"Best sleight of hand we've seen on the show." - Penn Jillette With stunning sleight of hand and a bit of applied game theory, watch Eric Mead take home the Fool Us trophy! For more video or information go to www.ericmead.org
@@jivjov I think this is the lesson P&T have really taught me and, given that keeping tricks secret is pretty much over with the internet, the true “magic” isn’t the trick itself per se, it’s the utterly smooth execution of it. I KNOW how juggling works, but I can’t juggle.
@@DanielBrownsan ...I KNOW how juggling works too and damn it i can't even remotely see it in this one... Pretty sure even p&t felt vaguely the same way based on how little the back and forth there was after the trick (minding obviously the fact we know outside of TV they edit out the pointless deliberations)
@@jivjov And the minimalist way he worked -- just slight moves and seemingly no misdirection. That economical style makes you feel there is nowhere to go to remove or bring back the coins.
This is quite simply the smoothest, cleanest routine that's ever been on Fool Us. Not a wasted word or moment. I find it incredibly satisfying to watch.
Only thing that's distracting is his breathing *INHALE* whenever he pauses *INHALE* between talking *INHALE* ....he's a chronic mouth breather. I guess he just doesn't give a shit because he must be aware of it this far along in his career, whether from someone bringing it up or him noticing it after watching one of his recordings played back.
The entire point of life: Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. Mathew 20: 28. We are no different. This entire life is a representation of the spiritual warfare going on. Good vs evil. God isn't a flying man in the sky, but the actual representation of Love, Hope, Joy, Peace, Light, etc. Not metaphor, but literally, like an extra demintional wavelength of thought, emotions, and intent. The devil is the opposite wavelength, pain, fear, hate, anger, darkness, etc. Human life is serving one of these two. Not a man in the sky, actual sentient collective universal Love. However, humans are primatives, we make mistakes. It's in our nature, since the fall, to go down the wrong path. This means at some time each one of us has served darkness to some degree. God understands our limited understanding of our own actions, so he gave us forgiveness, though sacrificing himself in human form as Jesus Christ. It is our duty to accept that sacrifice, get the forgiveness, and be better, helping others be better, and spreading this wavelength of Love, Hope, Joy, Peace, Light, etc, thoughout the universe. But God had to make a way for us to get to this place spiritually, this is why evidence is not allowed. Evidence will make you believe, using the fear of absolute punishment to change your behavior, but that won't make you better, just scared. Faith makes you better. It is what redeemes us, not our works. Faith is the hope that things get better, that justice always prevails, that we're at least loved by our creator. But it has to be Faith in Jesus, because of his sacrifice. And there can't be evidence to point us to him, because Love had to be fair. If there were a code in our DNA, what about everyone born before genetic sequencing? If there were a book with the solar system thosands of years ago, what would stop an evil person from hiding/destroying it? If it were something you had to go to, what about the geographically isolated, imprisoned, or enslaved. If it were a train of logic, what about the uneducated, or mentally slow? Not to mention all the people born before schools. Love cannot give to one without giving to the other. So the key to salvation had to be something everyone has access to. The only thing is Faith. This is why God puts it upon your heart to learn about these things, even if it's only to criticize, or hate. God is everywhere, because Love is everywhere, and so is the devil, because hate is everywhere. They're in your head all the time, regardless of weather or not you accept that. They whisper inside your heart, giving you ideas. But more than that, they're inside everyone's heart. This is how they get things done. They corrordanate us like pieces on a chess board. The only difference is, we get to chose who's side we're playing for. At the end of our life, we go to that team's home base, Heaven, or Hell. A place where all that exists is those wavelengths. Hate, pain, anger, fear, darkness; or Love, Hope, Joy, Peace, Pleasure, Light. The choice is yours to make. But you cannot go to Heaven with hate in your heart. You must forgive, repent, and spread joy for those around you. These are sentient eternal controlling forces in our universe. Heaven and Hell are very real places, I've seen them. Those steps prime your soul for a meeting with God. Very literally. Once you've done all four, in that order, you get divine revelation, with all the evidence you'll ever need. They are, forgive your parents, brake down before Jesus, ask for forgiveness, and read the Bible. Step four takes three books to get the revelation. I recommend Genesis, Mathew, and then either Luke, Psalms, or proverbs. The order of the steps is important, step 1 has to come before step 3. I can state that for an absolute certainty that these steps always work. Please, take your salvation seriously. See for yourself. Do those steps. Jesus Christ is Lord. It's all True.
The solution to the trick is that you have trained crabs in your sleeves and under the table that crab the coins. They take the coins and put them in a vending machine behind your back to get a coke or doritos. That's why you rushed off stage to get rid of the wrappers and trash. Brilliant!
J Stanley amazing, I am surprised he hasn’t deleted your comment for giving the game away. . Oh, just to say, that here in Scotland if someone has crabs 🦀 (magic or otherwise) it’s slang for someone having a sexually transmitted disease!!!
I’ve watched this about 100 times. No joke. This routine does not get the attention it deserves. It is absolutely incredible. Congrats Eric, and great job
@@royanque8374 there is 2 corks.. when he passes the cork 1 through the cylinder.. he palms it and let's cork 2 drop (cork 2 is sticked to inside of cylinder)
And he's a really nice guy. No joke at all, he lives down the street from me. Off screen in his private life he makes little mention of being great at magic. Just now found out he was on Penn & Teller even though he lived down the street during this episodes taping.
Hello everyone--I love reading all your comments, both supportive and critical. I did want to mention in case anyone wondered, I am removing comments that make specific guesses about exactly how I do the trick. There are other places for magicians to go to talk about the sleight of hand, and methods, and even other RU-vid posts where I have no control and the guesses are rampant. But whenever I'm given the choice, I prefer to preserve the mystery. Thank you all for watching.
Hi Eric, just one quick question. I get the whole ''making the tube devoid of coins again'' part. It's pretty straight forward. I would like to know, how did you do that?? See the coins were in the tube, but later they were gone. But you had no further dealings with the tube. Are you aware that what you did is impossible??
I am 100% sure I figured out the trick, after watching it 2½ times... But I know what to look for, and I have the advantage over P&T, that I can watch it multiple times... :) Very good trick. Good performance! :)
That is confidence, the way he took over the show. He guided the intro. He changed the rules. He set the guidelines. He almost forced them to acknowledge it as a "fool" even if they hadn't wanted too. Brilliant
Magic is all misdirection, and if you need someone to see through your simpler tricks to fool them with the more advanced ones, then it's all worth it. The best magicians aren't the ones that do constant new tricks, but the ones who put up a great show.
This is my favorite type of magic, close up, nothing to flashy or over dramatic, no big props yet still impressive and amazingly captivating. I also think this perfectly describes Eric's performance skills
Apart from seeing some AMAAAAZING magic trickery, it's that look of delight on Teller and Penn's face when they see that magic up close happen . I wonder if they are actually fooled sometimes or if they are simply in awe of the skill they see that the FU trophy is just a sign of respect. I just have to say I am so jealous of Penn & Teller because this show seems as much a delight for them as it is for us, and they say if you love what you do, then you'll never work a day in your life.
Paul Walsh there have been a handful of times where it is out of respect. But that's only when it is done so well that it's worth it. Such as Richard Turner, he has explained in the past how he does what he does, but no one else on Earth (that is public) can do what he can do. He can literally feel what the card is with his hand. And tell you how many cards are in his hand instantly even while being blind.
@@SlayerofFiction hmm even if they were fooled they usually try to guess how it was done, this one they didn't even bother to guess so it's a fooler for sure.
Tbh if you compare it to shin lim (really good coin magic) the side by side is shin beat them to death endlessly (after 2 or 3 views over the years randomly even i saw some of his passes and I almost only watch magic at 3am when im drunk and bored) and this is soooo clean. Like if I saw every pass and palm up until the 4th coin id still be like waaaaait how.... But then the cork. Add in the reverse. And after a couple views with mind you... Internet. RU-vid.... Pause and play at a moments notice when I think im about catch something.... I get nothing. So damn smooth
The introduction was perfect. Already you’re trying to figure out a trick you haven’t seen. Also saying there’ll be some verbal misdirection which may or may not have begun was genius - the trick still hasn’t started and you’re already in conflict. As for the trick itself, it was as smooth and sublime as you can get. An absolute joy to watch!
That makes 3 of us... I am always able to see through almost any trick, and even when i don't catch it, i know how it works, but this.... this made me feel like i've never seen a magic trick in my life.
Usually you can replay the video and spot things. I'm coming up with nothing though. I mean the movement of coins from hand to hand is obvious, but I have no idea where they go once they disappear and I have no clue how they go to and from the cylinder. I've watched a lot of magic and know a lot of the tricks, but this stumps me.
The ‘stage’ probably has 4 coin sockets in it, and when he waves the wand it rotates the disc inside, and opens up and pushes the coins up 1 by 1 while the cork is on top. Thats my theory.
TheScottishBule after seeing another magic trick being exposed by a similar device with the ability to rotate cards in it, it should be possible with coins also.
Pretty sure that part was just show business on Penn's part .. the first half of the magic trick is pretty run of the mill w.r.t. technique (incredible skill shown of course) as far as coin magic goes ... you can tell very clearly when he put the coins in at around 4:20 (coins are in his left fist). I am fairly certain it was the 'in reverse' bit that was what fooled penn and teller. That part was certainly very inspired.
@@d4rksol123 I think it had something to do with the coaster.. It's the right size to fit the coins stacked easily. I'd think if he didn't need the coaster it wouldn't be there.. If the coaster somehow revealed 4 coins from it then hid 4 coins again, it means you can skip 100% of the slight of hand and the trick becomes much simpler.. And in that case you should since the slight of hand as all a misdirect.
@@d4rksol123 and he drops the cork through the cylinder before he places it on the coaster, and he switches it to his right hand and isn't holding the bottom of the cylinder to prevent the coins from falling through, I think you're close, but no cigar!
This routine is a masterpiece. The structure, timing, presentation, methodology, execution, everything is just flawless. Might be the single best piece of close up magic I've ever seen performed on television. I love the elegance of Ramsay's Cylinder and Coins. Everything used - the coins, wand, leather cylinder, cork - is arcane and yet the routine is timeless and stays fresh. Eric you are an inspiration. It is a goal of mine to master my own version and be able to perform it for others.
There is no magic!!! if he showed you how it´s done, where is the magic? The amazing Randy wanted to give out 1 million dollars to any TINY truly magic,and no one in the WORLD ever took it;
2:37 I love how visibly excited Teller is for this. This show is clearly just magicians who love magic getting their own personal magic show where they get to be in the audience. Must be a dream gig for them
This is easily the best slight-of-hand I have ever seen anywhere... and I've watched a lot of Fool Us over the years. Wow, simply _astounding_ , I was literally dumbfounded at several moments with the results, never mind how smooth and polished and clean every step of the tricks were. Amazing! 🤯
I've been doing a dive on these videos, and it never ceases to make me laugh every single time Penn and Teller react so positively to the performers. These gentlemen truly love, truly *love* seeing other people perform. They love being fooled, they love figuring it out, they just love everything about it. Penn's reactions were a delight, and your performance was magnificent.
When the method finally clicked in my head and I re-watched I started crying. Your sleight of hand is pristine and very artistic, both in not knowing and in suspecting. I look forward to the book!
My God, that was just beautiful from start to finish. So deceptively simple-looking but devilishly clever and masterful. You sir, earned that FU trophy and then some. The entire act was wonderful.
He kept the trait which is most valuable: childlike wonder. I hope I got that word right ... xD But yeah ... must be great living on with this trait, after growing up.
The more I watch these, the more I start to see the little bits. Like, how the fingers work, how hidden grasping(?) works. This trick is amazing and I only get the little outside pieces of it. Quite frankly, I adore this routine, all the many things I don't understand, and the smooth execution. You deserved it Eric!
It's a very simple trick, 8 coins and 2 cork pieces and the cylinder being made of leather so he's able to squeeze and pick up the 4 coins inside it while palming the other 4 coins, it's actually a very simple routine but his slight of hand skill is top notch, so freaking smooth!
Are you saying there are 4 of those coins and the cork like, lined inside of the cylinder, and he squeezed it to pop them out? You can’t be serious if you think that’s the case, so I feel like you might be saying something else lol idk
Exactly. If you are a magician, you can "follow" most coin routines, but this one fooled the shit out of me, and not only that, but Eric''s presentation made me care about the damn cork. After the first vanish, I know that I was already fooled.
You truly are a master Eric. Unbelievable and awesome routine. But my 2 favorite parts were the photo of your family and when you pulled out the wand. Being from Ft Collins as well, it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for loving your art so much that you master it.
i also love how tactile it is. the cork and leather and the coins... his hands... its so satisfying and can feel it even through a screen. wonderful stuff. satisfyingly masterful.
I just have to say that while I get its all a trick... sleight of hand magic really is the truly magical to watch knowing the skill and training that goes into these acts. The big elaborate tricks you often see on the big stages in Vegas or on TV just don't compare to a talented sleight of hand magician... I could watch this kind of an act for hours and never get bored. Thank you to Eric and other magicians like him for everything they do.
I think u just broke penn and teller and the internet. This trick was so well executed that the only word to describe it was “inspiring” I had to watch it a few times to even begin to understand how it was done. You sir, have just re ignited my passion in magic!!! And definitely ur one of the top ten people on fool us!!
There are two sets of coins and cork - throughout the act he's palming them at the appropriate times. At 3:58 he starts with the cylinder full of coins at the bottom. He just pinches the tube hard enough so that they don't fall out when it's lifted. 4:05 he palms them in his left hand while the tube is examined. 4:20 he feeds them back into the tube and set it on the coaster. See if you can follow along from there. Remember that he pinches the tube hard enough to stop the coins from falling out at the right times.
SheenDinner, I can't follow along I'm still confused about how the cork went from being put under the cylinder to the cork being on top. If he squeezed the cylinder to hold the coins in, he put the cork down first then the cylinder (and coins if they were in there)
SheenDinner I see he threw a cork threw the tube, which would be on top of the coins if the coins were in there, but he still put a cork under also then.
Samer Alawneh i dont think he was palming any coins at 4:05 that looks impossible. And there is no way he is squeezing that tube, the tube is much bigger than the coins, if he was squeezing it to hold the coins it would be so obvoius and the tube would look bent, he was also holding the tube with 2 fingers at 4:25 and you can clearly see he is NOT squeezing it. And also if he was squeezing it, were did the cork under the coins go??? I think there is something about that coaster 🤔
I figured out how it was done. With a lifetime of practice and dedication, fueled by the joy of seeing reactions like Penn and Teller displayed before, during, and after the performance. I'd assume the good feelings are exponentially increased when you make people who have been in it for four decades each wowed on top of it, as much as the astonishment she shows to really good 'tricks' ... (I hear Job Bluth - Arrested Development saying 'illusions Michael' as he implied the word trick had a negative connotation to it). This show is pretty amazing, getting top tier performers like Mr. Mead, to show us how amazing a show can be. His presentation is so smooth and engaging, honest with a great demeanor/personality. I am grateful I get to see these acts on RU-vid as I otherwise would never be able to. Thanks for the entertainment and smiles!
Below is how he did the trick. The ability to pull this off is damn near impossible. Just amazing. As the cylinder sits on the coaster it has 4 real coins in the bottom, a cork piece (we'll call cork 1) on top of the real 4 coins and then a prop with a hollow center that looks like 4 stacked coins on the top of cork 1 with another cork piece (we'll call cork 2) at the very top of the whole stack. At 3:27 you'll notice he grabs the cylinder about a quarter of the way up, pinching the coin stack prop with cork 2 on top. He moves the cylinder and sets it down releasing the coin prop and cork 2 now resting inside the cylinder on the table. Cork 1 and the 4 real coins on the coaster are revealed and so the onlooker believes that is all that was in the cylinder. at 3:59 he picks up the cylinder a second time and you'll notice that this time he grabs the cylinder at the bottom instead of higher up, pinching the coin prop now at the bottom along with cork 2. He sets it on his hand and now cork 1 is under the coin prop with cork 2 on top. At 4:04 he tips the cylinder to dump out cork 2 sitting on top to give the appearance it was the only thing in the cylinder, but what remains is the coin prop and cork 1 which he brilliantly hides with slight of hand. With the coin prop and cork 1 palmed he can now show you the empty cylinder. At 4:20 the coin prop and cork 1 go back into the cylinder with cork 1 under the prop. He picks up cork 2 on the table and drops it in, grabs the cylinder at the bottom to pinch the coin prop, lifts and reveals cork 1 making it look like the cork he dropped in fell through when actually cork 2 is now on top of the coin prop. He puts cork 1 on the coaster and it is hidden inside the coin prop so now you have in the cylinder cork 1 at the bottom, the cork prop over that, and cork 2 on top. He does some amazing slight of hand to make the 4 real coins disappear. At 5:57 he tips the cylinder to reveal the coin prop with cork 2 on top. He picks up cork 2 and covers the coin prop. He uses slight of hand to bring the 4 real coins back and palms cork 2 and returning it to the cylinder so cork 2 is now on top. At 6:49 he grabs the cylinder (at the bottom) pinching the coin prop to reveal cork 1 hidden inside all along. At 6:52 he covers cork 1, dumps cork 2 in his hand to make it look like the cylinder was empty. If you slow it down at 6:52 you can see him move the cylinder to adjust cork 1 to fit under the coin prop and his fingers crack slightly so you can see the prop, just barely. He palms the coin prop and cork 1 leaving cork 2 and the 4 real coins on the table and then shows you the empty cylinder. As the trick ends he holds the prop and shakes hands with Penn and Teller.
That's what's so brilliant. I've seen enough of these fool us things and magic secrets revealed clips that I got a pretty good idea what he's doing. I don't see how he's doing a few of the things tho
Like less than 10 seconds into his routine and I'm like "welp, I'm already behind in watching closely enough". Fucking coins vanishing practically before the trick even begins. Jesus.
It truly is a joy to Penn and Teller when they are fooled. Look at their faces throughout the routine. When you are doing slight of hand right in front of Teller and he gets that Look on his face it is just priceless.
Seeing Teller's face at 2:40 to 2:42 is amazing. You can see how enthusiastic he is about other magicians' acts. Penn and Teller clearly know how Eric performed most of his act, but they're humble enough to acknowledge that they've been fooled by part of it.
One of my all time favorites+as always though I never have been able to figure out any of the hundreds of tricks done on Fool Us, to see legends and A List Magicians such as Penn +Teller occasionally get to experience to joy and wonder of a child has always been a big part of the charm of this program. Even when Penn + Teller aren't fooled, you can tell how they almost appreciate the presentation of the trick, the skill nearly as much as when they ARE actually fooled. Never tire of Fool Us.
i see people discussing things about him using fake coins, or a gimmick wand. no, this is pure sleight of hand and misdirection, but its done to perfection, very smooth.
@@EnriqueBF96 I find it hard to believe but you may be right, i guess the whole thing does seem a bit too smooth and perfect to just be sleight of hand
Holy crap his 90/10 is spot on... only just when I thought I spotted that 10%... I watched it again, and I had no idea. So simple... so elegant... and so perfectly executed. I love this kind of magic, and I don't even _want_ to know how it's done.
Dammit, watched this again a year later. And of course, my half-drunk self wanted to know, so with my ability to research... I found it. Argh. Sigh. Still, Eric, your presentation of this is... wow. I've seen a few other magicians do a similar presentation, but yours is by far, absolutely, the best.
@@jantube358 I used to live in Colorado and have seen Mr. Mead. There's videos of many of his ideas, performances, talks, etc. In one video, he performs this very trick, but it must have been newly learned by him (several years prior to this P&T performance for sure). Even then it's super clean and very entertaining. I know many magic sellers, names that aren't typically spoken on these channels simply because it's too easy to look up how it's done. One such video is a demonstration of this trick, and... man. It almost ruined me when I saw it. It was like a car crash. Just couldn't look away. That night I wrote that reply to myself, I was half-drunk (probably almost drunk), and my self-control was all but gone. I knew the video existed. I knew the name of the trick and package. So I saw this performance posted again on another magic-fan channel, saw his performance again, was mystified and wowed again, watched several of Eric's videos again, and saw my comment, again. Naturally, my curiosity (and inebriated lack of self-control) got the better of me. Even then, even knowing *exactly* how it's done, when X or Y happens -- Eric has a certain fluidity and execution, an absolutely keen polish to his performance, that I can still appreciate it immensely. To me, the magic of this performance is his ultimate coin-handling skills. THAT is just... phenomenal. This is the pinnacle of what magic should ultimately be -- an experience. Not just a fun trick.
7:02 I never thought I'd see Teller amazed like a child because of a magic trick, ESPECIALLY one that was shown so close to him. This is magic. This child-like smile from one of the most reserved celebrities in the world. This is amazing.
What's amazing to me is his vanishes. I "know" how the cylinder, cork, coins inside the cylinder, and pushing the coins through his hand works, but his vanishes at the beginning are so absolutely perfect I can't determine how he's doing it. It's the one thing about this routine that drives me insane. It goes to show you that knowing how to do a trick is about 1% of the job, and practice and developing the skills are the other 99%.
same here. I have no idea how he did the first 2 vanishes. he was too far up the table to drop the coin on the 2nd one. I suspect I know the cork/coins/cylinder works
@corey a friend helped me figure out the first 2 vanishes. there is one more gimmick piece (i think its the far left). He doesn't get rid of the first coin until 5:29 .... and I think he gets rid of the 2nd one at the same time.
The coins are gimmicked where two of the coins are real and two are shell pieces that look real from one side. He can essentially “click” two coins into one by sliding the real coin into one of the shell coins. This still takes amazing sleight of hand to pull off so seamlessly but that’s a part of the trick for sure
@@alexglidewell8159 Believe it or not, there's only one shell! I thought there were two for the longest time, but if you watch the beginning of the routine, you can see that he shows both sides of at least three coins. There's a clever switch before the second vanish takes place, along with a Ramsay subtlety.
the only minds that are blown when I do magic is my dogs when I make their toys and bones disappear and then reappear. Its kinda dangerous because my German Shepherd Max does not appreciate the art very much and acts like hes going to bite me until I reveal his toys and bones.
