# Please tell me how this magic trick is done. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327 "2010-12-16T03:38:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fantome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/1 "2010-12-16T03:38:08Z")
The maker of this video has a YouTube channel where he does magic tricks and explains how to do them. This time, he says he’s not going to (he alludes to the reason being that he’s pissed he received a lot of thumbs down on his last trick). He does, however, say that the tutorial for the trick can be found in a book titled _Modern Coin Magic_ by JB Bobo. I ordered the book from my local library (they get books from other libraries if they don’t have it) and I perused the book and I can’t find this trick. The book has similar tricks that use techniques such as palming coins and involve buying a gimmick called a “coin shell” that is an empty shell that looks like a coin but covers up a coin of the same denomination and makes it seem as if one has disappeared. I don’t see how he could be using either that technique or gimmick as he doesn’t hide that his hands are empty and he shows both sides of the coins at all times. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfe2LivwFl8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfe2LivwFl8) If you can tell me how this is done you’ll be my hero. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fantome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/2 "2010-12-16T03:39:47Z")
It’s possible he’s using a coin shell for the part at the very end, but don’t see how he’s doing it for all the other slights. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/3 "2010-12-16T04:07:08Z")
Coin shell + coin insert + extra coin. The insert is an extra coin that fits inside the shell so he starts out with 3 coins in his hand. The first one he removes was in his left hand to start with, he was removing nothing. Read the book, practise the techniques. ---
**Author:** ![Fantome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/4 "2010-12-16T04:16:03Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The first one he removes was in his left hand to start with, he was removing nothing. Watch at about 48 secs. in. His left hand was empty. And again at about 55 secs. in when he does it again. His left hand is clearly empty and he couldn’t have been palming a coin. > [@](#): > > Read the book, practise the techniques. That trick’s not there. I can’t find a variation where the one hand is obviously empty as in the video either. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/5 "2010-12-16T04:37:09Z")
> [@Fantome](#): > > Watch at about 48 secs. in. His left hand was empty. And again at about 55 secs. in when he does it again. His left hand is clearly empty and he couldn’t have been palming a coin. > > That trick’s not there. I can’t find a variation where the one hand is obviously empty as in the video either. His left hand is not clearly empty. Another way to do it is with 2 coin shells and 2 inserts. The inserts can be double sided (one side silver, one side copper) for more variety. I’m sure the book has the details for each part of the trick, but you aren’t bothering to read it. If you read the book and practised the techniques this wouldn’t seem so mysterious. ---
**Author:** ![Fantome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/6 "2010-12-16T04:43:54Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > His left hand is not clearly empty. Yes, it is. It’s clearly empty at the points in the video I already mentioned. > [@](#): > > Another way to do it is with 2 coin shells and 2 inserts. The inserts can be double sided (one side silver, one side copper) for more variety. I’m sure the book has the details for each part of the trick, but you aren’t bothering to read it. If you read the book and practised the techniques this wouldn’t seem so mysterious. You’re sure the book has details for each part of the trick? Make a bet? Do you have the book? What is the trick called in the book? Don’t tell me what I’m not bothering to read. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/7 "2010-12-16T04:52:08Z")
> [@Fantome](#): > > This time, he says he’s not going to (he alludes to the reason being that he’s pissed he received a lot of thumbs down on his last trick). He does, however, say that the tutorial for the trick can be found in a book titled _Modern Coin Magic_ by JB Bobo. He doesn’t say the trick is in the book. He says he isn’t going to share the way he did it. He’s just offering to give a copy of that book away. ---
**Author:** ![Fantome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/8 "2010-12-16T04:54:43Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > He doesn’t say the trick is in the book. He says he isn’t going to share the way he did it. He’s just offering to give a copy of that book away. Damn, you’re right. I guess I just assumed that part and then believed that he said it. Oh well. If anyone can tell me how it’s done in the video I’d appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/9 "2010-12-16T06:10:16Z")
> [@Fantome](#): > > Yes, it is. It’s clearly empty at the points in the video I already mentioned. But immediately before and immediately after are moments where he can palm a coin from elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/10 "2010-12-16T06:29:01Z")
I give him a B- for technique. This, like most magic tricks is sleight of hand and misdirection. Watch it another two dozen times looking at only one side of one hand for the whole thing and you will see that he is covering the coins completely with his hands as he is moving them. There is plenty of opportunity to move the coins back and forth. I’ve seen much, much better. ---
**Author:** ![Fantome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/11 "2010-12-16T06:46:54Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > But immediately before and immediately after are moments where he can palm a coin from elsewhere. Immediately before and after what? His right hand is empty when he puts the two coins in them. You can watch it frame by frame to verify. He also flips the coins over first and shows that they are not empty shells. He then waves his left hand over the right exposing the palm of that hand. Again, frame by frame you can see the left hand is empty, He then removes one coin and put it into his pocket. He shows that his left hand is empty. Okay, he removes the coin under cover of his right hand so it could have been a coin hiding under a shell. However, he then opens his right hand and shows that the two coins seem solid on both sides so he couldn’t have just removed a coin from an empty shell. He repeats this. > [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I give him a B- for technique. This, like most magic tricks is sleight of hand and misdirection. Watch it another two dozen times looking at only one side of one hand for the whole thing and you will see that he is covering the coins completely with his hands as he is moving them. There is plenty of opportunity to move the coins back and forth. I’ve seen much, much better. I’ve already watched it dozens of times but I tried what you said and watched it keeping an eye on only one hand. Still not seeing it. Can you tell us what I’m not seeing? If you don’t want to do that, can you tell us if any coin shells are used or other gimmick? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/12 "2010-12-16T06:56:14Z")
It could be coin shells, they exist and I have some. But palming and dropping and misdirecting are better techniques. This guy is better than I am but still not very good. See someone really good do this close up, it is quite amazing. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/13 "2010-12-16T08:13:27Z")
He starts off with 2 coins in his hand, one silver (which has a silver shell) and one copper (which has two shells). First step is to remove a copper shell from copper coin and places it in his pocket. Reveals 2 coins. Swaps the positions of the silver and copper and then removes the silver coin shell and places it in his pocket. Now he has 2 coins in his hand. He openly takes the silver coin and places it in his pocket leaving the copper coin. He shows one copper coin and closes his hand slowly enough for the coin (which happens to be colored copper on one side and silver on the other) to fall out of the copper shell into his palm so he now has the copper shell open side down and a half silver/half copper coin silver side up. He then picks up the copper shell and (pretty openly) places it right back on top of the silver coin and then pretends to pick up an invisible coin. He flips the copper shelled coin over revealing the copper side of the two sided coin. Not once does he palm a coin or do any real slight of hand. It’s actually pretty clumsy once you realize what he is doing. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/14 "2010-12-16T17:27:47Z")
He only shows both sides of the coins when they are in his hand, or when he’s pocketing a solid coin or filled shell. For two of the coins, he does not show you both sides when he pockets them, those are the empty shells . ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-tell-me-how-this-magic-trick-is-done/564327/15 "2010-12-16T21:48:28Z")
Well, I wasn’t going to spoil it and risk expulsion from the Magician’s Alliance, but CaligulaTheTattletale speaks the truth, and ya’ll are smart enough that you’d get here eventually, so here goes. Not only is there no such thing as magic:eek: but there’s almost no such thing as sleight-of-hand anymore. Bobo’s Coin Magic has a lot of good things in it, but most people just go to their local magic shop and buy -get this -gimicks! gadgets! [del]tricks[/del] illusions! It’s all trickery! A 12yo can do this! I was mildly disappointed when I started doing magic 20+ years ago. It’s not secrets and talent. It’s trick coins! The bastards! Anyway, the [Hopping Half](http://www.magicgeek.com/hopping-half-46.html) was one of my first [del]tricks[/del] illusions I got years ago, and is still one of my favorites. Now you know. I hope you’re happy.:dubious: