Bamboozlers: Ten of Diamonds
Bouncing, balancing corks.
The Bet:
Challenge someone to drop a wine cork about three inches or higher from the tabletop and have it land on either end.
The Secret:
When presenting this hold the cork vertically over the tabletop as in (Fig. 1). This will precondition the spectator to hold it in the same manner when attempting this fun little challenge. The secret is to hold the length of the cork horizontally over the tabletop from a height of about three to four inches above it. With a little practice the cork will fall and bounce back up onto one end. The most success with this stunt can be had when holding the cork slightly off center as in (Fig. 2).
Bet someone that you can do it in less tries they can do it. You might let them try it about ten times before showing them the secret. This stunt can also be done with a bare toilet paper roll, but it’s much classier to use a wine cork. When accepting your applause say, “Thank you! Thank you! I know I am obviously very talented.”
For more commercial magic and puzzles from Diamond Jim Tyler visit his online Magic Shop!
