The Complete Cups & Balls

The Cups and Balls is universally acclaimed as the effect which should be studied by every magician.

To maximize results, Michael Ammar separated all the fundamental information into an appropriate series of layers. Each layer is then revealed in the pattern perfect for your ever-evolving level of understanding, ability, and confidence. As each new branch of knowledge grows, a routine is taught which puts that information into current context. Along the way, special attention is placed on those four highly transferable skills which grow stronger as you study the Cups and Balls: Acting, Timing, Routining, and Misdirection. This complete understanding approach to building your foundation gives you the tools, building blocks, and the blueprints to build any type of Cups and Balls routine you might ever need!

You’ll discover classic wand moves every sleight-of-hand performer should know, opening positions and sequences, body sequences, secret loading sequences, as well as final rhythms that create the powerful misdirection to cover your final loads. Then you’ll see the real work on Mastering the Final Load. Finally the Dai Vernon routine, considered the most influential Cups and Balls routine of this century, is taught, dissected and analyzed.

There has never been a more complete or more effective way to discover the fascinating secrets of this enduring classic.

Over 750 photographs with text shaded to show you exactly what the key points are plus 18 essays written by some of the world’s most respected magicians devulging their secrets and insights into this timeless piece of legerdemain!

Contributors include:

Aldo Colombini • David Williamson • Bruce Cervon • Johnny Thompson
Michael Skinner • Tommy Wonder • Paul Gertner • Johnny Ace Palmer • Gazzo
Bob Sheets • Joachim Solberg • Shakar Junior • Eric DeCamps
Tom Mullica • Kate Medvedeva • Mike Rogers
Dominique Duvivier • Jonathan Pendragon

Contents:

Introduction . Michael Ammar
Foreword . Tommy Wonder

Fundamentals
Cups
Balls
Final Loads
Wands
Definitions
Basicstacking
The Super Simple Routine

Fundamental Skill No . 1 . Acting

Methods of Holding Out

Beginning Sleights
The Fake Transfer
The French Drop
Classic Pass
The Simple Transfer
Misdirecting with the Wand

Secretly Loading a Small Ball into a Cup
From Finger Palm
Thumbpalm
Direct from Palm
The Tip Over Load
Loading a Nested or Stacked Cup
Stealing from a Tabled Cup
Two Finger Steal
Simply Holding Inside
Two Finger Steal and Spin

Stealing from Between Cups
Little Finger Retention/Steal
Nesting Rolling Steal

Fundamental Skill No 2 Timing

Opening the Routine
Opening Positions
One Ahead
Two Ahead
Three Ahead
Four Ahead
Other Options

Opening Sequences

One Ahead Return Opening
One Ahead Penetration Sequence
Three Ahead Production Sequence
Ammar's Opening Production

Body Sequences
Assembly
Miller - Sequence No . 1
Miller - Sequence No . 2
Classic Gathering in Middle
All Gather One at a Time
Three Gather on Tops of Cups
Shower of Balls
Click Move Sequence
Two-None-Two Sequence
Reappearing Inside a Stack 67

Mastering the Final Load
Directions for Misdirecting
Sitting
Standing
When Standing, Where Do the Final Loads Go?
Natural Pockets
Special Pockets
Pouches
Edge of the Coat
Sleeves
Coordinated Timing of Both Hands
The Loading Hand
Holding the Cup

Ending Sequences
Classic Elimination Sequence
Vernon's Sophisticated Elimination Sequence
Ending Rhythms
Malini/Garcia
1-2-34
The Engaged Spectator Ending
Creative Loading Systems
Livestock

The Dai Vernon Cups and Balls Routine
Summary
What Might Vernon Have Done Differently
Now, Here's What You Need To Do

Michael Arnmar's Stand-up Cups and Balls
Producing the Balls
Three vanishes
Elimination Phase One
Elimination Phase Two
Summary

THE BONUS CHAPTER
Dominique Duvivier . France
Mike Rogers . United States
Kate Medvedeva . Russia
Eric DeCamps . United States
Shankar Junior . India
Joachim Solberg . Denmark
Bob Sheets . United States
Gazzo-Great Britain
Tom Mullica . United States
Paul Gertner . United States
Johnny Ace Palmer . United States
Tommy Wonder . The Netherlands
Michael Skinner . United States
Johnny Thompson . United States
Bruce Cervon . United States
David Williamson . United States
Aldo Colombini . United States
Jonathan Pendragon
The Delaporte Cups and Balls Table

Bibliography