One possible effect : The performer displays a wallet, that is sealed all around with a zipper, and locked with a miniature lock. The lock is for added privacy, he explains, so that if some one happens to stumble on the wallet he has a bad habit of leaving around, they cannot peek inside to discover how much cash he carries around, or what else is in it, specially those very personal pictures and addresses and phone numbers …
He now unlocks the wallet and unzips it. From it he extracts one or more bills that total up to say a Thousand or more (Dollars or Euros or Pounds or Yen or Rupees).
He now offers to wager his thousand against a ten to three or more spectators (up to a maximum of six), with a better than equal opportunity to win the thousand. All the money will be placed in the wallet, and locked in. The key that opens the lock (he demonstrates this by opening and closing the lock) will be mixed with as many other keys as the spectators participating. These other keys are similar in appearance, but cannot open the lock.
The participating spectators will each first pick a key. If it opens the lock, they get the contents. The last key is left for the performer.
The spectators pick their keys one at a time, (and they may be permitted to change their minds before they try the key) and try to open the lock, but they have obviously picked the wrong key. The non working keys are placed aside. Finally one last key is left for the performer.
The performer states that if he is to open the lock with this key, the spectators may suspect that he is up to some trickery. So he asks one of the spectators to take the last key, and sure enough, it is the right key, and opens the lock, winning the contents for the performer.
You could vary the routine, using say one spectator, and four keys. The spectator has 3 to 1 odds, as he has a choice of three keys out of the four, but his keys will not open the lock, while the last key left for you will.
The specially designed zipped wallet is a novel and attention grabbing prop that enables you to perform the complete routine detailed in the effect without any extras (except the dough to go in the wallet !!!). The lock can also be used by itself with other boxes or containers as described in the instructions. It is also available by itself without the wallet, as described below. A very novel routine, with novel props which you can carry in your pocket, and use any place any time, for an audience of one to hundreds.