Publication

50:50 Fantasia

by Ian Rowland

Copyright © 2020 Ian Rowland. All rights reserved.

Published by Ian Rowland Limited.

All rights reserved. This publication may not be copied or reproduced in

whole or in part by any means or in any manner whatsoever without the
written permission of the author.
Contents

Introduction 4
Some Requests 5
Effect #1: A Possible Stage Presentation 6
Effect #2: A Possible Close-Up Presentation 8
Method Overview 9
Method In Detail 9
Script A. Named Item Matches 13
Script B. Named Item Does Not Match 15
Epilogue 17
Script Structure 18
Variations 20
A Supplementary Question 20
A Final Choice 21
Intended Reaction 23
Afterword 24

1
Introduction
Imagine if you could offer someone a simple 50:50 guess, such as ‘Blue
or Green’, and always anticipate their guess correctly!

Imagine being able to do this with such certainty that you’d be happy
to stake anything on the outcome — even a very large amount of your
own money. Imagine being able to do this totally impromptu, with regard
to any 50:50 guess or decision.

The script in this booklet is a way to create a strong illusion that you can
do this. The principle is extremely versatile and you can dress it up any
way you like.

For the purpose of this explanation, I am going to explain two possible

presentations, one being more suitable for stage work and another for
an informal, close-up performance for one spectator.

However, please remember that I am only describing these possible

presentations in order to explain the script and how it works. Once you
see how the script works, you will be able to devise endless variations to
suit almost any theme and any situation, for either formal shows or
close-up impromptu demonstrations.

2
Some Requests
It took me a long time, and a lot of work, to come up with 50:50 Fantasia.
Believe it or not, in one way or another I was working on it for the best
part of three years!

The story goes back to a brilliant effect by Mozique, called ‘Decisions’,

that is marketed by my friend Peter Nardi at Alakazam Magic. I thought
the effect was superb when I bought it and I still do. However, it got me
wondering whether there was a way to achieve a very similar effect
without the need for the cards and ingenious ‘something’ involved in
‘Decisions’.

This idea kept rattling around in my head for a while and I came up with
an early version of 50:50 Fantasia that I called ‘No Terror’. This was a
bit of rather laboured word play on ‘not error’, or being able to anticipate
a guess without ever making an error. I believe I only published this once,
in some lecture notes I prepared for one, specific event. It was a little
‘rough and ready’ and the idea was still evolving in my head.

Eventually, after a lot of trial and error, and script refinement, plus some
feedback from friends like Drew McAdam and Colin Cloud, I came up
with this booklet.

I have two requests.

(1) Please keep this to yourself and don’t explain it or share how it works,
for example when talking to other magicians.

By all means, perform and demonstrate this item as often as you like.
Also, if you feel so inclined, you are welcome to scream from the rooftops
about it and tell the magic world that it’s brilliant. Just please don’t explain
it to anyone. If anyone is curious, you can just point them to my website
where I sell my mentalism stuff: www.ianrowlandmagic.com .

(2) If you are going to perform this effect, please learn the script properly.
I know it’s a lot of script to learn. Nonetheless, I ask you to respect it
enough to learn it properly. This doesn’t mean you have to recite it word
for word like a robot. Of course, you will want to express yourself in your
own words. However, please don’t mess around with the script or the
structure too much. There are very good reasons why it is written exactly
the way it is.

Thank you. I look forward to seeing you perform this item one day!

3
Effect #1: A Possible Stage Presentation
The Performer hands a small, folded packet to a spectator in the front
row. Let’s call the spectator Jack.

The Performer explains to Jack what he is holding: the packet is actually

a large photograph that has been folded up with the picture on the inside.
He states that the photo is of either Sydney Opera House or the Statue
of Liberty — two very distinctive buildings that everyone can recognise
immediately. The Performer explains that in a few minutes from now,
Jack himself will unfold the photograph and show everyone what it is.
The Performer gives a guarantee that he (the Performer) will not touch
the photo again until the routine is over.

The Performer explains that this is all about a very simple 50:50 bet. All
Jack has to do to win the bet is to guess whether the photo shows Sydney
Opera House or the Statue of Liberty. The Performer tells Jack that,
unfortunately, he will not win the bet.

Before going any further, the Performer explains that this, in itself, isn’t
very exciting, because it’s only a 50:50 bet. He explains that in order to
make it a bit more interesting, he’s willing to bet some money.

The Performer takes out a small denomination bill and says he’s willing
to bet this much money on the outcome. He then reconsiders, and
decides to make it even more interesting by betting even more money!
He takes out a few more bills and says he’s willing to bet the whole lot.
The Performer explains that this could not be fairer to Jack since only he
(the Performer) is actually betting any money whereas Jack doesn’t have
to bet anything.

Feeling even more confident, the Performer adds to the amount that he’s
willing to bet. He adds more high denomination bills and proceeds to
add his watch, his credit card and several other items of high value. There
is plenty of scope for humour here as the Performer adds more and more
to the amount he is apparently willing to risk on this simple 50:50 bet. It
starts to look like quite a risky situation from the Performer’s point of
view!

With the Performer having finally finished adding to the amount he’s
willing to bet, the moment of truth has arrived! The Performer invites
Jack to guess either Sydney Opera House or Statue of Liberty. Let’s say
he names, “Statue of Liberty”.

At this point, and with so much of the Performer’s money at stake,

everyone wonders if Jack has won or lost!

4
After building up a little bit of suspense and enjoying the tension in the
room, the Performer gently breaks the bad news to Jack: he has lost the
bet and so he hasn’t won all the Performer’s money.

The Performer puts away all the money and anything else that he added
to the bet. Of course, everyone now wants to see the proof that Jack
didn’t guess correctly. The Performer invites Jack to unfold the large
photograph and show everyone what it is. Sure enough, it turns out to
be a clear, unambiguous photo of Sydney Opera House. It seems the
Performer somehow knew, for sure, that Jack would guess the Statue of
Liberty. But how could the Performer have possibly been so sure?

Conditions
Let me clarify some aspects of the routine I have just described.

(1) The Photograph Is Just A Photograph

The photograph is just a large, clear photograph of Sydney Opera House.
There is nothing fake about it and it can’t be opened or displayed in two
ways. You can even give it away to the spectator if you want.

(2) The Procedure Is Clear, And Set In Stone

You make it clear that the spectator (Jack in this example) is going to
keep hold of the photo all the time. He is going to make his guess and
then unfold the photo himself without you going near it. You do not
retrieve the photo, switch it or alter the procedure in any way.

(3) It’s Real Money!

The money you show to everyone, and are apparently willing to bet on
the outcome, is real money. Any other valuable items that you involve,
such as your watch or your credit card (you can say you’ll give Jack the
PIN) are also real. There’s no fakery involved!

(4) No Pre-show Or Stooges!

There is no pre-show of any kind. You can use any spectator. This routine
does not involve a stooge or confederate and there is no ‘dual reality’
involved. The spectator will be just as intrigued and baffled by the
outcome as anyone else.

5
Effect #2: A Possible Close-Up Presentation
Let’s suppose the Performer is sitting in a coffee shop with a friend. We’ll
call this friend Julia.

The Performer explains that this is going to be about a simple 50:50 bet.
He asks Julia what sort of information she would like the bet to be about:
letters, numbers, colours, shapes, star signs, celebrities… or what?

Julia chooses shapes.

The Performer takes out a piece of paper and draws something on it,
without being seen. He folds this up into a small packet which he hands
to Julia. He asks Julia to keep this in his hand until it’s time to open it
and check what’s on it.

The Performer explains that, on the piece of paper, he has drawn a shape.
It is either a circle or a triangle. The Performer explains that he’s going
to let Julia guess which it is and he is willing to bet a large amount of
money on the outcome. He adds that, sadly, Julia is not going to win the
bet.

The Performer then proceeds to show how much he’s willing to bet on
the outcome. He starts with a small and unimpressive amount of money.
He gradually adds more until it’s really quite a large amount. Then he
adds other items of value, such as his watch, his ring, his cell phone and
so on.

Julia makes her guess: “It’s a circle.”

The Performer gently breaks the news that, sadly, Julia hasn’t won. He
puts away all his money and valuables. He invites Julia to check what
was drawn on the piece of paper that she has been holding all the time.
Julia opens the paper and it’s clearly a drawing of a triangle.

6
Method Overview
What I have described is what the audience thinks they see and what
they will remember. The reality is a little different. This is in fact a swindle
based on sleight of mouth. It hinges on the fact that a simple 50:50 bet
can be interpreted in two completely different ways:

(a) This bet is about my ability. I am betting that I can anticipate

the spectator’s guess and the photo will serve as proof that I
anticipated his guess correctly.

(b) This bet is about the spectator’s ability. I am betting that the
spectator will guess wrong and the photo will be my proof that
he got it wrong.

The script for this routine conceals this ambiguity and makes it appear
as if there was only ever one interpretation involved from start to finish.

Method In Detail
For explanatory purposes, I will describe the script I use for the stage
presentation described earlier in this booklet. (Don’t worry if you don’t
happen to like this particular presentation. You will be able to adapt this
effect to suit literally any theme or presentation you want.)

You will need a large photograph of Sydney Opera House. I just find a
suitable photo and ask my local print/copy shop to make a black and
white print for me about 1 metre high by 1.2 metres wide (3 feet by 4
feet). This doesn’t cost much. You could get it done in colour if you’re
feeling extravagant or if the gig is going to be worth it! You can choose
any size you like. All that matters is that, at the end of the routine, the
spectator can unfold the photo and display it so that everyone in the
audience can clearly see what it is.

The photograph needs to be simple and unambiguous. It should be

immediately clear that it’s Sydney Opera House. Avoid any ‘arty’ or
‘creative’ shots that might not be immediately clear.

Fold this photograph up into a packet with the image on the inside. Put
a simple paper clip on it. Make sure no-one can tell, from looking at the
packet, what the concealed image is. The folded packet should be of a
size that can be comfortably held between the hands, such as A4 or Letter
size. Do not put the photo in a folder, envelope or cover of any kind.

7
You will also need a large amount of money that you can introduce little
by little. It’s best to have some small denomination bills, then some larger
ones, plus a few other items that you can add to the bet until it seems
impressive and also absurdly risky!

Start by saying:

“Ladies and gentleman, there’s something I have to do right at

the start. I have to give this to someone to hold.”

Show the folded photo, and hand it to someone in the audience. Towards
the end of this routine this spectator will need to join you on stage to
display the photograph to the rest of the audience. It therefore makes
sense to choose someone near the front, where everyone else can see
him, and who has easy access to the stage or performing area.

I always use a male spectator for this routine. I’m a man, and it seems
more appropriate to choose a male spectator. I feel it could seem very
lacking in chivalry to make a bet with a woman and tell her that she’s
going to lose.

You can choose a spectator at random if you prefer, for example by

tossing a cuddly toy backwards over your shoulder into the audience.
However, I think it’s best not to introduce any other props or extraneous
elements. For example, if you tossed out a ball of paper, people might
suspect that in some versions of the routine, if the bet doesn’t go your
way, there’s a message on the paper such as, ‘If you choose Sydney
Opera House then I win’. You don’t want to involve any prop that people
might think contains a hidden message or gives you a different way to
end the routine.

“Let me give this to you. Please can I ask you to hold it between
the palms of your hands? Thank you!

Can I just ask you all to note that the very first thing I did, before
anything else, was hand this packet to this gentleman. Even
before I asked him his name or told you what this is all about!
This is important, for reasons that will become clear.”

Ask the spectator his name. Let’s suppose it is Jack.

“Jack, let me tell you what you are holding between your hands.
I love travelling, seeing all the famous sites of the world and
taking photos. What you are holding is a large photograph that
I’ve folded up a few times. It’s a photograph of either Sydney
Opera House or the Statue of Liberty. I’m sure we all know what
those two famous structures look like.

8
 It’s not a trick or a joke. It’s not a blurred or ambiguous picture.
It’s not all dark and I’m going to say ‘It was taken at night, ha
ha ha’ or anything like that. I promise you it is a simple, clear
photo of either Sydney Opera House or the Statue of Liberty.
One or the other.

You don’t even need to take this on trust because in a few

minutes, Jack, you yourself will unfold it and see that I’m telling
you the truth. I will never touch it again, I promise, until this is
over. It’s going to stay in your hands all the time.

Now, Jack, you know the sort of things I do. Some people say I
must have some sort of psychic gift although I personally don’t
think this is true. Others have suggested that everything I do
can be explained in terms of psychology or understanding
patterns of behaviour and so on, although I don’t think that’s
the whole story either.

Really, most of the things I do come down to this: I know what

you are going to think before you think it. I’ll say that again: I’m
really good at knowing what you are going to think before you
think it.

In a moment — not just yet — I’m going to invite you to name

Sydney Opera House or Statue of Liberty. And remember, I gave
you that photo even before I gave you the information that it is
either Opera House or Liberty.

But even if you say exactly what I am pretty sure you’re going
to say, it won’t seem very impressive because it’s only a 50:50.
So let’s make it more interesting.”

Take out your wallet, purse or whatever you are using as the source of
your money and display a small amount, such as a low denomination
bill. Let’s say it’s a one dollar bill (or the equivalent in your own country’s
currency).

“There you go, Jack. One dollar says I know what you are going
to think before you even think it. We have one dollar worth of
interesting.

But hey, you know what? This is an important show, maybe we

should make it more interesting. How about… ten? [Add more
money.] Then again, I like you, Jack. You’re a good sport. Since
it’s you, I’m going to make it even more interesting. Twenty.
Ah, no… let’s go fifty. Fifty dollars says I know what you are
going to think before you think it.

9
 Actually, it seems a shame not to make it up to the full hundred,
doesn’t it? There… a hundred dollars worth of interesting.

But ladies and gentlemen, I think you’re such a great crowd, you
deserve something at least twice as interesting as that. Don’t you
think so? [Get the audience agreeing.] Sure you do. There you
go… two hundred dollars worth of interesting. It’s real money,
Jack.

Hey, while we’re here and all having fun, let’s make it even more
interesting. There you go… that’s my credit card. It’s got a lot
of credit on it. If you win, I’ll give you the PIN so you can use
it.

Actually, this is such a great audience I think I should make it

even more interesting. There’s my watch. And my ring! That’s
worth a bit. And my phone.”

You have fun gradually increasing the size of the bet, so it starts small
and ends up looking very impressive and also very risky.

So, let’s get on with it. Jack, you have the photo between your
hands. Sydney Opera House or Statue of Liberty. And I’m going
to invite you to name either one. Of course, you have complete
freedom to do so. Are you listening? I said complete freedom.”

Given that one of the choices is the Statue of Liberty, this looks like a
clumsy attempt to influence Jack’s decision.

“[To the audience in general] And you can all join in with this.
Think… if you were given this choice, which way would you
go? But it’s Jack’s decision that counts. [Focusing on Jack] So,
Jack… on a count of three, just name either Sydney Opera House
or the Statue Of Liberty. Here we go, nice and quick, big loud
voice, 1 - 2 - 3 go!”

Jack names either of the two options. As soon as he does so, the audience
will be interested in your reaction.

Maintain a ‘deadpan’ or ‘poker face’ expression that gives nothing away.

Maintain good eye contact with the audience and let them see that
although you understand their curiosity about what comes next, you are
in no hurry to let them in on what you know.

You now use one of two possible scripts.

10
Script A. Named Item Matches
In this example, the photo is of Sydney Opera House and this is what
the spectator names. His guess matches the photo.

Say:

“This is quite an interesting moment, isn’t it? [Pause]

I said I’m often good at knowing what someone’s going to think

before they think it. Maybe, on this occasion, I did know what
Jack was going to say before he said it. Maybe I knew he’d say
Sydney Opera House and he’s holding the proof right there in
his hands: a large, clear picture of Sydney Opera House.

Or maybe I guessed wrong and I gave him a photo of the Statue

of Liberty instead. In which case, I did not know what he was
going to think and so I’ve failed — and Jack has just won two
hundred dollars [or whatever amount is involved] of my money.
And my watch, my credit card and everything else you see here.

What’s more, I can’t do anything about it! Look, Jack is holding

the photo. It is literally out of my hands. If I was right all along,
okay, but if I made a mistake, I’ve lost all this lovely money.

The only question is, which is it? Does Jack go home with my
money? Or do I?”

Enjoy the suspense and the tension of this moment for as long as you
feel it is appropriate to do so. When you are ready, allow a broad smile
to break out on your face.

“Well, Jack, take a good look at all this money… because it’s the
last you’ll ever see of it!”

Start to put away all the money and any other valuables that you involved
in the bet.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Jack, although I’m not very sorry,
because I really didn’t want to lose. The truth is that I was 95%
sure Jack would go for Sydney Opera House and that’s why I
gave him a photo of Sydney Opera House to hold. Thank you!”

Act as if this is the end of the routine. Adopt an ‘applause cue’ pose and
look as if you are expecting everyone to clap. Pretend to be disappointed
that people won’t just take your word for it.

11
 “No, really. It is a photograph of Sydney Opera House. I was
sure that’s what Jack would say so that’s the picture I gave him.
A nice, big photo of Sydney Opera House.”

The next few lines are intended to get laughs. The audience know you
are just teasing them, playing with them and making them wait to see
the photograph opened.

“I’m sure you are all prepared to take my word for it. After all,
you all know I would never tell you any lies!

And I’m sure none of you would be so petty as to feel there’s

any need for Jack to actually open up that photo and check. It
would be a tedious waste of time… I’ve already told you what
it is: a big picture of Sydney Opera House!”

At this point, you ‘give in’ to the audience’s desire to see the proof.

“Jack, it seems people want to see some proof. I think you should
come to the front, take off the clip, unfold the photograph and
let everyone see that I was right.”

Jack does so. This is a nice, dramatic moment with a big, visual punch
to it. It should win a nice round of applause. Now go to the ‘Epilogue’
section.

12
Script B. Named Item Does Not Match
In this example, the photo is of Sydney Opera House and this is not what
the spectator names. His guess does not match the photo.

Say:

“This is quite an interesting moment, isn’t it? (Pause)

After all, maybe Jack has just guessed correctly and he is, in fact,
holding a picture of the Statue of Liberty. If so, he’s just won
rather a lot of money. My money.

Then again, maybe he is wrong on this occasion. Maybe I was

pretty sure he would go for Statue of Liberty and I therefore
deliberately gave him a photo of Sydney Opera House to hold.
In which case, I can keep my money.

What’s more, I can’t do anything about it. Jack is holding the

photo. It’s literally out of my hands. If he’s guessed correctly,
he’s just won a big cash prize. But if my hunch was right, and I
knew what he was going to think before he thought it, I keep
my cash for another day.

The only question is, which is it? Does Jack go home with my
money? Or do I?”

Enjoy the suspense and the tension of this moment for as long as you
feel it is appropriate to do so. When you are ready, allow a broad smile
to break out on your face.

“Well, Jack, take a good look at all this money… because it’s the
last you’ll ever see of it!”

Put away all the money and anything else involved in the bet.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Jack. Although to be honest I’m

not very sorry, because I really didn’t want to lose today.

The fact is, I was 95% sure Jack would guess the Statue of Liberty
which is precisely why I gave him a photo of Sydney Opera
House to hold. Thank you!”

Act as if this is the end of the routine. Adopt an ‘applause cue’ pose and
look as if you are expecting everyone to clap. Then pretend to be
disappointed that people won’t just take your word for it.

13
 “No, really. It is a photograph of Sydney Opera House. I felt sure
that Jack would guess Statue of Liberty, so that’s why I chose a
photo of Sydney Opera House.”

The next few lines are intended to get laughs. The audience know you
are just teasing them and making them wait to see the photograph
opened.

“I’m sure you are all prepared to take my word for it. After all,
you all know I never tell lies!

And I’m sure none of you would be so petty as to feel there’s

any need for Jack to actually open up that photo and check. It
would be a tedious waste of time… I’ve already told you what
it is: a big picture of Sydney Opera House!”

At this point, you ‘give in’ to the audience’s desire to see the proof.

“Jack, it seems people want to see some proof. I think you should
come to the front, take off the clip, unfold the photograph and
let everyone see that I was right.”

Jack does so. He joins you, faces everyone, unfolds the photo and shows
everyone that it is exactly what you said: a photo of Sydney Opera House.
You have proved that you knew what he would think before he thought
it. Now go to the ‘Epilogue’ section.

14
Epilogue
Whether you use Script A or Script B, you have reached a point where
you have reclaimed your money and Jack has displayed the Opera House
photo. Invite Jack to return to his seat and mention that he can keep the
photo as a souvenir if he wants.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve been trying this particular test for
several years, although I don’t include it in every show. At a
rough estimate, I think I’ve tried it about 120 times. You may be
wondering… how often have I lost my money? Well, I’ll tell you.
I’ve lost my money about five times. Even I can’t get it right every
time. To do that, I’d have to be some sort of mind reader!

Finally, may I just say thanks to you, Jack. I hope you don’t feel
too bad. After all, you’re no worse off than you were to begin
with plus, if you want it, you have a souvenir photo to keep!
Thank you, and let’s hear it for Jack.”

You get your second and final round of applause for the routine, and
you don’t make Jack feel so bad.

A photo of Sydney Opera House that I’ve occasionally used for this
routine. I took this shot while flying over Sydney in a helicopter owned by
Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith. He even let me take the controls of
the chopper for a minute or two! (This is intentionally a low-resolution
copy of the photo.)

15
Script Structure
At the risk of tedious overkill, let me point out some aspects of the
structure of the script, step by step.

“It’s not a trick or a joke. It’s not a blurred or fuzzy or ambiguous

picture. It’s not all dark and I’m going to say ‘It was taken at
night, ha ha ha’ or anything like that. I promise you it is a simple,
clear photo of either Sydney Opera House or the Statue of
Liberty. One or the other.”

You are making it clear that this will not involve jokes or ambiguity. Many
spectators have seen gags where, for example, the ‘photo’ turns out to
be a solid black rectangle and the Performer says it was ‘taken at night’.
You want the audience to knows you are not going in this direction.

“...you yourself will unfold it and see that I’m telling you the
truth. I will never touch it again, I promise, until this is over. It’s
in your hands, and it’s going to stay in your hands all the time.”

You are emphasising that the photo is out of your control and that the
spectator will open it — not you. In other words, you are spiking the
possibility of any moves, switches or ‘tricky’ procedures.

“...Really, most of the things I do come down to this: I know

what you are going to think even before you think it. I’ll say that
again: I’m really good at knowing what you are going to think
before you think it.”

This is really the crux of the script. You mention ‘I know what you are
going to think before you think it’ but you never state precisely what this
means in the context of this demonstration. You never say if it means
correctly anticipating the spectator’s choice or betting against him.

“In a moment — not just yet — I’m going to invite you to name
Sydney Opera House or Statue of Liberty. // But even if you
say exactly what I know you’ll say, it won’t seem very
impressive because it’s only a 50:50. So let’s make it more
interesting.”

This part of the script underlines the simplicity of the procedure and
repeats the premise (that you can anticipate people’s thoughts). At no
point do you commit yourself to the spectator being right or being wrong
but when the spectators look back over what you said, it will seem as if
you did.

16
Note that you use the word ‘name’: ‘I’m going to invite you to name
Sydney Opera House or Statue of Liberty’. You do not use the word
‘guess’ or ‘bet’. This is a crucial part of the routine. However, as soon as
you have said this, you move on to the business about making it
interesting and adding money into the procedure. This distraction reduces
the focus on what you have just said.

“Jack, you have the photo between your hands. Sydney Opera
House or Statue of Liberty. And I’m going to invite you to name
either one. Of course, you have complete freedom to do so. Are
you listening? I said complete freedom.”

You want people to notice the ‘freedom’ reference, and to wonder if this
is an attempt to verbally influence Jack to choose ‘Statue of Liberty’.

If you adapt this routine and build it around two other choices, see if you
can add a touch like this that sounds like a fairly clumsy attempt to
influence the spectator’s choice.

For example, let’s suppose the two choices are Elvis Presley and Marilyn
Monroe. You could use a clumsy suggestion such as, “I’m going to invite
you to name either one. I won’t press [pronounced like the first part of
‘Presley’] you to choose one or the other, like some sort of hound dog.”

How about a choice between two movie posters, ‘The Shawshank

Redemption’ and ‘Star Wars’? “I’m going to invite you to name either
one. You’re the star in this routine, not me. I won’t try to steer you
towards one choice or the other.”

“So, Jack… on a count of three, just name either Sydney Opera

House or the Statue Of Liberty. Here we go, nice and quick, big
loud voice, 1 - 2 - 3 go!”

You want to quicken the pace a little here, adding a bit of lively energy
and drama, to get the spectator to just name one item or the other.

All these aspects of the script are important for the successful presentation
of 50:50 Fantasia. I hope you will study them carefully.

17
Variations
The 50:50 Fantasia principle is almost infinitely versatile. This ‘Opera
House/Liberty’ routine is just one that I happen to like, partly because
travel photography is genuinely one of my passionate interests.

Of course, you can offer any two choices you want: two celebrities, sports
teams, landmarks, objects, colours, shapes, animals or anything else. By
all means base the routine around choices and options that either mean
a lot to you or that will mean a lot to your audience. You can choose
something topical or, if it’s a corporate gig, something relevant to the
company, their brand or their market.

No matter what variations you devise, please keep the routine very simple
and ‘low tech’. The stage routine I have described uses a photo that is
folded up and held in place with a paperclip. When the audience sees
the spectator unclip this and open it for display, it is abundantly clear that
there couldn’t be any trickery. If the photo were in a folder or an
envelope, or on a fancy presentation stand, the audience might suspect
that you can somehow display either one of two possible images. It is
important that the audience can see this is not the case.

Please avoid using any props that could make 50:50 Fantasia look or
feel like a magic trick. For example, you could perform a version of this
routine using a normal playing card and invite the spectator to guess if
it’s red or black. You could use a coloured silk handkerchief in a bag and
ask if it’s red or green. You could do something like this but I strongly
recommend that you don’t. There are many things this routine can be
about and many items you could use as the basis for the bet. Please don’t
make it look, feel or sound similar to a magic trick.

A Supplementary Question
I have sometimes used a more elaborate version of the routine that
involves a supplementary question. To explain this briefly, I will carry on
using the example of the ‘Opera House/Liberty’ routine I have already
described.

I say that I will invite the spectator to make his guess and that when he
has done so I will ask him a follow-up question. I make this procedure
clear from the start, before the spectator has made his first response. I
don’t want anyone thinking the procedure is subject to change depending
on the first reply.

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The spectator makes his guess. I then say, “Do you want to be right or
do you want to be wrong?”

No matter which choices the spectator makes, you can still draw the
routine to a successful conclusion. For example, suppose the spectator
chooses ‘Opera House’ and says he wants to be ‘right’. You can interpret
this to mean that you have correctly anticipated both his responses…
which is why the photo turns out to be Sydney Opera House. If he
chooses ‘Opera House’ but wants to be ‘wrong’, you interpret this to
mean that if the photo is of the Statue of Liberty, he wins the money. Of
course he then opens the photo and unfortunately wins nothing.

You can handle the two other possibilities the same way. You may want
to think through the logic involved but I promise you this ‘extended’
version can and does work.

Why would you use this longer version? Some performers think it adds
an extra layer of concealment and deception. Also, some feel you can
then take credit for having correctly anticipated two responses instead of
just one. I think it’s worth knowing and rehearsing both versions. There
may be times, especially in informal situations, when you want to have
a bit more fun by adding the ‘Right or wrong?’ Question.

A Final Choice
When I am performing 50:50 Fantasia in close-up, informal conditions,
I sometimes extract a little more fun from it in the following way.

Let’s suppose we are near the end of the routine. The spectator, Julia, is
holding a folded up piece of paper. It bears a drawing of a triangle. Julia
has guessed ‘circle’ and I have already cleared away all my money and
told her that she won’t be winning my money.

At this point, of course, Julia is keen to open the piece of paper and see
for herself what I drew on it.

I say:

At this point, Julia, you have two options.

Option 1 is just to open the piece of paper and see that I drew a
triangle on it. This isn’t very interesting. After all, I have already
told you that it’s a triangle, so it’s neither very surprising nor
very interesting.

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 Option 2 is not to open the piece of paper and instead to just trust
me. This would create a bond of trust between us, and trust is a
beautiful thing. You could just throw the piece of paper away
in that trash can over there, or burn it, and accept my word. This
would be a beautiful thing in both our lives — to trust, and to
be trusted.

You know, trust is wonderful. It’s a delightful, beautiful and

enduring bond between two people. When you think about,
trust is really all we have. It’s the bedrock of society and
civilisation. If we don’t have trust, we have nothing. So why not
take this moment, Julia, to create a wonderful bond of trust
between us? I’ve told you that piece of paper has a triangle on
it. That’s the truth, and I give you my word on it. Clearly, there’s
no real need to check this, as I would never lie to you. You can
just trust me, throw the paper away and know that today you
shared the wonderful bond of trust with another human being.

So, what’s it to be?

I deliver all this in a playful, ‘tongue-in-cheek’ way. To the spectator, it

sounds as if the performance has gone wrong, I have in fact lost the bet,
and now I’m desperately trying to get her to agree not to check the
evidence!

To date, I have never had a spectator agree not to check what’s on the
piece of paper. They generally say something like, “I do trust you, but I
still want to see what’s on this piece of paper!”

Of course, I then invite them to go ahead and check, and they find I was
telling the truth all along… it’s just a piece of paper with a triangle drawn
on it!

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Intended Reaction
When you perform 50:50 Fantasia, the reaction you are aiming for is
something like this: “It’s clear he [the Performer] was sure of the outcome.
But how could he have known? And what would he have done if the
spectator had jumped the other way? He would have lost all his money!”

This is the mystery you want to leave in the minds of the audience. How
could you be so sure about something so unknowable?

The reaction you are not aiming for is, “I wonder how he switched the
photo? Or maybe it can be opened in two different ways”. If this is the
reaction you get, then it hasn’t worked and you can’t expect to win much
of a reaction.

Kindness To The Spectator

In this routine, the spectator who takes part is given the chance to win a
lot of money (or that’s how it seems). Unfortunately for him, he loses. It
is normally considered good practise in magic and mentalism to try to
avoid making any spectator feel like a ‘loser’. For this reason, you may
want to give the spectator a small consolation prize to ‘soften the blow’,
and as if to say ‘better luck next time’.

This is what I do in all my formal shows. Always treat the participating

spectator with kindness and respect. You don’t want them to feel that
you made them look like a loser. Make it clear that you could have asked
anyone in the audience to take part and you’re fairly certain the outcome
would have been the same.

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Thanks
Jaq Greenspon, Ryan Fricke, Ashley Green, Mark Elsdon and Aidan
O’Sullivan helped me to prepare this current edition of 50:50 Fantasia
and I thank them all for their help.

Afterword
I have been presenting different versions of 50:50 Fantasia for years, in
both formal and informal situations. What I like is the fact that it can be
used just about anywhere, regarding just about any conceivable 50:50
guess. It’s always ‘ready to go’, in your head, with no props needed.

I hope you have enjoyed this booklet and that you, too, will have a lot
of fun presenting this mystifying item, exploring different variations and
coming up with your own presentational tweaks.

Thank you for buying this booklet and supporting my work. I’m always
happy to hear from you.

— Ian

ian@ianrowland.com

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