33. Sweet Victory
class: tweener | impressiveness: 3/5 | factors: cheating, rigged game | requires: sugar packets, marker | watch full episode
This one is based on an old gambling scam. It’s a simple impromptu game you can play while you wait for your meal… Oh, and it’s totally rigged.
The Setup: Grab a fistful of sugar packets and start writing the numbers 1-9 on them. Lay them in a pile and announce that you’re about to have a tournament of sugar packets, so everyone must pick their winner and write it down.
The tournament is played out by shuffling the packets and tossing them in the air. Once they land, any face-down packet is eliminated, while the ones with numbers showing stay in the game. Keep playing until only one numbered packet remains… unsurprisingly, the number matches your prediction.
The Work: Before starting the game, secretly make sure you’ve already written the number “4″ on the back of the fourth packet down.
When you write the numbers 1-9 on the packets, you’ll have secretly created a “double-headed” sugar packet, guaranteeing you the win.