# How is this magic trick done? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426 "2014-01-22T03:21:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426/41 "2014-01-22T18:05:04Z")
> [@Gus\_Gusterson](#): > > Would you? Yes. Don’t like it, come up with a better trick, you hack. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426/42 "2014-01-22T18:11:22Z")
I would guess that there’s also an element of human psychology in the selection of the girl. Maybe you pick a young, pretty girl because the men, having been selected by the young, pretty girl, want to please her. If they ruin the trick they will make her sad and they will lose whatever chance of nailing her they had. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426/43 "2014-01-22T18:14:34Z")
I still say the real trick is to pick the right woman. But heck, that’s always the hard part. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426/44 "2014-01-22T18:14:51Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Look at the comment section at your link. Or you could just [search the SDMB](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=613011)! This got discussed a couple of years ago. Posts about Einhorn’s trick begin with #50. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426/45 "2014-01-22T18:16:19Z")
> [@Gus\_Gusterson](#): > > Maybe you pick a young, pretty girl because the men, having been selected by the young, pretty girl, want to please her. Damn it, you are beating me every time! Yes, the woman is the key here. The rest is easy. It only takes one asshole to ruin everything. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426/46 "2014-01-22T18:18:13Z")
> [@Penn and Teller Fool Us ("Spoilers" OK)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penn-and-teller-fool-us-spoilers-ok/585996/52): > > And on some further and final analysis, I speculate that Einhorn had a “set” of envelopes ready for each possible iteration of the serving trays, and produced the relevant envelope set once he knew where each meal was placed. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426/47 "2014-01-22T19:22:52Z")
Where did he get the name tags that the participants used? however those were provided, that is his opportunity to update the preselected envelopes with the right names. Those name tags for the male participants are completely un-neccesary to the trick and is the ‘window’ to actually add real names to the cards. Anything else - requires ‘participation’ in the trick by the picked people. note - I have no idea how he would have managed to add the names - but to me, thats the opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426/48 "2014-01-22T19:25:58Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Where did he get the name tags that the participants used? however those were provided, that is his opportunity to update the preselected envelopes with the right names. > > Those name tags for the male participants are completely un-neccesary to the trick and is the ‘window’ to actually add real names to the cards. > > Anything else - requires ‘participation’ in the trick by the picked people. If you’ve been following along, you know that we know that the cards have a blank and \<_say your name_\> in the text. There’s no need for the magician to go behind a curtain, pull out a Sharpie and write names on the cards before he stuffs them in the envelopes and seals them again. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426/49 "2014-01-22T19:33:24Z")
It doesn’t matter. _All the envelopes are the same._ Notice that in the screen shot, we see the table 3 script, yet he is sitting at table 1. Obviously, the portion of the card we can’t see contains the scripts for tables 1 and 2. Just more playing along by the guys. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-magic-trick-done/679426.md?page=2)