Todd Robbins has made a career out of things that look impossible: eating light bulbs, hammering nails into his nose and other classic sideshow stunts, along with a long run as a magician and performer in New York. In The Modern Conman, a DVD series, he turns his attention to a smaller but more practical art: the bar bet and the petty con.
What it teaches
The first volume runs about half an hour and walks through a set of tricks: card games the mark cannot win, bar challenges that seem fair until they are not, and wordplay traps that depend on how a bet is phrased. Robbins explains each one step by step, then shows it in action.
He also offers sensible advice about delivery. Try the tricks on friends and family before strangers, he says, and do not be arrogant about it. A con only works if the other person enjoys losing, or at least does not feel humiliated. Gloating is how a bar bet turns into a bar fight.
Why it is worth watching
Even for viewers who will never use any of these tricks, the DVD is entertaining. More usefully, it shows how scams work in general: they exploit our assumptions, our confidence and our reluctance to admit we have misunderstood the rules. The same psychology powers much bigger frauds. Learning to spot the setup in a bar bet is decent training for spotting it elsewhere.
Verdict
Light, clever and quick, and Robbins is an engaging host. Watch it before your next trip to the pub, and maybe think twice the next time a stranger offers you a “simple” wager.
Sources: Todd Robbins, Wikipedia.
