I've been working diligently on the 'final load' portion of the cups and balls. I watched a performance of a magician doing them (don't recall whom) who said something to the effect of: "I've got a confession to make. There are actually more than three balls" just before revealing the final load of much larger balls. Is that good patter or do you think it plants a seed in the spec's mind as to what's *actually* happened?

I'm performing at an assisted living facility next week and will spend many hours practicing before then, but just wanted to get some advice. Thanks so much.

In the past I have said, "You all think that I'm using more than three balls, well actually I use eight balls."
I then reveal that there is an 8 ball under each cup.

No one ever questioned this.

I have used this patter before. I guess I just think about it like I did when I saw it as a kid. The little balls are the "trick" but the final loads are the "magic".

-DJ

There is nothing wrong with this kind of patter. I use it. Don Alan used it. So do a lot of other people. You aren't exposing anything.

I'll use it, then. I liked it myself, but didn't want to do anything to discredit/expose the art. Thank you for the quick responses!

Here's the thing. About 25% of the people out there (I haven't verified this number by a poll or anything) figure that there must be an extra ball. So when you say, "Actually, I have more than three balls," they start nodding to themselves, and they drop their guards.

Then you show the big loads.

So that momentary lapse produces a big impact right afterwards.

I don't like this kind of patter, but it is just a personal taste, give it a try and if it works for you I don't see nothing wrong.

John Mendoza uses this patter in his chop cup.

"At this point, your probably think I have 2 balls.......(Momentary pause here, followed by a sly look). Well, I do, (He shows a bigger ball of a different color) it is just red!! Oh, you thought I was using 2 blue balls, well I am, but this one is much bigger!! (He reveals his final blue ball load, which doesn't fit into the cup it just came out of.)

You're a good guy whitjm5. I'm glad you joined the Café.

Thanks Josh.

I've got another question for you C&B folks... I'm working from the C&B routine in Mark Wilson's "Complete Course..." Between phase three and phase four (the repeat production) we are instructed to place each cup over each ball. THEN, we reveal each ball (while loading # 4) and place uncovered ball into pocket. I see NO reason to go from balls uncovered (at the end of phase three) to covering the balls (at the beginning of phase four) to uncovering them just to put them in your pocket. Is there patter that makes this action seem reasonable? I'm learning that we have to have a REASON to do things (like ditching the knot in cut & restored rope by reaching for a magic wand) and this seems inconsistent. Thanks again for any insight. Kinda feel like I should be paying dues to the Café!

That does put a "bump" in the road, doesn't it!

Phase three is actually fairly much borrowed from Vernon.

I don't feel comfortable with that particular sequence, either. Here's an idea. At the end of phase three, you have one ball on the table in front of the cup on your right, nothing next to the center cup and two balls in front of the cup on the left.

Place each cup mouth down on the table, and place a ball under each one as you do so, and say something about them. It can be something as simple as, "People often wonder why this is performed with three cups and three balls. Some say it is because of a mystical attribute of the number three. Others think that it's to make it impossible to follow the action unless you have three eyes. Still others really would rather be fishing. But it doesn't make any difference, because..." and continue with your patter.

Or, if you know how to do the tip-off move, you can put the balls on top of the cups. The balls under the cups prepare you for the lemon sequence. The balls on top of the cup produce a different effect.

Josh,

In the routine known as the "Vernon", this sequence is slightly different than the sequence in Mark Wilson although the motivating factors or lack thereof are the same.

When I get to that phase my thinking and patter are to show very "fairly" that we are playing with just three balls and three cups. One ball under each cup. In the "Vernon" routine the balls are eliminated to make it even more "fair". In acting this out the magican has a moment of realization that three balls with the three cups may be a bit too much and so goes on to make it "easier".

The false explanation goes on to reinforce this, "I'm making it easier for you", idea.

That's my motive and I'm sticking to it.

Now that you're really confused....Check out Gazzo's street C & B's routine, which incorperates Dai vernon's stuff. I've seen Mark Wilson's routine on Video, as I have the 4 volume set; however I also have Michael Ammar's two DVD set on C. & B. & think it's superior to Wilson's. It also gives a great "in-depth" study to the C & B's. Finally, there's also the "Rub-A-Dub-Dub" C & B's mentioned elsewhere that Bill Malone uses, and that I've adopted with a few minor changes & additions. In one place he has the magician doing a couple of "Fake Takes" which I felt was one too many, so I dropped it with no suspician on the part of the audience since they'd never seen Malone perform it. Remember, the audience is not near as "Savvy" as a bunch of fellow magicians. Also some thought that Dai Vernon was "giving away" the secret when he openly showed his audience the "French Drop", explaining that was how he did the trick, only to throw them another "curve" & lead them to believe that the French Drop was simply a ploy of Mis-direction. In the end, it's all about the performer, & how they handle it. Vernon was off the charts!

Sorry whitjm5, I addressed my last post to Josh instead of you.

Vernon performing the cups and balls is on youtube if you wanted to see how he handled the covering and uncovering of the balls in that sequence.