Episode 47 - The trick that fooled Einstein [Discussion]

[travislopes]

Watch Brian scam Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley with a few coins, and some algebra!

Watch and get scammed here. (http://revision3.com/scamschool/coinprediction/)

[masherscf]

I'm surpised sometimes what people fall for because they don't listen closely. I'm going to walk around with three one-dollar coins from now on. Why? Because the trick won't work.

This reminds me of an old brain teaser that's good to use in bars.

I went to the zoo today and saw a snakes that was 10 feet plus half its length long. How long was the snake?

[the-lan]

Hi

What happens if the person i'm scammig has more than $2.35 in his pocket?

[astx813]

I'm surpised sometimes what people fall for because they don't listen closely. I'm going to walk around with three one-dollar coins from now on. Why? Because the trick won't work.

Yeah, first thing I thought of was "what if the mark has more than 2.85," but really, how often does someone carry around $3 in change? Besides people like us, that is. :)

(oh, and my initial hunch is 20')

[patrickd]

Yeah, first thing I thought of was "what if the mark has more than 2.85," but really, how often does someone carry around $3 in change? Besides people like us, that is. :)
You should see my pockets sometime. I really need to dump my change more often (or use a credit card more.)

Is this the first Scam School with a cold open? I don't recall that on any previous episode. I like it. Grabs people before the theme.

Brian, is this one of the episodes shot this week? Just curious if it was turned around that quickly or if this was done a while back.

[shwooddotcom]

You should see my pockets sometime. I really need to dump my change more often (or use a credit card more.)

Is this the first Scam School with a cold open? I don't recall that on any previous episode. I like it. Grabs people before the theme.

Brian, is this one of the episodes shot this week? Just curious if it was turned around that quickly or if this was done a while back.

We shot it in the last round of episodes, but the open and close were shot just 3 days ago. Glad you liked the cold open!

[billdeys]

I don't think this would work in say Canada (when I am). We have 1 and 2 dollar coins, so it's EASY to have like twenty bucks in your pocket and no paper! IMO you can only be in a place with quarters, nickles, dimes and pennies AND find someone who has less then $2.35!

[crabcakes]

What if it snowed in San Francisco?

[murphy1d]

I don't think this would work in say Canada (when I am). We have 1 and 2 dollar coins, so it's EASY to have like twenty bucks in your pocket and no paper! IMO you can only be in a place with quarters, nickles, dimes and pennies AND find someone who has less then $2.35!

Buncha Looneys!

[minton]

this will work as long as they aren't carrying 3 dollar coins...then again you could get a few and make the trick go up to $5.35... Start with 3 dollar coins on top of the starting amount. Most people right now won't even know we have $1 coins so they will probably take any wager imaginable that the change in your hand will bring theirs up to $5.35...just a thought. (scam only valid in the US other countries with coins valued over $1 don't count...crazy Canadians)


Also I need to post now, is it me or has badger been on every question from the forums, I see that avatar every week

[masherscf]

One issue is that you have to carry enough of a variety of coinage to exactly equal the amount that the victim has. If you pull out a couple of dollar coins, and start making change, the guy is going to figure out the scam. You have to keep the guys attention on the piles of change.

[uuilliam]

is there a way to pull this off in the uk?.0like is there certain coins you need or is it okay as long as the total is 2.85 ?
since we have 1 pence 2 pence 5 pence 10 pence 20 pence 50 pence 1 pound and sometimes 2 pound coins and a rareity of 5 pound coins

[fade2gray]

Even knowing that that video at the end was a fake ahead of time it still made me cringe. I just saw a video a few weeks ago where a guy was actually doing a variation on that trick for real and messed it up. Not pretty. Obviously it doesn't help that I already have a bit of a mild knife phobia either...

[sincerelee]

Our subway system dispenses $1 coins.

That means you need to tell them, "Select three coins from your change, and make sure at least one is different from the rest."

I carry 3 50 cent pieces, One Bicentennial I got at a casino, the first time I ever went, and two 1971s that I use for the one handed coin trick.

Plus, I carry 6 quarters that I use in the soda machine. And, then, various denominations of loose change.

[shwooddotcom]

One issue is that you have to carry enough of a variety of coinage to exactly equal the amount that the victim has. If you pull out a couple of dollar coins, and start making change, the guy is going to figure out the scam. You have to keep the guys attention on the piles of change.

Very good point! I forgot to point that out in the episode, so Eileen snuck in a lower-3rd message saying that you'll want 10 quarters, 2 nickels, 2 dimes and five pennies in your pocket for this trick. That should cover all the possibilities.

[shwooddotcom]

by the way... for anyone worried about their particular country's coinage (or if you're worried about the new dollar coins becoming proliferated here in the USA), remember that you can just throw 3 extra dollar coins in your pocket, and change the prediction total to $5.35 instead. You can totally rewrite the bit to your particular region/coinage/country's needs.

[rabidbadger]

Also I need to post now, is it me or has badger been on every question from the forums, I see that avatar every week

Haha, I noticed that too! I bet I have had a supporting role in every question so far. :D

[rickxtn]

I did this trick a couple of times tonight at work (restaurant) with the marks just looking at me in amazement. The twist I put on things was to simply add one extra penny in my pocket so that instead of coming up with $2.35, it's now $2.36 which is a seemingly more random number to the mark. Any little thing I can do to just make things seem that much more impossible. :-)

[shwooddotcom]

I did this trick a couple of times tonight at work (restaurant) with the marks just looking at me in amazement. The twist I put on things was to simply add one extra penny in my pocket so that instead of coming up with $2.35, it's now $2.36 which is a seemingly more random number to the mark. Any little thing I can do to just make things seem that much more impossible. :-)

That's awesome that you're out there doing the trick. This is one of those that sounds goofy, until you actually try it. You're right: the reactions are CRAZY!

[rickxtn]

I LOVE the tricks like this or the Pigment Prediction that basically work themselves as long as you set it up. I had heard in the past of how some of the most amazing tricks are actually the simplest to do and I'm learning this first hand. The shocked looks I've received from these two tricks alone are SO worth it! LOL

Thanks, Brian, for sharing all of these tricks/secrets with us and hopefully Scam School will continue for a long time to come. :-) By the way, for what it's worth I watch the shows via Tivo download.

[patrickd]

Also I need to post now, is it me or has badger been on every question from the forums, I see that avatar every week

The word you're looking for is "spammer".

[rabidbadger]

The word you're looking for is "spammer".

No way. I'm a huge fan and active on the forums. :confused:

[coldv]

No way. I'm a huge fan and active on the forums. :confused:

I'm sure that was a joke. The word I would use is "forum addict".

Edit: I forgot to add it was a great episode! I was too amazed that I didn't even pause the video to try to figure it out. I had to know the solution right away. But what should I do if they have more change than me?

[rabidbadger]

I'm sure that was a joke. The word I would use is "forum addict"...

I prefer "way cool folks online addict" but yeah... :D

[lieutenant-com-data]

Loved this episode. I tried it out on a few people and it was hilarious. But what do you do if they have more money than you?

[shwooddotcom]

Loved this episode. I tried it out on a few people and it was hilarious. But what do you do if they have more money than you?

I've been getting this question a LOT over email, so here's the ABSOLUTELY FOOLPROOF way to handle the change question, once and for all:

step 1: plan on doing the trick exactly as performed in the episode.

step 2: as a backup plan, keep five (5) of those new presidential dollars in your left pants pocket.

step 3: when pretending to listen to the amount of change they have, ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE AMOUNT OF CHANGE THEY HAVE.

step 4: in the event they sound like they have more money than you, calmly say "Wait a minute," pull out the extra dollars, add them to your cache, cough, then awkwardly mutter "forgot that I had a little more change in there..."

step 5: Perform the remainder of the effect as depicted in the episode, but making sure to add $5.00 to your final projection.

step 6: Prepare yourself for an onslaught of free drinks and offers of sexual intercourse.

**note: If the person you're performing for pulls out more than seven dollars and thirty-five cents in change, you are completely and irrevocably f*cked. This is your only weakness... guard well against this rare and completely lethal counterattack.

[rabidbadger]

step 6: Prepare yourself for an onslaught of free drinks and offers of sexual intercourse.

and if it aint your sexual intercourse preference of choice, then, eh, go for it anyway. You only live once.


JK!!! :eek:

[zipnoff]

Okay - so you just pulled the Einstein Fooling Trick. Now they know how many coins that you have in your "pocket."

Now grab them with the "Few Pennies for a beer" gag. they know you don't have 1/2 a penny...but you just don't pull it our of your pocket!

I did this a few times and I could've had a boat, a car, a house...they were willing to bet anything.

The look on their face was PRICELESS.

Brain - thanks a ton for letting us have some fun!!!

[danhauk]

Okay - so you just pulled the Einstein Fooling Trick. Now they know how many coins that you have in your "pocket."

Now grab them with the "Few Pennies for a beer" gag. they know you don't have 1/2 a penny...but you just don't pull it our of your pocket!

I did this a few times and I could've had a boat, a car, a house...they were willing to bet anything.

The look on their face was PRICELESS.

Brain - thanks a ton for letting us have some fun!!!

THAT's using your brain. Nice job.

[shwooddotcom]

Okay - so you just pulled the Einstein Fooling Trick. Now they know how many coins that you have in your "pocket."

Now grab them with the "Few Pennies for a beer" gag. they know you don't have 1/2 a penny...but you just don't pull it our of your pocket!

I did this a few times and I could've had a boat, a car, a house...they were willing to bet anything.

The look on their face was PRICELESS.

Brain - thanks a ton for letting us have some fun!!!

Brilliant!

[rabidbadger]

total genius.!

[coldv]

Okay - so you just pulled the Einstein Fooling Trick. Now they know how many coins that you have in your "pocket."

Now grab them with the "Few Pennies for a beer" gag. they know you don't have 1/2 a penny...but you just don't pull it our of your pocket!

I did this a few times and I could've had a boat, a car, a house...they were willing to bet anything.

The look on their face was PRICELESS.

Brain - thanks a ton for letting us have some fun!!!

*gasp* Great first post! That is so genius! Now I have to find some billionaires to scam!

[zipnoff]

Grrrr....(or is it Brrrrrrr)
Bri-guy - it looks like you like the warmer weather. I don't see you coming to Chicago anytime soon. but if you do, I'll be the guy who spends the $20 at the bar ;)

[shwooddotcom]

Grrrr....(or is it Brrrrrrr)
Bri-guy - it looks like you like the warmer weather. I don't see you coming to Chicago anytime soon. but if you do, I'll be the guy who spends the $20 at the bar ;)

I make it through chicago at least once a semester... I'm flying in there next week, but will immediately be headed out to iowa :(

[icodeinc]

Guys,

Come one!, most of the tricks i've seen so far are set up to work.

For instance, the so called 'The trick that fooled Einstein'. Both examples
are based on the guy having less change (and cosiderably less) than
what the scammer has.

It wouldn't have worked in many, many situations, but the most basic one, is for the other
guy to have an equal (or more) amount of change than the scammer.

Another example is the 'Guess what card you're thinking of' (where there's A, K, 9, 4, 7), and the scammer claims that there's an 80-20 % change of people picking the '4'. This is innacurate, the changes are actually 37% change of being wrong.

How are these cool scam tricks?..

Go to youtube and search for : "The real hustle proposition tricks"

It's a british show that will really blow your mind.

I'm looking forward for this show to get better, but so far, it's for fools, with little or no logical thinking.

Thank you

[shwooddotcom]

You'll notice in the thread for the Einstein trick (http://revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26164) that we've addressed the potential problem of them having more money than you:

I've been getting this question a LOT over email, so here's the ABSOLUTELY FOOLPROOF way to handle the change question, once and for all:

step 1: plan on doing the trick exactly as performed in the episode.

step 2: as a backup plan, keep five (5) of those new presidential dollars in your left pants pocket.

step 3: when pretending to listen to the amount of change they have, ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE AMOUNT OF CHANGE THEY HAVE.

step 4: in the event they sound like they have more money than you, calmly say "Wait a minute," pull out the extra dollars, add them to your cache, cough, then awkwardly mutter "forgot that I had a little more change in there..."

step 5: Perform the remainder of the effect as depicted in the episode, but making sure to add $5.00 to your final projection.

step 6: Prepare yourself for an onslaught of free drinks and offers of sexual intercourse.

**note: If the person you're performing for pulls out more than seven dollars and thirty-five cents in change, you are completely and irrevocably f*cked. This is your only weakness... guard well against this rare and completely lethal counterattack.

as for the 5-card force:

Another example is the 'Guess what card you're thinking of' (where there's A, K, 9, 4, 7), and the scammer claims that there's an 80-20 % change of people picking the '4'. This is innacurate, the changes are actually 37% change of being wrong.

Where on Earth are you getting the number 37%?

I'm looking forward for this show to get better, but so far, it's for fools, with little or no logical thinking.

We were anticipating your comment, and have already written this response for you (http://revision3.com/forum/showpost.php?p=512750&postcount=9).

[bigboss97]

The fun is fooling based on little logical thinking and people still falling in. What's the fun if I ask my friend to solve an university mathematical problem? :-)

No doubt, there are many more blowing mind tricks in other places.
I'm glad that Scam School has its own character. Why should everyone do the same?

Honestly, I don't want to see "real" magic tricks here. I don't think any magician loves to see magic secrets revealed.

[masherscf]

merge

[icodeinc]

Guys,

It's really not difficult to find exception for which this scam won't work.

Let's not even think about the other guy having more than $2.85, because
in reality noone carries this much change (and yes. in this case it won't work)

Let's think about the guy having $2.35, or $2.50, in that case, how many quarters (and exact change) you'd have to have to match his $2.35 or anything in between, and have the
extra "2 quarters". The lack of those 2 quarters after matching what he has (let's say you
had to use the quarters), will break the trick...

It won't work in many, many cases. And, if you're a logical thinker (like most of my buddies)
you'll immediately realize the math, and how it works...

[shwooddotcom]

Guys,

It's really not difficult to find exception for which this scam won't work.

Let's not even think about the other guy having more than $2.85, because
in reality noone carries this much change (and yes. in this case it won't work)

Let's think about the guy having $2.35, or $2.50, in that case, how many quarters (and exact change) you'd have to have to match his $2.35 or anything in between, and have the
extra "2 quarters". The lack of those 2 quarters after matching what he has (let's say you
had to use the quarters), will break the trick...

It won't work in many, many cases. And, if you're a logical thinker (like most of my buddies)
you'll immediately realize the math, and how it works...

icodeinc, I don't think you're reading this through: if they SOUND like they have more than $2 in change, pull out the 5 extra dollar coins. Once you do that, the ONLY way for the trick not to work is for them to have more than 7 dollars of change in their hand.

If you're worried about being able to exactly match their change (for the first phase of the trick), then make sure you have 10 quarters, 2 nickels, 2 dimes and five pennies in your pocket for this trick.

You keep saying "It's really not difficult to find exception for which this scam won't work," but I don't know that there are any.

[icodeinc]

Loved this episode. I tried it out on a few people and it was hilarious. But what do you do if they have more money than you?

It wouldn't work

[icodeinc]

icodeinc, I don't think you're reading this through: if they SOUND like they have more than $2 in change, pull out the 5 extra dollar coins. Once you do that, the ONLY way for the trick not to work is for them to have more than 7 dollars of change in their hand.

If you're worried about being able to exactly match their change (for the first phase of the trick), then make sure you have 10 quarters, 2 nickels, 2 dimes and five pennies in your pocket for this trick.

You keep saying "It's really not difficult to find exception for which this scam won't work," but I don't know that there are any.

Hey, thanks man!. I don't mean to be obnoxious. I love your show, and I guess I was used to another similar show, that was just different.

They had the whiskey & water (my favorite), and others. But a couple that I always remember and use all the time are the following :


1) You ask your mark :

What do you think is bigger, the height of a beer glass, or the distance
around the rim (the circumference)?...

They'd go crazy, and first say that they think it's the height but they're not sure. Then, I put the glass on top of my cellphone, and ask again. I even, put the glass on top of my cell-phone and a box of matches, until they are definitely convinced that the height is bigger.
Surprise!, the circumference is always bigger (measure it with a napkin, for instance), as soon as you don't elevate the glass higher than the twice the height of the glass... AMAZING, how people react!...

2) You approach a group of people, and ask someone:

Who do you think in this group has the worst vocabulary?.
They'd point someone out...

Then, you ask :

How many words can you name without the letter 'A' in 2 minutes?

They'd tell you : May be 20...

Ok, how many can you name without the letter 'A' and 'B'?

Ahh, may be 10...

Ok, a little bit less. How about without the letter 'A', 'B' and ''C

Not sure...

Alright, I'm gonna bet you a round of drinks, that the person you pointed out
to be the one with the worst vocabulary, is able to name 50, 60, 70, even 90
words that don't contain the letters 'A', 'B', 'C', and eve 'J' and 'K'.

They'd go, NO WAY!....

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...... ninety nine...

Works every time!..


Keep up the good work buddy!...

[bigboss97]

I love this, thanks.

2) You approach a group of people, and ask someone:

Who do you think in this group has the worst vocabulary?.
They'd point someone out...

Then, you ask :

How many words can you name without the letter 'A' in 2 minutes?

They'd tell you : May be 20...

Ok, how many can you name without the letter 'A' and 'B'?

Ahh, may be 10...

Ok, a little bit less. How about without the letter 'A', 'B' and ''C

Not sure...

Alright, I'm gonna bet you a round of drinks, that the person you pointed out
to be the one with the worst vocabulary, is able to name 50, 60, 70, even 90
words that don't contain the letters 'A', 'B', 'C', and eve 'J' and 'K'.

They'd go, NO WAY!....

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...... ninety nine...

Works every time!..


Keep up the good work buddy!...

[bigboss97]

It's not that many as I first thought. After "twenty", I have to say "thirty", because twenty one has been named already.

But the good thing of this trick, not many people notice that. That's the scam :-)

btw, that would work with German because a number is always written as one single word. But I have no idee which letter doesn't occur :-)


Alright, I'm gonna bet you a round of drinks, that the person you pointed out
to be the one with the worst vocabulary, is able to name 50, 60, 70, even 90
words that don't contain the letters 'A', 'B', 'C', and eve 'J' and 'K'.

They'd go, NO WAY!....

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...... ninety nine...

[icodeinc]

It's not that many as I first thought. After "twenty", I have to say "thirty", because twenty one has been named already.

But the good thing of this trick, not many people notice that. That's the scam :-)

btw, that would work with German because a number is always written as one single word. But I have no idee which letter doesn't occur :-)

No, in proper english grammar, the number twenty one, is written twenty-one (As one word)....

[rabidbadger]

very nice product photos. I'll send his link to my advertising friends.