Dani DaOrtiz at Fool US 2022 (the act that Penn and Teller didn’t even try to figure out.)
What it is
A ten-minute card-magic act by Dani DaOrtiz performed on Penn & Teller: Fool Us in 2022. It is built on timing, misdirection and psychology, and the method defeated the show's hosts.
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN commenters repeatedly call it among the best magic performances ever, valuing it as acting and craft that stays impressive even once you know the method.
- 5 people recommended it
- 5 different months
- 5 strong recommendations
- first 2023, last 2025
What HN commenters said
“This one from 2022 for Penn and Teller is amazing”
Amazing Dani DaOrtiz routine for Penn and Teller.
fauria, 2023-01 · Strong recommendation · in “A Man Who Made Spain the Magic Capital of the World”
“His student Dani Daortiz is amazing to watch.”
Amazing performance whose explanation runs three hours.
uberuberuber, 2023-01 · Strong recommendation · in “A Man Who Made Spain the Magic Capital of the World”
“This is one of the greatest performances of all time”
Greatest-ever performance showing magic is acting, not just technique.
lisper, 2023-11 · Strong recommendation · in “Magicians less prone to mental disorders than other artists, finds research”
“Penn later described Dani as "the best card magician who has ever lived”
Series of excellent examples of magic that survives knowing the method.
SAI_Peregrinus, 2025-10 · Strong recommendation · in “Don’t Look Up: Sensitive internal links in the clear on GEO satellites [pdf]”
“This particular routine has various elements that each seem to be impossible.”
Funny routine with seemingly impossible elements.
EMM_386, 2023-10 · Recommendation · in “Penn and Teller's Lab Scam [video]”
Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.
Topics: magic, card tricks, misdirection, penn and teller, performance
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