Penn and Teller Fool Us ("Spoilers" OK)

[Indistinguishable]

Welcome to the boards, theflyingtinman. Just so you realize, this thread is a hair over a year old. The original participants may well have moved on.

[Simplicio]

Ah, saw the thread had been bumped and was hoping for another season. But looking at wikipedia, it looks like there won’t be any more episodes.

[mojoguate]

Did anyone notice that the “random” guy Penn picked in the mind reader segment already had a wireless microphone on when he went up on stage? Hmmmm? This happened on another earlier episode as well.

[randwill]

@mojoguate

Did anyone notice that the “random” guy Penn picked in the mind reader segment already had a wireless microphone on when he went up on stage? Hmmmm? This happened on another earlier episode as well.

This wasn’t a live show, so in all probability, the time spent wiring the audience member was simply edited out of the broadcast.

[BigT]

@Simplicio

He lets the host stick the numbers on randomly after the phones are all in the envelopes, so even if he forces which envelope the phone goes in, he can’t determine the number on the “right” envelope. He does handle the dice briefly before putting it in the box though (and kind of awkwardly keeps the host from putting it in himself), so I think your right about multiple dice, he has six dice on him, and puts the correct one in after the phone is in the numbered envelope.

Still not sure how he knows which envelope has the phone though, his back is turned when it goes in, and the host shuffles them afterwards.

I read somewhere that the part of the envelope with the numbers on it was removable. I think someone said it on a YouTube video.

[Moe]

@Simplicio

Ah, saw the thread had been bumped and was hoping for another season. But looking at wikipedia, it looks like there won’t be any more episodes.

Ditto. Really I got so excited for a moment. I so loved this show. I watched every episode 2 or 3 times. Why oh why did it not get picked up for another season???

[sfmattyj]

@BigT

I read somewhere that the part of the envelope with the numbers on it was removable. I think someone said it on a YouTube video.

Yes, I realize this thread is two years old but episodes of Fool Me are running on American television right now and I found this discussion thread. I figured out this trick after watching it a few dozen times. Ha ha.

Anyhoo, Penn often says that things that are important are minimized by the performer, and things they make a big deal out of are usually red herrings. (I’m trying to guide you to the answer here instead of just blurting it out.)

So during the course of the trick the host sticks numbers on the envelopes. Why bother doing that during the trick? Why not have numbered envelopes to begin with? Plus there’s writing on the envelopes. Why?

The word on the envelopes has six letters, which is not a coincidence. Six envelopes. Six letters in the word. Six sides to a die. If you look closely, exactly one individual letter on each envelope has a little flourish on it. I little curl on the ‘n’. A little loop on the ‘o’. This makes them easily distinguishable from one another.

When the host has the envelopes filled and mentions there’s one left, the performer turns around pretending like perhaps he’s surprised there’s one left, but what he’s really doing is looking at the empty envelope and noticing which ‘flourish’ is on it. From then on he knows what envelope has the host’s phone in it.

After the numbers are stuck on the envelopes, the performer retrieves one of six dice from under the table, with the appropriate missing number. You can briefly see him deposit the die in the box in a weird/awkward way (because he’s palming the one he drops in and retaining the one the host was holding.)

Clever trick none the less, great banter, and an excellent example of how a well rehearsed trick can hide seemingly obvious information right in front of your eyes.