I love this hand-cranked shell game automaton, built by Per Helldorff.
And here's a flesh-and-blood shell game artist plying his trade on Westminster Bridge in London:
The person who secretly recorded him wrote on YouTube:
A few years ago, I got duped out of £20 on the Westminster Bridge, in London, by a guy doing the age-old ball in a cup trick (you know, the one with the 3 cups). The first time I tried, I was absolutely certain of the location of the ball – only to be fooled. However, yesterday, I was back again, and happened to scam the scammer with a little iPhone hidden cam slowmo of my own.
Watch and see how he cups the sponge ball in his small two fingers on his right hand. When the innocent contestant chooses the likely position of the ball, the fact is he'll loose every time, since the ball is under none of the three cups. A complete deception indeed!
For the reveal, you can also see how he quickly replaces the ball with his right hand just before he turns the cup over to reveal the hidden surprise.
Should he be arrested for consumer fraud, or given a medal for street magic? You decide! :-)
[via]
