Fancy Pool Wizard

Magic techniques are sometimes used secretly. It’s common to see them used in other areas to enhance or aid a demonstration. And although it’s impossible to know for sure at times, the likelihood of that happening is very high when specific claims are made.

The following is an example that I believe falls in this category, although without a time-traveling machine, I cannot know for sure. This is an announcement for Joe Hood, the “Napoleon” of Pool, published in The Chattanooga News on Monday, February 24t, 1908. From my knowledge about my area, I would say that Joe Hood had a few tricks up his sleeve.

The big question is not if he used deception techniques to deceive his audience. But if he used it, would that be ethical? What is the line that makes illusions acceptable in the context of a performance? Interesting topic to think about.