Start of an impressive career
How a shock became fascination!
It was October 25, 1986, a dull Saturday morning that was supposed to change my life!
My beautiful girlfriend and I searched at a flea market in the west of Berlin for cheap household items for our new apartment.
We immediately noticed the lively tumult. Tightly packed, some people stood together, gestured, shouted in confusion. Curiously we pushed ourselves into the circle. There was a guy on the floor. He mixed up three "matchboxes". As we saw moments later, there was a "pea" under one of the boxes. People handed him money and pointed to one of the boxes. Now the unbelievable happened: One man handed the player 100,- DM, pointed to a box. The pea was underneath. Grumpily, the player pulled a second 100,- DM note out of his pocket and handed both notes back to the man.
The money was doubled within seconds!
The game got livelier now. A woman pushed into the circle, stretched 100 DM towards the player, pointed to a matchbox and also won.
I looked at my girlfriend. We would have known that too!
The woman disappeared in the crowd with 200 DM. People got nervous. Some went for their wallets. Before anyone else could bet, the man who had just won called out that he wanted to continue playing. He handed again 100,- DM, the player began to push. My girlfriend and I both knew that the pea was under the left box. The man hesitated for a moment and pointed to the middle. Time froze for seconds. Slowly the player turned the boxes over and put the 100,- DM into his pocket with a slight grin. We were right. The small ball was under the left box. I thought to myself, "How can somebody be so stupid? That was obvious."
I looked at my girlfriend. Her little nod was our start signal. I took our note out of my pocket! We will double this 100,- DM now!
I was tense with joy. I wanted to bet, but an older lady threw her bill at the player in front of one of the shells. She was right. And best of all, I would've known too. Fascinated, I also missed the next round, because one man was faster and also won.
My girlfriend and I were really staring at the game. No more opportunities to miss. I handed in my bill quickly. The player pushed. Almost at the same time, the forefingers of me and my girlfriend rushed forward and pointed to the middle box.
The player turned the boxes over...
The shock hit me like a hammer!
I'll never forget the sight of that empty box. I looked into my friend's horrified face. I had never seen money burn so quickly!
Somehow we were pushed out of the circle. Like voices behind a wall of fog, the game went on. Silently we walked side by side for a while. I guess the household items had to wait another month for us.
But my good mood returned quickly. I had just seen something incredible. My euphoria aroused immediately. I texted my girlfriend. Reviewed the game. I wanted to know everything about this game!
That evening, my decision was made:
I decided to become Germany's most entertaining shell player!
And here I am! Here's the GREAT BAGATELLO!
There is no event where my shell game is not a complete success.
I didn't meet the shell player from Berlin again the next day. But I took everything there was to know from books, from DVDs, in the "Guild of honest pickpockets", on the street.
I have built and prepared boxes, tried out all kinds of nutshells and hats.
Practised, practiced and played a thousand times in front of different audiences from all nations.
You can see the essence of all this in my shell game at your event.
An entertainment success! Guaranteed!
The enthusiasm of the audience impresses me again and again. It's just the "shell game"!
