>> This episode of the Modern Rogue brought to you by Privacy.
>> Go to privacy.com/rogue
and get five dollars to spend wherever you want.
>> You know, you might want to go to scamstuff.com,
I'm just saying.
>> You should probably do that.
>> Dang it, Jason!
I'm tired of having my watches stolen right off my wrist!
>> What are you talking about?
That's not a thing. >> I mean I can't go
30 feet without all of a sudden
I look down and the watch has vanished.
I have to buy another watch.
I bought 17 watches in the last three weeks.
>> That is movie fantasy. >> Nope.
>> And you have some sort of weird issue.
Are you hiding them in places?
What's going on? >> No, no, I'm wearing them
on my wrist and suddenly, they.
Pick pockets are everywhere,
and we have to defend ourselves
to stop them from stealing up all of our watches.
We have to learn their techniques
so that the average consumer can not fall for them.
>> Is that okay with you, YouTube?
[static crackles]
>> Ladies and gentlemen,
all the way from Canada,
after 10 years of us going back and forth,
we finally got James Harrison,
pickpocket extraordinaire,
and somebody who just performed
at the Rogues Village in Defcon.
>> Yeah, it was a lot of fun.
Not to toot my own horn, but apparently
there was more people there at my show than yours.
>> Let's cut, that's the end of the episode.
[laughs]
>> I used to think that this was something
you only saw in movies until I saw you do it last night.
>> It was a total blast.
We went to the Moon Tower Saloon,
where we shoot a ton of Scam School Scam Nation episodes,
and it was so fun to just put point and say "do the thing!"
[men laugh]
>> Guys, why don't we try something out here?
Just something silly with my ring.
Lane, do you mind double-checking that for me?
It doesn't bend or open or do anything silly?
Just a normal ring?
>> Lane: Just a normal ring to me.
>> Fair enough, because in a moment
I'm going to frustrate you
and I don't want you to blame the ring.
I want you to blame me.
So if I take my ring, throw it back on,
yeah, it gets really weird.
Do you have one that comes off?
>> I do.
>> Pop it off if you don't mind, for just a second.
>> Lane: Sure.
>> Awesome.
You seemed a little hesitant.
[audience laughs]
So I'll tell you what.
We'll put mine in the pocket.
>> Lane: Okay.
And we won't put yours in the pocket.
>> Okay. >> Okay.
>> We'll take your ring,
and if I give it a squeeze, now it's my ring.
>> What?
>> You know where yours went?
Not in the pocket, because I told you
I would never put it there.
[women laugh]
Lane, why don't you come over
and give me a hand real quick.
Come on up.
You get to be my Vanna. >> Okay.
>> Now I can make it jump back and forth in my hands.
Can you hold your hands open for me for one second?
Excellent.
I'm going to put my ring here, your ring there.
>> Okay.
>> I'm going to ask you to squeeze my ring
as tight as you can.
Excellent.
Turn your hand over.
Hold tight because it might disappear from your hand.
>> Okay.
>> Squeeze this hand as well.
And do you know this lady well enough
she can hold your hand without it being awkward?
>> Sure. [woman laughs]
>> Could you do that?
Excellent.
We're going to try and get my.
Now you made it awkward.
>> Yeah. [audience laughs]
>> That's fine.
We're going to get this ring to join that one there.
Ready?
One, two, three.
[fingers snap]
Did you feel it go?
>> Lane: No.
>> Drop my ring.
Open that one up.
I said I'd get it there.
I did not say how. [audience laughs]
Not all these are good tricks.
Some of these are bad tricks.
>> Yeah, that was a good.
>> You can put your ring on for one second,
but I'm going to borrow my ring,
because if I take my ring,
I made it jump around.
Did you feel it go?
Oh, sorry, that's, that's your phone there.
I don't want to play with your phone there.
>> Yeah.
>> That's stuck in there good.
>> Yeah, just not.
>> But here's the funny thing.
Did you feel me take that?
[audience laughs] [audience cheers]
>> I did not. >> No?
Because if you didn't feel that
you probably didn't feel this either.
>> No, I didn't.
>> Thank you for not hitting me.
[audience laughs]
>> So what really struck me
is how important having a process,
having a magic trick, the fact that you were pretending
to be doing one thing but actually grabbing
the wrist watch was,
because it bought you an inordinate amount of time
holding their wrist.
I mean I knew you were doing it,
after a minute there, I'm like,
he's had his hand on that wrist for a long time.
>> You don't have to be fast.
You just got to be smooth.
And if I can instruct you on something,
that means that you're going to be nice
and let me do what I need to do,
under the pretense of helping me out.
>> Is that the most important fundamental?
The fact that you need permission
to be touching somebody for a long time?
>> Oh of course.
If I just come up and grab you
there is no way that you're going to let me stay there
longer than the fact that I touched you.
>> Which is more important?
Manual dexterity or verbal dexterity?
>> Ooh, that's good.
For myself I find verbal dexterity works way better,
because if I can distract you with my mouth,
then I can take way more time with my hands to take things.
>> Yeah, I guess the whole verbal dexterity thing
is just don't arouse suspicion.
It's only when they become suspicious
that you run into trouble.
Like if I assume that if I'm holding your wrist
doing a thing and I'm like yeah, and, um, uh, also,
uh, you know if I don't have that,
then people are like what is happening here,
and then they kind of do a self-scan,
and be like he's really fidgeting on my wrist.
>> You have to be dextrous enough and clever enough
to create a good enough smoke screen
for what you're actually wanting to do.
>> A smoke screen is a perfect analogy,
because that's what I'm trying to do,
whether it's with my words or actions with my body,
or my other hand.
That allows me the time I need
to slip a wrist watch off.
>> Well, teach us the fundamentals.
How do we start?
>> You start
[light music]
with proving.
>> Oh, what? >> Right!
>> With proving that I can do something really, really well.
>> Yeah, okay, so what just. >> I hate it
when I know a magic trick's about to happen,
then it happens and it tricks me anyway!
>> I love it, I love it, I love how mad he gets.
>> This is a magic trick that is very very old.
[light music]
And comes from Vaudeville.
>> It still works!
>> Multiple, multiple fingers.
Hold on. [James laughs]
I want to, let me try this.
I've never done this.
So you've got it on the one.
>> JAMES: Yep.
>> You appear to grab.
>> JAMES: You appear to grab.
>> You are pulling it off, it's a different finger.
That's my middle finger.
>> Yep.
>> And then I >> Throw it back on.
>> And then I well blip uh, look I did it!
I did magic!
>> Oh yeah. >> I can do magic.
>> Okay now I feel dumb.
[James laughs]
>> Hate you both.
>> So it just occurs to me
that once you do, all you need to do
is that one decent trick,
and after that everything else could be a fake trick.
Like you could do two minutes
of grab these, swap these, who's got a coin,
and then you could just end with, like,
ah, I guess it didn't work, bye.
[men laugh]
Then you have a watch!
>> We're going to use your watch, Brian,
because this is a leather strap watch,
or a belt buckle watch.
Leather's the best.
>> BRIAN: Okay.
>> Especially if you're starting out.
>> So I just realized that a very important part
is finding a good target.
You probably spend 20 minutes looking
for the right wrist watch
before you do the five-minute performance.
>> That's kind of suspicious behavior.
He's casing you.
Just like casing a house.
Like we did on "Hacking the System."
>> Yeah.
>> Exactly.
What you see is just the tip of the iceberg.
Everything else I'm doing is under the water.
I'm casing, I'm looking for the right target,
I'm looking for people that don't have a problem
with people in their personal space.
Don't have a problem, they seem like
they will listen to instructions.
>> These are the people that oftentimes
make good volunteers for magic tricks.
You look for people who look you in the eye
when you say hello to them, or they're clearly engaged
and distracted and on a date and looking
for an excuse to have something amazing happen.
All of these are the same traits
that will make them, I assume, a good target.
>> Absolutely.
So first thing I have to do is I have to get you
to hold your hand open.
>> BRIAN: Yep.
>> And I'm going to make something amazing happen with my ring.
>> Right.
>> All I need you to do is just squeeze your hand.
>> Okay.
>> Perfect.
This hand goes over top.
My thumb goes right on the tongue.
>> Mmm hmm.
>> Of the watch. >> Okay.
>> Right there, and when I grab this here,
my thumb is going to use friction to push that through.
Like so.
>> JASON: This seems like such a dangerous moment.
>> JAMES: It kind of is.
>> BRIAN: But luckily this is also.
>> Oh I'm also, when I'm doing this here,
with my motor functions, I'm asking,
again, distracting you with instruction,
to open this hand,
and we're going to get into a moment
of just a little bit of disconnect,
because you don't understand what to do.
>> Okay.
>> I'm going to ask you to hold your hand up like this.
>> Right. >> And I'm going to
tell you to close your hand.
>> Okay.
>> My thumb's in the way.
>> Right, so I'm waiting for you to move your thumb,
and so essentially you're handing me the awkward situation.
Like hey man, no no no, do it,
and they're like "Oh I'm sorry."
>> Exactly. >> All of my attention
goes right here.
>> Because you're on his side now.
You want this to work.
>> Yeah, exactly. >> You don't want to fail.
>> Yeah. >> Exactly.
And when I ask you to squeeze that tight.
>> Okay.
>> This is the moment that I squeeze over here.
>> BRIAN: Oh, that's great!
Because I am 100% focused right--
>> Because if you squeeze there,
and then there I pop the pin.
The pin is now popped,
ready to go,
and then I turn this over like so.
>> And again, this is all process
that I assume is leading up to a magic trick.
>> Exactly. >> Right.
>> JAMES: The thumb, again, does its job
to push this all the way through.
>> And you could take your time with that.
>> All the time in the world. >> Okay.
>> And then when I'm ready,
I'm just going to,
this is the one thing, the one thing you'll notice
when I do this, is when we're ready
to pull the watch off your wrist,
I give it a little extra squeeze.
>> Okay.
So I assume that's so that I won't notice
the difference in pressure. >> Yes.
>> Because there's always on my wrist.
>> And it anchors in your mind,
I feel my watch.
>> Right!
Okay.
>> Okay.
So I'm going to have you let go here.
I reach under here just for the moment
to drop the ring from my gag.
>> Whoop, there you go.
>> I give it a squeeze.
I say open your hand here.
>> BRIAN: Yep.
>> JAMES: Perfect, and then I've got your watch.
>> That was very fast.
You bother to do a whole routine at this point,
you keep everyone's attention.
>> Exactly. >> And then you get
that time delay that is so important to magicians,
because you get the moments of amazement.
In fact, it's probably even better if you lock that away
and then do three or four other routines,
and then finally it's a guy who's been sitting down
for 10 minutes.
>> For sure. >> And the use of the ring,
and this is something that really appeals to me,
it's not an illusion.
It's a trick.
It really is a trick in this.
And it doesn't require any skill.
You're just saying hold it here, now hold it here.
>> Yeah. >> You don't have
to learn something else
on top of how to do all of this.
>> So the only bummer,
I guess you have to practice with a friend
because you can't practice on yourself, really, right?
>> You actually can.
>> What?
>> You'll go blind.
[James laughs] [Brian laughs]
>> With the technique that I'm showing you
this thumb here, all you're doing is you're
kind of giving yourself a hand-shake.
>> BRIAN: Oh yeah, you're right.
>> So you can just sit there and practice it.
And once you've got that part, there,
you just give it a little squeeze.
>> BRIAN: Got it.
>> And you're going to use the tongue
to push the.
>> BRIAN: To push the pop.
>> JAMES: Push the pin.
Now this is important.
You don't want the pin to fall back into the hole.
>> BRIAN: Right.
>> So you're just going to go on a small angle
as this goes--
>> Oh that's great, so it's slightly off.
>> Ahhh.
>> And then now it's pretty much done.
You give a squeeze,
because even though it's still threaded through,
that moment when it comes off.
>> It'll pop right off.
>> Wow.
That is shockingly easy.
And so I assume that with this type of watch,
there's different variations
based on where they're positioned that you do.
>> Yeah, when I'm standing in front of you
I have to use my thumb because that's
just where everything lands.
But if I found you on the other side of me,
I would need to use my middle finger,
because that's my next strongest finger in my hand.
>> Okay, what about this crazy one?
He's got like a manacle on him.
>> Well, when you're starting out,
you don't use him.
>> Okay.
[Jason laughs] >> There's absolutely
no way I can steal this watch.
I even point out what I got to deal with here,
and turn it over like this,
and I'm going to ask Jason.
Jason now that I've distracted you
did you notice that I might have taken your wallet?
>> No!
>> And then when you go to look for it,
he pulls his hand right out.
>> Oh.
'Kay, so you get the proof that you can steal watches
[Jason laughs]
to explain.
Oh!
You thought he had actually taken the.
>> This is not my wallet.
>> I know, this is.
[Brian claps] [Jason laughs loudly]
>> And I was watching you.
>> I really should have put this back.
There's no much to take.
>> Nope, nope.
>> Patreon.com/modernrogue
Oh that's so great!
>> Legit got me!
I was watching for it!
I was trying to help!
You turned me into your confederate!
>> Yeah man, that's my job.
>> Oh that's so great!
[James chuckles]
>> Very well done sir.
>> Thank you!
>> Are we going to learn how to do that?
[men laugh]
>> We'll save this for part two.
[Brian laughs]
>> I want to learn that, too!
>> So let's--
>> I guess come back and see part two!
[Jason laughs]
Brian, I was subscribed to World of Warcraft
for like two years before I remembered
hey, I'm still subscribed to this!
[Brian laughs]
It's a true story.
>> Dude, that's the horror
of putting your credit card and attaching it to anything.
That's why I'm done with all that.
Privacy.com has changed my life.
It's a debit card.
You tie it to your account like any other debit card.
But the best part is unlike credit cards
they don't sell your information.
They respect your privacy.
Even better, you can generate
one time burner cards and set limits.
So long after that card runs out of money
you don't have to worry about it.
>> Modern Rogue hero Frank Abignale recently said
"Do not use the bank-issued debit card."
Privacy.com is a way around that.
>> Oh my gosh, yeah!
Because if that information leaks out,
everybody just bleeds your account dry.
But because each individual burner card
is associated on one particular account,
you can find out that the entire World of Warcraft
got hacked and you'd be like "Pfft, so?"
Ain't none 'a mine.
>> Kermit gif.
>> Exactly.
So go to privacy.com/rouge and get $5 now
to spend wherever you want.
>> Yeah dude!
At the very least you could spend that at
scamstuff.com, get some sweet tutorials
that you could download instantly for freesies!
Privacy.com--
>> Slash rogue.
>> Oh, that's right.
>> Yeah, that's important.
>> Like we planned that.
>> I'm horn, but apparently there was more people
there at my show than yours.
>> Let's cut, that's the end of the episode.
>> Yeah, that's.
[men laugh]
>> Ixnay on the outcray, all right.
>> Oh sorry, sorry.
It's the only thing I got.
I don't have a gold button push play on YouTube, okay?
>> You could take that one.
We got the platinum one coming in the mail soon.