I agree that you don't have to use the "chopped" cup in the routine. Virtually anything that you do with the chop cup can be done with other sleights. Personally, if you are a beginner, I would work on a routine that is solid with a few sleights that you can master well. Then, once you do that routine well, expand out to more complex moves. Remember that the lay audience will pretty much only remember the final load sequence anyway...so make sure that is well orchestrated.

Anyone ever make monkey fist balls? what do you do with the ends?

cut it close and stuff it under another strand

Pull it back under the other overlapping strand

If tucking seems impossible, you can cut it close to the ball and add a dot of superglue to hold it down. Be careful, though, or you'll have two fingers temporally disabled (i.e. glued together).

Cheers!
Matt M.