Scenario 2 �

The spectator is a liar (and is, therefore, concentrating on the empty hand).
They present you with the hand that contains the money.
Question: �Is this the hand you were concentrating on?�
Answer: The truthful answer is �No�, but since the spectator is a liar, they must
answer this question with a �Yes�.
Result: Since you will always believe that the spectator is telling the truth, you
now know that the hand which the spectator has presented is the one which
holds the money.
Note: Even though it looks slightly complicated when written down, this effect
was designed with the purpose of making it simple for the spectator to follow
should he choose to play the role of a liar.
Scenario 3 � The spectator is a truth teller (and is, therefore, concentrating on
the hand that contains the banknote). They present you with the empty hand
(the bill is in the hand behind their back).
Question: �Is this the hand you are concentrating on?�
Answer: �No� (In this instance they are answering honestly).
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Result: Since you will always believe that the spectator is telling the truth you
now know that this hand is empty and that the money is hidden behind their
back.
Scenario 4 �
The spectator is a liar (and is, therefore, concentrating on the empty hand).
They present you with the empty hand.
Question: �Is this the hand you are concentrating on?�
Answer: The truthful answer is �Yes�, but since the spectator is a liar, they
must answer this question with a �No�.
Result: Since you will always believe that the spectator is telling the truth you
now know that this hand is empty and that the money is hidden behind their
back.
If you study the above, you will realise that these are the only four
combinations that you could possibly encounter. Hopefully, this breakdown
will help to clarify how this all pieces together.
REFINING DETAILS:
Now that you are familiar with the method, let�s take a closer look at some of
the finer details that help to make this effect both easy to follow, and yet highly
deceptive too.
At the beginning of the effect, it must be crystal clear to the spectator that
if they decide to be a truth teller they MUST concentrate on the hand that
contains the object, and if they decide to play the role of the liar, they MUST
concentrate on the empty hand.
The patter described earlier justifies this procedure perfectly. The next thing to
make sure of is that the spectator is genuinely concentrating on one hand, and
one hand only.
It is important for the spectator to consider this hand as �the hand he is
concentrating on�, as this will later make it far easier for him to answer the
final
question.
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It is also worth reminding the spectator to keep his hand tightly closed so that
you aren�t somehow able to peek inside.
Perhaps the most important thing of all is to remember the following. When
the spectator places their hand upon your palm you should always suggest:
�In a moment I will be asking you if this is the hand you are concentrating
on. Before you answer, remember that you can either answer truthfully if you
have decided to be the truth teller, or you can lie if of course you have decided
to play the role of the liar. Now that you know the question, and have had
time to think about it, please answer in character� Is this the hand you are
concentrating on?�
Each of these words will help to ensure that your spectator understands what is
expected of them.
By suggesting �In a moment�, the spectator is not rushed for an answer, and is
instead, allowed time to think about how they will do this.
The line �If you decided � helps the spectator to not only remember their
freedom of choice but also makes it clear that they can only lie if they decided
upon that role earlier.
Since you do not want a truth teller to think that they are free to lie at
this point if they wish to, you will also gently remind them to �answer in
character� before the question is asked.
At this point, the spectator should have been given enough time to process the
relevant answer in their mind and will answer the question correctly according
to their chosen role.
Of course, all the performer has to do now, is listen to how the spectator
answers, taking it for granted that they are telling the truth. So, if the
spectator
answers �Yes� (that this is the hand they were concentrating on) then that is
where the object is hiding, and if of course he answers �No�, (that is NOT the
hand they were concentrating on) then, of course, that hand is empty, and the
object is hidden in the hand behind their back.
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THE REVELATION:
Once you have discerned where the object is located, it�s time to reveal this
information. Before you do this, it is always a good idea to take credit for
determining the spectator�s chosen role (liar or truth teller) even though this
information is never known.
We can, however, create this illusion using the following script:
�At this point, I can tell you two things. I know that you are probably a
terrible liar, and that�s why you usually decide to tell the truth. Also, with that
in mind, I am absolutely certain that �(continue with revealing which hand
the hidden object is in)�.
Note: Credit for the above belongs to Mark Elsdon who uses this within his
�Tequila Hustler� routine.
The above script can of course be interpreted in one of two different ways,
depending upon which role the spectator is playing. If the spectator is playing
the role of a liar, they will believe that you are telling them how obvious the lie
was. On the other hand, if the spectator decided to play the role of the truth
teller, it will appear that you have correctly assumed that they are telling the
truth because they are probably such a poor liar.
The words �probably� and �usually� help to create this illusion through
implication alone. Their subtle use is what makes this statement appear to be
so specific for the individual concerned.
Finally, the certainty in which the performer is able to reveal the location of the
hidden object helps to further confirm the mentalist has correctly identified