“G man beware of this C (Con) Man!” was a warning I took to heart when I crossed paths with Simon Lovell. For years, Simon was top of the G Man’s most-wanted list of con artists. During my 26 years as the FBI's go-to undercover Art Expert, Simon was always lurking in the shadows, evading capture with an almost supernatural flair.
His transformation from notorious trickster to charming bon vivant is the highlight of his latest book. It’s a joy to see how his past antics have evolved into a friendship, filled with laughter and tales from the wild days when he’d slip through my fingers like a wisp of smoke! Now that we’re mates, I can see why: beneath that smooth charm lies an uncanny knack for reading situations and bending them to his favour. It’s a sight to behold.
Nowadays, whether he’s dazzling audiences in films like Hotel Genius or Misdirection’s, or lending his expertise to the hit USA TV series White Collar, Simon remains the quintessential Con Man’s Con.
This new book takes you on an exhilarating ride through a world of outrageous wagers, suspense, and Simon’s crafty secrets. Much like his Off-Broadway hit show, Strange and Unusual Hobbies, this book is a must-read. Picture the “Con Father” meeting the “Godfather” — you might just find yourself never paying for drinks again! Trust me, I’ve seen Simon dodge a bar tab like a pro; I’ve even footed the bill more than once (don’t judge me).
In these pages, Simon reveals how to entice unsuspecting players into the game, keep things light-hearted, and become that fun-loving person everyone wants to buy a drink for. Just don’t go getting too wild and channel your inner Simon — I doubt you want folks like me chasing after you with handcuffs! Grab the book, have some laughs with your mates, and for goodness’ sake, buy two — someone’s bound to try and “Con” you out of one!
Thomas McShane (FBI retired)
CONTENTS:
So Just What Is a Proposition Man? ... 12
The Golden Rules of Setting Up a Bet - Part One Finding the Mark ... 12
The Golden Rules of Setting Up a Bet - Part Two Befriending the Mark ... 12
The Golden Rules of Setting Up a Bet - Part Three The Hook, The Line and The Sink ... 12
The Cool Off ... 12
Good Advice ... 12
Ready to Bet? - Here's The Real Work For You! ... 12
Math Can Be Fun! ... 29
Three (or even four) Drinks for a Dollar! ... 32
A Knotty Problem with a Cigarette! ... 35
A Quickie for $10! ... 37
The Great Match Toss! ... 39
Can You Follow Me? ... 41
The Incredible Impossible Object! ... 43
A Collection of Quickies - Part One! ... 45
Lucky Ole' Lincoln ... 45
Ten Plus Four ... 45
The Escaping Olive ... 46
Holy Coin! ... 47
Holy Beer Can, Batman! ... 48
A Heady Hole! ... 49
B-LIME-Y! ... 51
Get The Wine in the Glass! ... 53
Oopsy Doopsy! ... 56
The Floating Paper Clip! ... 58
Uncorked! ... 61
Darts Drama! ... 63
Whiskey and Water! ... 65
Pepper Problem! ... 67
Remy's Beer Transpo! ... 69
Watery Bill! ... 71
A Collection of Quickies - Part Two! ... 73
Six Plus Five Quandary ... 73
Shot Surprise ... 74
Shots Away ... 75
The Classic Three Glass Turn ... 76
An Icy Problem ... 77
Aqua-Match ... 78
Circular Logic! ... 80
Horse Race Fun ... 82
Next Card I Turn! ... 86
2 Cute Bets on the Pool Table! ... 89
The Great Nine Times Fold! ... 91
NIM ... 93
The Infamous Game of 31! ... 97
A Collection of Quickies - Part Three! ... 103
Tissue Tear ... 103
Escaping Bill ... 104
Another Escaping Bill ... 105
Acrobatic Glass ... 106
Triangular Matches ... 107
The Flying Olive ... 108
Curious Coins ... 109
Corked! ... 110
Dime Dilemma ... 113
Birthday Boys and Girls! ... 116
Gravity Versus Inertia! ... 118
Hexagonal Hell! ... 120
Grab and Snatch ... 122
Drippy Dropping Knife! ... 125
Burnt Fingers! ... 127
Ten Card Poker ... 129
$1.50 for a Matchbook? ... 131
Number Naming! ... 133
Spoof! ... 135
Impossible Drawing ... 140
A Collection of Quickies - Part Five! ... 143 Puzzling Cigarette ... 143 Dominoes Dosh ... 143 Coin Tossing ... 144 Aces Wild ... 145 Court Cards ... 145 1,000 Drops of Wine! ... 146 Over Full Stables ... 146 The Seven-Match Lift! ... 147 Salty Sixty Seconds ... 148 Air to Air! ... 148
Some Extra Odds Bets with Cards! ... 150 The Seven-Card Hustle ... 150 The Nine-Card Hustle ... 151 Elusive Queens ... 151 Twin Decks ... 152 Together Cards ... 153 Cutting for Chumps! ... 153 Lucky Three Piles! ...153
Fun with Matchboxes! ... 155
Dollars for Pennies ... 158
A Final Collection of Quickies! ... 160 Full Bottle Blow ... 160 Acrobatic Cork ... 161 Impossible Knot ... 161 2 + 1 = 4 ... 162 Black Ball ... 163
