I have come upon a trick called Old Wine by Al Koran. If anyone out there is familiar with it, then do you know if it actually fools laymen? If so, how? I do not see how any amount of theater could hide the fact that this is just a simple trick to figure out. Well, maybe it is just me, though, because I have been figuring out tricks much longer than laymen.

Also, I heard that this trick fooled Einstein. Now, I believe that Einstein was, in fact, not very good at the actual "math" side of things and needed someone else (it was a chess player, if I am not mistaken) to help with the math behind his work. But, he must at least THINK mathematically, so how could he not have figured this trick out?

Thanks everyone.
-ZAM!

Where could one locate this effect? Is it what is commonly called "The Trick That Fooled Einstein"?

I believe that is a name of it. I found instructions to it when I bought Higher Mentality. I suppose it was a bonus trick, but it didn't say that I would receive a bonus trick ahead of time. Anyway, it has 3 predictions concerning how many coins or cards or whatever you and a spectator pick.

-ZAM!

I did a version of it on my radio show. If you'd like to hear it I'll send you an mp3.

It is in TOTM by Richardson

Thanks for the info so far, but what I'm really interested in are Does this actually fool people and How could Einstein have possibly been fooled? Thanks!

-ZAM!

It is not credible that Einstein would actually be fooled by this trick.

It is true that when quite young, Einstein did not do well in school. This was not due to a lack of ability. However, by the time Einstein was a young man, he had a very solid grasp of matrix algebra, tensor calculus, and partial differential equations. He was brilliant at forming mathematical models of the universe.

I did this trick for a bunch of bank branch managers. They were astounded. I was astounded they didn't figure it out. So I started doing it often. Nobody has ever said, "Well, that's obvious. All you do is..." Nobody gets it. I do the effect in Theater of The Mind by Barrie Richardson. I don't do the one with quarters, but with different denominations. You make 3 predictions.
--and believe me, I'm no Einstein.

I have been doing this effect for years and always get great response.
Peace,
Parson

He was drunk at the time. (Hence, the name “Old Wine.”)

I watched Barrie Richardson use this.(It is in one of his books, but I am too lazy to go and look at which one.)I think tht it is in ToTM.
He uses bills instead of coins. I thought that it put a nice twist to it.
Peace,
Parson

Richard Osterlind does his on one of his L&L DVD's. I recently performed it for a gathering of magicians and completely floored the room. Think presentation--it's all in the way you present the effect.

Mozart,
Love your music and welcome to the Café.
Do you use coins, bills, what?
I use paperclips and cards for closeup.
This can be very powerful.
Peace,
Parson

This trick, if it's the one I'm thinking of, is in EVERY beginner book of magic, isn't it? (I know, I'm exaggerating -- but, it's in a lot of books, anyway.)I've read about it being done using cards, coins, paper clips, any small objects you can count. It's in Bob Longe's "World's Best Card Tricks." I think I first encountered it in George Anderson's "Magic Digest," in which a pocketful of pennies was suggested as the medium.

The trick is explained in a Penn and Teller Book. I think the book was How to Play in Traffic.

Parson: Sorry for the delay in responding. I was browsing the topic and ran across your question.

I use coins--half dollars actually because their large size makes it difficult to grab more than a dozen. Too many coins slows down the presentation if the volunteer and the performer are counting for more than a few seconds.

I added a twist in that I claim to estimate the amount of money in the volunteer's hand by "weighing" the volunteer's coins. Picture a performer standing with his arms outstretched like a scale--one hand holding a fistful of coins as a "counterbalance" and the other cupping the volunteer's closed fist. People are busy trying to figure out how I can weigh the coins so accurately and never even think about the patter. Call it verbal mis-direction.

Mozart,
I, too, did the weighing bit.
I used quarters in a wine glass for parlor and stage.

Hushai,
I think that you may be thinking of something different.
I have not looked at Magic Digest in a while and I am currently away from home.
But when I return, I will check it out.
(I'm getting old, but I sure thought that that is one that I would have remembered.)
I first heard it on a Koran performance tape recording.
I have used it for years and it is a real fooler and an interesting piece.
I do not know that Einstein was actually fooled. I also do not know if Mr. Houdini really walked through walls. The nature of our business often leads to exaggeration.
Peace,
Parson

It's on page 98 of Magic Digest, there titled "Matching Pennies." It's the same trick as the one the Trickshop offers for download under the title "Old Wine," the trick which Al Koran is supposed to have used to fool Einstein.

"The Trick That Fooled Einstein" can be used as forced predidiction in a one-ahead principle routine.
using 2 jar of coins, 1 for participant to pick & count coins, 1 for your "side". also can be done with 1 deck + x cards.
...you know the rest...


regards,
r1238ex

Hushai,
How right you are.
I just looked it up and it is the same effect that I have been doing.
This brings up an interesting thought.
There are so many magi claiming so much stuff as their own.
I can think of a number of rereleased, slightly different bits to which people hold claim.
Interesting?
Peace,
Parson