In 2022, a certain appearance on 'Penn and Teller Fool Us' sparked quite the stir. Wes Iseli took to the stage with a single coin, creating an air of mystery that enveloped the entire auditorium. Not only did he manage to impress (and FOOL) Penn and Teller, but they promptly added this gem to their Las Vegas show. High praise indeed!
So, what’s the effect? Simple: the performer reveals a coin, and a helper joins them on stage for verification. Next, everyone in the audience stands up. A classic coin toss is demonstrated, and the audience is instructed to raise their hand if they believe the next toss will land heads up, or keep their hands down for tails.
The coin is tossed. If it lands heads, those who thought it would be tails sit down. This continues until only one person is left standing. And guess what? The performer reveals that they predicted who that very person would be!
Iseli's masterpiece was eventually released as an instant download and has inspired a few variations, including the one we have for you now.
As much as I admired Wes' effect (and yes, I bought it, along with a few variations), it just didn’t fit into my shows for a couple of reasons.
First, and this is a biggie, stage lighting can be blinding. Tossing a coin under those conditions? A genuine challenge. The last thing I want is to lose sight of it, have it bounce off my hand, and roll off the stage. Not exactly riveting entertainment, is it?
Secondly, the audience can’t see whether the toss is heads or tails and must rely on your helper. Not a massive issue, but it would be nice for everyone to see what happens, even from the back rows (you know, the ‘cheap seats’).
There were other minor concerns too, but these two were the real deal-breakers for me. If I could just tackle those, I’d be a happy performer.
Inspired by a brilliant effect from the great Gaetan Bloom, I’m thrilled to introduce...
The Crated Coin by Mark Strivings
After watching Wes perform 'Flip' on Penn and Teller's Fool Us a while back, I was sold on the concept. But, as I mentioned, I quickly stumbled upon those pesky performance issues. I looked into other versions, but guess what? Same problems. It felt like I was stuck in a never-ending loop.
(Just so you know, this isn’t just a prediction of whether a tossed coin lands heads or tails, although you can absolutely do that here, effortlessly and without fail.)
Then, a few years ago, I stumbled across a mind-bending piece by the magical madman himself, Gaetan Bloom, which turned my thinking upside down.
Long before Wes Iseli’s effect, Gaetan introduced a similar concept – a multiple coin flip used as a game – but he cleverly employed a container to hold the coin. This container could be shaken freely, with the coin tossed about inside, still achieving the 'Flip' effect.
This was a total breakthrough! Now I wouldn’t have to worry about losing the coin in the blinding lights.
However, as luck would have it, I had a bit of a mare finding the right materials to create the container Bloom described, at least in a way that didn’t look dodgy.
But at least I was on the right track.
Fast forward a few months, and suddenly, inspiration struck!
It took quite a bit of work (and I’m not just saying that), but I managed to source what I needed and road tested the concept. It worked like a charm!
This brilliant opening effect became a doddle to perform. Honestly, nothing could possibly go wrong. This doesn’t happen often for me, but this shot straight to my 'A' list of working material and has been my go-to opener ever since.
And this is what I’m sharing with you today.
The Crated Coin is my take on the iconic 'Flip' routine, and it’s as foolproof and straightforward as can be.
Instead of a coin, I use a two-sided plastic gaming piece: white on one side and black on the other. After giving the box a shake, I simply tilt it towards the audience, and voilà! Everyone can clearly see the outcome. No more reliance on a fellow audience member to confirm heads or tails. They can all see it, even in the cheap seats. (And yes, I know that black on black can be hard to spot. I always throw in a cheeky joke about it disappearing when that side comes up. Seriously, it’s not an issue.)
The 'flip' of that gaming piece inside the box is 100% under your control. You decide which side faces up, meaning you dictate who wins the game. It’s the world’s simplest prediction.
The box itself is made of black plastic and is virtually indestructible. Beyond that and the gaming piece, all I need to do is jot down my prediction and pop it in an envelope. My opener, which involves everyone in the room, is now ready to roll!
This fantastic set of props comes complete with full instructions and the entire routine, plus extra info should you fancy using a proper coin instead of the gaming piece.
This is 100% self-contained, and nothing is added or taken away. It’s as practical as it gets!
You’ll be able to perform this literally 60 seconds after you crack open the package.
