Balls, Eggs, Dice & Cups in Magic & Mentalism: page 4

This is the second eBook in the series and a companion to Single Stone, with completely different effects and additional sleights/moves plus special stratagems to take advantage of the unique qualities of "exactly two."

Learn how to use two objects like walnuts or candy to perform astounding and entertaining illusions of transportations, penetrations, color-changes, productions, and vanishes.

A blending of sway methods, innovative sleights, insightful stratagems, and the elements of performance using 'found' objects in a true impromptu setting. (Many techniques can be used in other venues/settings.) ...

1st edition 2021, video 14 min.

An ingenious alternative to a Chop Cup where the 'cup' is constructed "on the fly" from a magazine sheet while spectators make paper balls, or crumple dollar bills. No gimmicks! The trickery is built into the cup itself and undetectable. There are moves not possible with a standard Chop Cup and ends with a transport to a spectator's hand who keeps the cup and ball. No difficult sleights or handling as the Fold Cup does its thing automatically. But, the special techniques taught moves the astonishment far above a traditional Chop Cup approach.

There are many suggested Effects with special...

How to use a single object like a walnut to perform astounding and entertaining illusions of transportations, penetrations, color-changes, productions and vanishes.

A blending of sway methods, innovative sleights, insightful stratagems, and the elements of performance using 'found' objects in a true impromptu setting.

FOUND - an object from the location: candy, pebble, nut, coffee creamer, etc. Nothing from your person, carried, prepared or gaffed. Just a 'stone' in reference.

IMPROMPTU - in response to a sudden request or chance opportunity.

SINGLE - 15 effects and several...

Expanded uses of a Chop Cup.

Theory, sleights and several unique effects. This explores flaws in traditional Chop Cup routines and offers solutions. Move beyond "what came in the box."

1st edition 2009, PDF 43 pages.

One cup effects using a silicone collapsible drinking cup.

Innovative sleights, moves, and effects created when the Boy Scouts changed to this cup in 2009. Now, many silicone cups are available. These methods work with them all. One can use crochet balls, or nuts, candy, pebbles - most any small objects. No need for the expensive versions from Europe. This came first and is much simpler.

Chop Cup? Yes, several ways to gaff this cup, but you don't have to. Many exciting magic effects without the limitations of the traditional gaff. Move beyond a Chop Cup. Move beyond a solid cup. Always...

Table of Contents

• Settings
• Chapter Eight More Original Hull Effects
  • Rainbow Spheres
  • Novel Method Of Obtaining Balls
  • Ball Through Handkerchief
  • Finish For Ball And Hkf.
  • B. H. Latest Color Change
• Chapter Nine Special Balls
  • The Excelsior Ball Trick
  • Chameleon Ball
  • Multiplying Balls
  • Rouge Et Noir
  • Hkf. And Ball
  • Polychromatic Ball
  • Ball And Goblet
  • Ball And Hkf. Change
  • "Top Vest Servante"
  • Attachments
  • Ball - Holders
  • Ball Pull
  • Clutch Pull
  • Vanishing Ball
  • Henry Hardins Auto Vanishing Ball
  • The Sucker
  • Ball Spider
  • Other Apparatus
• Chapter Ten Special Balls Designed By Author ...

Burling Hull was indeed an excellent billiard ball manipulator, and this is a very good introduction to the art.

Paul Fleming wrote about part 1 and 2:

A practical and commercial routine without difficult sleights.

From the Introduction:

On August 2nd, 1982, Martin Breese organized a John Mendoza lecture, which was taped for later release as a video. But Martin being the busy publisher he was had so many other projects to work on that he never got around releasing this recording. We rescued the recording from two old Umatic tapes Martin gave to me. Since this was recorded in the early 80s do not expect a high definition video. But it is nevertheless a good recording of Mendoza's lecture. The video has some flaws here and there with stripes, ghost images, and an occasional blackout. The audio track has no noticeable blackouts or problems....

Rene Lavand became known around the world for his version of this classic "Two in the hand, One in the pocket" sequence. Using only one hand, a few small balls of some soft substance and a lone coffee cup, he was able to fool and entertain all types of spectators for decades. This, then, is a streamlined, shortened version lasting less than a minute. It plays up the surprises without becoming monotonous. It can be performed silent or using brief patter.

EFFECT: Three small pieces of foam rubber are used along with a coffee cup. Two of the foam balls are placed into the cup. The remaining...

D. Terelmes is a performer who admits he tends to overthink things. He's been performing the chop cup for close to 40 years. Contained are his pet peeves on what he believes other performers (even top pros) are doing wrong when presenting the chop cup. You won't find any new sleights or new moves. Instead you might find a nugget or few that will change your approach as to how YOU perform and routine the chop cup.

He hopes to take the chop cup from the "obvious" trick that some consider it to be, to the miracle it can be; one that withstands repeat performances at street festivals and haunted...

Dice stacking is not only magical, but it is fun too. The art of scooping up a series of dice and stacking them one on top of the other is not nearly as hard as it looks. Professional juggler and entertainer Todd Strong has developed a method to easily teach you how to stack dice. In fact, using Todd's methods, you can learn to stack dice proficiently in just a few short hours.

Being a juggler, Todd has created numerous unique and highly visual dice stacking techniques, many of which magicians have never seen before, including fantastic aerial dice moves and two-handed stacking. You will...

Encyclopedia of the 3-shell game, completely exposed, revised and enlarged, including the latest routines, profusely illustrated, and comprehensively described.

Table of Contents

• Forward
• Forward, Junior
• The Author Speaks
• Chapter 1 Point On Shells
• Chapter 2 The Correct Pea
• Chapter 3 How To Make A Pea
• Chapter 4 The Size Of The Pea
• Chapter 5 Working Surface
• Chapter 6 The 3 Shell Game
• Chapter 7 Fundamentals
• Chapter 8 Red, White & Blue
• Chapter 9 You Hold It
• Chapter 10 Over The Top
• Chapter 11 Double Pea
• Chapter 12 Back Hand Trick
• Chapter 13 Variation
• Chapter 14 Which One, Bub? ...

This is a much later version of Slydini's classic routine cut down to a length more suited to today's short audience attention span. Any unnecessary moves have been eliminated. The sequence is written for right hand performers.

You will also receive a video with further explanations and demonstrations.

1st edition 2018, 3 pages + video

A series of original sleights with miniature billiard balls, including an explanation of the author's ball stand and vanishing apparatus, and a thirty-minute manipulative act.

Inspired by the name of a Dave Mayer routine entitled The Black Spotted Wooden Egg referenced by name only in a 1989 IBM Ring report, I constructed this five-minute routine for the venerable die box that has now entertained audiences for two decades. Between two volunteers acting out their parts on stage, and the entire audience creating the sound effects necessary for the story, no one is left without a part to play in this routine. It just might bring your die box out of the drawer.

1st edition 2018, length 7 min

From the introduction by Lewis Ganson:

A marvelous trick featured by many of the greats in magic. In effect a piece of paper is crumpled up and bounced on a fan. Visibly it assumes the shape of an egg - a full-sized egg - and this is removed from the fan and broken into a glass to prove genuine.

This special manuscript tells you all you need to know about this famous trick. The correct way to make the special egg at home and the correct way to store it. Various steals, types of fan to use, lead-up and follow-up tricks, etc., etc. A very valuable publication on this subject.

1st edition 1958, PDF 7 pages.

One-Ball cups and balls routine

One large ball and three cups are examined by the spectators. The magician's hands are empty - so are his pockets.

• Covered by a cup, the ball vanishes
• It jumps from cup to cup
• It penetrates the bottom of a cup
• It jumps from pocket to cup
• It appears under any cup the spectator picks
• It multiplies to three balls, one under each cup

• No special equipment required
• Performable under almost any conditions: close-up, standing, sitting, kneeling - even begging
• 5 second reset
• Do it in your (or someone else's) underwear
• Short, easy-to-follow,...

Learn how to make your own coconut cups for a three ball routine.

1st edition 2017, 16 pages.

Brick Tilley learned this routine in China from Mr. Fu in 1980. It is a 'cups and balls' routine, but is performed with two rice bowls and three balls, which appear to be small pieces of fruit. They are not really pieces of fruit, but that is what they look like. Details of what they are and how to make them are in the ebook.

The video above is part one of a four-part routine.

The effect below is not included in the tutorial because it utilizes a well-known magic principle. The video, therefore, is only to acquaint the viewer with the props.

1st edition 2017, 5 pages.

This is one of the oldest magic tricks in history. The routine was developed by Ed Marlo and allows the performer to discard the shell during the performance. See video below.

1st edition 2017, 4 pages.

A pair of long-forgotten touches for the three-shell game, including a mechanical walnut shell that steals and delivers the pea without sleight of hand. Also, a working surface that collapses at will in case the operator needs to make a quick escape.

A video shot from underneath a glass table clearly demonstrates the critical motion and action of stealing and reinserting the pea.

1st edition 2017, 4 pages, video 12s.