Sealed Envelope Trick - Too Much Repetition?

DrugFreeAlcoholic · 7th September 2008, 09:23 PM

I've done the sealed envelope trick (using 1 ahead) at least three times already, and I've always done it to only thre people in the audience. My question is, if I gave four people envelopes, will people start to figure it out or try to figure it out rather than enjoy the show? Will it be too repetitious?

Three just doesn't seem to be enough, esp. when your audience is large. If four is good, what about five? Six? In a tutorial by Richard Osterlind, he only did it to three people out of about twenty.

Bob Klase · 8th September 2008, 06:58 AM

Yes, people could start to figure it out with four people. Some people could figure it out with three people, but the more you repeat it the more likely it is that people could figure it out.

More important is the fact that it could become repetitious- and even worse, boring.

A couple things to consider:

Whatever you're trying to show that you can do (read their mind, predict the answer to what they wrote, or something else), once you do it three times you've shown that you can do it. What do you gain by continuing?

You could say that doing it once shows that you can do it, and there are many other methods where you could do it just once. But see rule of 3 below.

Are you trying to make a complete act out of sealed envelopes?

How boring or repetitious it becomes depends more on you than on how many times you do it.

The rule of 3 has some bearing. If you're not familiar with it:

http://www.presentationhelper.co.uk/...e_of_three.htm

http://www.copyblogger.com/rule-of-three/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)

7th September 2008, 09:23 PM	#1
DrugFreeAlcoholic Student Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: $1 reject store Posts: 48	Sealed Envelope Trick - Too Much Repetition? I've done the sealed envelope trick (using 1 ahead) at least three times already, and I've always done it to only thre people in the audience. My question is, if I gave four people envelopes, will people start to figure it out or try to figure it out rather than enjoy the show? Will it be too repetitious? Three just doesn't seem to be enough, esp. when your audience is large. If four is good, what about five? Six? In a tutorial by Richard Osterlind, he only did it to three people out of about twenty.

8th September 2008, 06:58 AM	#2
Bob Klase Master Poster Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Largo, FL Posts: 2,389	Yes, people could start to figure it out with four people. Some people could figure it out with three people, but the more you repeat it the more likely it is that people could figure it out. More important is the fact that it could become repetitious- and even worse, boring. A couple things to consider: Whatever you're trying to show that you can do (read their mind, predict the answer to what they wrote, or something else), once you do it three times you've shown that you can do it. What do you gain by continuing? You could say that doing it once shows that you can do it, and there are many other methods where you could do it just once. But see rule of 3 below. Are you trying to make a complete act out of sealed envelopes? How boring or repetitious it becomes depends more on you than on how many times you do it. The rule of 3 has some bearing. If you're not familiar with it: http://www.presentationhelper.co.uk/...e_of_three.htm http://www.copyblogger.com/rule-of-three/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)