Moves with Cups

164 entries in Cup / Cups & Balls / Two & Three Cups Routines / Moves with Cups
Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
Unknown 3. To Secretly Introduce the Palmed Ball under the Cup
1876 Modern Magic 275
Unknown 4. To Simulate the Action of Placing a Ball under a Cup
1876 Modern Magic 276
Unknown To Pass one Cup through another
1876 Modern Magic 277
Unknown To Hold the Ball whilst conveying under Cups
1902 The Modern Conjurer 184
Eddie Joseph The Secret Introduction how to load a ball under a cup, two methods
 		1936 A Practical Lesson on Cups and Balls 2
Eddie Joseph Secret Extraction stealing ball from under cup while lifting it
 		1936 A Practical Lesson on Cups and Balls 2
Eddie Joseph To Show Ball Under an Actual Empty Cup
1936 A Practical Lesson on Cups and Balls 3
Eddie Joseph To Simulate Action of Placing Ball Under Cup
1936 A Practical Lesson on Cups and Balls 3
Eddie Joseph The Jo-Jo Introduction loading ball into cup
 		1936 A Practical Lesson on Cups and Balls 3
Eddie Joseph Additional Moves a. spectator holds cup on palm, ball appears under it
b. borrowed hank vanishes and appears under cup
 		1936 A Practical Lesson on Cups and Balls 6
Ellis Stanyon The Stanyon Lessons for the Cups and Balls part 4, moves with balls, wand, cups
 		1937 The Jinx 1-50 (Issue 38) 254
Ellis Stanyon The Stanyon Lessons for the Cups and Balls part 5
 		1937 The Jinx 1-50 (Issue 39) 260
Unknown Loading a Cup tip over load
 		1938 Greater Magic 660
Unknown Removing a Ball Secretly from Under a Cup
1938 Greater Magic 660
Ellis Stanyon The Stanyon Lessons for the Cups and Balls part 6
 		1938 The Jinx 1-50 (Issue 40) 266
Ellis Stanyon The Stanyon Lessons for the Cups and Balls part 7
 		1938 The Jinx 1-50 (Issue 41) 282
Eddie Joseph Secret Introductions intro to cup loads
 		1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 12
Eddie Joseph Secret Introduction of Two Balls Under One Cup Simultaneously
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 13
Eddie Joseph Secret Introduction of Single Balls from the Double Palm
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 13
Eddie Joseph The "Two-in-One" Introduction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 14
Eddie Joseph Secret Introduction of Three Balls Together Under One Cup
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 14
Eddie Joseph The "Tip-Up" Introduction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 15
Eddie Joseph The Torpedo Introduction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 15
Eddie Joseph The "Back-Street" Introduction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 15
Eddie Joseph The Cup Introduction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 15
Eddie Joseph The "Infinite" Introduction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 16
Eddie Joseph The "Stratagem" Introduction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 16
Eddie Joseph The "Top-Hole" Introduction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 17
Eddie Joseph The Jubilee Introduction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 17
Eddie Joseph The Hinge Extraction ball steal
 		1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 18
Eddie Joseph The Double Extraction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 19
Eddie Joseph The Triple Extraction
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 19
Eddie Joseph The "Grasshopper" Vanish
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 20
Eddie Joseph The Slide Vanish ball dumped into left fingers below table edge
 		1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 21
Eddie Joseph The Thumb Steal
1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 22
Eddie Joseph The Roll ball apparently rolled under cup, rolls out the other side
 		1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 24
Eddie Joseph The Scoop ball rolled into cup, secretly bounces out again
 		1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 24
Eddie Joseph The Reel cup shown empty, ball hidden behind
 		1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 25
Eddie Joseph The Match Holder keeping item hidden in cup with match stick as holder
 		1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 39
Eddie Joseph Loading Tall Articles into Cups articles "nearly as high as the cup"
 		1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 42
Eddie Joseph The "Phantom" Load fruit stuck in cup to handle cups freely
  • First Method
  • Second Method
 		1942 The Last Word on Cups and Balls 45
John Ramsay Passing the Wand Through the Cups
1948 John Ramsay's Routine with Cups and Balls 44
Unknown, Johnny Paul Cup Through Cup Move with variation by Johnny Paul
 		1953 Classic Secrets of Magic 204
Lewis Ganson Moves with the Bags and Balls 1. The basic move
2. To show a bag empty when it contains a ball
3. Loading a ball secretly into a bag
4. Loading from the pocket
5. Production of a glass of wine
 		1956 Unconventional Magic 16
Eddie Joseph The Basic Secret Moves
  • Move I: The Transfer
  • Move II: Secret Introduction
  • Move III: Simulating Visible Introduction
  • Move IV: Loaded Lift
  • Move V: Loaded Lift Combination
 		1956 The Hindu Cups 11
Charlie Miller Charles Miller's "Cups and Balls Move" penetration of cup with ball
Also published here 1957 The Dai Vernon Book of Magic 188
Milton Kort Fake Load Pretend to put ball under cup
 		1962 Kort Is Now In Session 42
Milton Kort Turn Over Load Secretly load ball in cup by turning it mouth down
 		1962 Kort Is Now In Session 43
Milton Kort One Hand Cup Turnover Flourish for turning cup over
 		1962 Kort Is Now In Session 43
Milton Kort Two Hand Cup Turnover Flourish for turning cup over
 		1962 Kort Is Now In Session 44
Charlie Miller Charlie Miller Move
Sep. 1968 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 1-4 (Vol. 3 No. 11) 207
Roy Walton Ghost Cup addition for cup-through-cup sequence
 		Winter 1968 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 1-4 (Vol. 4 No. 2nd Folio) 221
Unknown Bounce Steal card thrown under cup stolen, actually page 298A
 		Winter 1969 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 5 No. 3rd Folio) 298
Unknown Reverse Spin Steal actually page 298A
 		Winter 1969 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 5 No. 3rd Folio) 298
Karl Fulves Visible Penetration ball through cup
 		Sep. 1970 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 5 No. 11) 362
Unknown Tipover Move loading move
 		Oct. 1970 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 5 No. 12) 367
Peter Alexis Clip Steal ball stolen from top of cup as another cup is put onto it
 		Oct. 1970 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 5 No. 12) 368
Peter Alexis Delayed Lapping Move ball lapped from cup
 		Oct. 1970 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 5 No. 12) 368
Unknown Galloping Post sequence with cups and ball
Related to
  • Modern Magic Manual (Jean Hugard)
 Oct. 1970 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 5 No. 12) 369
Ger Copper Cups and Balls sponge balls
  • ball vanishes between two stacked cups
  • showing tabled cup empty despite a ball being underneath
  • dropping classic palmed ball into upright cup when reaching to wand
 		1970 Magic from Holland 4
Horace Goldin, Frank Garcia Horace Goldin's Cup & Ball Move ball vanishes when two cups are banged together with ball between them, see also p. 815 for comment by Roger Crabtree
Related toAlso published here July 1973 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 5-8 (Vol. 8 No. 9) 635
Pete Biro Cup Chop
  • The Karate Acquitment
showing cup empty despite ball underneath
Related to Apr. 1974 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 9-10 (Vol. 9 No. 6) 723
Sam Aaronson The Basic Loading Move
Aug. 1974 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 9-10 (Vol. 9 No. 10) 778
Karl Fulves Speedball featuring hand-to-hand transfer of ball with cup
 		Sep. 1974 The Pallbearers Review Vol. 9-10 (Vol. 9 No. 11) 791
Unknown Loading Move
1974 The Penultimate Cups & Balls 6
Horace Goldin Frank Garcia erklärt Horace Goldin's Becherspiel Griff ball vanishes when two cups are banged together with ball between them
Also published here Apr. 1974 Intermagic (Vol. 1 No. 4) 72
Scotty York The Basic Move hiding a big ball in the cup
 		1975 Cups & Balls 3
Unknown Cup through Cup with ball hidden
 		1975 Cups & Balls 6
Scotty York, Larry Jennings Center of the Mat Cup Load Jennings' loading sequence without the handkerchief
Related to 1975 Cups & Balls 12
Sam Leo Horowitz Two Tumblers and a Coin - Horowitz Cup through cup standard illusion, but with coin inside one of the cups
 		1975 Magic With Faucett Ross 153
Ian Baxter My Cup Flippeth Over throwing a loaded cup from hand to hand
 		Aug. 1976 Pabular (Vol. 2 No. 12) 298
Unknown The Optical Move showing cups empty
 		1977 Colombini's Cups and Balls 10
Aldo Colombini The Can-Can Move hiding balls in cup, while tossing them from hand to hand
 		1977 Colombini's Cups and Balls 12
Aldo Colombini The Tilt Move tilting the cup from another cup, stealing a ball
 		1977 Colombini's Cups and Balls 12
Aldo Colombini The Flying Catch ball is dropped from cup and caught under it, hiding other balls
 		1977 Colombini's Cups and Balls 14
Charlie Miller Miller's Penetration
1977 Colombini's Cups and Balls 18
Aldo Colombini The Balls Penetrate Two Cups
1977 Colombini's Cups and Balls 19
Aldo Colombini The Ultimate Vanish ball vanishes by hitting two cups against it
 		1977 Colombini's Cups and Balls 20
Frank Garcia Double Post stacked cups, ball secretly between, cups dragged down on table with balls underneath
Inspired by
  • "Galloping Post" (Hugard's Modern Magic Manual, 1939, p. 130, item 4)
 1978 The Chronicles (Issue 2) 1076
Frank Garcia The "Scoop" or "Lift Up" Move showing cup empty despite ball
 		1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 34
Theo "Okito" Bamberg The "Galloping Post" Move
1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 35
Charlie Miller Miller's Drop Through Move
1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 51
Horace Goldin "Click" Move ball vanishes between to cups that are banged together
 		1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 61
Paul Gertner Secret Loading of a Ball Underneath a Cup with steel ball
 		1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 82
Paul Gertner The False Load steel ball apparently placed under cup
 		1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 84
Horace Goldin The Horace Golding Baffling Cup gaffed cup to vanish a ball under it
 		1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 103
Frank Garcia Passing a Wand Through 3 Nested Cups
1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 105
Unknown Cup Through Cup
1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 109
Herb Morrissey Fako Move sequence for showing cups empty
 		1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 111
Unknown To Show that a Cup is Deeper Inside than Out
1979 The Very Best of Cups and Balls 117
Danny Korem The UDT Cups and Ball Routine clean vanish of ball from cup, pendulum holdout
 		1980 The Upside Down Toppit — Volume II 15
Gary Ouellet The Cenotaph Illusion showing the cups empty
 		1980 The Two Goblets 9
Gary Ouellet The Cenotaph Placement placing apparently empty cups on table
 		1980 The Two Goblets 11
Unknown Cup Through cup
1981 Jim Ryan Close-Up: The Famous Cups & Balls Routine 4
Jim Cellini The Elevator Move
1982 The Close-up Magic of Frank Garcia — Part I 94
Unknown Cup through Cup Move
1982 Spell-Binder (Vol. 2 No. Special #1 (Summer)) 6
Wayne Dobson T 4 U move with cup that has a handle and ball
 		1982 Spell-Binder (Vol. 2 No. 15) 291
David Roth, Charlie Miller Cup Penetration Variation with chop cup
 		1984 The New York Magic Symposium — Collection 3 23
Fabian Han Ping Cup Move
1984 The New York Magic Symposium — Collection 3 109
Unknown Elevator Move brief
 		1987 Special Effects 47
David Williamson One-Handed Ball Steal
1988 Magical Arts Journal (Vol. 2 No. 4,5&6) 16
Hippie Torrales EC Cups & Balls Elsmley Count to show cups empty
 		Jan. 1989 Apocalypse Vol. 11-15 (Vol. 12 No. 1) 1590
Unknown Cup Through Cup uncredited
 		1989 Williamson's Wonders 89
Charlie Miller, David Williamson Charlie Miller Move variation
 		1989 Williamson's Wonders 92
Unknown Wand Through Cup
1989 Williamson's Wonders 94
Roy Walton Thru and Thru No. 81, cup dropped through cup, with coin inside as convincer
 		1989 Self-Working Coin Magic 113
Rafael Benatar Cup Through Cup Variation cup falls through other cups, with all three cups
 		1989 Transit Cups and Balls 5
Charlie Miller Charlie Miller Move
1989 Transit Cups and Balls 11
Unknown The Reverse Stack Count
1990 Impossibilia 83
Unknown Cup Through Cup
1990 Impossibilia 84
John Bannon The Trick Pick - Something New ball removed from cup and reloaded at same time
 		1990 Impossibilia 84
Unknown The Slide Move - Another Standard Cups Move
1990 Impossibilia 85
John Bannon Shuttleball - Another "New" Sleight
1990 Impossibilia 85
Charlie Miller Miller Penetration Move
1991 The Magic of Michael Ammar 8
Michael Ammar No Tip "Tip-Over" Load
1991 The Magic of Michael Ammar 13
David Williamson One-Handed Ball Steal
1991 The Magic of Michael Ammar 19
Gary Kurtz The Tip-off Load from classic palm
 		1991 The Cups and Balls 18
Gary Kurtz The Double Load loading an extra ball under the cup
 		1991 The Cups and Balls 18
Gary Kurtz The Fake Load
1991 The Cups and Balls 19
Antonio Casas The Flipover Flourish Load
Sep. 1992 Apocalypse Vol. 11-15 (Vol. 15 No. 9) 2119
Antonio Casas Switch/Load for Cup & Ball
Dec. 1992 Apocalypse Vol. 11-15 (Vol. 15 No. 12) 2153
Alexander de Cova Becherspiele cup load with ball
 		1992 Ein Profi packt aus... 161
Antonio Casas Striking Vanish
Aug. 1993 Apocalypse Vol. 16-20 (Vol. 16 No. 8) 2250
Paul Gertner Click Convincer steel ball apparently heard inside cup
 		1994 Steel and Silver 198
Charlie Miller Cup Penetration with steel ball
 		1994 Steel and Silver 200
Unknown Ball Steal when covered with cup
 		1995 The Magic of John Riggs 6
Karl Fulves Cup Kink "An idea for the cups & balls"
flexible cups
 		1996 The Fine Print (Issue 4) 63
Harry Riser Ball under Cup Move ball apparently placed under cup
 		1996 The Feints and Temps of Harry Riser 98
Harold Cataquet HPC For Cup And Ball Hand Ping Chien
 		July 1997 Apocalypse Vol. 16-20 (Vol. 20 No. 7) 2815
Harold Cataquet Tip No Load
July 1997 Apocalypse Vol. 16-20 (Vol. 20 No. 7) 2812
Unknown The Centrifugal Move ball stays inside when cup is turned over and tabled
Related to 1998 Cyclops 2
Unknown The Pickup Move ball under cup secretly picked up with cup
 		1998 Cyclops 2
Unknown The Cup Steal & Conceal ball apparently rolled from cup into hand
 		1998 Cyclops 2
Bob Farmer Big Sponge Ball Vanish sponge ball rolled from cup into hand and seen, vanishes
 		1998 Cyclops 7
Bob Farmer Big Solid Ball Vanish ball rolled from cup into hand and seen, vanishes
Related to
  • "The Vanishing Buckeye" (Eddie Fields' Secret Diary, p. 19)
 1998 Cyclops 7
Karl Fulves Penetro "Short Takes"
gaffed cup with trapdoor
 		1998 The Fine Print (Issue 8) 231
Unknown Cup through Cup
2002 The Book of Secrets 124
Unknown Measuring inside of Cup
2002 The Book of Secrets 125
Charlie Miller Cup Penetration Move actually credited to Mexican magician by Miller
 		2002 The Book of Secrets 129
Unknown The Tip Over Load
2004 Street Cups and Balls 48
Unknown The Scoop
2004 Street Cups and Balls 49
Unknown Stacking Load
2004 Street Cups and Balls 49
Unknown Wand Through Cup Classic
 		2004 Street Cups and Balls 50
Unknown The Fruit Load From pouch
 		2004 Street Cups and Balls 50
Karl Fulves Up Cup two cups nested, wand pushed in from below, it seems to penetrate lower cup and lift upper cup
 		2004 Latter Day Secrets (Issue 9) 361
Don Alan Don Alan Chop Cup Loading Technique
2005 The Complete Don Alan's Chop Cup 20
Don Alan The Big Bang chop cup loading technique with bang on table
 		2005 The Complete Don Alan's Chop Cup 25
Karl Fulves KF Notes
  • plastic glass clings to knife
  • thread strand in middle of mouth of cup in cups and balls
  • Fred DeMuth's tumbler trick
Inspired byRelated to 2008 Prolix (Issue 5) 280
Al Schneider Cup Pickup and Replace loading a ball under a cup
 		2011 Al Schneider Magic 132
Al Schneider Tip Load
2011 Al Schneider Magic 138
Unknown Turnover Move hiding a ball while placing the cups on the table
 		2011 Al Schneider Magic 145
Al Schneider Tweezers Steal
2011 Al Schneider Magic 147
Al Schneider Tweezers Steal with Large Ball large ball hidden under cup

 		2011 Al Schneider Magic 153
Al Schneider Tweezers Load
2011 Al Schneider Magic 157
Al Schneider Twist Pickup cup pickup hiding a large ball
 		2011 Al Schneider Magic 160
Al Schneider Subtlety Pickup cup pickup hiding a palmed ball
 		2011 Al Schneider Magic 163
Al Schneider Rotate Load
2011 Al Schneider Magic 165
Al Schneider Double Load
2011 Al Schneider Magic 167
Alexander de Cova Geheime Taschenladung final loads handling, using topit
 		2011 Seminar-Leviten 11
Roberto Giobbi Overture for Cups and Balls cup moves, three balls appear, travel under cups
 		2012 Confidences 119
Tom Gagnon Empty Cup Move display sequence for cups
Also published here
  • The Blueprint, Vol. 5 No. 6
 2013 Too Hot for the Devil 208
Christian Scherer Das Becherspiel als Salonkunststück general remarks on the Cups and Balls
  • Der Handlungsablauf beim Becherspiel
  • Die Struktur (structure)
  • Der Vortrag (patter)
  • Die Becher (cups)
  • Die Kugeln (balls)
  • Der Zauberstab (wand)
  • Der Tisch (table)
  • Die Tischoberfläche (table surface)
  • Die Handhabung der Becher (handling of the cups)
  • Die falsche Übergabe (false transfer of a ball)
  • Die Ladung (loads)
  • Das Platzieren der Ladungen (placement of loads in pockets)
  • Die Ladetechnik (loading technique)
  • Die Ladung vor den Blicken der Zuschauer verbergen (hiding the loads)
  • Indirektes Laden (indirect loads)
  • Das Abstellen der geladenen Becher (putting cups with loads on the table)
 		2014 Schlaglichter 175
Charlie Miller Setting the Spring Gag one cup through the other until an apparent spring is set in cup
 		2018 The Magic of Johnny Thompson (Issue 2) 19
Unknown Rule of Thumb Move inside deeper than outside gag
 		2018 The Magic of Johnny Thompson (Issue 2) 19