What happens when a world-class pool hustler combines billiards, comedy and sleight of hand? You get Chef Anton’s unforgettable appearance on Penn & Teller: Fool Us.
Chef Anton—whose real name is Anthony Riniti—brought an act unlike almost anything else seen on the show. Rather than relying on a traditional card table or familiar magic props, he transformed the stage into a pool hall and invited host Alyson Hannigan to help him recreate the greatest hustle of his career.
Chef Anton Brings Pool-Hall Magic to Fool Us
Chef Anton’s performance appeared in Season 3, Episode 10, “To Tea or Not to Tea?,” which originally aired on September 7, 2016. The episode also featured Timon Krause, Kyle Marlett and mentalist duo The Evasons. Watch Chef Anton’s complete performance here.
The routine began with Chef Anton checking whether the pool table was level before pulling a thread from his shirt and magically transforming it into an expensive pool cue. It was a quick, visual opening that immediately established an important rule: never accept a wager from a professional hustler.
Anton then explained that he began playing pool at only four years old and was already hustling games by the age of nine. He credited his grandmother, who had also been a pool hustler, with influencing his unusual career.
That background is more than colorful stage patter. Chef Anton became the first two-time United States Trick Shot Champion of Pool and was twice nominated for Bar Magician of the Year at Hollywood’s Magic Castle. His specialty is a rare combination of genuine billiard skill, comedy, magic and the psychology of classic con games. Learn more about Chef Anton’s career.
The Trick That Once Hustled Minnesota Fats
The centerpiece of Chef Anton’s Fool Us performance was based on a story from his childhood involving legendary pool hustler Minnesota Fats.
Alyson Hannigan freely selected a playing card from Chef Anton’s unusual deck of billiard-themed cards. She chose the Queen of Diamonds and signed her name on a large sticker, which was placed directly onto the face of the card. The signed card was then returned to the deck.
Chef Anton balanced two pool balls on the table and announced that he would attempt to locate Alyson’s signed card using the same shot that he claimed had fooled Minnesota Fats when Anton was only nine years old.
After lining up the shot, Anton sent the balls into motion. In the astonishing finale, Alyson’s signed Queen of Diamonds was found impaled on the end of the pool cue.
The revelation received a huge response from Hannigan and the studio audience. It was an ideal ending because it combined a card trick, an authentic-looking trick shot and an impossible physical souvenir that Alyson could immediately verify.
Did Chef Anton Fool Penn and Teller?
Chef Anton did not officially fool Penn and Teller, but his routine certainly made them think.
Penn revealed that he and Teller initially debated whether Anton had somehow incorporated an elaborate card-sword-style mechanism into the pool cue. They eventually concluded that the secret rested elsewhere and offered enough carefully coded observations to show Chef Anton that they understood the essential workings of the routine.
Even though they solved it, Penn praised the juggling, magic and physical skill displayed throughout the performance. Most importantly, Penn and Teller admitted that Chef Anton had confused them long enough to make them argue about the method.
Their final judgment may not have earned Anton a Fool Us trophy, but it did produce one of the best compliments a pool hustler could receive: Penn and Teller said they would never accept a bet from him.
Why Chef Anton’s Fool Us Performance Still Stands Out
Chef Anton’s routine is a strong example of how a magician can turn specialized knowledge into an original theatrical character.
Every part of the performance supported his pool-hustler personality. The appearing cue, billiard-themed cards, bar bets, balancing pool balls and signed-card finale all belonged in the same world. Nothing felt as though it had been added simply to provide another trick.
The act also demonstrated that fooling Penn and Teller is not the only measure of success on Fool Us. Anton entertained the audience, surprised two of the most knowledgeable magicians in the world and showcased a form of magic rarely presented on television.
Many magicians can perform a card trick, and many skilled players can execute a difficult pool shot. Chef Anton’s real strength is his ability to combine those disciplines with comedy, storytelling and audience participation.
Watch Chef Anton on Penn & Teller: Fool Us
Chef Anton may not have taken home the trophy, but he successfully brought the atmosphere of an old-fashioned pool-room hustle to the Fool Us stage.
Watch the complete performance and see whether you can spot the moment when Alyson Hannigan’s signed Queen of Diamonds finds its way onto the end of Chef Anton’s pool cue.
Just remember the most important lesson from the routine: never bet against a professional hustler.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment