Perhaps you still remember John Archer performing this at "Fool US" and being the first winner of the show? Highly entertaining version af The Blank Night routine, where a bill is hidden in one out of five envelopes, and the spectator got a completely free choice. Now back with new video instruction.
An all-time bestselling Fool Us fooler routine is back and better than ever!
“Blank Night” by John Archer takes the bank night premise and makes it more entertaining, fooling, and easier to do than ever before.
Since Penn & Teller: Fool Us debuted in 2011, a select few magicians have earned the distinction of fooling Penn & Teller. However, only one of them can claim the title of being the first. That was John Archer, and he did it with his signature effect “Blank Night”.
Five envelopes are shown and you explain that one of them contains a prize of $100 (or whatever currency or amount you want). Audience members then freely choose four of the envelopes, and discover they’ve all only won a small consolation prize (such as a $0 bill, a slip of paper, or even nothing at all).
So far, this may seem pretty normal for a Bank Night. But here’s the part that left Penn & Teller speechless.
Standard “Bank Night” routines typically require a thumb tip or body load of some sort. This is why the final reveals usually have a singular bill that’s folded or crinkled. But not “Blank Night”. With a completely empty hand, you lift up the flap of the envelope, and cleanly pull out multiple, unfolded, crisp bills.
There’s no other Bank Night that is as fair and impossible as “Blank Night” by John Archer. The fact it’s also incredibly easy to do is just icing on the cake.
- No body loads - No thumb tips - No envelope switches - Works with paper or polymer currency.
Like most Fool Us Foolers, “Blank Night” became an overnight success, selling out on numerous occasions. Now it’s back with stunning new envelopes available in two eye-popping colors (Orange and Blue) and brand-new video instructions that make learning the routine easier than ever. John also includes all the helpful hints and tricks he's learned in the years since this trick was first released.
You’ll be ready to go within minutes of opening your package. Each set comes with the specially-manufactured envelopes and the sneaky gimmick that takes care of all the hard work for you. Since the envelopes come blank, you can also choose if you want to follow John’s routine directly, or write your own words—allowing for maximum customization and potential wordplay.
NOTE: You will need to quickly apply a very small amount of restickable glue to the gimmick. This has not been done in advance because, as John explains in the video, there are different ways for it to be glued based on your preference. The recommended brand is Zig 2 Way glue, which is available at Pegani and in most craft stores.
