$185 challenge by Mike Powers (Video+PDF)

Give your audience a chance to win up to $100 of your money in a super fair board game. They make all the decisions, and all you have to do is follow the instructions. Even though the audience has complete freedom you win every time. This is the $185 Challenge by Mike Powers.

Here’s what happens:

A board with six spaces and a small stack of cards with instructions on it is introduced, along with $185 dollars. All the audience member has to do is put up a dollar. The audience member gets to

place the bills on the board in any configuration they chose. Once the audience member has made their choices both the magician and the spectator follow the instructions on the cards with the understanding that if at any time they have to hand the dollar to the magician the game immediately ends and the spectator gets to keep all of the money on the board. Even though the spectators have multiple opportunities to make completely free choices; in the end, they come away with only the dollar bill.

The $185 challenge has the feel of a fair and honest board game, but with astonishing results. There is no sleight of hand and no equivoke. Mike Powers’ extremely clever method allows your audience to make truly free choices while you are still in complete control. You can play even play the game with spectators multiple times, and you always win. Put your money on the line with Mike Powers’ $185 Challenge.