A freely named number, the Four of Diamonds, a bowl of walnuts and a tiny alien named Pickle collide in Anthony Asimov’s wonderfully strange appearance on Penn & Teller: Fool Us.
In the performance video, Asimov presents his signature routine, This Is Nuts, during the Season 3 finale of the television magic series. The episode, titled “Can Penn & Teller Fool Penn & Teller?,” originally aired September 16, 2016.
The routine is a strong example of how an original character and an unusual collection of props can turn a straightforward magical premise into something audiences remember long after the final revelation.
Anthony Asimov Brings His Own World to Fool Us
Before walking onto the Las Vegas stage, Asimov describes himself as a “prop magician.” He explains that he spent years performing for corporations and private parties before stepping away from magic and moving to Los Angeles to work as a producer in the horror-film world.
After approximately 12 years away, Asimov felt drawn back to playing cards and live performance. He believed that age and experience had made him a stronger magician, while his love of horror gave his work a distinctive visual identity.
That combination is immediately apparent in his Fool Us appearance. Asimov’s performance is playful rather than frightening, but it borrows the atmosphere and imagery of an old science-fiction or horror movie. The result feels like a small theatrical world built specifically for him.
Penn’s Number Leads to the Four of Diamonds
Asimov begins by inviting two audience members to confirm that the playing cards are different and mixed in no obvious order. He then asks Penn Jillette to name any number from one to 52.
Penn chooses 12.
The cards are counted openly, with the spectators helping to keep the count honest. The card at Penn’s freely named position is the Four of Diamonds. Asimov emphasizes that continuing the count would have produced different cards, making the selection appear especially fair.
He then introduces the strangest member of the act: Pickle, a small alien assistant who arrives to ominous music before being greeted by the entire audience. The Four of Diamonds is placed in Pickle’s hand so everyone can remember the identity of the selected card.
The theatrical entrance earns laughs, but Pickle also gives the routine its personality. Instead of presenting another serious card experiment, Asimov transforms the effect into a miniature science-fiction comedy.
A Chosen Card Appears Inside a Walnut
Asimov turns his attention to a bowl of ordinary walnuts. He removes several and asks the audience to spell the name of the Four of Diamonds. One walnut is selected through that process and placed directly into a spectator’s open hand.
Other walnuts are cracked to establish what the props are supposed to be. Then, with Pickle supposedly contributing a little extraterrestrial assistance, the walnut held by the spectator becomes the center of the finale.
Inside is a folded duplicate of Penn’s Four of Diamonds.
The effect is easy for viewers to understand and seemingly impossible to explain: Penn names a number, that number determines a card and the same card is ultimately discovered inside a walnut that has been resting with a spectator.
The routine has since been marketed as Asimov’s “Any Card to Any Walnut” effect and is described as one of his signature show closers. Its commercial description confirms that This Is Nuts was the routine he presented on Fool Us. Read more about the routine.
Did Anthony Asimov Fool Penn and Teller?
The linked video focuses on Asimov’s introduction and performance, ending before the complete judging sequence. In the full episode, Penn and Teller determined how the illusion was accomplished, so Asimov did not receive a Fool Us trophy.
That result did not prevent Penn from offering enthusiastic praise. He complimented the artistic way Asimov established the card, celebrated the act’s eccentric personality and jokingly placed him at the top of what he called the “nut index.” Penn also singled out the alien character as an effective part of the presentation.
Asimov accepted the verdict with humor, bowed to Penn and emphasized how much fun he had performing for the duo. The exchange can be read in the complete episode transcript.
The moment is an important reminder that success on Fool Us is not limited to winning the trophy. Some appearances are remembered because the magic is clear, the performer is distinctive and the audience has a wonderful time. Asimov achieved all three.
Originality Is the Real Secret of the Performance
After the routine, host Alyson Hannigan asks Asimov whether he created it himself. He explains that his creative process often begins when another performance inspires him to ask what he would do with the underlying idea.
The goal, he says, is not to copy another magician but to develop magic with his own sensibility.
That philosophy is visible throughout This Is Nuts. Card-to-impossible-location effects have a long history, but the walnuts, horror-inspired entrance, comedy and alien assistant make this version recognizably Anthony Asimov’s.
Pickle could easily have been a disposable gag. Instead, the character establishes the act’s tone, provides a place to display the selected card and gives Asimov a playful explanation for the impossible duplication. Every element belongs to the same unusual world.
Why This Is Nuts Is Still Worth Watching
Years after its original broadcast, Asimov’s Fool Us performance remains an entertaining lesson in making magic personal.
The premise is uncomplicated. The audience always knows what matters: Penn’s number, the Four of Diamonds and the walnut held by a spectator. Around that clear structure, Asimov adds character, suspense and humor without allowing the presentation to bury the effect.
Most importantly, the act does not feel interchangeable with the work of another magician. It reflects Asimov’s interests, comic rhythm and creative point of view. That individuality is what turns a clever trick into a memorable performance.
Anthony Asimov may not have fooled Penn and Teller, but he gave the studio audience—and viewers watching years later—a finale that fully lived up to its name.
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