The Fidgety Poker Chips

By Nelson C. Hahne

The performer exhibits three ordinary poker chips, which can be examined by the audience, and a flat wooden tube. This tube is about six and one-half inches long. The chips are of different colors, such as red, white and blue. They are allowed to fall through the tube several times previous to the experiment. Finally, one end of the tube is held shut by the fingers of one hand. The chips are inserted in the opposite end in this order: red, white and blue.

If this were not magic, the chips would be in the same order when they were permitted to slide out the other end. But here again the impossible happens! When the chips emerge they appear blue, first, red second, and white last. When the principle is understood the above routine might be enlarged by further similar effects. Remember the chips are unprepared. The audience may look through the tube before and after the feat. The chips may be slid through the tube previous to and following the experiment. Can this be possible?