"If you want to learn to lure them, lull them, and leverage the greed in their little hearts, then Mr. Lovell is a capable teacher and Betcha is a fun and valuable resource." -John Wilson, Magic Magazine INTRODUCTION
By Thomas McShane - FBI retired

(Author of Stolen Masterpiece Tracker)

"G man beware of this C (Con) Man!" was the caveat that was an FBI mantra when I tried to tackle Simon Lovell! Of all the world's con men, Simon Lovell was, for many years, on the top of the G Man's List. In my some 26 years as the number one FBI undercover Art Expert, Simon was always on the radar screen and my FBI career targeted this extremely gifted, talented, and prolific genius of the "Con" for years.

His evolution from Con to a Bon Vivant who has transformed himself from the Dark side to the good guy's side is greeted with glee in his new opus. I'm also delighted that the transformation has allowed us to become great friends and we spend many a session swapping stories of those crazy days when he was like a ghost apparently able to, at will, evade the clutches of those like myself who were trying to track him down without success! Now that we are friends I can understand why. Under the consummate charm and humor lies an almost machine like ability to spot situations way ahead of time and to manipulate them to his advantage. It really is quite uncanny to see him in action.

Today, whether he is acting in brilliant movies like Hotel Genius or Misdirection's, coaching and acting in the hit USA White Collar TV series or authoring another great book (21 total to date!), he truly is a Con Man's Con.

This new book is an amazing journey into a world mixed with extraordinary bets, suspense, excitement, and all the talent Simon manages to muster to let us in on his many secrets. Like his Off-Broadway hit show, Strange and Unusual Hobbies, this new book is also a knock out and a must read. It is like the "Con Father" meets the "Godfather". Follow Simon's advice and you may never have to pay a bar tab again. Trust me I have never seen Simon pay for drinks unless he wanted to! I have to admit that I've even paid my more than my fair share of his bar bills myself; he really is that good!

Within these pages Simon shows you how to lure somebody into the games, how to keep everything safe and friendly, and how to become a fun person that everybody will be happy to pay the price for to learn a new trick or two. Just don't try to go to mad and be like the old Simon. I'm sure you don't want people like me breathing down your neck waving handcuffs and an arrest warrant! Just buy the book and have some fun with your family and friends.

Actually buy two of this book because someone is sure to try to "Con" you out of one!

Thomas McShane
(FBI retired)

CONTENTS:

So Just What Is a Proposition Man? ... 12

The Golden Rules of Setting Up a Bet - Part One Finding the Mark ... 12

The Golden Rules of Setting Up a Bet - Part Two Befriending the Mark ... 12

The Golden Rules of Setting Up a Bet - Part Three The Hook, The Line and The Sink ... 12

The Cool Off ... 12

Good Advice ... 12

Ready to Bet? - Here's The Real Work For You! ... 12

Math Can Be Fun! ... 29

Three (or even four) Drinks for a Dollar! ... 32

A Knotty Problem with a Cigarette! ... 35

A Quickie for $10! ... 37

The Great Match Toss! ... 39

Can You Follow Me? ... 41

The Incredible Impossible Object! ... 43

A Collection of Quickies - Part One! ... 45

Lucky Ole' Lincoln ... 45

Ten Plus Four ... 45

The Escaping Olive ... 46

Holy Coin! ... 47

Holy Beer Can, Batman! ... 48

A Heady Hole! ... 49

B-LIME-Y! ... 51

Get The Wine in the Glass! ... 53

Oopsy Doopsy! ... 56

The Floating Paper Clip! ... 58

Uncorked! ... 61

Darts Drama! ... 63

Whiskey and Water! ... 65

Pepper Problem! ... 67

Remy's Beer Transpo! ... 69

Watery Bill! ... 71

A Collection of Quickies - Part Two! ... 73

Six Plus Five Quandary ... 73

Shot Surprise ... 74

Shots Away ... 75

The Classic Three Glass Turn ... 76

An Icy Problem ... 77

Aqua-Match ... 78

Circular Logic! ... 80

Horse Race Fun ... 82

Next Card I Turn! ... 86

2 Cute Bets on the Pool Table! ... 89

The Great Nine Times Fold! ... 91

NIM ... 93

The Infamous Game of 31! ... 97

A Collection of Quickies - Part Three! ... 103

Tissue Tear ... 103

Escaping Bill ... 104

Another Escaping Bill ... 105

Acrobatic Glass ... 106

Triangular Matches ... 107

The Flying Olive ... 108

Curious Coins ... 109

Corked! ... 110

Dime Dilemma ... 113

Birthday Boys and Girls! ... 116

Gravity Versus Inertia! ... 118

Hexagonal Hell! ... 120

Grab and Snatch ... 122

Drippy Dropping Knife! ... 125

Burnt Fingers! ... 127

Ten Card Poker ... 129

$1.50 for a Matchbook? ... 131

Number Naming! ... 133

Spoof! ... 135

Impossible Drawing ... 140

A Collection of Quickies - Part Five! ... 143
Puzzling Cigarette ... 143
Dominoes Dosh ... 143
Coin Tossing ... 144
Aces Wild ... 145
Court Cards ... 145
1,000 Drops of Wine! ... 146
Over Full Stables ... 146
The Seven-Match Lift! ... 147
Salty Sixty Seconds ... 148
Air to Air! ... 148

Some Extra Odds Bets with Cards! ... 150
The Seven-Card Hustle ... 150
The Nine-Card Hustle ... 151
Elusive Queens ... 151
Twin Decks ... 152
Together Cards ... 153
Cutting for Chumps! ... 153
Lucky Three Piles! ...153

Fun with Matchboxes! ... 155

Dollars for Pennies ... 158

A Final Collection of Quickies! ... 160
Full Bottle Blow ... 160
Acrobatic Cork ... 161
Impossible Knot ... 161
2 + 1 = 4 ... 162
Black Ball ... 163

A Very Odd Object! ... 164

The Last Bet - Pain For Gain! ... 165

End Words ... 167