I too do them for "special" tables. Maybe someone who is interested in booking me. A local celebrity or politician. (I live in a state capital, so they're all over the place.)

I wait till the table has been cleared, and I use Riser's mini cups. A brief routine is all it takes, and I produce mini pool balls at the end. Kills every time.

Mini pool balls.

Great idea, but how do you keep them from talking in the cups? That would also require using some kind of pad?

I just had my mini riser's out this weekend trying them out. I have not used mine yet. I just carry them around my house (in my socks) smiling and feeling proud.

I need a mini routine. I have something in mind. My regular routine would not do for a restaurant.

Cocktail Surprise takes little space and fits restaurant/bar situations perfectly.

I perform a 2 cup routine, however I also carry a close-up mat and borrow a section of the table. If I'm standing at the end of a booth where everyone can see I also do a matrix routine, so I disobey a lot of "rules" if you will. The restaurant where I perform has large tables, and if anything is in the way, my repeat customers will normally excitedly move the items when they see me coming. People who haven't seen me before will hopefully be excited by the other people's responses.

I think each person will have to weigh his venue. You NEVER start moving their things, you ALWAYS build a rapport with them, I normally ask them how their meal was, and you ALWAYS ask permission to use the edge of their table. In all of the many tables that I've done, I've only had one person tell me they'd like to see magic if it didn't involve the table, and I placed my close-up pad on a nearby rail and blew them away with some in the hands magic - sponge balls, etc.

I know some people say never use a table, but I'd say, way your venue, your options, and the limitations that not having a place on the table bring to your magic and decide accordingly. There are good effects that can be done in the hands - there should be a DVD listing and demonstrating only in the hands material - but there are also some strong ones that are harder to do in the hands of the spectators.

Some things that I would normally lay in the specator's hands, I'll lay on the table if I feel that the spectator will make things difficult. If I have someone particularly grabby, I won't do the cups and balls, and everything I do will be only in my hands or the hands of a more compliant spectator that may be sitting accross from them.

If you borrow their the edge of their table don't feel awkward about it. As with effects, if you feel awkward, they'll feel awkward and won't enjoy it.

Anyway, there's my 2 cents.

Why does my post say...
"(in my socks)"
I didn't write that? Did I?

Dennis Loomis' Micro Chop Cup routine. Brilliant and it only needs your hand as a surface on which it can be performed.

Thanks to daeichler for the plug. The "Loomis" micro chops are made by Jim Riser who is phasing them out. He will produce only 36 more sets, and 11 of them have been reserved. We'll be shipping again after the first of the year. If you want to get on the mailing list, visit my web site and get your order in. When these last 36 sets are gone, there will not be any more.
Dennis Loomis

I see no one mentioned my favorite table hopper cups and balls routine, Jiggernaut. It fits the restaurant theme well and takes up very little table space.

I usually use it as a closer and by that time, one should be able to ascertain if the table will be receptive to you using their table for the prop. I aske very nicely and I can't remember anyone ever saying no. And they always end up liking Jiggernaut...

I thought I would like Jiggernaut, but for some reason it just seems to "dinky" for me. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my thought.

Hey Everyone,
This is my first post ever on this site (I'm excited). I do Cups and Balls at almost every table I do. I use a two cup routine that is based on the Carl Andrews routine. I tend to use it as an opener, but not always. It's a great way to start things off at a table because it doesn't ask to much from the patrons. They can sit back and enjoy the magic; and I do use sponge balls as a final load so that I can get them involved quickly after the Cups and Balls.
I have to agree with Pete Biro on Jiggernaut. I've worked in bars and at various resturants and played with it on and off and it sort of seems weak compared to a chop cup or cups and balls.

I may get flamed for this, but most jiggernot routines don't involve the salient gimmick of chop cups and rely only on sleight of hand. Due to the size of the cups, olives and hands, they don't fit well and most performances I have seen are awkward compared to cups and balls or chop cup. It just is not as clean looking and looks forced.

I think than is why the response is weaker. Also, most of the performances relay on the guessing game/how drunk are you approach which is not strong magically. Most also don't use a wand which keeps your hands too close to the action. Think about it, before you carve me a new one.

Kirk G

Absolutly! I do a restaurant every week and do both cups and balls as well as chop cup you just have to make sure you have the room to work with;if the customer has ordered the rack of lamb, it's not likely you'll have a great deal of room to work with but if they've ordered a normal sized coarse then you should be able to get away with it;just be aware of thinks like glasses or plates that could trip you up and try not to use livestock as your final load,some people are a bit funny about having a live animal on thier dining area

I have rarely performed the cups and balls in a restaurant. I really feel so obtrusive to the guests area. But to each his own. However when I performed behind the bar I would do a Gazzo type routine and have 6 regulation size baseballs along with a cantloupe. It was a real hit.

Gerald T

Cups & balls is generally not a problem for space and a good routine will be well received.

It is interesting that I see some negative reactions to Jiggernaut. I have typically heard only praise for the routine.

Maybe Kirk, you haven't seen a good performance of Jiggernaut. Since my family has been in the bar business for 30+ years, the routine is a natural fit for me, practically growing up in a bar and all. I tell the story of how my grandfather would use this sobriety test on someone who he thought had to much to drink and weave it right into the routine. I think that that subtle change in story line takes the bite out of the whole guessing game thing, as the story is not about my spectators guessing, it is a story about someone else being "tested" so to speak. The attitude of it being a demo makes all the difference.

I've been doing magic long enough to know that certain routines play well for others and not for me. One has to really "feel it" for a routine and it has to match ones character or it won't work. It plays strong for me but apparently not for others. Such is life...