The scene is the Jolly Aldrin
Pub located between Darling Harbour and the
Fish Market in Sydney, Australia. It's an old
two story venue having absolutely no class in
a city which radiates charm and class. A lighted
sign having never seen paint nor soap and water,
alerts all that the place never closes. It's
four in the morning and the joint is rocking.
The top floor is reserved for those wishing
to shoot a game of pool, and the action is heavy.
Rod iron tables and chairs fill the sidewalk
on the outside. Inside there is a square 360
degree bar having four or five bartenders working
at break neck speed. Two walls are lined with
slot machines blinking colored lights and cranking
out, or taking in, clinking coins. All stools
at the bar are taken while other rowdy customers
crowd in waiting for service at the bar. In
one corner there are five or six punkers with
spiked colored hair, and what appears to be
real spikes hanging from holes in their ears,
lips, nose, and I'm not sure I want to know
where else. Another wall is filled with bawdy
factory workers from the late shift. Another
wall has a gathering of business men properly
attired in suites and ties. Considering their
attire and the time of night/morning, they seem
a bit out of place. The outside tables are filled
with a motley group enjoying a repast of what
appears to be some sort of pastry filled with
a meat pie. All customers seem to be enjoying
the abundant flow of booze. Everyone is talking,
no - more like yelling, yet few can be heard
as the music seems to dominate. Walking from
one point in the place to another is impossible.
You have to weave, twist, duck, and turn, in
order to work your way through the odd assortment
of customers. Keep in mind, this is 4 AM. It's
loud, it's dark, it's a bit dingy, and it looks
as if it could turn explosive at the drop of
a pin. Yet everyone is having just plain old
fashioned fun. You feel welcome within minutes.
You get the picture. On the
surface it would appear that anyone with common
sense would avoid such a spot simply for safety
reasons. I said the joint lacked class, but
that's not entirely true. It's loaded with class
all it's own, for this is an Australian pub,
and one of the oldest and most famous. As I
described the setting I intentionally omitted
the happenings in one corner. Let's take a look
now.
Two Dutch backpackers are winning
free drinks with a scam related to magic. The
Dutch backpackers are Wim Hoogerwoerd and Jake
van der Graff. It goes like this- Wim asks one
of the customers to whisper the name of a famous
person in his ear, Wim turns to Jake and says,
"Every time I snap my fingers you must pay attention.
Listen closely." With that he snaps his fingers
three times, "Snap, Snap, Snap."
He then says, "Very good indeed.
I will now snap my fingers two more times."
Which he does, "Snap, Snap."
He then says, "Say the name
immediately after I snap my fingers one more
time." He follows with a final "Snap."
Jake proudly states the famous
person to be Elvis Presley. The pack packers
win another round.
Nigel Wood, one of the customers
having to spring for the round, says, "Hey,
do that for me mite." (For those not fluent
in how to speak Australian, me mite translates
to my mate.) He summons his mate, Mick Stavrou,
a rough and tumble arm wrestling cowboy from
a cattle station in the Out Back. The process
is repeated with another famous name, and again
Wim and Jake enjoy a pint of lager, this time
at the expense of Mick.
So what's going on, and why
does it relate to magic? The scam is called
SNAP, SNAP, CAHOOTS. Or just SNAPS for short,
and it's not restricted to the Jolly Aldrin
Pub in Sydney. I recently heard of it being
done in some of the bars in San Diego. It's
tie to magic stems from the fact that we have
a very basic two person mental system being
used. I think it's unique that a mental system
is being used to bilk others into buying free
drinks.
When I related this story to
Jon Racherbaumer he quickly discussed it with
our friend Eddie Fields who is among the best
of the best with two person systems. Eddie replied
that he could do it several different ways,
but keep in mind he's an expert in this area.
What I have described is quite basic and can
be learned in a matter of minutes. Of course
the finger snapping has nothing to do with it.
That action is simply a red herring. As Jon
pointed out in our discussion, the finger snaps,
as used here, certainly point up the enduring
quality of a red herring. My guess is the two
tourists from the Netherlands have no knowledge
of mentalism , magic nor red herrings.
Spinning this yarn has allowed
me the opportunity to play the Snaps game on
you, the reader. Those who get it, and wish
to register in, please don't spoil it for other
readers by giving the secret. Simply post a
message saying, "I got it."
Meanwhile, I am in the mood
for a free drink, "Snap, Snap, Snap."
