1. Magic Is Just A Legal Trick
We've all seen one of those cheesy magic shows, and been slightly impressed by the man in the bad suit. The reason we're impressed is because we don't know how they do it, but the majority of the time it's deceptively simple. All they do is distract you while they pull it off. Take the magic hat. They put a normal object into the hat, turn to the audience, boast a bit, shake a wand about, and voila. It's disappeared.
The trick lies in the wand, while they're talking they fiddle around behind their back, getting ready to make the switch, and then while they're waving about, they put it in their pocket, or where ever else they plan to produce it from later. The same works for other tricks. All you need to do is distract them, a wave of the hand, an interesting anecdote, even "accidently" dropping something. Just as long as their attention is taken away from what you're really doing. This even works on a larger scale, if they're looking in the wrong place, they won't see what you're really doing.
2. Know Your Mark, But Don't Let Your Mark Know You.
There's a common misconception about trying to trick someone: It's always easier with friends. That's wrong. It is easier to con someone you know well, but the thing is, they know you just as well. Hence why most con men operate on the streets, where strangers walk past every minute. However, with large scale cons, you need to know your mark. The trick is to either do research on your mark, though if they're not well know, this is hard. It's easier to target a certain demographic, so you can understand their mind set better. Of course, you've got to make sure you vary it a bit, other wise you start to become nefarious and people become more suspicious.
3. Know Your Limit
If you've been performing small card tricks against your friends and family, don't try to con your enemy out of £50 with a large, intricate con. All that will happen is you will make a mistake, they will figure it out, and they will not be happy. Move up the ladder slowly, that way you avoid taking a fall.
4. There Is No Such Thing As A Failed Hustle
All right, not entirely true. But 9 times out of 10, any Hustle can be salvaged. If you feel it collapsing, get out while you still can, but wait until you already have something. Even if it's right at the end, a minor hustle can be saved just through the British sense of fair play. For some reason, if someone catches you in the act, if you pay up, they will stop being suspicious. So, if you've just made a money transaction, make sure it's in the lowest form of change possible. After all, one £10 note is easier to count then one hundred 10p coins.
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| Is mark really going to stay around the count all this? |
5. They Have To Think They Are Winning
In any hustle, right up to the end, the mark has to think they're winning. This can be done multiple ways, such as making a bet where they seem most probable to win, making a deal where they seem to be making all the demands, or, and this is the most common one, letting them win before. The trick is to influence their mind. To make them think the odds are in their favour, place it around something they will know well (e.g. In a bar, placing a bet that the circumference of a pint glass is a foot, when you're a relatively new visitor to the bar.). With the decision making, make your demands over the top, and slowly come down when they refuse. As for letting them win, you've got to be careful. If they think you're losing too much, they'll wonder why you were so willing to make a bet, and will grow bored. However, if it's too close a match, they'll know they may lose, and will be less willing to make a big bet.
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