# Please explain this magic trick to me... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-magic-trick-to-me/23031 "2000-06-20T20:34:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-magic-trick-to-me/23031/1 "2000-06-20T20:34:40Z")
While at the Rennasaince Fest this weekend, we stumbled upon a magician who was doing tricks for the kids. He did some of the basic sleight of hand tricks for us, then did a trick that I have no clue how he did it. He even repeated it, and I’m mystified. He had 7 little bead type things that he dropped slowly into my upturned palm. Me and about 5 other people watched & counted as he dropped 'em. There was definitely 7 in my palm. Then he tells me to close my hand. I do, making a fist with the 7 beads enclosed. He taps the bottom of my fist, and comes back with a bead. He says “I made it come through your hand! Open it up.” I open my fist - 6 beads. How the heck did he do that? He did it twice, and all I can figure is that somehow when I made my fist he managed to pick a bead up off of it. Either that, or the damn thing realy did go through my hand. ---
**Author:** ![jayron\_32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jayron\_32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayron_32)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2000, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-magic-trick-to-me/23031/2 "2000-06-20T20:41:00Z")
My guess is that the seventh bead is on a string… Remember, HE is putting the beads in your hand, so since HE is the one making contact with the beads as they are being counted all bets are off. If the seventh bead has a string on it, as you close your hand, he pulls his away, and you’re never the wiser. My guess is that by the time your fingers have met your palm, there’s only 6 beads. ---
**Author:** ![wolfseyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/97f17d/32.png) [@wolfseyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfseyn)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2000, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-magic-trick-to-me/23031/3 "2000-06-20T20:59:10Z")
Perhaps the beads are fixed or “fêke” as they call it in this Magic Book of mine… Hmm… Perhaps you should but a “Magic Book” I have one entitled “Magic: Tricks and Illusions” by Will Goldston. Remember, a magician never reveals his secret. Why should I? Try these books [http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=Magic+Tricks+and+Illusions](http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=Magic+Tricks+and+Illusions) I’d give you a link to books on Amazon, but they have a patent on that. (Honestly, they do) Try [vBulletin Home Page](http://www.noamazon.com) instead. ---
**Author:** ![wolfseyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/97f17d/32.png) [@wolfseyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfseyn)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2000, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-magic-trick-to-me/23031/4 "2000-06-20T21:01:36Z")
Sorry, that’s not the vBulletin Home Page I just copied the [url=“[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/index.php?action=bbcode](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/index.php?action=bbcode)”] example…[/url. haha… stupid me What happened to HTML? ---
**Author:** ![wolfseyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/97f17d/32.png) [@wolfseyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfseyn)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2000, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-magic-trick-to-me/23031/5 "2000-06-20T21:04:11Z")
Sorry, that’s not the vBulletin Home Page I just copied the [example…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/index.php?action=bbcode) haha… stupid me What happened to HTML? ---
**Author:** ![eggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@eggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eggo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2000, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-magic-trick-to-me/23031/6 "2000-06-20T21:32:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > What happened to HTML? > \*\* alas, it has gone the way of the, well… the html eggo ---
**Author:** ![epeepunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f19dbf/32.png) [@epeepunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epeepunk)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2000, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-magic-trick-to-me/23031/7 "2000-06-22T13:49:51Z")
Go and buy “Magic for Dummies”. This trick is in there. As an aside, this is a great bathroom reading book, but of course its difficult to practice… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-magic-trick-to-me/23031/8 "2000-06-25T13:06:11Z")
So what is the answer? Why am I am being held in suspence?