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MAGIC SHOW: CLOSE UP

SHELL GAME TWIST
By Richard Robinson

The streets of New York City are the stage for a variety of theater which ranges from performance art to scams. In the scam department, Three Card Monte and The Shell Game prevail complete with shills, lookouts and an inspired line of chat by the worker. While Three Card Monte remains the traditional hustle, The Shell Game has been updated.

Using a table made of two stacked cardboard boxes which can easily be abandoned at the first sign of the police, the modern shell game worker has exchanged the traditional walnut shells for white plastic bottle caps and the pea for a square of sponge. Not surprisingly, magicians have failed to take notice of this modern shell game; blissfully unaware of the fact that the real shell game hasn't been done with shells since at least the 1980s.

This change of props has changed the dynamic of the performance, making it more rapid fire. Interestingly, it has also made the effect easier to do, the white bottle top being much easier to manipulate than the half walnut shell.

The new shell game presented here uses three fairly easy to accomplish moves in a three phase routine plus a blow off ending.

Props

Three white plastic bottle caps and a square of sponge. You may want to experiment with a variety of cap sizes, as the third phase requires a manipulation that will be easier with the proper diameter cap in relation to your hands.

The sponge was cut from a sponge ball and is just under a 1/4 inch / 6.4 mm cube. You may find a sponge with more body easier to work with than a very soft sponge.

Working Surface

This routine should be worked, at least at first, on a cloth surface that has some resistance to it. As you slide the caps, the sponge will tend to hang up on the surface, making the moves less troublesome. With practice, the moves can be accomplished on any surface by learning how to lift the caps slightly at the crucial moments.

The Moves

Roll Out

As the cap is pushed forward on the table surface, the back edge of the cap is raised slightly. The forward motion of the cap and the traction of the table surface will cause the sponge to compress, drag against the table surface. and roll out from under the cap where it is pressed against the side of the thumb tip by the ball of the second finger.

Loading

This is essentially the reverse of the roll out. The thumb presses against the edge of the cap, carrying the sponge with it so that the second finger can be moved away slightly. The cap is raised slightly at the back and pulled back toward the performer. The traction of the sponge against the table surface will cause the sponge to roll under the cap which is then lowered back onto the table surface.

The Snap

The cap is mouth up on the table. The hand holding the concealed sponge moves over the cap, the first finger and thumb taking hold of the cap rim and turning it back and over with a snap. As this happens, the sponge is released by the second finger which is holding it against the thumb tip. The sponge falls to the table surface and is covered by the cap.

The Moving Load

As the fingers holding the caps are moved across the table surface, the center cap is raised slightly at the left edge. The sponge rolls out from under the cap, across under the second finger and into the left cap which is raised at its right edge to receive it.

Presentation

Phase 1

The caps are in a row on the table, the sponge in front of them.

Cover the sponge with the center cap and push the cap forward, executing the roll out sleight.

Move the left cap forward, secretly loading the sponge under it using the loading sleight.

Move the right cap forward. Give each cap a slight twist then reveal that the sponge is under the left cap.

Phase 2

Bring all the caps back toward you, turning them mouth up on the table. Turn the center cap mouth down and cover the sponge. Slide the center cap forward, executing the roll out sleight.

Pick up the left cap, move your hand forward and snap it mouth down on the table, executing the snap load sleight.

Repeat these movements (with loading) to snap down the right cap.

Give the caps a twist, then show that the sponge is under the left cap.

Phase 3

Place the center cap over the sponge. Then place the two empty caps left and right of the center cap. Spreading your fingers, position them so that the left cap is between the first and second fingers, the center cap between the second and third fingers, the right cap between the third and fourth fingers.

Slide the hand and caps to the right, executing the modified roll out sleight so that the sponge travels from the center cap under the second finger and into the left cap. Stop, opening the second and third fingers slightly to leave the center cap to the right, then slide the other two caps back toward the left. Leave off the loaded cap in the center and then move what was the right cap over to the left so that it becomes the leftmost cap. Remove the hand.

Turn over the left and right caps to show that there is nothing under them. Then lift the center cap to reveal the sponge.

Blow Off

Immediately cover the sponge with the cap and slide the cap forward, executing the roll out sleight.

Bring the right hand back to the edge of the table and let the sponge drop on the floor. Reach forward with the right hand, give the center cap a twist, then turn it over to reveal there is no sponge.

Dialogue And Moves

"A little prestidigitation using three bottle caps and a red sponge."	Caps are on the table, with the sponge in front of the center cap.
"the red sponge goes under the center bottle cap"	Pick up caps and tilt them up, then put them back down. The right hand puts the center cap over the sponge.
"and the bottle center cap gets moved forward to the center, which is why we call it the center bottle cap"	Push the center cap forward, stealing out the sponge.
"the left cap gets moved to the left"	Move the left cap forward, lift the cap slightly from the table top, then place it back down and push it a bit further forward and load the sponge.
"the right bottle cap gets moved to the right"	Move the right cap forward, lift it up slightly, then put it back down and push it a bit more forward.
"we twist each of the caps a little to the right"	The fingers give each cap a twist.
"and now the sponge is under the left bottle cap"	Moving fairly rapidly, the right hand turns over the right and center caps, the left hand then turns over the left cap to reveal the sponge
"let me do this a little more slowly"	The right hand pulls back and the right and center caps which are mouth up, the left hand picks up the sponge and puts it in front of the center cap, then pulls back the left cap.
"we place the sponge under the center bottle cap"	The right hand picks up the center cap, turns it mouth down and places it smartly down over the sponge so the cap makes a snapping sound as it hits the table surface. The right and moves back to hold the right cap, the left hand rests on the left cap.
"and we move the center bottle cap up to the center"	The right hand releases the right cap, moves over to take hold of the center cap, lifts it to show the sponge under it, puts it back down over the sponge and pushes it forward, stealing the sponge.
"then we take the left cap, turn it upside down on the left"	The right hand goes over to the left cap, picks it up mouth up moves forward, turns it mouth towards the spectators and rests it edge down on the table for a moment then turns it mouth down with a snap loading the sponge under it.
"the right one upside down on the right"	The right hand moves over to the right cap, picks it up and turns it over with s snap.
"give them a little twist to the right"	The right hand moves from right to left, giving each cap a twist.
"and now the sponge is under the left bottle cap"	The right hand turns over the center cap and then draws it back. The right hand turns over the right cap then draws it back. The left hand takes hold of the left cap, lifts it to reveal the sponge and brings the cap back depositing it on the table mouth up.
"I'm going to isolate the sponge under the center cap"	The right hand picks up the center cap, the left hand moves forward, picks up the sponge and places it back slightly between the left and right caps on the table. As soon as the sponge is put down, the left hand moves to toward the left cap and the right hand holding the center cap puts it down with a snap to cover the sponge. The right hand then moves over to take hold of the right cap.
"and then we'll move the center cap this time over to the right" "we'll move the left one to the center" "we'll move the right one to the left"	The left and right caps are brought closer to the center cap. The left fingers spread apart and move palm down onto the table top so the left cap is between the first and second fingers, the center cap is between the second and third fingers and the right cap is between the third and fourth fingers. The left hand moves to the right, dragging the caps against the table top which causes the sponge to roll unseen out of the center cap, under the first finger, then under the left cap. As soon as the sponge has rolled under the left cap, the left hand stops moving. Right first finger is extended, the finger tip touches the top of the left cap pressing down on it to hold it in position. The left first second and third fingers spread slightly to release their hold on the left and center caps, but the third and fourth finger retain their hold on the cap between them and slide the cap behind the other two over the right and release it.
"give them all a little twist to the left"	The right hand twists the center cap as the left hand twists the right cap. The left hand moves back. The right hand moves over to the right cap and gives it a twist.
"and now the sponge is under the center bottle cap"	The right hand turns over the right cap and pulls it back and the left hand turns over the left cap and pulls it back. The left hand moves back. The right hand moves to the center picks up and turns over the center cap to reveal the sponge.
"if anyone ever asks you to bet on this"	The right hand picks up the sponge, then puts it down, then picks up the center cap, puts it over the sponge and slides the cap forward but continues to hold the cap.
"and they place the sponge" "under the center bottle cap"	The right hand lifts the cap fairly high up then puts it back down over the sponge, then pulls the cap back a bit, releases the finger grip and then re-grips it, then pushes it forward stealing out the sponge.
"you can go ahead and bet"	The right hand moves back.
"but if they turn it to the left"	The left hand moves in and over the top of the center cap.
"you shouldn't bet very much."	The left hand twists the center cap to the left, the hand moves up and back a couple of inches, moves back to the center cap and flips it mouth up, the moves the hand back out of the picture.