deck to it's original state). They can perfect cut (two cuts that return the deck to the original state). And they can therefore look like they're shuffling, when in fact they're just leaving the deck in the same state the whole time (or at least they have a plan to return the deck back to it's original state later on). There's also hidden cuts and hidden shuffles. To change the deck even though it didn't look like anything happens. So if I perfect cut a deck, say a silly story to you, then hidden perfect cut the deck back to it's original state, the audience probably doesn't realize their chosen cards remain on the top of the deck. (Even if they spot the second hidden cut, they likely don't realize the importance of it) ---------- I did this once or twice (try) to pass out like 4x Royal Flushes on Poker night to prove a point lol. Seed some royal flushes on the top, false shuffle the deck, etc etc. IIRC only two Royal Flushes survived but the point was made. It's certainly fun. But it does make me wonder how people are supposed to trust the dealer when so many of these tricks exist and aren't even that hard to do or practice. (Perfect shuffles are really hard. But the other stuff is just pretending to be a klutz and undoing the shuffle by dropping the cards or other such planned clumsiness, and then confidently pretending that the deck was truly shuffled). These sorts of things are more believable before your friends realize you are ridiculously practiced with card tricks. Still though, street con artists are on another level. I guess when it's your living you get much better at it.
- mhb 3y ago
  I think that it is thought (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riffle_shuffle_permutation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riffle_shuffle_permutation) that seven riffle shuffles randomize a deck. So you may be misremembering that eight returns it to the original state.