Hey Guys, I wanted to see your thoughts on Chop Cup versus Jiggernaut in a bar/restaurant atmosphere. Jiggernaut does look like it would be easier to store on you as a walk around restaurant magician. Is one better than the other, or is just a matter of preference? I am looking to get one of them as part of my act, but not sure which one. Thoughts?...

Jiggernaut goes great in a bar / restraunt setting - its an item that is supposed to be there. You can walk up to the bar and have the bartender hand it all to ya. (set up in advance) now that looks impromptu. I used to do magic and bartend and this routine was my bread and butter. There's my 2 cents worth

Danny Archer also has his version (with crediting) with has a more family friendly theme.

For strolling work I use a "mini"chop cup and perform entirely in my hands. My mini cup looks like a metal shot jigger.
The routine is structured to eliminate the "challange" aspect from the spectator, instead it's a little game I play to determine if I have had "too much". For loads I use a walnut(rubber) "this game will drive you nuts" and a Golf ball " If I'm going to play a game with a little ball and a tin cup-that's going to drive me nuts...I play golf!"

I too used to use a mini chop cup that looked like a small shot glass. Kept it in a small bag, which acted as the closeup pad when I did the trick. ( It deadens any noises, plus it keeps the table "gunge" off of my props)

I borrowed a bill, bunched it up with ******* inside, and ended up with a bill that had a few coins in it. Taxes, don't ya know.

Worked well.

But in fairness, I think Jiggernaut is pretty nice.

Remember - YOU count....the prop? Not so much.

I've never done Jiggernaut, but as Patrick & Brody point out, my aluminum Morrissey mini-chop cup looks quite at home in a bar setting. Love your load ideas, too.

Jiggernaut wins hands down. A jigger is thin and stores easily in the bottom of your left jacket pocket with the olive and cork laying next to it ready to go. By putting the props away you are reset. It makes perfect sense in a bar/restaurant and the routine/content inherently contains many openings for good one liners. A jigger just looks better than a cup and you'd be surprised how interesting a good fake olive is to people. The double cork finish beats most chop cup final loads, as its motivated by the patter and the environment.

IMHO

Sounds good...Thanks for all the great advice everyone. Jiggernaut seems that it also lends itself to better patter and reasons for its use.

Jiggernaut is cute and entertaining for bar settings but nothing beats two brightly colored super bounce balls out of a mini cup. The color contrast is nothing short of stunning and children and adults alike can also identify with them immediately.

Dan Fleshman has a really, really good routine for Jiggernaut. Kozmo just released a two DVD set by Dan on Reel Magic that has it on there.

For me it has to be the chop cup it's guaranteed to get you an amazing reaction.

For me, a guy who does chop cup for a living on the streets for 30 years. In a restaurant I would do dan Fleshman's Jigger Routine. KILLER....everything dan does is killer.

I have done a chop cup in restaurants for 30 years for a living and would do a chop cup.

Well they are both good...

I think so as well. I also think they read as different effects almost. To me, jiggernut does not work because my hands are too big. The effect shrinks up.

The other thing I don't like is the moves look pretty contrived. The beauty of a chop cup is that it just happens.

This is just picking nits mind you. Jiggernut is still a great effect.

Chop Cup for me. The payoff is a lemon and then a lime and always gets gasps. I have the final loads in my right pants pocket and the black bag with the chop cup in my hands.

Some people will be familiar with a jigger but to some it will look like a weird prop.