Effect: You display three matchboxes to the audience. Shake each box to show that two are empty and one contains matches in it. Tell the spectator that you will switch them around and he must keep his eye on the box with the matches. This is repeated. The third time, you take away one of the empty boxes to make it easier and switch them around again. The spectator is still not able to correctly identify the box with the matches until you show him that the only box with matches was in your pocket the whole time!
Secret: This effect is a version of one of the oldest scams in magic. The popular way this trick is performed is with three cards by hustlers for money on the streets of New York City. This version of Monte is played with matches, a coin or beans and matchboxes, instead of cards and is played for fun. You will need some matches, five matchboxes and a rubber band in order to perform this trick. Empty the matches from three of the boxes. In the forth box, keep about half the matches then attach the box to your right forearm (or left forearm if you are a leftie) with the rubber band. Cover the matchbox with a longsleeve shirt or coat so that it is not visible to the audience. Finally, put a full box of matches into one of your pockets.
1. Lay the three boxes down on a table in front of you in a row. Tell the audience that one of the boxes contains matches and your job is to follow the box with the matches as they are switched around.
2. Demonstrate how this will work by picking up each box and giving it a shake. The secret is that you control, at all times, which box “appears” to contain the matches by which hand you pick up the boxes and shake. The truth is, of course, that all of the boxes are empty.
3. Each time, before you switch them around, shake each of the boxes to “sell” the spectator on which box has the matches.
4. In the first round, switch the boxes around and tell the spectator to pick the box he thinks contains the matches. Pick up that box with your left hand and shake it showing that it is empty. Do the same with a second box. Pick up the remaining box with the right hand and shake it; the spectator will hear the matches and assume the matches are in that box.
5. Repeat this sequence but a little slower this time. Again he picks the wrong matchbox.
6. The third time, remove one of the “empty” boxes, telling the spectator it should be a lot easier with only two boxes.
7. Barely switch the boxes around this time and ask him to pick one of them again. Open the boxes to show that neither of them contains matches.
8. You then reach into your pocket and remove a fifth box which does contains matches and open it to reveal that this box was the only box that had matches in it the whole time.
