Just bought my first chop cup last week, now that I have the props I really want to study more about chop cups moves and routine.
Can anybody recommend me some books or videos that will get me started.

Brad Burt has an entire tape dedicated to the chop cup. New I believe the tape is almost $40. For me that is too much. But I also don't know what details are taught so it might be worth it. The cop cup is one of my favorite effects. I use a routine I learned from Pual Wilson's Restaurant Act video. It is simple and short. Since yo are just starting you can stay away from the one main problem with chop cup routines that of the ball going back to the pocket over and over. In the routine use the ball goes under the cup 2 tiem and then the final loads. Don Alan also has a great routine. If you do a search somebody had a link to Don Alan doing his routine on a television show.

Start with the Don Alan routine. It is quick and to the point. You can obtain it from RNT2 magic at http://www.rnt2magic.com

I'll third Don Alan. Been doing his routine for 15 years.

John Bannon has an excellent chop cup routine in the book Impossibilia. I don't believe it's on the DVD/video of the same name.

Coming sooooon... The Chop Stick routine from Biro/Porper... stay tooned! I will fool those in the know.

I have been using David Roth's chop cup routine with dice instead of the chop cup and the balls. I likethe dice cup because it makes it look like a different trick than the cups and balls.

I liked the Don Alan routine but when I was learning the chop cup there were to many magicians in town that were doing the effect that way.

I also liked the Larry Jennings routine... And did it for a while but after I saw David do his routine at a lecture I used his...

Glenn,
do you have chopped dice?

No but I use dice in stead of the chop cup balls and two large dice as loads. The effect is one of the best opening tricks I have ever used. It is quick and leads to the surprise punch loads very fast.

So as an opening routine it has worked out very well.

Cool.

Frank, were you only looking for one pair for yourself, or more to go with the cups? I have a couple other projects and some escapology items to do first but I think it could be done. 3/4" razor edge, perfects right?

Yes. that would be fantastic.
I'll pm you

That link doesn't work, sadly enough.

Of course it doesn't. I gave you the wrong link. I must be slipping.

The correct link is http://www.rnt2.com

I tried this one and it does work.

Locas:

Here's a link to watch Don performing
the routine on "That's Incredible":

http://members.tripod.com/vidaccess/

Enjoy.

frank

Thanks for the link frank, the video is awesome.

Thanks Bill & Frank, for each of those links! (If 'twere a download, I'd have it now.)

HA! Now I know why some of the oldtimers say that Don Alan was one of the most copied performers in magic.
Great routine.

JoJo

One of several reasons Don was 'copied' was that he didn't do anything that was really knuckle busting. He was seen a lot, and his material was very commercial and doable.

That file IS downloadable!

My set-up on my PC is not in *english*', but if you rightclick (mouse)on the URL show in the above posting you'll get a *safe destination as*, the rest shouldn't be prob..

Most of those vids are downloadable that way..