I've been playing with this easy but amazing effect and wondering if anyone has novel patter for it that looses the gambling or guessing game. The L&L pub. pamphlet has some good patter but the guessing part is still very much alive.

Do a search on the topic, Skinner's Monte has been discussed here MANY times. Bill Malone does Skinner's Monte on his DVDs. I think it's the first DVD.

Make up your own.

In wish I could be of more help that the 'do a search' brigade, but I have to echo Bill Malone's version on one of his DVD's. If you don't use the patter, his handling is much better in my opinion.

Its the Epic 3 Card Monte, It is best as a guessing game and or bet. Bill Malone has to be the best version that I have seen.

I too like Bill Malone's handling... it's on Vol.1 of On the Loose!

Bill-Ma-Lone for sure....

If you eliminate the 'guessing' aspect of the patter then you'd be choosing the cards yourself. This might take away from the effect a bit as the spectator involvement would be reduced to simply witnessing rather than participating.

I would go with bill Malone too. you can also do it after a normal 3 card monte presentation because there they were fooled by there eyes. but with skinners monte and Malones version their brain cannot compare to it.

what a wonderful effect that is indeed!

A nicely timed ***k-*w***h would help with this trick too! Just take the required cards from the second!

Sometimes I use a small ultra-thin Himber wallet. I do Ultimate Monte and put the cards away. If the audience responds well and begins asking questions about three card monte, I go into Vernon's 3 Card Monte routine and show them the "street" version using regular cards.

I agree that Bill Malone's (and Michael Ammar's) routine is the best. The key is not making the spectator or spokesperson look stupid. And, if they do happen to pick the $$ card, Malone has a great line: "I can see that it's time to start playing for real money now!"

Robert

Roger, why don`t you spell out the word deck switch?
Never understand what is so special about it.

Thanks for the nearly unanimous Bill Malone vote! I'll check it out. As for clamon86, hey, thanks for that indepth help, you make this place seem like a real community!

I use Malone's presentation of Skinner's Monte at every strolling gig I do. It ALWAYS plays extremely well.

Robert,

Thanks for sharing that! LOL


Best

Here's one I found a while back on the Café. I haven't used it, but I was amazed by the author's creativity. Unfortunately, I don't recall who wrote it!

Poetic Patter for Skinner’s Ultimate 3-Card Monte

I had just gotten paid on a Saturday night;
I was on my way home; there was no one in sight.
When out of the shadows stepped a man who said, “Sonny,
Let me show you a game that can make you some money.”

Then out of his wallet some cards I did see;
They were black, red, and black…that’s it -- only three.
“Lay down a ten,” he said with a grin.
“Find the RED ace -- that’s it -- you win!”

“Is it really that simple?” I asked with no clue.
He answered, rather shocked, “Would I lie to you?”
Well, I had money in my pocket, so I said, “I’ll try.”
Then he laid down those cards in the wink of an eye

The red ace went first; it was followed by black --
No mixing, no shuffling, he just leaned on back.
He said, “Now for ten dollars, which one’s the ace?”
I said, “It’s right there,” with a smile on my face.

He turned the card over and that’s when I could see
This game wasn’t as simple as he’d said it would be.
I felt I’d been cheated so I said, “Do that again.”
He said, “I’ll be glad to; just lay down your ten.”

The ace went in the middle; on the sides were the black.
I was bound and determined to win my ten back.
I threw my ten on the middle and stared real hard.
I didn’t watch him; I was watching that card.

But when he turned the card over it was a three
With the ace on the ends…now how could that be?
I started playing this game to win me some money,
But after only two turns I’d given him twenty.



“That’s it for me,” I said. “This game is all over.”
He walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder.
He said “Sonny, I like you, so here’s what I’ll do.
If you’ll lay down a twenty, we’ll play with just two”

Only one red and one black! How could I lose?
I laid down my twenty and he told me to choose.
I knew where the ace was; it hadn’t left my sight.
I started to laugh and said, “It’s on your right.”

He said “It’s no laughing matter when you’re playing for money.”
And that’s when I learned that I’d just lost my twenty.
He said, “The ace is right here; that’s as far as it goes.
But you’re not likely to find it when you play against pros.”

Well, that was my first game and also my last.
A learning experience right outta my past.
The lesson I learned about the card biz???
IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE…IT PROBABLY IS!

Wow, that is a great poem. It doesn't escape the gambling motif but it's so good I'll give it a try!

It is a great poem! Anyway, for those of you who are interested in Malone's wonderful presentation, here is a link to the video he put up on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkFdjhdw5QE

Zack Johnston