Cup and Ball

The Trick

The cups and balls trick is an old magic effect that has spawned a variety of adaptations. The effect known as acetabula et calculi was performed by Roman conjurers as far back as two thousand years ago.  

How

Cups and Balls uses many of the basic principles of magic: palming, false transfers, and misdirection. The performance of the effect and construction of a routine is a complete study in the art of magic.

A basic routine is to start with a ball secretly concealed in the palm, the cups being nested in a stack. The three cups are set down in a line with the concealed ball being now under the center one. One of three visible balls is put on top of the center cup and the other two cups nested above. With a tap of the wand, the three cups are lifted, revealing that the ball has "penetrated" the cup. (There is now a new ball secretly concealed in the center cup). Again the cups are set in a line, the middle cup covering the ball which has already penetrated making two balls there, while the audience thinks there is only one ball. Another of the visible three balls is placed on top of the centre cup and covered with the other two cups, the cups being tapped and lifted to show the second ball has penetrated. This is repeated with the third ball at which time there is a ball still secretly concealed in the cups, and the performer is ready to go into the next phase, perhaps making use of the extra ball

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