How To: Pull the "In the Bank" puzzle bar trick

Pull the "In the Bank" puzzle bar trick

This is Brian Brushwood with Scam School. The trick is called 'In the bank'. This week we've got another puzzle with a setup that sounds absolutely impossible.

THE SETUP: Fold a toothpick in half, making a "V" shape, and place it on top of the mouth of a beer bottle. Next Place a dime on top of the folded toothpick, and offer the following question:

How do you get the dime into the beer bottle, without touching the bottle, toothpick, or dime...without letting the toothpick fall off the top of the bottle, and without shaking the table?

THE ANSWER: Don't be surprised if your mark just flat-out doesn't believe this one is possible...the restrictions are so tight, it seems there's no way to pull it off, but the solution is unbelievably elegant:

Just drip a couple of drops of water (or any other drink) onto the fold in the toothpick. The water will cause the wood to expand, opening the toothpick and allowing the dime to drop right in.

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