Magic Tricks

There's a reason why, in the video, Joshua Jay performs this with a group of friends. That's really the only practical environment in which this would work. In the real world, a stranger is very unlikely to let you handle their wallet, and if they do, they're probably not going to be especially comfortable letting you doing so, which adds an unwanted layer of tension and scrutiny to the effect.

I concede that the thinking and structure behind the routine are absolutely outstanding... and yes, it will likely fool and floor a lot of people... provided of course those people are your friends who don't mind handing you their wallet. Seriously... who wants to go up to a stranger and say, "Can I have your wallet?"